Patents by Inventor Jon S. McElvain
Jon S. McElvain 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).
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Patent number: 11941791Abstract: A method for generating a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image includes (a) denoising a short-exposure-time image, wherein the denoising comprises applying a first guided filter to the short-exposure-time image, the guided filter utilizing a long exposure-time-image as its guide, (b) after the step of denoising, scaling at least one of the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image to place the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image on a common radiance scale, and (c) after the step of scaling, merging the short-exposure-time image with the long-exposure-time image to generate the HDR image.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2020Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Walter C. Gish, Gregory John Ward, Robin Atkins
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Patent number: 11412154Abstract: An auto exposure method for a spatially-multiplexed-exposure (SME) high-dynamic-range (HDR) image sensor includes (a) retrieving raw image data from an exposure of the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-range image sensor, (b) preprocessing long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values of the raw image data to remove therefrom long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values failing to meet one or more quality requirements, (c) synthesizing, into an high-dynamic-range histogram, the long-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing and the short-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing, (d) deriving a goodness metric from the high-dynamic-range histogram, (e) adjusting at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, based at least in part upon the goodness metric, and (f) outputting the at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, as adjusted, to the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2019Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Walter C. Gish, Jonathan Robert Miller, Gregory John Ward, Robin Atkins
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Publication number: 20220198625Abstract: A method for generating a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image includes (a) denoising a short-exposure-time image, wherein the denoising comprises applying a first guided filter to the short-exposure-time image, the guided filter utilizing a long exposure-time-image as its guide, (b) after the step of denoising, scaling at least one of the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image to place the short-exposure-time image and the long-exposure-time image on a common radiance scale, and (c) after the step of scaling, merging the short-exposure-time image with the long-exposure-time image to generate the HDR image.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2020Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Walter C. Gish, Gregory John Ward, Robin Atkins
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Patent number: 11323643Abstract: Imaging methods and devices with pixels divided into pixel groups are disclosed. A pixel group-based global shutter and pixel group-wise staggered long and short exposure followed by readout of two samples per pixel are presented. Example methods and devices for a Bayer color filter array divided into groups of n×n pixels are provided.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2019Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Gregory John Ward
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Patent number: 11258957Abstract: An auto exposure method for an image sensor includes (a) evaluating variance, for each of a plurality of histograms of the pixel values from a respective plurality of individual exposures of the image sensor at respective exposure 5 time settings, of contribution from individual bins of the histogram to total entropy of the histogram, to determine an optimal exposure time for the image sensor corresponding to a minimum value of the variance, and (b) outputting the optimal exposure time to the image sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2019Date of Patent: February 22, 2022Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Walter C. Gish, Jonathan Robert Miller, Gregory John Ward, Robin Atkins
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Publication number: 20220046195Abstract: Imaging methods and devices with pixels divided into pixel groups are disclosed. A pixel group-based global shutter and pixel group-wise staggered long and short exposure followed by readout of two samples per pixel are presented. Example methods and devices for a Bayer color filter array divided into groups of n×n pixels are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2019Publication date: February 10, 2022Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. MCELVAIN, Gregory John WARD
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Publication number: 20210360139Abstract: An auto exposure method for an image sensor includes (a) evaluating variance, for each of a plurality of histograms of the pixel values from a respective plurality of individual exposures of the image sensor at respective exposure 5 time settings, of contribution from individual bins of the histogram to total entropy of the histogram, to determine an optimal exposure time for the image sensor corresponding to a minimum value of the variance, and (b) outputting the optimal exposure time to the image sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2019Publication date: November 18, 2021Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATIONInventors: Jon S. MCELVAIN, Walter C. GISH, Jonathan Robert MILLER, Gregory John WARD, Robin ATKINS
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Patent number: 11158032Abstract: Input scene images are captured from an original scene. The input scene images may be represented in an input color space. The input scene images are converted into color-space-converted scene images in one of an LMS color space, an ICtCp color space, etc. Scene light levels represented in the color-space-converted scene images are mapped, based at least in part on an optical transfer function, to mapped light levels. A tone mapping is applied to the mapped light levels to generate corresponding display light levels to be represented in display images. The display images may be rendered on a target display.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2018Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Robin Atkins, David Brooks, Jaclyn Anne Pytlarz, Jon S. McElvain, Robert Wanat
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Publication number: 20210243352Abstract: An auto exposure method for a spatially-multiplexed-exposure (SME) high-dynamic-range (HDR) image sensor includes (a) retrieving raw image data from an exposure of the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-range image sensor, (b) preprocessing long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values of the raw image data to remove therefrom long-exposure pixel values and short-exposure pixel values failing to meet one or more quality requirements, (c) synthesizing, into an high-dynamic-range histogram, the long-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing and the short-exposure pixel values remaining after the step of preprocessing, (d) deriving a goodness metric from the high-dynamic-range histogram, (e) adjusting at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, based at least in part upon the goodness metric, and (f) outputting the at least one of the long exposure time and the short exposure time, as adjusted, to the spatially-multiplexed-exposure high-dynamic-Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2019Publication date: August 5, 2021Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATIONInventors: Jon S. MCELVAIN, Walter C. GISH, Jonathan Robert MILLER, Gregory John WARD, Robin ATKINS
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Patent number: 11074677Abstract: Methods for recovering saturated pixel values in raw pixel data are described. Given an image with raw pixel values captured using sensors with a color filter array (CFA), image regions are classified according to how many color channels of the CFA are saturated. Values of saturated pixels are estimated based on weighted color ratios of unsaturated pixels and recovered pixels. Example methods for a Bayer CFA are provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2019Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Robin Atkins
