Patents Examined by Trung Diep
  • Apparatus and method for automatically controlling image brightness in image photographing device
    Patent number: 9113114
    Abstract: A method for automatically controlling image brightness in an image photographing device by calculating a histogram for an image; obtaining a brightness average for the histogram; determining if a number of pixels of a histogram distribution within a first range and a number of pixels of a histogram distribution within a second range are included within a preset range; and when the number of pixels of the histogram distribution within the first range and the number of pixels of the histogram distribution within the second range are included within the preset range, as a result of a determination, adjusting the brightness average to be a reference brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Yong-Gu Lee
  • Optical imaging system and electronic apparatus including the same
    Patent number: 9104009
    Abstract: An imaging optical system includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, an aperture stop, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, and a sixth lens element arranged along an optical axis. The first lens element has a concave image-side surface in the vicinity of the optical axis. The second lens element has a negative refractive power. The third lens element has a convex object-side surface in a vicinity of an optical axis. The fourth lens element has a convex object-side surface in the vicinity of the optical axis. The fifth lens element has a convex image-side surface in the vicinity of the optical axis. The sixth lens element is made of plastic and has a convex image-side surface in a vicinity of an outer circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: GENIUS ELECTRONIC OPTICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Matthew Bone, Poche Lee, Chih-Yang Yeh, Tzu Chien Tang
  • Camera support apparatus
    Patent number: 9094591
    Abstract: A camera support apparatus for supporting a video camera comprises a drive train device (1), a first inductive position sensor (23), (14) attached to a rotational output device (11) of the drive train device (10), and a second inductive position sensor (2), (3) attached to a rotational input device (4) which is operably connected to the drive train device (1), whereby the inductance sensed by the first position sensor (23), (14) is indicative of the rotational displacement of the rotational output device (11) and the inductance sensed by the second position sensor (2), (3) is indicative of the rotational displacement of the rotational input device (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Vitec Group PLC
    Inventors: Andrew Codd, Richard Arthur Lindsay
  • Device for assigning a geographical position to a picture
    Patent number: 9083867
    Abstract: A device for assigning a geographical position to a picture may include a photo camera module for taking the picture, a satellite positioning system receiver module for identifying geographical coordinates when the picture is taken, and a cryptographic module to sign the picture and the corresponding geographical coordinates. The device may store the signed picture and the corresponding geographical coordinates as certified geographical position of the picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Marco Alfarano, Francesco Varone
  • Camera architecture having a repositionable color filter array
    Patent number: 9071721
    Abstract: A camera system includes an array of image pixels disposed in or on a substrate and laid out in a multi-ring pattern. The array of image pixels is coupled to acquire image data of a color image in response to light incident on the array of image pixels. A color filter array (“CFA”) is positioned to color filter the light incident on the array of image pixels and includes at least two different color filter types that filter different color bands of the light. An actuator is coupled to the CFA to adjust the CFA in a sequence and a controller is coupled to the actuator to control the sequence such that each image pixel in the array of image pixels is temporarily optically subtended by each of the at least two different color filter types in the CFA while acquiring the image data associated with the color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel R. D'Amico, Xiaoyu Miao
  • Defective pixel data correcting apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and method for correcting defective pixel data
    Patent number: 9066033
    Abstract: Among defective pixels of an image sensor, defective pixels which need to be corrected are determined depending on the type and defect level for individual defective pixels and on image capturing conditions. Depending on the types of the defective pixels, the correspondences between the image capturing conditions and the defect levels of the defective pixels to be corrected are prepared in advance, thereby carrying out appropriate defective pixel correction in view of the fact that the dependence of the abnormal signal output level on the image capturing conditions differs depending on the type of defective pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiro Yamaguchi
  • Antenna structures and electrical components with grounding
    Patent number: 9065175
