Patents by Inventor Piotr Stec

Piotr Stec 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).

  • Patent number: 11941897
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant monitoring system, OMS, comprises an image acquisition device with a rolling shutter image sensor configured to selectively operate in either: a full-resolution image mode where an image frame corresponding to the full image sensor is provided; or a region of interest, ROI, mode, where an image frame corresponding to a limited portion of the image sensor is provided. An object detector is configured to receive a full-resolution image from the image sensor and to identify a ROI corresponding to an object of interest within the image. A controller is configured to obtain an image corresponding to the ROI from the image sensor operating in ROI mode, the image having an exposure time long enough for all rows of the ROI to be illuminated by a common pulse of light from at least one infra-red light source and short enough to limit motion blur within the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Istvan Andorko, Petronel Bigioi, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11902496
    Abstract: A depth sensing camera system that comprises one or more fisheye lenses and infrared and/or near-infrared image sensors. In some examples, the image sensors may generate output signals based at least in part on receiving radiation via the fisheye lenses. A depth measurement may be calculated based at least in part on the output signals. For example, these output signals may be provided as input to a depth model, which may determine the depth measurement. In some examples, such a depth model may be integrated into an application-specific integrated circuit and/or may be operated by an application processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Petronel Bigioi, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11902671
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant monitoring system, OMS, comprises: an image acquisition device comprising an image sensor and a lens assembly having a varying transmissivity across a field of view of the image sensor; at least one infra-red, IR, light source disposed within a cabin of the vehicle and being configured to illuminate at least one occupant of the vehicle with varying illumination across the field of view of the image sensor; and an image processing pipeline configured to obtain and pre-process an image acquired from the image sensor in accordance with a lens shading map and a cabin illumination map in order to compensate for both the varying transmissivity and the varying illumination in order to provide a more uniformly illuminated image to a controller for further analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Istvan Andorko, Petronel Bigioi, Piotr Stec
  • Publication number: 20240031676
    Abstract: A method for reducing camera motion blur comprises, before acquiring an image frame for a video stream, a camera measurement unit measuring data related to a camera module motion during a time window; determining camera module motion based on the measured data and predicting a camera motion blur during acquisition of the image frame based at least on the determined camera module motion and the lens projection model; determining whether the predicted camera motion blur exceeds a threshold; in response to determining that the predicted camera motion blur exceeds the threshold, determining a reduction of the provisional exposure time determined to acquire the image frame so that the predicted camera motion blur reaches the threshold, determining whether a corresponding increase in the provisional gain determined to acquire the image frame is below a maximum gain value, adjusting the provisional exposure time and gain, and acquiring the image frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Razvan Condorovici, Bogdan Petcu, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11812146
    Abstract: A method for reducing camera motion blur comprises, before acquiring an image frame for a video stream, a camera measurement unit measuring data related to a camera module motion during a time window; determining camera module motion based on the measured data and predicting a camera motion blur during acquisition of the image frame based at least on the determined camera module motion and the lens projection model; determining whether the predicted camera motion blur exceeds a threshold; in response to determining that the predicted camera motion blur exceeds the threshold, determining a reduction of the provisional exposure time determined to acquire the image frame so that the predicted camera motion blur reaches the threshold, determining whether a corresponding increase in the provisional gain determined to acquire the image frame is below a maximum gain value, adjusting the provisional exposure time and gain, and acquiring the image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Inventors: Razvan Condorovici, Bogdan Petcu, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11778315
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant monitoring system, OMS, comprises an image acquisition device with a rolling shutter image sensor comprising an array of sub-pixels which are respectively selectively sensitive to: red and infra-red; blue and infra-red; and green and infra-red light. The device is configured to selectively operate in either: a colour mode where a multi-plane image frame corresponding to the full image sensor is provided, each plane derived from red, green or blue sensitive sub-pixels respectively; or a monochrome mode, where sensor information from sub-pixels is aggregated to provide a single image plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventors: Istvan Andorko, Petronel Bigioi, Piotr Stec
  • Publication number: 20230247304
    Abstract: An auto-exposure module determines a first set of exposure parameters to acquire a first image. The first image is acquired using the first set of exposure parameters. The module determines a target image histogram; calculates an image histogram based on intensity values of the pixels of the first image; determines an integral of the image histogram and of the target image histogram for a range of pixel intensity values; calculates a transfer curve for transforming the integral of the image histogram to match the integral of the target image histogram; calculates a slope of a line fitting at least a portion of the transfer curve; determines a correction factor based on the calculated slope; and adjusts the first set of exposure parameters according to the correction factor. A second image is then acquired using the adjusted first set of exposure parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventor: Piotr STEC
