Patents by Inventor Abhishek Dhanda

Abhishek Dhanda has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240094599
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a camera device with optical image stabilization (OIS) having a range of motion that is asymmetric along two spatial dimensions. The camera device includes an image sensor, a lens assembly in an optical series with the image sensor, and an OIS assembly. The OIS assembly initiates a first motion of at least one of the image sensor and the lens assembly along a first direction parallel to a first axis, the first motion having a first range. The OIS assembly further initiates a second motion of at least one of the image sensor and the lens assembly along a second direction parallel to a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the second motion having a second range different than the first range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Lidu Huang, Honghong Peng
  • Patent number: 11871098
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for selecting a lens control mode for a camera in external magnetic fields or other types of non-magnetic interference. In embodiments, when the camera is activated, a test of a position sensor for the camera lens is performed by moving the camera lens through a range of positions and collecting values from the sensor. In embodiments, the sensor readings are analyzed to determine conditions such as (a) whether the sensor is saturated by an external magnetic field or non-magnetic interference, (b) whether the sensor's readings are within an error margin, and (c) whether a computed position offset for the sensor is valid. Based on the analysis, the camera is placed into a first control mode where movement of the lens is controlled using the position sensor, or a second control mode where lens movement is controlled without the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Andrew D. Fernandez, Arathi S. Bale, David C. Beard, Santiago Alban
  • Patent number: 11856293
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In some instances, depth imaging is used to assist in determining a focus position for the camera through an autofocus process. For example, a determination of depth may be used to determine a focus position for the camera. In another example, the determination of depth may be used to assist another autofocus process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark N. Gamadia, Abhishek Dhanda, Gregory Guyomarc'h, Andrew D. Fernandez, Moshe Laifenfeld
  • Patent number: 11750922
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for operating a multiple camera system. In some embodiments, a primary camera may be selected from a plurality of cameras using object distance estimates, distance error information, and minimum object distances for some or all of the plurality of cameras. In other embodiments, a camera may be configured to use defocus information to obtain an object distance estimate to a target object closer than a minimum object distance of the camera. This object distance estimate may be used to assist in focusing another camera of the multi-camera system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Patrick A. Carroll, Yongjun Li
  • Publication number: 20230254558
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to power saving mechanisms for a wearable camera device. The camera device comprises an image sensor and lens assembly in an optical series with the image sensor. At a first orientation of the camera device, an offset is between a center axis of the image sensor and an optical axis of the lens assembly. At a second orientation of the camera device, at least one of the image sensor and the lens assembly sag due to gravity such that the center axis and the optical axis substantially overlap while the camera device is in a neutral state. The lens assembly and the image sensor can further allow a dynamic amount of sag relative to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Lidu Huang, Yizhi Xiong, Honghong Peng, Michael Andrew Brookmire
  • Publication number: 20230213780
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure further relate to a camera device assembled such that to reduce (and in some cases minimize) auto-focusing actuation power when the camera device operates in a macro mode. The camera device includes an image sensor and a lens assembly in an optical series with the image sensor. During manufacturing of the camera device, the lens assembly is assembled within the camera device to have an optical axis substantially parallel to gravity and positioned to have an offset along the optical axis. The offset is determined during manufacturing of the camera device such that, when the camera device is in the macro mode, the lens assembly is positioned at a neutral position relative to the image sensor without actuation applied to the lens assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Lidu Huang, Yizhi Xiong
  • Patent number: 11627244
    Abstract: Various embodiments include synchronization of camera focus movement control with frame capture. In some embodiments, such synchronization may comprise synchronized focus movement control that is based at least in part on integration timing and/or region of interest (ROI) timing. According to some examples, an actuator of a camera module may be controlled such that a lens group and/or an image sensor of the camera module move towards a focus position during one or more time periods (e.g., a non-integration time period in which the image sensor is not being exposed, a non-ROI time period in which a ROI of the image sensor is not being exposed for image capture, and/or a blanking interval, etc.). Additionally, or alternatively, the actuator may be controlled such that the lens group and the image sensor do not move relative to each other in a focus direction during one or more other time periods (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Gregory Guyomarc'h, Michael W. Chin, Mark N. Gamadia, Ling Xiao Wang
  • Publication number: 20230094971
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In some instances, depth imaging is used to assist in determining a focus position for the camera through an autofocus process. For example, a determination of depth may be used to determine a focus position for the camera. In another example, the determination of depth may be used to assist another autofocus process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark N. Gamadia, Abhishek Dhanda, Gregory Guyomarc'h, Andrew D. Fernandez, Moshe Laifenfeld
  • Patent number: 11616899
    Abstract: A camera system may include one or more controllers to perform in-field monitoring of autofocus performance and instability mitigation. The controllers may monitor one or more parameters associated with adjustment of a relative position between a lens group and an image sensor and/or one or more images. The controllers may analyze the parameters and/or images to calculate various metrics. The controllers may evaluate the metrics with respect to corresponding thresholds. The controllers may detect, based at least in part of the evaluation the metrics, one or more instability events associated with controller performance degradation. In response to detecting the instability events, the controllers may perform one or more remedial actions to mitigate the controller performance degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Yunfeng Li, Santiago Alban, Andrew D. Fernandez
  • Publication number: 20230081349
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for operating a multiple camera system. In some embodiments, a primary camera may be selected from a plurality of cameras using object distance estimates, distance error information, and minimum object distances for some or all of the plurality of cameras. In other embodiments, a camera may be configured to use defocus information to obtain an object distance estimate to a target object closer than a minimum object distance of the camera. This object distance estimate may be used to assist in focusing another camera of the multi-camera system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Gregory Guyomarc'h, Mark N. Gamadia
  • Publication number: 20230085042
