Patents Examined by Marly Camargo
  • Patent number: 11102388
    Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, including: activating, on a device, a world view camera; obtaining, using the world view camera, world view image data; activating, on the device, a front view camera; obtaining, using the front view camera, front view image data; and providing, on a display of the device, a view displaying the front view image data and the world view image data. Other aspects are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: David Perez-Feliciano, Justin Michael Ringuette, Catherine Pratt Davis
  • Patent number: 10212370
    Abstract: Provided are a solid-state image sensor and an electronic information device capable of effectively reducing the occurrence of pseudo-smear by adopting a simple configuration and operation. A solid-state image sensor 1 includes multiple pixel circuit units PN and POB, each including a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charges via photoelectric conversion and accumulates the generated charges, a floating diffusion unit that retains charges transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, a transfer unit through which charges accumulated by the photoelectric conversion unit are transferred to the floating diffusion unit, an output unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of charges retained by the floating diffusion unit, and a reset unit that discharges charges retained by the floating diffusion unit to the outside; and an A/D conversion unit 23 that acquires a signal output from the output unit and performs A/D conversion on the acquired signal using a set gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Kohzoh Hoshino, Tatsuya Yui
  • Patent number: 10212376
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that realize a high frame rate image capture without deteriorating an image quality. A floating diffusion holds a charge accumulated on one or more photoelectric conversion units. A plurality of amplification transistors read out a signal corresponding to the charge held by the floating diffusion. The signal read out by the amplification transistor is output to a vertical signal line. The plurality of amplification transistors are connected in parallel. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 10205930
    Abstract: A camera system is configured to capture video content with 360 degree views of an environment. The camera array comprises a housing including a first quadrant, a second quadrant, a third quadrant, and a fourth quadrant, wherein each of the first quadrant, the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant form a plurality of apertures, a chassis bottom that is removably coupled to the housing, and a plurality of camera modules, each camera module comprising a processor, a memory, a sensor, and a lens, wherein each of the camera modules is removably coupled to one of the plurality of apertures in the housing, wherein the first quadrant, the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant each include a subset of the plurality of camera modules. Each of the plurality of camera modules includes a heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Inventors: Arthur Van Hoff, Thomas M. Annau, Jens Christensen, Koji Gardiner, Punit Govenji, James Dunn
  • Patent number: 10205869
    Abstract: A video processing apparatus controls an imaging apparatus capable of changing a focus position. A detection unit detects a focus position where a certain object is focused on. A controller controls the imaging apparatus such that a focus position in the imaging apparatus is changed to the focus position where the certain object is focused on which is detected by the detection unit in accordance with a certain operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeki Mori
  • Patent number: 10205897
    Abstract: A method of driving a unit pixel may include activating a transfer signal prior to an activation of a reset signal to boost a floating diffusion node of the unit pixel, during a first section of a photodiode reset period; and activating a reset signal using a hard reset, during a second section of the photodiode reset period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: JIn-Seon Kim, Woong-Hee Lee, Tae-Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 10205879
    Abstract: Disclosed are a system and a method for determining enabling or disabling electronic image stabilization (EIS) for a video frame. An image sensor of a camera system captures a video stream that comprises a plurality of video frames. An image processor determines availability of a computational resource that may process application of EIS on each video frame. Simultaneously, the image processor receives motion data of the camera system from a gyroscope. Based on the computational resource availability, a motion frequency threshold is determined. Based on the gyroscope motion data, a motion frequency of each video frame is estimated. The estimated motion frequency is compared to the determined motion frequency threshold. If the estimated motion frequency is greater than the determined motion frequency threshold, application of EIS is disabled. If the estimated motion frequency is less than or equal to the determined motion frequency threshold, application of EIS is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Loic Segapelli
  • Patent number: 10182188
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of performing automatic adjustment of black balance properly without the need to have a member for fully shielding light. A diaphragm of a lens barrel and an ND filter, which is provided separately from the diaphragm, adjust the amount of light incident on an image pickup device that picks up an image of a subject. Whether the automatic adjustment is possible in present image pickup environment is judged based on evaluation values of a picked-up image obtained in a state where the amounts of incident light are maximized by respective ones of the diaphragm and the ND filter, and a predetermined judgment threshold value which is determined based on a range over which the amount of incident light is adjustable by the diaphragm and a range over which the amount of incident light is adjustable by the ND filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidetaka Uemura
  • Patent number: 10129496
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit, a reference signal generation unit, m (m is an integer of 3 or more) number of column delay units, and a plurality of column AD conversion units. The plurality of column delay units is arranged so as to correspond to two or more and less than m of the column AD conversion units. Each of the plurality of column delay units includes a first delay circuit. The first delay circuit generates a plurality of first delay clocks. The column AD conversion unit includes a comparison unit, a latch unit, and a counter unit. The comparison unit compares a pixel signal with a reference signal, and outputs a control signal corresponding to a comparison result. The latch unit includes a plurality of latch circuits that latches the plurality of first delay clocks on the basis of a state change of the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshio Hagihara
  • Patent number: 10091405
