Patents Examined by Yogesh K. Aggarwal
  • Patent number: 11206344
    Abstract: In order to perform image processing in which relative positional deviation of image outputs between two image pickup units is suppressed, an image pickup apparatus comprises: an imaging device that has a first image pickup unit configured to perform imaging in a first cycle and generate a first image signal, and a second image pickup unit configured to perform imaging in a second cycle shorter than the first image pickup unit and generate a plurality of second image signals; a relation degree information generation unit configured to generate relation degree information between the first image signal and the second image signal based on overlap between an exposure time period in the first image pickup unit and an imaging timing in the cycle of the second image pickup unit; a region selection unit configured to select a specific region from among the second image signals based on the relation degree information generated by the relation degree information generation unit; and an image processing unit configur
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Usami
  • Patent number: 11195865
    Abstract: An imaging device including: a photoelectric converter that generates a signal charge by photoelectric conversion of light; a semiconductor substrate that includes a first semiconductor layer containing an impurity of a first conductivity type and an impurity of a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type; and a first transistor that includes, as a source or a drain, a first impurity region of the second conductivity type in the first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer includes: a charge accumulation region that is an impurity region of the second conductivity type, the charge accumulation region being configured to accumulate the signal charge; and a blocking structure that is located between the charge accumulation region and the first transistor, and the blocking structure includes a second impurity region of the second conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji Hirase, Yoshinori Takami, Yoshihiro Sato
  • Patent number: 11194135
    Abstract: The present technology relates to, for example, a lens attached substrate including a substrate which has a through-hole formed therein and a light shielding film formed on a side wall of the through-hole and a lens resin portion which is formed inside the through-hole of the substrate. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a lens attached substrate, a layered lens structure, a camera module, a manufacturing apparatus, a manufacturing method, an electronic device, a computer, a program, a storage medium, a system, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Moriya, Masanori Iwasaki, Takashi Oinoue, Yoshiya Hagimoto, Hiroyasu Matsugai, Hiroyuki Itou, Suguru Saito, Keiji Ohshima, Nobutoshi Fujii, Hiroshi Tazawa, Toshiaki Shiraiwa, Minoru Ishida
  • Patent number: 11184527
    Abstract: A smart selfie mirror includes a mirror, a lighting source, a camera, and a user interface for operating the lighting source and the camera. The mirror can be used to position oneself in a desired position relative to the camera. The lighting source may be used to provide illumination for purposes of using the mirror and to provide additional light when using the camera. The camera can be used to take a picture or record a video of oneself. In some embodiments, the smart selfie mirror includes a wireless transceiver for receiving commands from and sending data to a connected mobile device or the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Pilot Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Lyle, John Paul Breganza, Jessica Morales, Katia Morales, Hai Tran
  • Patent number: 11184553
    Abstract: A processor generates a depth map from two images, including a high-dynamic range (HDR) image. The processor receives, from a first image sensor, one or more first images, wherein the one or more first images have a first field-of-view (FOV) and a first resolution, and receives, from a second image sensor, one or more second images, wherein the one or more second images have a second FOV and a second resolution. The processor generates a first HDR image from the one or more first images, and performs tone alignment on the one or more second images based on the first HDR image to produce a second HDR image. The processor generates a depth map using the first HDR image and the second HDR image. The processor may use the depth map to apply a bokeh effect to the first HDR image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Tai-Hsin Liu, Wei-Chih Liu, Wen-Chun Feng
  • Patent number: 11178371
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus that can obtain an optimum image in accordance with a region of interest of a user is provided. An image processing apparatus comprises an image synthesis unit configured to synthesize a visible light image and an infrared light image and generate a synthesis image; a region specifying unit configured to specify a region in the synthesis image; and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the saturation of the synthesis image in a region specified by the region specifying unit. The image synthesis unit changes the synthesis ratio of the visible light image and the infrared light image in the synthesis image in accordance with the saturation that has been evaluated by the evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11172118
    Abstract: A control apparatus (100) includes a divider (7) that divides an image into a plurality of areas, a calculator (8) that calculates an evaluation value of each of the plurality of areas, and a focus adjuster (10) that performs focusing based on the evaluation value of each of the plurality of areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Chino, Toshiyuki Dobashi
  • Patent number: 11172135
    Abstract: An apparatus according to various embodiments can include: a plurality of cameras including at least one camera having a field of view (FOV) different from the designated FOV; a communication interface; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor can be configured to acquire a plurality of images, including at least one image including a scene from the FOV different from the designated FOV, through the plurality of cameras, and transmit information about the plurality of images and information for changing the scene from the FOV included in the at least one image to a scene for the designated FOV to another device through the communication interface so that the other device generates another image on the basis of the plurality of images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ilkwon Park
  • Patent number: 11153501
    Abstract: An example method includes determining, by a controller of an image capture system, a plurality of sets of exposure parameter values for one or more exposure parameters. The plurality of sets of exposure parameter values are determined at an exposure determination rate. The method further includes capturing, by an image capture device of the image capture system, a plurality of images. Each image of the plurality of images is captured according to a set of exposure parameter values of the plurality of sets of exposure parameter values. The method also includes sending, by the controller of the image capture system to an image processing unit, a subset of the plurality of images. Each subset of images is sent at a sampling rate, and the sampling rate is less than the exposure determination rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Emily Cooper, Chad Talbott
  • Patent number: 11153519