  • Publication number: 20230188860
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant monitoring system, OMS, comprises: an image acquisition device comprising an image sensor and a lens assembly having a varying transmissivity across a field of view of the image sensor; at least one infra-red, IR, light source disposed within a cabin of the vehicle and being configured to illuminate at least one occupant of the vehicle with varying illumination across the field of view of the image sensor; and an image processing pipeline configured to obtain and pre-process an image acquired from the image sensor in accordance with a lens shading map and a cabin illumination map in order to compensate for both the varying transmissivity and the varying illumination in order to provide a more uniformly illuminated image to a controller for further analysis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Istvan ANDORKO, Petronel BIGIOI, Piotr STEC
  • Publication number: 20230188838
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant monitoring system, OMS, comprises an image acquisition device with a rolling shutter image sensor comprising an array of sub-pixels which are respectively selectively sensitive to: red and infra-red; blue and infra-red; and green and infra-red light. The device is configured to selectively operate in either: a colour mode where a multi-plane image frame corresponding to the full image sensor is provided, each plane derived from red, green or blue sensitive sub-pixels respectively; or a monochrome mode, where sensor information from sub-pixels is aggregated to provide a single image plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Istvan ANDORKO, Petronel BIGIOI, Piotr STEC
  • Publication number: 20230186650
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant monitoring system, OMS, comprises an image acquisition device with a rolling shutter image sensor configured to selectively operate in either: a full-resolution image mode where an image frame corresponding to the full image sensor is provided; or a region of interest, ROI, mode, where an image frame corresponding to a limited portion of the image sensor is provided. An object detector is configured to receive a full-resolution image from the image sensor and to identify a ROI corresponding to an object of interest within the image. A controller is configured to obtain an image corresponding to the ROI from the image sensor operating in ROI mode, the image having an exposure time long enough for all rows of the ROI to be illuminated by a common pulse of light from at least one infra-red light source and short enough to limit motion blur within the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Istvan ANDORKO, Petronel BIGIOI, Piotr STEC
  • Publication number: 20230179863
    Abstract: A method for reducing camera motion blur comprises, before acquiring an image frame for a video stream, a camera measurement unit measuring data related to a camera module motion during a time window; determining camera module motion based on the measured data and predicting a camera motion blur during acquisition of the image frame based at least on the determined camera module motion and the lens projection model; determining whether the predicted camera motion blur exceeds a threshold; in response to determining that the predicted camera motion blur exceeds the threshold, determining a reduction of the provisional exposure time determined to acquire the image frame so that the predicted camera motion blur reaches the threshold, determining whether a corresponding increase in the provisional gain determined to acquire the image frame is below a maximum gain value, adjusting the provisional exposure time and gain, and acquiring the image frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Razvan CONDOROVICI, Bogdan PETCU, Piotr STEC
  • Publication number: 20230127692
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a vehicle cabin camera having: a pitch, yaw and roll angle; and a field of view capturing vehicle cabin features which are symmetric about a vehicle longitudinal axis comprises: selecting points from within an image of the vehicle cabin and projecting the points onto a 3D unit circle in accordance with a camera projection model. For each of one or more rotations of a set of candidate yaw and roll rotations, the method comprises: rotating the projected points with the rotation; flipping the rotated points about a pitch axis; counter-rotating the projected points with an inverse of the rotation; and mapping the counter-rotated points back into an image plane to provide a set of transformed points. A candidate rotation which provides a best match between the set of transformed points and the locations of the selected points in the image plane is selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Petronel Bigioi, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11627262
    Abstract: A handheld computing device comprises a display comprising an array of pixels illuminated by a plurality of visible light sources, and a plurality of infra-red light sources interleaved between the visible light sources, the IR light sources being actuable to emit diffuse IR light with a first intensity. A camera has an image sensor comprising an array of pixels responsive to infra-red light and a lens assembly with an optical axis extending from the image sensor through the surface of the display. A dedicated illumination source is located outside the display and is actuable to emit infra-red light with a second greater intensity. A processor is configured to switch between an iris region processing mode in which a subject is illuminated at least by the dedicated light source and a face region processing mode in which a subject is illuminated by the plurality of IR light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Inventors: Piotr Stec, Petronel Bigioi, Istvan Andorko
  • Patent number: 11610338
