Patents by Inventor Rich S. Zhou

Rich S. Zhou 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: 20230030160
    Abstract: An image sensor having a brightness self-adjust capability is provided. The image sensor can include a light adjustment layer made of adaptive optical materials and a set of pixels. The image sensor can also include a control circuit configured to generate control signals to control adjustment of one or more light transparency levels at the set of pixels on the light adjustment layer based on the light intensity distribution. The image sensor can further include a sensor array configured to receive lights and facilitate output of image and/or video signals based on the received lights. For facilitating light adjustment, the control circuit can be configured to obtain light intensity distribution from a pre-sensor or the sensor array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventors: Rich S. Zhou, Yingchun Han, Kenny Chu
  • Patent number: 11199735
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a smart optical filter capable of dynamically adjusting brightness variations in incident lights in a FOV or an optical field before an image sensor receives the incident lights. The smart optical filter in accordance with the disclosure can be portable and mounted on various imaging devices such as a smart phone or a camera. The smart optical filter may comprises an light adjustment layer made of an adaptive optical materials such liquid crystals. Light intensity distribution can be obtained for an FOV of a device coupled to the smart optical filter. The light intensity distribution can be compared to one or more thresholds to obtain difference values pixels on the light adjustment layer. The difference value can be used to generate control signals to adjust light passing through the pixels. In some embodiments, the control signals may include information indicating an amount of voltage to be applied to the pixels to alter polarization at those pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Lumcolor
    Inventors: Rich S. Zhou, Yingchun Han, Kenny Chu
  • Publication number: 20210067716
    Abstract: An image sensor system having a brightness self-adjust capability is provided. The image sensor system can include a light adjustment layer made of adaptive optical materials and a set of pixels. The image sensor system can also include a control circuit configured to generate control signals to control adjustment of one or more light transparency levels at the set of pixels on the light adjustment layer based on the light intensity distribution. The image sensor system can further include a sensor array configured to receive lights and facilitate output of image and/or video signals based on the received lights. For facilitating light adjustment, the control circuit can be configured to obtain light intensity distribution from a pre-sensor or the sensor array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Rich S. Zhou, Yingchun Han, Kenny Chu
  • Publication number: 20200310178
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a smart optical filter capable of dynamically adjusting brightness variations in incident lights in a FOV or an optical field before an image sensor receives the incident lights. The smart optical filter in accordance with the disclosure can be portable and mounted on various imaging devices such as a smart phone or a camera. The smart optical filter may comprises an light adjustment layer made of an adaptive optical materials such liquid crystals. Light intensity distribution can be obtained for an FOV of a device coupled to the smart optical filter. The light intensity distribution can be compared to one or more thresholds to obtain difference values pixels on the light adjustment layer. The difference value can be used to generate control signals to adjust light passing through the pixels. In some embodiments, the control signals may include information indicating an amount of voltage to be applied to the pixels to alter polarization at those pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Rich S. Zhou, Yingchun Han, Kenny Chu