Patents by Inventor Mike Koen

Mike Koen 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).

  • Method and apparatus for processing front end signal for image sensor
    Patent number: 7081921
    Abstract: A front end signal processing method and apparatus for processing a signal from an image sensor are provided for readily clamping a black level, improving the manufacturing yield, and reducing the power consumption. A luminance detector/digitizer receives a sensor output signal from an image sensor, detects luminance information included in the sensor output signal, and generates a digital luminance signal representative of the detected luminance information. A digital processor receives the digital luminance signal, and multiplies the digital luminance signal by a predetermined gain code to generate the multiplication result as a front end processed signal output. An optical black clamp receives the digital luminance signal from the luminance signal detector/digitizer and supplies a feedback signal produced from the digital luminance signal to the luminance signal detector/digitizer to clamp a black level of the luminance signal to a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Inventors: Shozo Nitta, Kenji Tanaka, Tatsuo Isumi, Akira Morikawa, Kyoji Matsusako, Sean Chuang, Mike Koen
  • Method and apparatus for processing front end signal for image sensor
    Publication number: 20020047934
    Abstract: A front end signal processing method and apparatus for processing a signal from an image sensor are provided for readily clamping a black level, improving the manufacturing yield, and reducing the power consumption. A luminance detector/digitizer receives a sensor output signal from an image sensor, detects luminance information included in the sensor output signal, and generates a digital luminance signal representative of the detected luminance information. A digital processor receives the digital luminance signal, and multiplies the digital luminance signal by a predetermined gain code to generate the multiplication result as a front end processed signal output. An optical black clamp receives the digital luminance signal from the luminance signal detector/digitizer and supplies a feedback signal produced from the digital luminance signal to the luminance signal detector/digitizer to clamp a black level of the luminance signal to a constant value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Shozo Nitta, Kenji Tanaka, Tatsuo Isumi, Akira Morikawa, Kyoji Matsusako, Sean Chuang, Mike Koen