Patents Examined by Tuan Ho
  • Patent number: 9274334
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a dust removal system, an image capture device and a dust removal vibration method thereof. The dust removal system includes a vibration generation module having a vibration unit which is arranged on a transparent object of an image capture device, and is driven to generate a vibration for dust removal, a vibration detection unit arranged on the transparent object and transform a vibration amplitude into a corresponding electrical signal so as to output a feedback signal continually, a compare unit outputting a control signal when the compare unit determines the feedback signal exceeds the threshold value, and a control unit controlling the vibration generation module based on the control signal to generate the corresponding vibration for dust removal. Thereby, an amplitude of the transparent object can be precisely obtained and the vibration can be precisely adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: ALTEK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yi-Shun Luo
  • Patent number: 9277131
    Abstract: An image stabilization apparatus is provided that includes a fixed back-plate 101, a movable barrel 103 that holds a correction lens 102 and is movably supported by the fixed back-plate 101 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a first rotary body 104 that is rotatably supported by the fixed back-plate 101 and moves the movable barrel 103 in a first direction depending on rotation thereof, and a first drive motor 106 that drives the first rotary body 104. The center axis of the first rotary body 104 is arranged within the optical path of an image capturing optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromu Yasuda
  • Patent number: 9270912
    Abstract: A solid state imaging device with (a) an amplifier transistor; an input node for the amplifier transistor; or both the amplifier transistor and the input node for the amplifier transistor; (b) a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; (c) a like plurality of storage transistors, each configured to act as a photo-charge storage node to store charges generated by a respective photoelectric conversion element; and (d) a like plurality of transfer transistors, each configured to transfer charges from a respective photoelectric conversion element to a common output, the common output being either the amplifier transistor or the input node for the amplifier transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Nishihara
  • Patent number: 9270894
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus disclosed herein includes: a solid-state imaging device in which pixels are arranged in a matrix; a mechanical shutter; and a signal processing unit, wherein the signal processing unit: resets charge stored in all the pixels by closing the mechanical shutter and applying a voltage V2 to a photoelectric conversion unit; starts first exposure by opening the mechanical shutter and applying a voltage V1 to the photoelectric conversion unit; finishes the first exposure by applying the voltage V2 to the photoelectric conversion unit with the mechanical shutter open; reads pixel signals to obtain a first still image; resets all the pixels; starts second exposure by applying the voltage V1 to the photoelectric conversion unit with the mechanical shutter open; finishes the second exposure by applying the voltage V2 to the photoelectric conversion unit with the mechanical shutter open; reads pixel signals to obtain a second still image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamamoto, Yoshiyuki Matsunaga, Takayuki Ota
  • Patent number: 9264612
    Abstract: A digital camera 10 includes an imaging device 21a, a finder device 15, a phase difference information analyzing portion 71 and a control portion 32. In the finder device 15, an image in which an OVF optical image formed by an objective optical system 65 and an image displayed on a display portion 61 are superimposed on each other can be observed through an eyepiece window 17. The phase difference information analyzing portion 71 determines a focus region and a non-focus region in a photographic subject imaged by the imaging device 21a. The control portion 32 makes control to display an image Eg for highlighting the focus region E in the OVF optical image on the display portion 61 in the state in which the OVF optical image can be observed through the eyepiece window 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuki Inoue, Shigeru Kondou, Takashi Aoki, Hiroyuki Oshima, Daisuke Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9264615
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus determines the target position of a shake correction lens in accordance with a shake signal corresponding to an acting shake, and performs feedback control to converge the position of the shake correction lens to the target position. A division unit divides the shake signal into low- and high-frequency components. A first low-pass filter integrates the high-frequency component, and a second low-pass filter integrates the low-frequency component. A synthesis unit synthesizes output signals from the first and second low-pass filters, and outputs the synthetic signal as the target position. When the apparatus is being panned or tilted, the cutoff frequency of the second low-pass filter is set to be a value larger than that of a cutoff frequency when the apparatus is neither being panned nor tilted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenji Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9264604
    Abstract: An optical instrument comprises a control section for driving a lens group in an optical axis direction, a first position detection section for detecting an absolute position of the lens group, a second position detection section for detecting a relative position of the lens group, and a storage section for storing first data corresponding to output of the second position detection section corresponding to a specified position, and second data corresponding to a target position, wherein, the control section acquires output of the second position detection section, at a point when a specified variation has occurred, as third data, calculates a stop target position based on the first data and the third data and executes a stop operation for the lens group to stop the lens group, and corrects output of the second position detection section in a state, based on the second data, and the stop target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Satoshi Okawa
  • Patent number: 9264646
    Abstract: A video playing method for an electronic device, the electronic device includes a display and an image capturing apparatus. The image capturing apparatus captures images in real-time while a video is being displayed by the electronic device. The electronic device determines whether each of the images captured by the image capturing apparatus includes facial characteristics. If one or more images do not include the facial characteristics, the video is automatically paused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignees: Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Peng Wang
  • Patent number: 9263491
    Abstract: A back-side illumination solid-state imaging apparatus, comprising a light-shielding member including a plurality of openings, and a plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of openings, wherein each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion portion, a microlens and an inner lens, the inner lens of a first pixel of an Mth row×an Nth column and the inner lens of a second pixel of an (M+1)th row×an (N+1)th column are separated from each other through a dielectric member, and the dielectric member contacts with part of the light-shielding member between a first opening corresponding to the first pixel and a second opening corresponding to the second pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Sekine
  • Patent number: 9258489