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a conductive housing with an antenna window. Antenna structures may be mounted adjacent to the antenna window. The antenna structures may have a dielectric carrier. Patterned metal antenna traces may be formed on the surface of the dielectric carrier. A proximity sensor may be formed from a flexible printed circuit mounted on the dielectric carrier. The flexible printed circuit may have a tail that contains a transmission line for feeding the antenna structures. The transmission line may include a positive signal conductor that is maintained at a desired distance from the conductive housing using a polymer sheet. A portion of the antenna structures may protrude between a microphone and a camera module. Plastic camera module housing structures may have an inner surface coated with a shielding metal. A U-shaped conductive fabric layer may be used as a grounding structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Sean S. Corbin, Taylor H. Gilbert, Rodney A. Gomez Angulo, Yi Jiang, Conor P. Lenahan, Qingxiang Li, Stephen R. McClure, Robert W. Schlub, Salih Yarga, Jiang Zhu
  • Image photographing device and control method thereof
    Patent number: 9066006
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an image photographing device that includes a display unit displaying a preview image and a control method thereof. The image photographing device includes a judgment unit that judges whether or not lens blind has occurred and a photographing control unit that executes photographing after a predetermined time following an input of a photographing execution command has elapsed, if the judgment unit judges that lens blind has occurred. Even if a user shields a lens by his/her hand during a process of touching the screen of the display unit or pressing a photographing button to execute photographing, photographing is executed after the user's hand has moved out of the visual field of the lens, and thus an image desired by the user may be obtained without disturbance due to lens blind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Yun Lee, Yi Lee Seo, Ji Young Yun, Isaac Lee
  • Zoom lens and image pickup apparatus using the same
    Patent number: 9052496
    Abstract: The zoom lens has an aperture stop arranged between the second lens unit and the fourth lens unit. During zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the distances between the lens units vary in such a way that the distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is larger at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end, the distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit is smaller at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end, and the distance between the fourth lens unit and the fifth lens unit is larger at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The zoom lens satisfies the following conditional expression (1): 3.5?LTLw/IHt?8.9??(1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventor: Kazuteru Kawamura
  • Interactive user interface for capturing a document in an image signal
    Patent number: 9047531
    Abstract: Devices, methods, and software are disclosed for an interactive user interface for capturing a frame of image data having a representation of a feature. In an illustrative embodiment, a device includes an imaging subsystem, one or more memory components, and one or more processors. The imaging subsystem is capable of providing image data representative of light incident on said imaging subsystem. The one or more memory components include at least a first memory component operatively capable of storing an input frame of the image data. The one or more processors may be enabled for performing various steps. One step may include receiving the image data from the first memory component. Another step may include attempting to identify linear features defining a candidate quadrilateral form in the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Hand Held Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Edward Showering, Eize Oosting
  • Imaging apparatus and camera
    Patent number: 9041843
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a pixel, a current source, and a signal processing circuit. The pixel outputs signal charge, obtained by imaging, as a pixel signal. The current source is connected to a transmission path for the pixel signal and has a variable current. The signal processing circuit performs signal processing on a signal depending on an output signal to the transmission path and performs control so that a current of the current source is changed in accordance with the result of signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Sato
  • Stepped ramp signal generator and image sensor using the same
    Patent number: 9036041
    Abstract: A stepped ramp signal generator includes a ramp signal generation unit configured to provide final values of previous stepped ramp signals as initial values of the next stepped ramp signals. The ramp signal generation unit includes a plurality of matching resistors, and a plurality of holders installed between the matching resistors, each holder storing a final value across a previous matching resistor and providing the final value to a next matching resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeongkwon Nam, Haksoo Oh
  • Image pickup apparatus
    Patent number: 9030578
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of optical systems, each having a different focal length, an image pickup element which picks up an image of an object by the optical system, and a zoom control section which changes an angle of field of an output image by at least one optical system from among the plurality of optical systems, and a part of the angle of field which changes is same as an angle of field of another optical system, and the image pickup apparatus further includes a control section which changes a control position of a display image at the time of zooming to be directed toward an optical-axial center of the another optical system for which the part of the angle of field is same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Ayako Asakura
