Patents Examined by Marly Camargo
  • Patent number: 9215377
    Abstract: An apparatus including at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to, during a digital zoom having increasing or decreasing zoom values for first frames taken by a camera, and based upon a sensor mode changing from a first sensor mode to a different second sensor mode, using at least one new different zoom value to one of the first frames captured by the camera before the sensor mode change to form at least one new second frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Tomi Sokeila, Mikko Muukki
  • Patent number: 9215430
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first pixel and a second pixel. The first pixel includes a first light sensitive element, a first light filter, and a first microlens. The second pixel is disposed adjacent to the first pixel and includes a second light sensitive element, a second light filter, and a second microlens. The first pixel is configured to direct at least some of the light received at the first microlens to the second light sensitive element of the second pixel to increase optical crosstalk so as to reduce color aliasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond Wu
  • Patent number: 9210321
    Abstract: A method comprising receiving visual information from a camera module, causing display of a representation of, at least part of, the visual information, determining an autofocus point based, at least in part, on the visual information, capturing an image based, at least in part, on the visual information such that focus of the image conforms to the autofocus point, and causing display of the image and a shutter animation such that the shutter animation overlays the image and the shutter animation has a closing point that corresponds with a position on the image that correlates with the autofocus point is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Here Global B.V.
    Inventors: Jerome Beaurepaire, Philippe Beaurepaire
  • Patent number: 9191693
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that acquires first information corresponding to a position of an imaging device that captures image data, and second information corresponding to a field of view of the imaging device that captures the image data, and generates tag information based on the first and second information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9172876
    Abstract: A measurement method capable of measuring a motion blur amount of an image with a high accuracy is provided. The measurement method fixes a camera on a vibratory table of a vibratory apparatus; selects one of a plurality of pieces of vibration data in accordance with the mass of the camera; shakes the vibratory table of the vibratory apparatus in accordance with the selected vibration data; acquires an evaluation image by imaging a subject by the camera while the vibratory table is being shaken; and measures a motion blur amount of an image based on the acquired evaluation image. In this case, the vibration data may be obtained by performing statistic processing for measured data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroya Kusaka, Masamichi Ohara
  • Patent number: 9167168
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing an image processing program configured to enable a computer to execute a shaping step of shaping an input image generated through capturing via an optical system by using a characteristic of the optical system and an image-pickup condition, a blurring step of blurring an image shaped in the shaping step, and a dividing step of dividing the input image into a plurality or layered images according to an object distance. The computer executes the shaping step based upon distance information of an object contained in each layered image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Ebe
  • Patent number: 9166614
    Abstract: The ramp-signal generator circuit includes a reference voltage generator that changes the voltage of a reference signal Vr to a comparator setting voltage VR for compensating for a voltage difference between a reference signal Vr and an analog input signal (Vs1-Vsn) before comparison by an analog-to-digital converter circuit and outputs a ramp signal whose slope starts from the comparator setting voltage VR in response to a start of the comparison. The ramp-signal generator circuit is configured to add a predetermined enhanced voltage VA to the comparator setting voltage VR before the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Higuchi, Kazuko Nishimura, Yuusuke Yamaoka, Yutaka Abe, Hiroshi Fujinaka
  • Patent number: 9154706
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an imaging apparatus configured to display a through image in a visible manner when it is assumed that a status of a focus is confirmed even if a multiple live view display suitable for composition adjustment is performed in multiple exposure photography. The imaging apparatus includes a generation unit configured to multiple-synthesize a through image and at least a captured image, and to generate a multiple-composite image, a display control unit configured to perform control to display the multiple-composite image on a display unit while sequentially updating the multiple-composite image, a magnification instruction receiving unit configured to receive an image magnification instruction, and a control unit configured to perform control to display a through image magnified without multiple-synthesizing, on the display unit when receiving the magnification instruction while displaying the multiple-composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9152015
    Abstract: An electronic device, which accepts inputs in a plurality of levels according to pressing loads, includes: a control unit, which performs an autofocus process of automatically adjusting a focus with respect to the photographic subject when a load detecting unit detects a pressing load that satisfies a load standard for accepting a first-level input, and controls so that a still image is acquired, when the load detecting unit detects a pressing load that satisfies a load standard for accepting a second-level input higher than the load standard for accepting the first-level input, wherein, from when the autofocus process starts to when adjustment of the focus with respect to the photographic subject is completed, when the load detecting unit detects the pressing load that satisfies the load standard for accepting the second-level input, the control unit controls so that the still image is not acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Shusuke Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9154681
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: a first image sensor configured to photo-electrically convert a subject image and output an image signal; a first image processing unit configured to develop a first image signal generated by the first image sensor; a second image processing unit configured to reduce a number of pixels in the first image signal and develop the image signal whose pixels have been reduced as a second image signal; a recording unit configured to record an image signal; and a display unit having a lower pixel count than the pixel count of the first image sensor, wherein in the case where an instruction to capture a still image has been made, the recording unit records the image signal developed by the first image processing unit and the display unit displays the image signal developed by the second image processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kan Takaiwa
  • Patent number: 9154707
