Patents Examined by Mark Monk
  • Patent number: 7852394
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a driving method for a solid-state imaging device which suppresses increase of smear and occurrence of image blur when imaging a moving object. In the driving method, for each row of the color filters arranged in the Bayer pattern, for a pixel, a signal charge is held in a first holding unit, which is generated in a preceding field period temporally preceding a predetermined field out of two different fields temporally equidistant from the predetermined field, a first signal charge is held in a second holding unit, which is generated within the predetermined field, the signal charge held in the first holding unit and a signal charge which is generated in a following field period are added, and a second signal charge obtained by the addition and the first signal charge are respectively outputted to outside of the solid-state imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Ichiro Murakami
  • Patent number: 7852392
    Abstract: A scintillator layer for converting an incident radiation into a light having a wavelength detectable with a photoelectric conversion element is provided on a sensor substrate on which plural photoelectric conversion elements and switching elements are disposed via a flattening layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chiori Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 7830439
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image sensing apparatus including at least one pixel, a signal read unit, and a saturation detector. The pixel includes a photoelectric converter, a semiconductor region, and a transfer controller which transfers a charge generated in the photoelectric converter to the semiconductor region. The signal read unit is configured to output a signal from the semiconductor region. The saturation detector includes a reset controller which detects a signal generated in the semiconductor region during an exposure period of the photoelectric converter, and resets the photoelectric converter based on the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Kishi
  • Patent number: 7791649
    Abstract: An automatic white balance control image apparatus, medium, and method. The automatic white balance control imaging apparatus may include a color space conversion unit converting the input image data into color space data having a chromatic component, a gray region extraction unit extracting a gray region for the input image data based on gray regions for light sources, the gray regions being detected based on plural light sources and a predetermined color checker, a detection unit extracting initial light source information using a color gamut average value and a color gamut center value, and adjusting the initial light source information in order for a chromatic component introduced into the extracted gray region to be excluded, a gain control unit calculating gains to scale the input image data based on the adjusted initial light source information, and controlling a white balance by applying the calculated gains to the input image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-su Kim, Ho-young Lee, Du-sik Park, Chang-yeong Kim
  • Patent number: 7714927
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a focus control unit that sets an image area including eyes, which is included in an input image inputted in the imaging apparatus, as a range finding area for calculation of a subject distance and acquires an evaluation value based on contrast of the range finding area to detect a focus position and a blink detecting unit that detects presence or absence of a blink on the basis of image analysis in the range finding area. The focus control unit inputs blink detection information in the blink detection unit, identifies evaluation value data in a blink period and a non-blink period, and executes processing for detecting a focus position on the basis of only an evaluation value in a period judged as the non-blink period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshito Terashima
  • Patent number: 7675566
    Abstract: A camera module 100 includes a movable section 10 that includes a lens 11, a fixed section 30 having a hollow space extending in the optical axis direction of the lens 11, and an elastic body 40 that elastically supports the movable section 10 and the fixed section 30, an imaging element 3 that is fixed to the fixed section 30 and has a light-receiving surface perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 11, a plurality of magnets 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d arranged along the fixed section 30, and a coil section 22 provided in the movable section 10. The elastic body 40 includes an upper spring 41a and a lower spring 41b, which support the fixed section 30 between adjacent ones of the magnets 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d along the arrangement direction of these magnets on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens 11. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a camera module with an automatic focusing control function, whose thickness can be reduced remarkably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Tagome, Satoshi Tamaki, Takashi Haruguchi
  • Patent number: 7671892
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus according to the present invention includes: an image sensing unit configured to sense an object image and output image signals; a shift amount detecting unit configured to detect a shift amount between two image signals, from the image signals that are sequentially output by the image sensing unit; an image signal synthesizing unit configured to sequentially synthesize the image signals based on detection results of the shift amount detecting unit, and generate a synthesized image signal that has been corrected by the shift amount; and a memory unit configured to accumulate the synthesized image signal, wherein the image signal synthesizing unit performs level adjustment of a signal level, the level adjustment varying for each area of the two image signals that are to be synthesized, and generates the synthesized image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Watanabe, Yoshihiro Honma, Yoshinobu Sato, Masato Kosugi
  • Patent number: 7652706
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a photosensitive region that accumulates charge corresponding to received incident light; a transfer gate for transferring charge from the photosensitive region; a voltage supply having an increasing voltage over time; a floating diffusion for receiving the charge from the photosensitive region and converting the charge to a voltage; an amplifier for receiving and amplifying a signal from the floating diffusion; a comparator for comparing a voltage from the amplifier to a reference voltage; and a counter for counting clock cycles between initiation of the increasing voltage until a signal is received from the comparator indicating charge transfer from the photosensitive region to the floating diffusion; wherein a digital signal is generated that represents an unfilled capacity of the photosensitive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Weize Xu
  • Patent number: 7649559
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for offset cancellation in an amplifier are disclosed, wherein the amplifier inputs may be exposed to large loads from an array of pixel columns coupled in parallel. During a cancellation phase, an amplifier offset may be canceled by selectively coupling a first amplifier output to a first amplifier input and a second amplifier output to a second amplifier input. During a portion of the cancellation phase, a buffer may use the first amplifier input to drive a first pixel signal. During a different portion of the cancellation phase, the buffer may use the second amplifier input to drive a second pixel signal. To sense the pixel columns during an amplification phase, the first and second pixel signals are coupled to the first and second amplifier inputs, respectively, with the result that the amplifier offset and the buffer offset are cancelled from the amplifier output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Alf Olsen
  • Patent number: 7564079
    Abstract: In a case when a structure of forming a p+ layer on a substrate rear surface side is employed in order to prevent dark current generation from the silicon boundary surface, various problems occur. According to this invention, an insulation film 39 is provided on a rear surface on a silicon substrate 31 and a transparent electrode 40 is further provided thereon, and by applying a negative voltage with respect to the potential of the silicon substrate 31 from a voltage supply source 41 to the insulation film 39 through the transparent electrode 40, positive holes are accumulated on a silicon boundary surface of the substrate rear surface side and a structure equivalent to a state in which a positive hole accumulation layer exists on aforesaid silicon boundary surface is to be created. Thus, various problems in the related art can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Mabuchi, Nobuhiro Karasawa