    Abstract: A method comprises displaying a first image acquired from a camera having an input camera projection model including a first focal length and an optical axis parameter value. A portion of the first image is selected as a second image associated with an output camera projection model in which either a focal length and/or an optical axis parameter value differ from the parameters of the input camera projection model. The method involves iteratively: adjusting either the focal length and/or an optical axis parameter value for the camera lens so that it approaches the corresponding value of the output camera projection model; acquiring a subsequent image using the adjusted focal length or optical axis parameter value; mapping pixel coordinates in the second image, through a normalized 3D coordinate system to respective locations in the subsequent image to determine respective values for the pixel coordinates; and displaying the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Inventor: Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11593913
    Abstract: A method for correcting an image divides an output image into a grid with vertical sections of width smaller than the image width but wide enough to allow efficient bursts when writing distortion corrected line sections into memory. A distortion correction engine includes a relatively small amount of memory for an input image buffer but without requiring unduly complex control. The input image buffer accommodates enough lines of an input image to cover the distortion of a single most vertically distorted line section of the input image. The memory required for the input image buffer can be significantly less than would be required to store all the lines of a distorted input image spanning a maximal distortion of a complete line within the input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventors: Piotr Stec, Vlad Georgescu
  • Patent number: 11538192
    Abstract: A method for calibrating a vehicle cabin camera having: a pitch, yaw and roll angle; and a field of view capturing vehicle cabin features which are symmetric about a vehicle longitudinal axis comprises: selecting points from within an image of the vehicle cabin and projecting the points onto a 3D unit circle in accordance with a camera projection model. For each of one or more rotations of a set of candidate yaw and roll rotations, the method comprises: rotating the projected points with the rotation; flipping the rotated points about a pitch axis; counter-rotating the projected points with an inverse of the rotation; and mapping the counter-rotated points back into an image plane to provide a set of transformed points. A candidate rotation which provides a best match between the set of transformed points and the locations of the selected points in the image plane is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Piotr Stec, Petronel Bigioi
  • Patent number: 11531211
    Abstract: A method for stabilizing a video sequence comprises: obtaining an indication of camera movement from acquisition of a previous camera frame to acquisition of a current camera frame; determining an orientation for the camera at a time of acquiring the current camera frame; and determining a candidate orientation for a crop frame for the current camera frame by adjusting an orientation of a crop frame associated with the previous camera frame according to the determined orientation. A boundary of one of the camera frame or crop frame is traversed to determine if a specific point on the boundary of the crop frame exceeds a boundary of the camera frame. If so, a rotation of the specific point location which would bring the specific point location onto the boundary of the crop frame is determined and the candidate crop frame orientation updated accordingly before the crop frame is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Brian O'Sullivan, Piotr Stec
  • Patent number: 11477382
    Abstract: A method operable within an image capture device for stabilizing a sequence of images captured by the image capture device is disclosed. The method comprises, using lens based sensors indicating image capture device movement during image acquisition, performing optical image stabilization (OIS) during acquisition of each image of the sequence of images to provide a sequence of OIS corrected images. Movement of the device for each frame during which each OIS corrected image is captured is determined using inertial measurement sensors. At least an estimate of OIS control performed during acquisition of an image is obtained. The estimate is removed from the intra-frame movement determined for the frame during which the OIS corrected image was captured to provide a residual measurement of movement for the frame. Electronic image stabilization (EIS) of each OIS corrected image based on the residual measurement is performed to provide a stabilized sequence of images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventor: Piotr Stec
  • Publication number: 20220309709
    Abstract: A method comprises displaying a first image acquired from a camera having an input camera projection model including a first focal length and an optical axis parameter value. A portion of the first image is selected as a second image associated with an output camera projection model in which either a focal length and/or an optical axis parameter value differ from the parameters of the input camera projection model. The method involves iteratively: adjusting either the focal length and/or an optical axis parameter value for the camera lens so that it approaches the corresponding value of the output camera projection model; acquiring a subsequent image using the adjusted focal length or optical axis parameter value; mapping pixel coordinates in the second image, through a normalized 3D coordinate system to respective locations in the subsequent image to determine respective values for the pixel coordinates; and displaying the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventor: Piotr STEC
  • Publication number: 20220301102
    Abstract: A method for correcting an image divides an output image into a grid with vertical sections of width smaller than the image width but wide enough to allow efficient bursts when writing distortion corrected line sections into memory. A distortion correction engine includes a relatively small amount of memory for an input image buffer but without requiring unduly complex control. The input image buffer accommodates enough lines of an input image to cover the distortion of a single most vertically distorted line section of the input image. The memory required for the input image buffer can be significantly less than would be required to store all the lines of a distorted input image spanning a maximal distortion of a complete line within the input image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicant: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Piotr Stec, Vlad Georgescu