    Abstract: A defective pixel is easily identified in a solid-state imaging element that detects an address event. An address event detecting unit detects, as an address event, a fact that an absolute value of a change amount of luminance exceeds a predetermined threshold value with regard to each of a plurality of pixels, and outputs a detection signal indicating a result of the detection. A detection frequency acquisition unit acquires a detection frequency of the address event with regard to each of the plurality of pixels. A defective pixel identification unit identifies, on the basis of a statistic of the detection frequency, a defective pixel where an abnormality has occurred among the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Atsumi Niwa
  • Patent number: 11140342
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
  • Patent number: 11140303
    Abstract: Provided is a camera, including a lens unit having a plurality of lenses and a frame receiving the plurality of lenses, a holding member holding the lens unit, and an image pickup element receiving a light beam transmitting the lenses. In the camera, the holding member has a thread portion by means of which the lens unit is movable along an optical axis, and at least one engagement portion engaging the lens unit. The thread portion has a meshing portion with a central point thereof provided on a side closer to an object than an intermediate portion of an optical total length of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: BOSEN OPTO-ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO. LIMITED
    Inventor: Haoyang Huo
  • Patent number: 11140302
    Abstract: A wearable device, such as a ring, is used to be worn on at least one part of a human body. A wearable device includes a body having a bottom surface and a top surface, an opening defined between the top surface and the bottom surface. The opening is used to receive therethrough and hold the at least one part of the human body. A pocket is defined in the body between the opening and the top surface for holding the camera presenting an activation button to turn on and turn off the camera. The body includes a membrane defined in the top surface of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventor: Charles Hudson
  • Patent number: 11137575
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a camera lens processing method, a camera lens, a camera assembly and an electronic device. The camera lens includes a lens barrel. The processing method includes: a first lens group and a second lens group are obtained, wherein the second lens group is configured to form a light emitting surface of the camera lens, and the first lens group is configured to form a light incidence surface of the camera lens and includes a plurality of interconnected lenses; the second lens group is mounted into the lens barrel; and the first lens group is mounted into the lens barrel and made to partially protrude from an end surface of the lens barrel to obtain the camera lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhidong Yin
  • Patent number: 11128851
    Abstract: A color temperature of each of a first sensed image that is sensed by a first image sensing device and a second sensed image that is sensed by a second image sensing device different from the first image sensing device is acquired, a color temperature that is common between the first image sensing device and the second image sensing device is decided based on the acquired color temperatures, and color information in an image sensed by the first image sensing device and an image sensed by the second image sensing device is adjusted based on the decided color temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 11126823
    Abstract: An optical film stack including a DOE, a first detecting circuit layer, a liquid crystal changeable diffuser, and a conductive structure is provided. The first detecting circuit layer is disposed on the DOE. The liquid crystal changeable diffuser is disposed beside the DOE and includes a first transparent substrate, a second detecting circuit layer, a second transparent substrate, a third detecting circuit layer, and a liquid crystal layer. The second detecting circuit layer is disposed on the first transparent substrate. The second transparent substrate is disposed beside the first transparent substrate. The third detecting circuit layer is disposed on the second transparent substrate. The liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate. The conductive structure electrically connects the first detecting circuit layer, the second detecting circuit layer, and the third detecting circuit layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: HIMAX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Yu-Feng Yen, Yin-Tung Lu, Chih-Yu Chuang, Han-Yi Kuo
  • Patent number: 11128820
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array including n pixel rows, where n?3, and a driving circuit configured to scan the pixel array from a first row toward an nth row, counting from one end of the pixel array. In a case where a region of interest is included in a partial region composed of pixel rows from an ith row to a jth row, where 1<i?j<n, the driving circuit starts scanning of the pixel array from the first row, and starts scanning of the pixel array from the first row again during scanning of pixel rows from a (j+1)th row to the nth row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshikazu Tamura, Tomoyuki Yagi, Yuki Iwabuchi, Yoshiaki Ishii, Yutaka Ishinari
  • Patent number: 11122228
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor and a controller. The image sensor has a plurality of pixels and simultaneously reads out a first image signal acquired by a first pixel group among the plurality of pixels and a second image signal acquired by a second pixel group among the plurality of pixels. The controller performs operations including controlling. A vertical synchronization signal is controlled to synchronize the vertical synchronization signal with a readout cycle of an image signal corresponding to a high frame rate when the first image signal and the second image signal are simultaneously read out from the image sensor. Where low power consumption control regarding the image sensor is performed, the vertical synchronization signal is controlled to increase a period during which the image sensor is kept in a low power consumption state when only the first image signal is read out from the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuuzou Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11119333
    Abstract: A damper arrangement may be used in a camera module that includes a first (e.g., stationary) and a second (e.g., dynamic) component. The second component may hold a lens such that the lens moves together with the second component. The damper arrangement may include an interface member that extends from the first or the second component to at least partially into a viscoelastic material within a volumetric space configured in the first component, the second component, or both. The interface member may include a mounting portion having a thickness and a viscoelastic material section, having a different thickness, that interacts with viscoelastic material to dampen motion of the second component, for example, during operation of a lens actuator to move the second component along an optical axis of the lens. The interface member may be a two-piece interface member, such as a pin soldered into a hole in a plate, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Scott W. Miller, Nicholas D. Smyth, Hao Zheng, Shujun Tang, Zachary W. Birnbaum
  • Patent number: 11115613
    Abstract: A readout arrangement for an image sensor is configured to receive from a plurality of column leads of the image sensor in parallel a plurality of image sensor analog signals describing in an analog manner brightness values detected by the image sensor. The readout arrangement is configured to select which subset of a plurality of analog values represented by the image sensor analog signals or based on the image sensor analog signals is to be stored in an analog memory for further processing, and to cause storage of the selected analog values in the analog memory, or to store the selected analog values in the analog memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventor: Jens Doege