Patents Examined by Shahbaz Nazrul
  • Patent number: 10225457
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating an imaging system to maintain a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) lens at a desired operating state. In a first step, the TAG lens operates using a standard imaging drive control configuration (e.g., a standard drive voltage and duration) during a plurality of imaging drive mode time periods, to achieve a standard imaging state of the TAG lens. In a second step, the TAG lens operates using a regulating adaptive drive control configuration during a plurality of regulating adaptive drive mode time periods, wherein at least one of a different respective TAG lens drive voltage and a different respective TAG lens drive duration is used for different respective regulating adaptive drive mode time periods, based on a monitoring signal that is indicative of a difference between the standard imaging state and a current operating state of the TAG lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Isaiah Freerksen, Paul Gerard Gladnick
  • Patent number: 10218922
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a first semiconductor substrate to which light is incident; a second semiconductor substrate stacked to the first semiconductor substrate; n first photoelectric conversion devices periodically arranged in the first semiconductor substrate and generating first electric charge signals; n first reading circuits arranged in correspondence with the n first photoelectric conversion devices in the first semiconductor substrate, respectively, each of the n first reading circuits accumulating the first electric charge signal outputting a signal voltage corresponding to the accumulated first electric charge signal as a first pixel signal; a driving circuit sequentially outputting the first pixel signal; m second photoelectric conversion devices periodically arranged in one of the first/second semiconductor substrates and generating second electric charge signals; and m second reading circuits sequentially outputting a second pixel signal, wherein m and n are natural numbers equal t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Kondo, Kosei Tamiya, Nobuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10218901
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure allow user experience of photographing to be improved. In operation, it is determined whether a picture composition of a first object and a second object needs to be adjusted based on a predefined composition rule. If the picture composition needs to be adjusted, an adjusting pattern is determined based on the predefined composition rule. Then, the adjusting pattern is provided to a user to indicate the user to adjust the picture composition based on thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ruo Meng Hao, Xiang Yu Song, Ning Wang, You Miao Zhang
  • Patent number: 10218942
    Abstract: A device can include a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a display operatively coupled to the processor; a camera that includes circuitry that operatively couples to the processor and that includes a mount that positions the camera in a deployed state; and a housing that includes a camera socket that receives the camera in an undeployed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Matthew Ian Tucker, Cuong Huy Truong
  • Patent number: 10216236
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing temperatures of wearable device components are disclosed. In one aspects, a method includes determining a temperature of an electronic component of the wearable device, determining a rate of temperature change of the electronic component, and determining whether to increase or decrease a transmission rate limit of the electronic component based on the temperature and the rate, adjusting the transmission rate limit based on the determination, and limiting a rate of transmission of the electronic component based on the adjusted transmission rate limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Andrea Ashwood, Michael Wollman, Nicholas Larson, Patrick Timothy McSweeney Simons
  • Patent number: 10203588
    Abstract: A camera system with six faces and a front housing is configured to capture images and audio content from external the camera body. The camera system includes an interior audio assembly protected from external environments by a waterproof membrane. The camera system includes drainage ports on the bottom face and the left face of the camera system to encourage moisture to drain from the system. A first drainage channel couples the internal audio assembly to the first drainage port on left face of the camera system and a second drainage channel couples the drainage port on the left face of the camera system to the drainage port on the bottom face of the camera system. A third drainage channel exists between the front face of the camera system and the front housing, the third drainage channel coupling the first and second drainage channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua Randall Clyne
  • Patent number: 10205874
    Abstract: A wearable device and a control method thereof is provided. The wearable device includes a display configured to display time information, a camera configured to photograph an image, a sensor configured to sense a user's motion, and a processor configured to analyze the user's motion based on a sensing value sensed by the sensor and to perform an image photographing if the user's motion satisfies an image photographing condition, thereby enabling the user to perform image photographing easily using the wearable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-hyun Kim, Yong-jin Choi, Lae-kyoung Kim, Jin-hyuk Jung
  • Patent number: 10200581
    Abstract: Techniques provided for using hardware and software to modify a mobile device to improve the safety and awareness of a user to their environmental surroundings. One embodiment of the invention is to update mobile device applications to include live video using the built in rear camera of area ahead of the user as background image. Rear camera would normally be viewing ground, so an embodiment includes a custom case or other attachment to the mobile device with a mirror to allow rear camera to view area ahead. The case or attachment positions the mirror relative to the camera and has an adjustable angle to achieve the correct field of view for the way (or posture) the user is holding the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Inventor: Peter G. Hartwell
  • Patent number: 10192277
    Abstract: In some embodiments, auditable devices such as auditable cameras are provided. The auditable devices maintain audit trail data that is digitally signed and stored on the devices until it can be uploaded to an evidence management system. When intermittent data connections to the evidence management system are available, an auditable device may transmit records of urgent events to the evidence management system. The transmission of urgent events via ad-hoc data connections and the digital signing of audit trail data help overcome technical obstacles in establishing provably reliable data collection while minimizing power consumption by the auditable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: AXON ENTERPRISE, INC.