  • Image processing apparatus and method of controlling the same
    Patent number: 9025048
    Abstract: In an image capture apparatus and a method of controlling the apparatus which can apply image correction processing which influences the contrast of a shot image, image quality degradation of an image shot by using input-output characteristics where an output value logarithmically increases with a linear increase in input value is suppressed. When using input-output characteristics where an output value logarithmically increases with a linear increase in input value (S101), internal functional blocks are controlled to invalidate image correction functions which influence the tone characteristics or contrast of an image (S103).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hironori Aokage
  • Image pickup unit and image pickup display system
    Patent number: 9019425
    Abstract: An image pickup unit includes: an image pickup section having a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion device and a field effect transistor; and a driving section, by using the transistor, that executes read driving and reset driving on a signal charge stored in the pixel. The driving section intermittently executes the reset driving a plurality of times in a one-frame term, and executes on-operation of the transistor by applying, to the transistor over at least one resetting term in the one-frame term or over a partial term in the at least one resetting term, a second voltage that is lower than a first voltage applied in a resetting term in the one-frame term other than the at least one resetting term.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Michiru Senda, Yasuhiro Yamada
  • Video processing system and method
    Patent number: 9019393
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a video processing system that can include a video processor, a decompression component, and a demosaicing component. The video processing system can be configured to decompress and demosaic compressed raw video data such that the video data is substantially visually lossless.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Red.com, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Jannard, Thomas Graeme Nattress
  • Architecture for augmented reality environment
    Patent number: 9007473
    Abstract: An architecture has one or more systems for generating augmented reality environments configured to access cloud services over a network. A user is authenticated within the environments, and once authenticated is permitted to interact with the cloud services using the augmented reality environments as well as client resources provided within the environments. The client resources may include devices or things that are primary intended for use within the environments, and devices or things that are not typically associated with augmented reality environments. The architecture enables the client resources to function as thin client interfaces to the cloud services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Rawles LLC
    Inventors: William Spencer Worley, III, William Thomas Weatherford, Christopher Coley, Edward Dietz Crump
  • Image processing device and imaging device
    Patent number: 9007492
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing device including: a 3D-NR unit that performs, using first image data and second image data obtained by capturing images at temporally different times, 3D noise reduction (NR) processing for reducing noise in the first image data; an edge detection unit that detects an edge strength in an image indicated by the 3D-NR processed image data; and a synthesization unit that determines, based on the detected edge strength obtained by the edge detection unit, a synthesis ratio of the first image data and the 3D-NR processed image data, synthesizes the first image data and the 3D-NR processed image data, using the determined synthesis ratio, and outputs synthesized image data obtained by synthesizing the first image data and the 3D-NR processed image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nakashima, Takeshi Hamasaki, Tadashi Nagai, Koichi Toyomura
  • Method and apparatus for video streaming
    Patent number: 9001216
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for a client application to provide a video stream as well as data regarding the video stream to an output device, where the data is generated from a process performed at a layer lower than the client application layer. By this, multiple client applications can simultaneously utilize the data generated by the lower-level process while at least one client application can effect streaming of the video stream to an output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sriram Sampathkumaran, Helmut Neumann, Eric Yam, Seungwook Hong, Tanmay Agnihotri
  • Digital camera and image capturing method
    Patent number: 8994847
    Abstract: A portable device and image processing method for the device are disclosed. The method includes sensing an image, performing an eye-gazing detection process on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one eye of at least one object in the image, determining whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion, wherein the gazing criterion defines a specific angle of the eye-gazing direction of the at least one eye of the at least one object with respect to the portable device, and wherein the eye-gazing direction is determined by analyzing pupils of the at least one eye, and triggering an application of the portable device in response to the eye-gazing direction meeting the gazing criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Wan-Yu Chen, Chih-Hui Kuo