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for operating a multiple camera system. In some embodiments, a primary camera may be selected from a plurality of cameras using object distance estimates, distance error information, and minimum object distances for some or all of the plurality of cameras. In other embodiments, a camera may be configured to use defocus information to obtain an object distance estimate to a target object closer than a minimum object distance of the camera. This object distance estimate may be used to assist in focusing another camera of the multi-camera system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Patrick A. Carroll, Yongjun Li
  • Patent number: 11523043
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In some instances, depth imaging is used to assist in determining a focus position for the camera through an autofocus process. For example, a determination of depth may be used to determine a focus position for the camera. In another example, the determination of depth may be used to assist another autofocus process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark N. Gamadia, Abhishek Dhanda, Gregory Guyomarc'h, Andrew D. Fernandez, Moshe Laifenfeld
  • Publication number: 20220116544
    Abstract: Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In some instances, depth imaging is used to assist in determining a focus position for the camera through an autofocus process. For example, a determination of depth may be used to determine a focus position for the camera. In another example, the determination of depth may be used to assist another autofocus process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark N. Gamadia, Abhishek Dhanda, Gregory Guyomarc'h, Andrew D. Fernandez, Moshe Laifenfeld
  • Patent number: 11202007
    Abstract: Various embodiments include camera movement control for reduced power consumption. Some embodiments, for example, may include operating a camera module in a power saving mode, in which focus movement control may be synchronized with frame capture. According to some examples, such synchronization may include holding a position (e.g., a focus position) of a lens group and/or an image sensor of the camera module during some integration time periods. Furthermore, such synchronization may include enabling power saving movement (e.g., between a focus position and a neutral position) of the lens group and/or the image sensor during some other time periods, such as during intervals (e.g., blanking intervals) between integration time periods, and/or during integration time periods for image frames that are expendable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Santiago Alban
  • Publication number: 20210281726
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for selecting a lens control mode for a camera in external magnetic fields or other types of non-magnetic interference. In embodiments, when the camera is activated, a test of a position sensor for the camera lens is performed by moving the camera lens through a range of positions and collecting values from the sensor. In embodiments, the sensor readings are analyzed to determine conditions such as (a) whether the sensor is saturated by an external magnetic field or non-magnetic interference, (b) whether the sensor's readings are within an error margin, and (c) whether a computed position offset for the sensor is valid. Based on the analysis, the camera is placed into a first control mode where movement of the lens is controlled using the position sensor, or a second control mode where lens movement is controlled without the position sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Andrew D. Fernandez, Arathi S. Bale, David C. Beard, Santiago Alban
  • Patent number: 11019241
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for selecting a lens control mode for a camera in external magnetic fields or other types of non-magnetic interference. In embodiments, when the camera is activated, a test of a position sensor for the camera lens is performed by moving the camera lens through a range of positions and collecting values from the sensor. In embodiments, the sensor readings are analyzed to determine conditions such as (a) whether the sensor is saturated by an external magnetic field or non-magnetic interference, (b) whether the sensor's readings are within an error margin, and (c) whether a computed position offset for the sensor is valid. Based on the analysis, the camera is placed into a first control mode where movement of the lens is controlled using the position sensor, or a second control mode where lens movement is controlled without the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Abhishek Dhanda, Andrew D. Fernandez, Arathi S. Bale, David C. Beard, Santiago Alban
  • Patent number: 10528098
    Abstract: Systems, software, devices, and methods of distributing a workload among available data storage devices in a thermal aware manner are described herein. More specifically, the examples herein discuss distributing the workload among the available data storage devices in a thermal aware manner that optimizes collective IOPs of the data storage devices in an enclosure. The thermal aware distribution of the storage operations is determined by a thermal model that predicts thermal characteristics of the data storage system based on inlet air characteristics of the enclosure, performance characteristics and thermal constraints of the data storage devices, and constraints of the workload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darya Amin-Shahidi, Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano
  • Patent number: 10228880
    Abstract: The examples described herein discuss various systems, software, devices, and methods for managing a primary command queue by ordering and/or reordering and distributing incoming commands based, at least in part, on positional information of one or more components of data storage devices. More specifically, in some embodiments, the examples discussed herein describe ordering and distributing incoming commands from a primary command queue in a position-aware manner that takes into account disk rotation (e.g., rotational position) and/or actuator head location for the various data storage devices of a data storage system enclosure. Among other benefits, ordering incoming commands at the primary command queue and distributing the ordered commands to individual device queues improves overall command execution latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: David Berman, Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Satoshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20180067694
    Abstract: The examples described herein discuss various systems, software, devices, and methods for managing a primary command queue by ordering and/or reordering and distributing incoming commands based, at least in part, on positional information of one or more components of data storage devices. More specifically, in some embodiments, the examples discussed herein describe ordering and distributing incoming commands from a primary command queue in a position-aware manner that takes into account disk rotation (e.g., rotational position) and/or actuator head location for the various data storage devices of a data storage system enclosure. Among other benefits, ordering incoming commands at the primary command queue and distributing the ordered commands to individual device queues improves overall command execution latency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: David Berman, Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano, Satoshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20180004260
    Abstract: Systems, software, devices, and methods of distributing a workload among available data storage devices in a thermal aware manner are described herein. More specifically, the examples herein discuss distributing the workload among the available data storage devices in a thermal aware manner that optimizes collective IOPs of the data storage devices in an enclosure. The thermal aware distribution of the storage operations is determined by a thermal model that predicts thermal characteristics of the data storage system based on inlet air characteristics of the enclosure, performance characteristics and thermal constraints of the data storage devices, and constraints of the workload.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Darya Amin-Shahidi, Abhishek Dhanda, Toshiki Hirano