Patents Examined by Sinh Tran
  • Patent number: 11924534
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a lens assembly that has an optical path and includes a lens element and a light-blocking membrane layer. The lens element has an optical portion, and the optical path passes through the optical portion. The light-blocking membrane layer is coated on the lens element and adjacent to the optical portion. The light-blocking membrane layer has a distal side and a proximal side that is located closer to the optical portion than the distal side. The proximal side includes two extension structures and a recessed structure. Each of the extension structures extends along a direction away from the distal side, and the extension structures are not overlapped with each other in a direction in parallel with the optical path. The recessed structure is connected to the extension structures and recessed along a direction towards the distal side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jyun-Jia Cheng, Yu Chen Lai, Ming-Ta Chou, Cheng-Feng Lin, Chen-Yi Huang
  • Patent number: 11917290
    Abstract: In order to realize a photoelectric conversion device having a photoelectric conversion element for outputting a signal according to the incidence of a photon that has a low power consumption, the photoelectric conversion device includes: at least one pixel including a photoelectric conversion element that outputs a signal according to an incident photon; a photon counter that measures the number of photons incident to the pixel; a time counter that measures a time until the photon counter reaches a first threshold after starting measurement and outputs the measured time as a pixel value; and a first threshold changing unit configured to change the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 11889172
    Abstract: A reflective module assembly include a housing having an internal space, a first reflective module provided in the housing to change a path of incident light, and a second reflective module provided in the housing to change a path of light emitted from the first reflective module. The first reflective module includes a first reflective member rotatable about a first axis formed by at least two first ball members. The second reflective module includes a second reflective member rotatable about a second axis, perpendicular to the first axis and passing through a rotation axis ball provided at the second reflective module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Hwan Kwon, Soon Seok Kang, Nam Ki Park, Young Bok Yoon, Oh Byoung Kwon, Jae Won Jung
  • Patent number: 11877041
    Abstract: An image sensor including a planar sensor array, a lens configured to form an optical image on the planar sensor array and characterized by a locus of focal points on a curved surface, and a cover glass with multiple thickness levels or multiple cover glasses of different sizes. The one or more cover glasses are configured to shift the locus of focal points for large field angles, such that there are multiple intersections between the planar sensor array and the locus of focal points for a large FOV, and thus multiple zones with best focus on the planar sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Russell Gruhlke, Ravindra Vaman Shenoy, Jon Lasiter, Donald William Kidwell, Khurshid Syed Alam, Kebin Li
  • Patent number: 11849220
    Abstract: A system for generating depth information from low-resolution images is configured to access a plurality of image frames capturing an environment, identify a first group of image frames from the plurality of image frames, and generate a first image comprising a first composite image of the environment using the first group of image frames as input. The first composite image has an image resolution that is higher than an image resolution of the image frames of the first group of image frames. The system is also configured to obtain a second image of the environment, where parallax exists between a capture perspective associated with the first image and a capture perspective associated with the second image. The system is also configured to generate depth information for the environment based on the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Bleyer, Christopher Douglas Edmonds, Antonios Matakos, Raymond Kirk Price
  • Patent number: 11843885
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensing device including a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, and suitable for outputting a plurality of pixel signals, and a plurality of readout circuits coupled to the pixel array, and suitable for compensating for readout deviations among the plurality of pixel signals, based on a plurality of bias voltages having different voltage levels, when reading out the plurality of pixel signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Choong Sik Ryu
  • Patent number: 11831970
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is capable of decreasing a space capacity occupied by component elements and being downsized compared to a case where an actuator is arranged independently of a supporting unit. The image pickup apparatus has an image pickup unit driven by the actuator, a base unit, and the supporting unit provided in a standing manner from the base unit and rotatably supports the image pickup unit. The actuator has a piezoelectric element and an oscillator including a transmission unit which transmits driving force caused by vibration excited by the piezoelectric element. The transmission unit is arranged in the supporting unit so that it is in pressure contact with the image pickup unit. The image pickup unit has a transmitted plane with which the transmission unit is brought into pressure contact, and the vibration excited by the oscillator causes the transmitted plane to move relatively to the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Obana, Ayumu Nemoto
