Patents Examined by Ngoc-Yen T. Vu
  • Patent number: 10302961
    Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an optics assembly housing an optics component. In some embodiments, the optics assembly is configured to move within the apparatus. In some embodiments, the optics assembly is suspended by a plurality of wires on a base component of the apparatus. In some embodiments, one or more passive dampers disposed around the plurality of wires. In some embodiments, the passive dampers are configured to passively dampen motions of the optics assembly within the apparatus, and each of the one or more passive dampers radially surrounds a portion of a length of a respective one of the plurality of wires over a portion of the length of the respective one of the plurality of wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott W. Miller, Aurelien R. Hubert, Ryan J. Dunn, Douglas S. Brodie
  • Patent number: 10306129
    Abstract: This application describes techniques for controlling an apparatus that includes a camera both locally and remotely. The camera apparatuses described herein may include obfuscation components that function to selectively obfuscate a view of the camera at the request of a user. For instance, one particular camera apparatus may include a lens cap and an actuator to move the lens cap from a position in which the lens cap at least partially obfuscates the view of the camera to a position in which the lens cap does not (and vice versa). The camera apparatus may include a physical control to allow a user to locally request to open or close the lens cap, and may also include a network interface to communicate with a user device, thus allowing a user to remotely request to open or close the lens cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Van Tuyl Bentley, Paul Berenberg, Emmanuel J M Laffon de Mazieres
  • Patent number: 10298860
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a detector comprising at least one detector element, the at least one detector element comprising: a photodiode element operable to generate charge carriers, the detector being configured to generate a signal indicative of a cumulative amount of charge carriers generated by the photodiode element during the integration period; a reset switch element configured to couple the photodiode element to a reset potential; at least one charge storage reservoir; and at least one gain control switch element configured to couple at least one said at least one charge storage reservoir to the photodiode element, wherein the detector is configured to perform a reset operation in which the reset switch element and at least one said at least one gain control switch element are closed in order to couple at least one said at least one charge storage reservoir and the photodiode element to the reset potential, the detector being configured to open at least one gain control switch elem
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: ISDI Limited
    Inventor: Thalis Anaxagoras
  • Patent number: 10289997
    Abstract: Video frames of a document are captured. The edges of the document are identified from the frames as they appear within a field of view of a camera and a document rectangle for the document is tracked within the field of view. An area of the document determined from the frames is compared against the available area of the camera preview mode and a larger superimposed guiding rectangle is displayed as a guide within the camera preview mode. When a frame for the document is detected as having document edges that substantially fit within the guiding rectangle, the guiding rectangle is removed and an optimal image of the document is captured for subsequent downstream document image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Olufisayo Adebanke Ekpenyong, Michael Gardi
  • Patent number: 10291833
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dual camera module equipped in a mobile terminal. The dual camera module includes a first camera module having a first focal length and a first field of view, a second camera module spaced apart from the first camera module by a predetermined distance, the second camera module having a second focal length and a second field of view, which are different from those of the first camera module, a sensor unit located in a space between the first camera module and the second camera module, and at least one member configured to align the first and second camera modules in a line so that beginning points of the fields of view of the first and second camera modules coincide with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jongpil Kim, Hakhae Kim, Dongjin Lee, Sungbum Joo
  • Patent number: 10291858
    Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to improve operability of an imaging apparatus. The present disclosure is an imaging apparatus including: first operation part 15 for receiving selection of a first numerical value from a first numerical value group that specifies a photography setting condition; second operation part 14 for receiving selection of an operation from an operation group for the first numerical value; and a controller for determining a set value set by combining the first numerical value selected via first operation part 15 and the operation selected via the second operation part 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Saiki
  • Patent number: 10291892
    Abstract: A white balance method of a four-color pixel system is disclosed. The method includes the following steps: lightening a plurality of sub pixel units according to two different combinations respectively so as to display a white color; and regulating a gray-scale value of each sub pixel unit, and taking the gray-scale values of each of the sub pixel units, which enable the white color displayed by two different combinations to meet respective preset conditions as output four color gray-scale values. The display effect of the four-color pixel system can be improved through the method, which is simple, efficient, and easy to perform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Lixuan Chen
  • Patent number: 10284781
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor configured to perform photoelectric conversion on a subject image formed by an optical system, a first driving actuator configured to cause translation and a rotational movement of the image sensor, a first angular velocity detector configured to detect a first rotation angular velocity, a second angular velocity detector configured to detect a second rotation angular velocity, a third angular velocity detector configured to detect a third rotation angular velocity, and an image blur correction control unit configured to control the first driving actuator so that the first driving actuator causes both the translation and the rotational movement, on the basis of a first rotation angular velocity, a second rotation angular velocity, a third rotation angular velocity, an optical center position of the optical system and a rotation center position of the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Tanaka, Hitoshi Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 10284763
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic device. The electronic device includes: a main body mounted with an electronic unit including a controller, including a bezel disposed at the outer side thereof, and having a locking groove formed in the bezel; and a band part mounted with an additional device for exchanging an electric signal with the electronic unit and an electronic part providing information related to the additional device for the electronic unit, and including a coupling part detachably coupled to the locking groove. Here, the controller switches an operation mode of the main body according to the information related to the additional device provided by the electronic part when the main body and the band part are coupled to each other. Thus, when the band part mounted with the additional device is connected to the main body, the operation mode of the main body is automatically switched to a mode corresponding to the additional device, thereby providing convenience of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Sungmin Kim
  • Patent number: 10282952
    Abstract: An archival video system uses profile images as a background for an image and delta images to indicate the difference between a current image and a profile image. An image may be segmented into multiple sectors, with each sector compared to a profile sector. The resulting image may be constructed using references to previously stored sectors from different images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TROVER GROUP INC.