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for acquiring an image of a subject are provided. The method for acquiring the image of the subject includes acquiring a first preliminary image and a second preliminary image of the subject through an image sensor operatively coupled to an electronic device, determining a candidate emission time relating to an acquisition of an output image of the subject, based on a difference between state information of at least part of the first preliminary image and state information of at least part of the second preliminary image, comparing the candidate emission time with a time corresponding to a synchronization period where a plurality of lines of the image sensor simultaneously acquires the output image, and acquiring the output image of the subject based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hae-Sun Lee, Moon-Soo Kim, Jong-Keun Shin, Jong-Hyub Lee, Joo-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 9257567
    Abstract: In a CMOS image sensor in which a plurality of pixels is arranged in a matrix, a transistor in which a channel formation region includes an oxide semiconductor is used for each of a charge accumulation control transistor and a reset transistor which are in a pixel portion. After a reset operation of the signal charge accumulation portion is performed in all the pixels arranged in the matrix, a charge accumulation operation by the photodiode is performed in all the pixels, and a read operation of a signal from the pixel is performed per row. Accordingly, an image can be taken without a distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Takayuki Ikeda, Hikaru Tamura, Munehiro Kozuma, Masataka Ikeda, Takeshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 9258500
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first pixel that is capable of outputting a focus detection signal and a second pixel that includes a semiconductor layer and a wiring layer. The semiconductor layer includes a first surface on which light enters, a second surface opposite from the first surface, and a photoelectric conversion unit that converts light to an electric charge and is disposed between the first surface and the second surface. The wiring layer is formed on a side of the second surface of the semiconductor layer and includes a signal output line through which the focus detection signal read out from the first pixel and an image-capturing signal generated according to the electric charge converted at the photoelectric conversion unit are output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hironobu Murata
  • Patent number: 9258465
    Abstract: An imaging device provides efficient heat transfer by orienting components of the imaging device such that heat is transferred out of the imaging device instead of within the imaging device assembly. Heat is transferred out of the imaging device assembly through a printed circuit board to which the assembly housing is mounted thereon and/or through the housing itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Feng Lin, Yu-Kai Huang
  • Patent number: 9258475
    Abstract: A wireless apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine whether the received control information is leading control information for controlling the imaging process or succeeding control information succeeding the leading control information, a decision unit configured to decide a succeeding control timing at which the succeeding control information is output, with reference to a leading control timing at which the leading control information is output, and an output unit configured to output the leading control information to the imaging unit in accordance with the leading control timing and output the succeeding control information to the imaging unit in accordance with the succeeding control timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Tachiwa, Tetsuo Kanda
  • Patent number: 9253424
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which processes a captured image including angle information of a light beam traveling from the object, comprises a generation unit configured to generate a reconstructed image by reconstructing the captured image, an extraction unit configured to extract an address of a defective photoelectric conversion element which is included in photoelectric conversion elements which captured the captured image based on a plurality of reconstructed images corresponding to different imaging distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Sasaki, Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9251559
    Abstract: A camera device is provided with: an imaging unit for generating an area image obtained by shooting an area from above; and a display image generation unit for generating a display image of a target moving in the area using a clip image which is clipped from the area image. In this case, a rotation angle of a current frame is calculated on the basis of the rotation angle of the previous frame and a reference angle of the current frame. As a result, a rapid change in an orientation of the target displayed in the display image can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junya Kuwada
  • Patent number: 9253392
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus having an image formation optical system having a lens for focus adjustment of an optical image of an object and an imaging unit for picking up the formed optical image and generating a pixel signal from which a refocus image can be generated includes: a calculation unit for obtaining information of the object the optical image of which is picked up by the imaging unit and calculating, based on the obtained object information, a range of a lens position at which the refocus image of the object being in-focus can be generated; a prediction unit for predicting, based on the lens position range, a change of the calculated lens position at which the refocus image of the object being in-focus can be generated; and a determination unit for determining a drive position of the lens based on a prediction result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Hashimoto, Yasufumi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9247113
    Abstract: The present invention provides a display device which has a display unit on a main body, comprising a cover member that can be deformed into a first shape for covering the display unit and a second shape for forming a grip in order to solve the problems in the conventional cameras. The problem is such that the size of the camera becomes large by the size of the grip, which impairs portability of the camera because the conventional camera provides a fixed grip on the camera body on which a display unit with a large screen is mounted. In addition, another conventional camera has a space for accommodating the cover members within the grip, so that the size of the grip becomes accordingly large and thus the camera itself becomes large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Misawa
  • Patent number: 9247192
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a mobile terminal and an audio zooming method thereof capable of effectively capturing audio based on an image while capturing and reproducing video. According to the present disclosure, if an event for changing the capture location or range or capture mode of a subject occurs when capturing the subject while capturing the sound of the subject in a predetermined sound capture range, the sound of the subject may be captured by changing a sound capture angle and automatically controlling a sound capture range according to the relevant event, and if an event for changing the capture location or range or capture mode of a subject occurs, the sound of the subject may be captured by automatically controlling a sound capture range according to the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Keansub Lee, Hosung Song, Yonghee Lee, Youngjoo Son, Joontae Kim
  • Patent number: 9247117
    Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention provide an array camera module in which warpage is designed into the projection plane of images from a lens stack array to correct for warpage in a sensor of the array camera module. The resulting array camera modules has back focal lengths for each of the lens stacks in the lens stack array that are substantially consistent when placed over a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Pelican Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Jacques Duparré