Patents Examined by Ngoc-Yen Vu
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Patent number: 10205901Abstract: An image sensor is provided, the image sensor including: an imaging unit that has a first imaging region and a second imaging region, and outputs: a first pixel signal generated according to light incident on the first imaging region; and a second pixel signal generated according to light incident on the second imaging region; a first ramp generating unit that generates a first ramp signal; a second ramp generating unit that generates a second ramp signal; a first signal converting unit that converts the first pixel signal into a first digital image signal based on a result of comparison between the first pixel signal and the first ramp signal; and a second signal converting unit that converts the second pixel signal into a second digital image signal based on a result of comparison between the second pixel signal and the second ramp signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2016Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: NIKON CORPORATIONInventors: Hironobu Murata, Shiro Tsunai, Takashi Kuriyama
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Patent number: 10171715Abstract: A camera module includes a circuit board, a camera device and an image processing chip. An image sensation chip of the camera device is directly integrated with the circuit board by means of chip-on-board (COB) manufacturing process to minify the total volume of the camera module, whereby the camera module can be disposed in a narrow space.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2017Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: ASIA VITAL COMPONENTS CO., LTD.Inventors: Wei-Chuan Wang, Xin-Lian Cheng, Ting-Yu Lin, Chun-Mei Zhang, Chin-Lian Yeh
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Patent number: 10171786Abstract: This disclosure pertains to systems, methods, and computer readable media for performing lens shading correction (LSC) operations that modulate gains based on scene lux level and lens focus distance. These gains compensate for both color lens shading (i.e., the deviation between R, G, and B channels) and vignetting (i.e., the drop off in pixel intensity around the edges of an image). As scene illuminance increases, the sensor captures more signal from the actual scene, and the lens shading effects begin to appear. To deal with the situation, the lens shading gains are configured to adaptively ‘scale down’ when scene lux approaches zero and ‘scale up’ when scene lux changes from near zero to become larger. The lens shading gain may also be modulated based on the focus distance. For optical systems without zoom, the inventors have discovered that the amount of lens shading fall off changes as focus distance changes.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2017Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Yingjun Bai, Michael Chin, Touraj Tajbakhsh
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Patent number: 10171738Abstract: The subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods and systems for stabilizing video. A computing system determines a stabilized location of a facial feature in a frame of video accounting for its location in a previous frame. The computing system determines a physical camera pose in virtual space and maps the frame into virtual space. The computing system determines an optimized virtual camera pose using an optimization process that determines (1) a difference between the stabilized location of the facial feature and a location of the facial feature when viewed from a potential virtual camera pose, (2) a difference between the potential virtual camera pose and a previous virtual camera pose, and (3) a difference between the potential virtual camera pose and the physical camera pose. The computing system generates the stabilized view of the frame using the optimized virtual camera pose.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2018Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Chia-Kai Liang, Fuhao Shi
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Patent number: 10163990Abstract: A display device includes a display panel, a camera module, and a heat sink plate. The display panel displays an image on a front surface, and includes a first substrate, a sub-pixel structure, and a reflection pattern. The display panel includes a plurality of pixel regions each having sub-pixel regions, a transparent region, and a reflection region surrounding the sub-pixel regions and the transparent region. The sub-pixel structure is disposed in the sub-pixel region. The second substrate is disposed on the sub-pixel structure. The reflection pattern is disposed on the second substrate, but not on the sub-pixel region and the transparent region. The camera module is disposed in a second surface on the display panel, and the second surface is opposite to the first surface. The heat sink plate is disposed between the display panel and the camera module, and has an opening that is aligned with the camera module.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2016Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yun-Mo Chung, Byung-Ik Kong, Byoung-Ki Kim, Ho-Jin Yoon, Dae-Woo Lee, Jae-Beom Choi
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Patent number: 10158816Abstract: An imaging sensor is configured to generate a signal that is obtained by amplifying one of a signal corresponding to a first accumulation period and a signal corresponding to a second accumulation period by using amplification factors having different values.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2017Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takashi Muto, Yasuharu Ota
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Patent number: 10154211Abstract: A pixel circuit comprises a first capacitor, a photo diode and a switch. A voltage source generates a reference voltage to reset the pixel circuit. The pixel circuit is reset for a first reset time period by electrically coupling a cathode of the photo diode and a first capacitor terminal to the voltage source. The cathode is decoupled from the voltage source and the photo diode is exposed to light for an accumulation time period. After the accumulation time period, a first reference voltage is sampled. The cathode is then coupled, via the switch, to the first capacitor terminal for a selected transfer time period, during which a second signal voltage is sampled. After the selected transfer time period, a first signal voltage is sampled with the cathode decoupled. The pixel circuit is then reset for a second reset time period, after which a second reference voltage value is sampled.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2014Date of Patent: December 11, 2018Assignee: TELEDYNE DALSA B.V.Inventor: Willem Hendrik Maes