  • Patent number: 11778295
    Abstract: A camera module includes a circuit board, a photosensitive chip, a filter, a lens base, and a lens. The photosensitive chip is mounted on the circuit board. The lens base is mounted on the circuit board and receives the photosensitive chip therein. The filter is mounted in the lens base and positioned above the photosensitive chip. The lens is mounted in the lens base and positioned above the photosensitive chip. A dust-absorbing film is arranged in the lens base and located above the filter. An electronic device having the camera module is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TRIPLE WIN TECHNOLOGY(SHENZHEN) CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Jian-Chao Song, Shin-Wen Chen, Sheng-Jie Ding, Jing-Wei Li, Ding-Nan Huang
  • Patent number: 11758079
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media to enhance an image on a mobile computing device. In some aspects, a user interface on the mobile computing device provides a plurality of image filters, each of the image filters associated with a different replacement sky type. Upon application of one of the plurality of image filters to an image, the mobile computing device is configured to identify a sky portion of the image, modify a color mapping of a non-sky portion of the image, and replace the sky portion of the image with replacement sky data corresponding to the applied image filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Chongyang Ma, Kun Duan, Xing Mei, Nan Hu
  • Patent number: 11758261
    Abstract: The immediacy is not reduced, and autofocus is not started while the focus position being selected. The image pickup apparatus includes an operation member that selects a position for performing autofocus using a light input device that detects the movement of the finger and instructs the start of autofocus by an operation by the finger. When autofocus being performed, a display object for selecting a position for performing autofocus is displayed on the display unit 28 and the viewfinder in-field display unit 41. The system control unit 50 moves the display object according to the movement amount of the finger detected by the light input device, and starts autofocus at the position of the display object when the operation member is operated. The light input device is disposed below the face, of the operation member, on which the finger is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayasu Shigematsu, Yohei Sato
  • Patent number: 11734793
    Abstract: An optical apparatus captures images of a wide-angle scene with a single camera having a continuous panomorph zoom distortion profile. When combined with a processing unit, the hybrid zoom system creates an output image with constant resolution while allowing continuous adjustment in the magnification and field of view of the image without interpolation like a digital zoom system or without any moving parts like an optical zoom system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: IMMERVISION, INC.
    Inventors: Patrice Roulet, Jocelyn Parent, Xavier Dallaire, Pierre Konen, Pascale Nini
  • Patent number: 11722793
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device and an electronic device which enable image capturing based on the global shutter system, without reducing the amount of saturated signal charge. Pixels each including a photoelectric conversion unit that converts light received thereon into electric charge, and a holding unit that holds the electric charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion unit, a floating diffusion that is shared among a plurality of the pixels, and that holds the electric charge transferred from the holding unit, and a boost line through which the floating diffusion is boosted are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Kumagai, Takashi Abe, Ryoto Yoshita, Ryo Fukui
  • Patent number: 11722797
    Abstract: Provided are a leakage light detection device, an imaging device, a leakage light detection method, and a non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a leakage light detection program capable of improving quality of a captured image. A determination unit (11A) compares a pixel value (Gu3) of a pixel (G12) with a pixel value (Gb1) of a pixel (G14) and determines that the pixel (G12) has leakage light from a pixel (G11) in a case where the pixel value (Gu3) is larger than the pixel value (Gb1) by a threshold (TH) or more, and compares a pixel value (Gd3) of a pixel (G13) with the pixel value (Gb1) of the pixel (G14) and determines that the pixel (G13) has the leakage light from the pixel (G11) in a case where the pixel value (Gd3) is larger than the pixel value (Gb1) by the threshold (TH) or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Kawai
  • Patent number: 11714257