    Inventors: Mark A. Hanchett, Aaron J. Kloc, Tyler J. Conant
  • Patent number: 10187566
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods for generating an image. A device according to an aspect of an example embodiment includes: a first camera configured to acquire a first black-and-white image; a second camera configured to acquire a first color image; a first electronic circuit configured to generate a second black-and-white image using the first color image; a second electronic circuit configured to determine information representing positional relationships between pixels in the first black-and-white image and pixels in the second black-and-white image; and a third electronic circuit configured to generate a third black-and-white image based on the first black-and-white image, the second black-and-white image, and the determined information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-hyun Cho, Hee-chul Han
  • Patent number: 10187562
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for performing an Auto Focus (AF) function in an electronic device which does not perform the AF function while performing a camcorder function are provided. The apparatus includes a camera for receiving a photographing data, a camera processing unit for performing any one of a still picture acquisition function and an AF function, a recording processing unit for performing a function for recording the photographing data, a camera driver for operating the camera under control of the camera processing unit and the recording processing unit, and a processor for controlling the camera processing unit and the recording processing unit when detecting an AF request while photographing a moving picture to focus on the photographing data automatically and to record the focused photographing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Heum Cho, Gi-Ung Jung
  • Patent number: 10187607
    Abstract: An image sensor may generate visual output signals conveying visual information within a field of view of the image sensor. First and second video information defining first and video content may be generated based on the visual output signals. The first video content may be captured using a first capture frame rate and the second video content may be captured using a second capture frame rate. Motion of the image sensor and/or motion of an object within the field of view may be determined. The first capture frame rate may be changed based on the determined motion. Third video information defining third video content may be generated based on the first video information and the second video information. The third video content may include one or more frames of the first video content and one or more frames of the second video content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Christophe Delachanal
  • Patent number: 10175452
    Abstract: A microcomputer controls accumulation of a signal by an AF sensor based on an AF area corresponding to a subject among a plurality of regions in the AF sensor that corresponds to each of AF areas. A setting unit sets the region corresponding to a position of a subject that should be in focus among the plurality of regions. A focus detection unit carries out focus detection based on the signal acquired from the control, the control being based on a light reception amount in a reference region set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10145994
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a lens device includes a filter, an entire area of which transmits light of a common color. The filter includes a first filter region and a second filter region. The first filter region transmits light that is a first combination of colors out of colors of light to be received by an image sensor. The second filter region transmits light that is a second combination of colors of the colors of the light to be received by the image sensor. The first and second combinations of colors each include the common color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yusuke Moriuchi, Nao Mishima, Nobuyuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10148893
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for high dynamic range imaging are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor; and a hardware processor configured to: cause the image sensor to capture first image data having a first exposure time, second image data having a second exposure time, and third image data having a third exposure time that is substantially equal to the sum of the first exposure time and the second exposure time; generate combined image data using the first image data and the second image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mohit Gupta, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Daisuke Iso, Shree K. Nayar
  • Patent number: 10148867
    Abstract: A camera auto-focus apparatus includes a lens scan control circuit, a lens position compensation circuit, and a lens position decision circuit. During an auto-focus procedure, the lens scan control circuit controls movement of a lens according to a plurality of lens positions, and obtains a plurality of focus values corresponding to the lens positions respectively. The lens position compensation circuit determines a position compensation value according to the movement of the lens. The lens position decision circuit determines a focused lens position according to the position compensation value, the lens positions and the focus values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Tun-Chieh Chang, Hung-Jen Chen
  • Patent number: 10148866
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging section, an image capture optical system, and a controller. The controller sets in an image a first focus adjustment region, which is a target of adjustment of focusing conditions, and a second focus adjustment region, which has a lower priority of adjustment of focusing than the first focus adjustment region. The controller performs focus adjustment based on the image data in the second focus adjustment region, if focus adjustment based on the image data in the first focus adjustment region is difficult. If the focus adjustment based on the image data in the first focus adjustment region is not difficult, while performing the focus adjustment based on the image data in the second focus adjustment region, the controller performs the focus adjustment based on the image data in the first focus adjustment region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 10142559
    Abstract: A pixel signal transfer device includes a transfer block suitable for transferring a pixel output voltage according to an amount of a charge generated from a pixel; a correction block suitable for correcting the pixel output voltage using a threshold voltage of an amplification transistor; and a conversion gain adjusting block including the amplification transistor, the conversion gain adjusting block being suitable for adjusting a conversion gain of the corrected pixel output voltage outputted from the correction block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Tae-Gyu Kim
  • Patent number: 10133026
    Abstract: A handheld electronic device includes a first camera unit, a laser focusing module and a control module. The laser focusing module is configured for radiating a laser signal and receiving a feedback signal induced by a reflection of the laser signal when the first camera unit is activated. The control module is coupled with the camera unit and the laser focusing module. The control module is configured for monitoring a strength level of the feedback signal or a response time between the laser signal and the feedback signal, and selectively generating a command to trigger the first camera unit according to the strength level or the response time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Hsiang Yu, Yu-Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 10136057
    Abstract: The present invention is concerning to an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal via a communication network, the image management system comprising: an image storage unit configured to store image data; a receiving unit configured to receive, from the first communication terminal, link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and includes predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the link information received by the receiving unit and the predetermined-area information included in the link information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Taneichi, Takeshi Ito, Masanori Watanabe