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Patent number: 10148943Abstract: A method for acquiring an image comprises acquiring a first image frame including a region containing a subject at a first focus position; determining a first sharpness of the subject within the first image frame; identifying an imaged subject size within the first image frame; determining a second focus position based on the imaged subject size; acquiring a second image frame at the second focus position; and determining a second sharpness of the subject within the second image frame. A sharpness threshold is determined as a function of image acquisition parameters for the first and/or second image frame. Responsive to the second sharpness not exceeding the first sharpness and the sharpness threshold, camera motion parameters and/or subject motion parameters for the second image frame are determined before performing a focus sweep to determine an optimal focus position for the subject.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: FotoNation LimitedInventors: Florin Nanu, Alexandru Malaescu
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Patent number: 10148862Abstract: An image capturing apparatus of the present invention includes a display unit that displays an image obtained from an image capturing unit, the image capturing unit being a plenoptic image capturing unit capable of acquiring multi-viewpoint images having different viewpoints is provided. The image capturing apparatus includes: a disparity amount deriving unit that derives a disparity amount of the multi-viewpoint images in relation to a subject; a focus area specifying unit that specifies a subject area in which the derived disparity amount is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold as a focus area; and a display control unit that displays the specified focus area on the display unit in a manner different from an area other than the focus area.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Nobuhiko Tamura
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Patent number: 10129484Abstract: The present invention comprises a system for and method of frequency prefiltering comprising a camera shutter capable of continuously variable illumination during a single exposure of the sensor. The shutter comprises a continuously variable exposure effector which in disposed in an image path, either in front of a lens or between a lens and a sensor. The system for frequency prefiltering further comprises a synchronization cable that synchronizes a drive system with a sensor or with film. The shutter further comprises a postfilter. The postfilter comprises a digital finite impulse response convolutional filter.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: RED.COM LLCInventors: Anthony Wayne Davis, John Rodrigue Kouns
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Patent number: 10126519Abstract: An array imaging module includes a molded photosensitive assembly which includes a supporting member, at least a circuit board, at least two photosensitive units, at least two lead wires, and a mold sealer. The photosensitive units are coupled at the chip coupling area of the circuit board. The lead wires are electrically connected the photosensitive units at the chip coupling area of the circuit board. The mold sealer includes a main mold body and has two optical windows. When the main mold body is formed, the lead wires, the circuit board and the photosensitive units are sealed and molded by the main mold body of the mold sealer, such that after the main mold body is formed, the main mold body and at least a portion of the circuit board are integrally formed together at a position that the photosensitive units are aligned with the optical windows respectively.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2017Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mingzhu Wang, Bojie Zhao, Takehiko Tanaka, Nan Guo, Zhenyu Chen, Heng Jiang, Zhongyu Luan, Fengsheng Xi, Feifan Chen, Liang Ding
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Patent number: 10122911Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is capable of executing automatic focus detection of an imaging optical system, and includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire aberration information of the imaging optical system, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire object information of an object in a focus detecting area, a calculation unit configured to calculate, based on the aberration information of the imaging optical system and the object information, a correction value used to correct a difference between a focus state of a captured image and a result of the automatic focus detection, caused by the aberration of the imaging optical system, and a correction unit configured to correct the result of the automatic focus detection using the correction value.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2017Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yumi Takao
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Patent number: 10116856Abstract: An imaging apparatus, comprising a focus controller that generates an evaluation value by extracting given signal components from an image signal, and carries out focus adjustment by calculating position of the focus lens where the evaluation value becomes a peak, a display that displays an image based on image data generated from the image signal, and a controller that, as initial image display after commencement of the continuous focus adjustment operation, executes display using the display based on image data corresponding to an image signal in which the evaluation value becomes a peak, from among image data that has been acquired during the focus adjustment operation.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Satoru Ito