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Patent number: 10798321Abstract: A computer-implemented method for bit-depth efficient image processing includes a step of communicating at least one non-linear transformation to an image signal processor. Each non-linear transformation is configured to, when applied by the image signal processor to a captured image having sensor signals encoded at a first bit depth, produce a nonlinear image that re-encodes the captured image at a second bit depth that may be less than the first bit depth, while optimizing allocation of bit depth resolution in the nonlinear image for low contour visibility. The method further includes receiving the nonlinear image from the image signal processor, and applying an inverse transformation to transform the nonlinear image to a re-linearized image at a third bit depth that is greater than the second bit depth. The inverse transformation is inverse to the nonlinear transformation used to produce the nonlinear image.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventor: Jon S. McElvain
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Patent number: 10733947Abstract: A method for compensation of liquid crystal display response variations in high brightness fields, comprising receiving an image signal having a set of initial liquid crystal display code values for a region, estimating individual backlight power levels for the region of the image signal, determining a combined backlight power level based on the individual backlight power levels of the region, determining at least one change in transmittance based on the combined backlight power level of the region and correcting the set of initial liquid crystal display code values based in the determined at least one change in transmittance.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventor: Jon S. McElvain
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Publication number: 20200228736Abstract: A computer-implemented method for bit-depth efficient image processing includes a step of communicating at least one non-linear transformation to an image signal processor. Each non-linear transformation is configured to, when applied by the image signal processor to a captured image having sensor signals encoded at a first bit depth, produce a nonlinear image that re-encodes the captured image at a second bit depth that may be less than the first bit depth, while optimizing allocation of bit depth resolution in the nonlinear image for low contour visibility. The method further includes receiving the nonlinear image from the image signal processor, and applying an inverse transformation to transform the nonlinear image to a re-linearized image at a third bit depth that is greater than the second bit depth. The inverse transformation is inverse to the nonlinear transformation used to produce the nonlinear image.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2018Publication date: July 16, 2020Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventor: Jon S. McElvain
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Patent number: 10607551Abstract: A display system with temperature compensation includes (a) a backlight unit containing a light emitting diode (LED) array, (b) a liquid crystal display (LCD) containing a plurality of pixels for spatially modulating, according to respective LCD drive values of the pixels, transmission of light generated by the LED array, (c) a plurality of temperature probes mounted to the backlight unit for measuring a respective plurality of temperatures at the LED array, (d) a light-field simulator for simulating, at least in part based upon the temperatures, a light field at the LCD as generated by the LED array, and (e) an LCD drive solver for processing a target image and the light field simulated by the light-field simulator, to determine the LCD drive values required to display the target image as compensated for temperatures of the LED array.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2018Date of Patent: March 31, 2020Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licesing CorporationInventors: Qiqin Dai, Jon S. McElvain
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Patent number: 10542186Abstract: A memory footprint of look up tables for color transforms can be reduced by separating the look up tables into factors, applying frequency domain transforms, dividing the look up tables into zones, or establishing hierarchical levels with increasing resolution. The methods can be applied to still image or video cameras with limited computation resources that can benefit from reduced memory footprints.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Joonsoo Kim, Jon S. McElvain
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Publication number: 20200013151Abstract: Input scene images are captured from an original scene. The input scene images may be represented in an input color space. The input scene images are converted into color-space-converted scene images in one of an LMS color space, an ICtCp color space, etc. Scene light levels represented in the color-space-converted scene images are mapped, based at least in part on an optical transfer function, to mapped light levels. A tone mapping is applied to the mapped light levels to generate corresponding display light levels to be represented in display images. The display images may be rendered on a target display.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2018Publication date: January 9, 2020Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Robin ATKINS, David BROOKS, Jaclyn Anne PYTLARZ, Jon S. McELVAIN, Robert WANAT
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Publication number: 20190304073Abstract: Methods for recovering saturated pixel values in raw pixel data are described. Given an image with raw pixel values captured using sensors with a color filter array (CFA), image regions are classified according to how many color channels of the CFA are saturated. Values of saturated pixels are estimated based on weighted color ratios of unsaturated pixels and recovered pixels. Example methods for a Bayer CFA are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Jon S. McElvain, Robin Atkins
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Publication number: 20190139504Abstract: A method for compensation of liquid crystal display response variations in high brightness fields, comprising receiving an image signal having a set of initial liquid crystal display code values for a region, estimating individual backlight power levels for the region of the image signal, determining a combined backlight power level based on the individual backlight power levels of the region, determining at least one change in transmittance based on the combined backlight power level of the region and correcting the set of initial liquid crystal display code values based in the determined at least one change in transmittance.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2017Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventor: Jon S. MCELVAIN
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Publication number: 20180277047Abstract: A display system with temperature compensation includes (a) a backlight unit containing a light emitting diode (LED) array, (b) a liquid crystal display (LCD) containing a plurality of pixels for spatially modulating, according to respective LCD drive values of the pixels, transmission of light generated by the LED array, (c) a plurality of temperature probes mounted to the backlight unit for measuring a respective plurality of temperatures at the LED array, (d) a light-field simulator for simulating, at least in part based upon the temperatures, a light field at the LCD as generated by the LED array, and (e) an LCD drive solver for processing a target image and the light field simulated by the light-field simulator, to determine the LCD drive values required to display the target image as compensated for temperatures of the LED array.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing CorporationInventors: Qiqin DAI, Jon S. McElvain
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Publication number: 20180255206Abstract: Methods and systems for color transforms are disclosed. A memory footprint of look up tables for color transforms can be reduced by separating the look up tables into factors, applying frequency domain transforms, dividing the look up tables into zones, or establishing hierarchical levels with increasing resolution. The methods can be applied to still image or video cameras with limited computation resources that can benefit from reduced memory footprints.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2016Publication date: September 6, 2018Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATIONInventors: Joonsoo KIM, Jon S. MCELVAIN