    Inventors: Charles W. Dozier, Thomas W. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10277791
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a camera module, the camera module including a circuit board, an image sensor disposed on an upper surface of the circuit board, a current carrying part electrically connecting the image sensor and the circuit board, and a base disposed on the upper surface of the circuit board, wherein the base is not overlapped with the image sensor and the current carrying part in a direction of an optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Min Ha, Hyun Ah Oh
  • Patent number: 10264186
    Abstract: Methods and devices for dynamically controlling mirroring of a preview image may include receiving physical location information of a selected camera resource on the computer device, wherein the physical location information corresponds to a static orientation of the camera resource. The methods and devices may include determining a dynamic orientation of the selected camera resource based on sensor information for the selected camera resource and determining a camera role of the selected camera resource based on the dynamic orientation and the static orientation of the selected camera, wherein the camera role comprises a front facing camera role or a rear facing camera role. The methods and devices may include displaying a mirrored preview image when the camera role of the selected camera resource is the front facing camera role and displaying a non-mirrored preview image when the camera role of the selected camera resource is the rear facing camera role.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Maria Cheng Lei, Vishal Jain, Tomi Sokeila, Raymond Xue
  • Patent number: 10264196
    Abstract: The invention is relates to systems and methods for high dynamic range (HDR) image capture and video processing in mobile devices. Aspects of the invention include a mobile device, such as a smartphone or digital mobile camera, including at least two image sensors fixed in a co-planar arrangement to a substrate and an optical splitting system configured to reflect at least about 90% of incident light received through an aperture of the mobile device onto the co-planar image sensors, to thereby capture a HDR image. In some embodiments, greater than about 95% of the incident light received through the aperture of the device is reflected onto the image sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Contrast, Inc.
    Inventors: Willie C. Kiser, Nora Tocci, Michael D. Tocci
  • Patent number: 10255481
    Abstract: A display device for displaying an image and a method by which the display device operates to display an image are provided. The display device may include a display configured to output a screen image, an image sensor configured to acquire an image signal, a bending detection sensor configured to detect a bending motion or a bent state of the display device, and a control unit configured to control the display to display an image, which is generated based on the image signal, in a region according to a position at which the display is bent on the screen image if the bending detection sensor detects the bending motion or a bent state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shi-yun Cho, So-young Kim, Woo-ram Jeon, Youn-ho Choi, Dae-myung Kim, Kyung-wan Park, Jae-young Huh
  • Patent number: 10257393
    Abstract: Systems and methods of the invention merge information from multiple image sensors to provide a high dynamic range (HDR) video. The present invention provides for real-time HDR video production using multiple sensors and pipeline processing techniques. According to the invention, multiple sensors with different exposures each produces an ordered stream of frame-independent pixel values. The pixel values are streamed through a pipeline on a processing device. The pipeline includes a kernel operation that identifies saturated ones of the pixel values. The streams of pixel values are merged to produce an HDR video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Contrast, Inc.
    Inventors: Willie C. Kiser, Nora Tocci, Michael D. Tocci
  • Patent number: 10250844
    Abstract: There is provided a signal processing device including a signal generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling an imaging device connected via one cable, a signal superimposition unit that superimposes the control signal generated by the signal generation unit on a video signal received from the imaging device via the cable without an influence on display of a video corresponding to the video signal, and a transmission unit that transmits the signals superimposed by the signal superimposition unit to the imaging device via the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Tomiyama
  • Patent number: 10237468
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for enabling precise focusing are provided. The method includes obtaining an operation time of the photographing device in real time by a processor, searching a relationship table of preset times and focus range based on the obtained operation time to obtain a focus range corresponding to the obtained operation time; sending the obtained focus range to a driver by the processor, adjusting the distance between a lens and an image sensor based on the focus range by the driver, so that the lens may be located in the focus range, and to adjust the focus range in real time and improve the accuracy of focusing between the lens and the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: JRD COMMUNICATION (SHENZHEN) LTD
    Inventors: Jia Wang, Ling Ma
  • Patent number: 10225496
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array including pixels arranged in rows and columns, each of the pixels being configured to output a pixel signal, and including an optical filter and a photoelectric conversion unit, wherein the optical filters of different colors are arranged for each rows and each columns, a holding circuit including first holding units for each of the columns, the first holding units being configured to respectively hold the pixel signals read out from the pixels including the optical filters of different colors in one column of the pixel array in parallel, an output signal line, and a readout circuit configured to successively read out the pixel signals of pixels including the optical filters of the same color from the first holding units for each of the columns to the output signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Ogura, Jun Iba
  • Patent number: 10225466
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit and a transmission unit. The imaging unit is configured to capture two images that are different from each other by a predetermined amount of an optical distance (focus) between an objective lens and an imaging device having a first resolution. The transmission unit is configured to transmit the captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Arai
  • Patent number: 10218908
    Abstract: A digital video camera comprising a memory that temporarily stores a video image including any number of frames is provided. The digital video camera outputs a video image of a first frame to a first signal path and outputs a video image of a second frame that is a frame earlier than the first frame in the memory to a second signal path. The digital video camera calculates a first correction amount used for correcting an image shake relating to the video image of the second frame based on the video image of the first frame output to the first signal path. Subsequently, the digital video camera corrects the image shake relating to the video image of the second frame by cutting out a predetermined region from the video image of the second frame based on the first correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidetaka Uemura