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Patent number: 10116876Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit for capturing an object image; an adjustment unit for adjusting the exposure of the image capturing unit; a detection unit for, in the case where the image capturing unit is saturated with respect to light that is input, detecting a signal level corresponding to the highest level of incident light in the image capturing unit after the adjustment unit reduces the exposure of the image capturing unit so as to reduce saturation; and a control unit for, in the case where the exposure of the image capturing unit is reduced by the adjustment unit, controlling the adjustment unit such that, among a plurality of methods for changing the exposure, a method having a faster response speed in response to an instruction to change the exposure is given priority and used.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2016Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi Ikeda, Keisuke Matsuno, Nobuto Matsuda
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Patent number: 10110821Abstract: An image processing apparatus performs control to generate a first video signal containing a video image in which a first range in an acquired image is resized to have a predetermined aspect ratio if the image processing apparatus is in a first mode of acquiring an image of a recording target region, and generate a second video signal containing a video image in which a second range different from the first range in the acquired image is resized in such a manner that an aspect ratio of the recording target region contained in the second range after the resizing matches the predetermined aspect ratio if the image processing apparatus is in a second mode of acquiring an image containing a peripheral region.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2017Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Koji Ogaki
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Patent number: 10097752Abstract: There are provided a lens barrel, an imaging device body, and an imaging device that can reduce a deviation in a blurred image of oblique luminous flux caused by an APD filter. A lens barrel includes a first lens optical system and a second lens optical system serving as lens optical systems including focus lenses, a diaphragm that changes the amount of an incident ray and emits the incident ray, a first APD filter that is disposed on a light-incident side of the diaphragm, and a second APD filter that is disposed on a light-emitting side of the diaphragm. Since the amount of a reduced upper ray L1 of oblique luminous flux and the amount of a reduced lower ray L2 thereof are made to be substantially equal to each other by the first APD filter and the second APD filter, a deviation of a blurred image is reduced.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Yoshinori Furuta, Takashi Aoki
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Patent number: 10097765Abstract: The method includes in order to generate a composite image: identifying, in the frame of a video stream captured by a camera, a motion characteristic associated with moving objects in a scene while the camera captured a sliding window of the video stream. The method includes for a plurality of frames in the sliding window: controlling, by the processing circuitry, a weight of blending of the frame based on the identified motion characteristic to enable the composite image to be generated according to the controlled weights of blending of the plurality of frames in the sliding window.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hamid Rahim Sheikh, Ibrahim Pekkucuksen, John Glotzbach
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Patent number: 10089531Abstract: A method of operating a mobile terminal includes obtaining at least one image and determining event information that is to be associated with the obtained at least one image. The method also includes storing, in computer memory, the obtained at least one image and information that associates the obtained at least one image with the event information. The method additionally includes detecting an event on the mobile terminal, and determining that the detected event corresponds to the event information. The method further includes displaying, on a display of the mobile terminal and based on the determination that the detected event corresponds to the event information, a first image among the at least one image that has been stored and associated with the event information.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.Inventors: Juhyun Lee, Byoungzoo Jeong, Suyoung Lee, Eugene Myung, Nayeoung Kim
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Patent number: 10084969Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit configured to capture an image of a subject formed by an imaging optical system and to generate a moving-image signal based on the captured image; and a processor comprising hardware, wherein the processor is configured to implement: an inter-frame change information acquisition unit configured to acquire inter-frame change information related to a change between at least two frames of the moving-image signal; an intra-frame information acquisition unit configured to acquire intra-frame information which is information within one frame included in the moving-image signal; and a brightness adjustment determination unit configured to determine behavior of brightness adjustment based on both of the inter-frame change information acquired by the inter-frame change information acquisition unit and the intra-frame information acquired by the intra-frame information acquisition unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2016Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Natsumi Koishi
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Patent number: 10082651Abstract: In an embodiment, a slim imager is disclosed. The slim imager includes a substrate including an aperture, an image sensor, and an optics unit. The image sensor is on a bottom side of the substrate, spans the aperture, and has an aperture-facing top surface. The optics unit is on a top side of the substrate, spans the aperture, and includes a transmissive optical element having an aperture-facing bottom surface. A volume partially bound by the aperture-facing top surface and the aperture-facing bottom surface has a refractive index less than 1.01 at visible wavelengths.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2016Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Teng-Sheng Chen, Jau-Jan Deng, Wei-Feng Lin