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing motion blur in images or video in ultra low light with array cameras in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for synthesizing an image from multiple images captured using an array camera includes capturing image data using active cameras within an array camera, where the active cameras are configured to capture image data and the image data includes pixel brightness values that form alternate view images captured from different viewpoints, determining sets of corresponding pixels in the alternate view images where each pixel in a set of corresponding pixels is chosen from a different alternate view image, summing the pixel brightness values for corresponding pixels to create pixel brightness sums for pixel locations in an output image, and synthesizing an output image from the viewpoint of the output image using the pixel brightness sums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: FotoNation Cayman Limited
    Inventor: Gabriel Molina
  • Patent number: 10070065
    Abstract: There is provided a camera apparatus, including circuitry configured to: output a first image signal for displaying a first image, output a second image signal for displaying a second image. The second image signal is an image signal transmitted as a return signal. Further, the second image is an image that includes one of a location of a focus adjustment in the first image and an enlarged image corresponding to a part of the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuuji Ooba
  • Patent number: 10063827
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing image processing for image data. The image processing apparatus includes a signal separation unit configured to separate a color signal and a luminance signal included in the image data, and a color signal control unit configured to control chroma of the color signal used for the image processing based on a luminance value of the luminance signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 10057496
    Abstract: A display control apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store image data associated with positional information, a determination unit configured to determine whether information representing a type of satellite used for determining the positional information associated with the image data stored in the storage unit is associated with the image data, and a display control unit configured to control, in accordance with a result of the determination performed by the determination unit, display of information representing a type of satellite used for determining the positional information associated with the image data in a form in which the type of satellite is recognizable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 10044962
    Abstract: The present technique relates to a solid-state imaging device, a solid-state imaging device manufacturing method, and an electronic apparatus that are capable of providing a solid-state imaging device that can prevent generation of RTS noise due to miniaturization of amplifying transistors, and can achieve a smaller size and a higher degree of integration accordingly. A solid-state imaging device (1-1) includes: a photodiode (PD) as a photoelectric conversion unit; a transfer gate (TG) that reads out charges from the photodiode (PD); a floating diffusion (FD) from which the charges of the photodiode (PD) are read by an operation of the transfer gate (TG); and an amplifying transistor (Tr3) connected to the floating diffusion (FD). More particularly, the amplifying transistor (Tr3) is of a fully-depleted type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ammo
  • Patent number: 10038850
    Abstract: Systems and methods for compensating angular misalignment in Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) systems are described. In some embodiments, a method may include measuring an angle representing a misalignment between an actuator and an electronic component within a camera; and compensating for the misalignment using a rotation matrix, wherein the rotation matrix is calculated based upon the angle. In other embodiments, a camera may include an image sensor coupled to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB); an OIS actuator coupled to the PCB and optically coupled to the image sensor, where the OIS actuator is physically misaligned with respect to the image sensor; and a controller coupled to the PCB, the controller configured to: measure an angle representing the misalignment; and compensate for the misalignment using a rotation matrix at the time of an image capture, where the rotation matrix is calculated based upon the angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Juha Jorma Sakari Karttunen, Jussi Petteri Tikkanen
  • Patent number: 10033956
    Abstract: There is provided an operating method of an image sensor including: storing a first charge from an optoelectronic circuit to a pixel buffer circuit within a first exposure period; storing a second charge from the optoelectronic circuit to the pixel buffer circuit within a second exposure period; transferring the first charge from the pixel buffer circuit to a first storage circuit outside of pixel circuits; transferring the second charge from the pixel buffer circuit to a second storage circuit outside of pixel circuits; and comparing the first charge with the second charge to output an analog image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC
    Inventor: En-Feng Hsu
  • Patent number: 10033932
    Abstract: An image processing device may include a control unit. The control unit may be operable, in a first mode, to control display on a display screen of a representative image of a group of images and, in a second mode, to control display on the display screen of an image of the group of images corresponding to a posture of the device. In addition, the control unit may be operable to switch between operation in the first mode and the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kimu Higashimoto
  • Patent number: 10027916
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device and an electronic apparatus that realize a high frame rate image capture without deteriorating an image quality. A floating diffusion holds a charge accumulated on one or more photoelectric conversion units. A plurality of amplification transistors read out a signal corresponding to the charge held by the floating diffusion. The signal read out by the amplification transistor is output to a vertical signal line. The plurality of amplification transistors are connected in parallel. The present technology is applicable to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishiwata
  • Patent number: 10021358
    Abstract: A plurality of adjacent pixels is provided adjacently in a plurality of directions to a first pixel. A direction with a highest correlation is derived from signals of the plurality of pixels, and the direction with the highest correlation is reflected to interpolation processing to be performed on the signal of first pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya Onishi, Noriyuki Kaifu, Fujio Kawano, Hisashi Takado
  • Patent number: 10021335
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including a pixel array section including pixel units two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix pattern, each pixel unit including a photoelectric converter, and a plurality of column signal lines disposed according to a first column of the pixel units. The imaging device further includes an analog to digital converter that is shared by the plurality of column signal lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsumi Niwa, Yosuke Ueno, Shimon Teshima, Daijiro Anai, Yoshinobu Furusawa, Taishin Yoshida, Takahiro Uchimura, Eiji Hirata