    Abstract: A device includes a correction section configured to correct an image of an object captured by using a first shutter operation for starting exposure of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a second shutter operation for ending exposure of the photoelectric conversion elements. The correction section is configured to correct the image according to a distance from an optical axis center to the photoelectric conversion elements to minimize variance in exposure duration among the photoelectric conversion elements between the first shutter operation and the second shutter operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuichi Shiohara
  • Patent number: 9148537
    Abstract: Information regarding facial cues may be received. Such information may associated each facial cue with a responsive action. Images (e.g., photo, video) of an area in front of a computing device may be captured by a front-facing camera. A user's face may be detected, as well as determined to exhibit a facial cue. The facial cue is identified, along with its associated action. The computing device may then perform the action associated with the facial cue exhibited by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: hopTo Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Currey
  • Patent number: 9143677
    Abstract: An image capturing device includes an image sensing device, a processor, and a memory. Using this, the device can determine a plurality of image-based characteristics for a proposed image, compute a composition measure for the proposed image and the given settings that depends from at least two of the plurality of image-based characteristics of the proposed image, output an indication of the composition measure to a user, in the form of simple indicators, more complex indicators/displays, and or provide suggestions for altering at least one characteristic of the proposed image or data about the context of a shot, receive an image capture signal from the user in response to the indication, receive a captured image from the image sensing device in response to the image capture signal, and store the captured image in memory. The feedback can also be provided at a later time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventor: Josh Anon
  • Patent number: 9137481
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores an image processing program executable by a processor to reproduce images from an imaging signal supplied from an imaging sensor that captures subject light. The program includes instructions to (i) generate a first movie image focused to a first region set in a through-image displayed on a display unit based on the imaging signal supplied from the imaging sensor, and subsequently generate a second movie image focused to a second region, different from the first region, set in the through-image displayed on the display unit based on the imaging signal; (ii) perform image processing in linking portions of each of the first and second movie images in order to link the first movie image and the second movie image in time sequence of each movie image to generate compiled movie images; and (iii) control the display unit to display the compiled movie images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Miyakawa
  • Patent number: 9137457
    Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus includes a digital signal processing unit that obtains first image data from an input image and generates second image data using the first image data according to a condition that is previously set. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus includes obtaining first image data from an input image and generating second image data using the first image data according to a condition that is previously set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sung-ha Park
  • Patent number: 9124809
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including an HDR (High Dynamic Range) processing unit inputting images picked up while exposure control that changes an exposure time is being carried out with a predetermined spatial period and a predetermined temporal period on pixels that compose an image sensor, and carrying out image processing. The HDR processing unit generates a first combined image by combining pixel values of a plurality of images with different sensitivities generated by an interpolation process using a plurality of consecutively picked-up images, generates a second combined image by combining pixel values of a plurality of images with different sensitivities generated by an interpolation process that uses a single picked-up image, and generates an HDR image by executing a pixel value blending process on the first combined image and the second combined image in accordance with a blending ratio calculated in accordance with movement detection information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kaizu, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Yasushi Saito, Masanori Kasai
  • Patent number: 9124807
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging apparatus capable of reducing a margin region required for rolling shutter distortion correction processing. The imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit employing a rolling shutter method, and a correction unit configured to perform correction processing for reducing a rolling shutter distortion on image data captured by the imaging unit. The correction unit adjusts readout positions of other lines relative to a readout position of a reference line in the image data, and sets the reference line so as to reduce a deviation amount between the readout position of the reference line and the readout positions of the other lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 9124826
    Abstract: An image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns and a sampling unit suitable for sampling the plurality of pixels in units of M by N in a binning mode, M and N being a positive integer greater than 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Si-Wook Yoo, Won-Seok Hwang
  • Patent number: 9106819
    Abstract: A camera module includes a lens assembly, an image sensor, and a hybrid lens holder. The image sensor is aligned with the lens assembly to capture images of light incident through the lens assembly on a light sensitive surface of the image sensor. The hybrid lens holder holds the lens assembly a fixed offset from the image sensor. The hybrid lens holder includes a barrel section in which the lens assembly is held as a vertical stack rising above the image sensor and a flange section that rests on the image sensor to maintain the fixed offset from the image sensor. The discrete lens elements are held in place by direct contact with an inner side of the barrel section. The barrel section and the flange section are a single, contiguous housing structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Lu Gao, Xi Chen, Xiaoyu Miao
  • Patent number: 9094086
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: an imaging unit that captures images; a display unit that displays the images; an antenna arranged at a predetermined position relative to the imaging unit; an antenna control unit that changes the direction of maximum gain for the antenna and controls the directionality of the antenna; a wireless unit that, via the antenna, transmits search data to at least one wireless terminal and receives response data in relation to the search data; a signal strength detection unit that detects the reception strength of the response data; an identification information extraction unit that identifies identification information for the wireless terminal that is the transmission source for the response data; a record control unit that generates data sets associating the identification information, the reception strength, and the direction of maximum gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Takahashi, Kiyoshi Toyoda