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens assembly includes a plurality of lens-side claw portions configured to enable engagement with a plurality of camera-side claw portions, and a lock pin concave portion in which a lock pin is inserted. Furthermore, ?1 is an angle formed by a line passing through a fifth lens-side end and an optical axis, and a line passing through a center of a lock pin concave portion and the optical axis, and ?2 is an angle formed by a line passing through a fourth lens-side end and the optical axis, and a line that passes through the center of the lock pin concave portion and the optical axis. In the above, ?1 and ?2 satisfy a predetermined conditional expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sasaki, Toshinori Yamazaki, Masahisa Tamura, Masayasu Shigematsu
  • Patent number: 11709374
    Abstract: A lens moving apparatus including: a housing having a recess; a bobbin disposed in the housing; a first coil unit disposed at the bobbin; a magnet disposed at the housing and facing the first coil unit; an upper elastic member coupled to an upper portion of the bobbin and an upper portion of the housing; a circuit board disposed under the housing; a second coil unit disposed on the circuit board and facing the magnet; and a support member electrically connecting the upper elastic member and the circuit board, wherein a portion of the support member is disposed in the recess of the housing, wherein the housing comprises a protrusion extending upwards from an upper surface thereof, and the protrusion is positioned farther from a center of the housing than the recess of the housing when viewed from a top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Bong Park, Jun Taek Lee, Kyoung Ho Yoo, Seung Taek Shin, Jin Suk Han
  • Patent number: 11706541
    Abstract: A first circuit constituting a plurality of first circuit in a first direction, which stores a signal output from a pixel having a photoelectric conversion unit; a first control unit to which the plurality of first circuits are connected and outputs a first signal for outputting signals stored in the plurality of first circuits; a readout unit that reads out the signal output from the first circuit; a plurality of second circuits that are connected to the first control unit, a plurality of sets of the plurality of second circuits in the first direction; and a second control unit that controls a readout of the signal by the readout unit. The first control unit outputs a second signal to the plurality of second circuits together with the first signal; and the second control unit controls the readout of the signal by the readout unit, based on the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Komai
  • Patent number: 11706540
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an event-driven sensor comprising: a pixel array (102); a column readout circuit (104) comprising, for each of the column output lines, a column register cell (108) configured to activate a column event output signal (addrx) when it receives a first token while the detection of an event is indicated on the column output line; and a row readout circuit (106) comprising, for each of the row output lines, or for each of a plurality of sub-groups of the row output lines, a row register cell (108) configured to activate a row event output signal (addry) when it receives a second token while an event is indicated on the row output line, or on one of the row output lines of the sub-group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventor: Josep Segura Puchades
  • Patent number: 11689828
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and a pixel signal read-out unit including an AD conversion unit performing analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal read out from the pixel unit, wherein each pixel included in the pixel unit includes division pixels divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another, the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode and a multiple read-out mode, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Minagawa, Go Asayama
  • Patent number: 11689789
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a visualization device may include an image sensor, a lens for focusing light onto the image sensor, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a lateral wall surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a coating on the lateral wall surface. The coating may include at least one of an electrically-insulating layer and a light-blocking layer, and may be deposited on the lateral wall surface using, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Lance Adam Freeseman, Danielle Frankson, Benn Horrisberger, Kenneth Gunter, Mark D. Wood, Paul D. Aquilino, James P. Rohl, James A. Klos
  • Patent number: 11683455
    Abstract: A mobile device includes an image sensor separated from a processing component by an open space. The image sensor includes one or more light source modules and the processing component includes one or more light sensors aligned with the one or more light source modules. Image data from the image sensor may be transmitted to the processing component via light signals exchanged between the one or more light source modules and the one or more light sensors. In some embodiments, light signals transmitted between one or more light source modules of an image sensor and one or more light sensors of the processing component are used to determine positional and angular data about the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Neil MacKinnon