Patents by Inventor Ruben Manuel Velarde

Ruben Manuel Velarde 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: 11687635
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable automatic exposure and gain control for face authentication. The techniques and systems include a user device initializing a gain for a near-infrared camera system using a default gain. The user device ascertains patch-mean statistics of one or more regions-of-interest of a most-recently captured image that was captured by the near-infrared camera system. The user device computes an update in the initialized gain to provide an updated gain that is usable to scale the one or more regions-of-interest toward a target mean-luminance value. The user device dampens the updated gain by using hysteresis. Then, the user device sets the initialized gain for the near-infrared camera system to the dampened updated gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Google PLLC
    Inventors: Adarsh Prakash Murthy Kowdle, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Zhijun He, Xu Han, Kourosh Derakshan, Shahram Izadi
  • Publication number: 20230113137
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, based on sensor data from a sensor on a mobile device, an environmental brightness measurement, where the mobile device comprises a display screen configured to adjust display brightness based on environmental brightness. The method further includes determining, based on image data from a camera on the mobile device, an extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen. The method additionally includes setting a rate of exposure change for the camera based on the determined extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Jinglun Gao, Lin Lu, Gang Sun, Szepo Robert Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Publication number: 20230100795
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatuses are described for reducing a flicker effect of multiple light sources in an image captured with an imaging device. A lighting frequency associated with each of the multiple light sources is detected and prioritized relative to a flicker effect upon the image to identify at least a first-prioritized lighting frequency and a second-prioritized lighting frequency. A first exposure-time factorization set is determined for the first-prioritized lighting frequency, and a second exposure-time factorization set is determined for the second-prioritized lighting frequency. An exposure time of the imaging device is adjusted to an exposure time identified in the first exposure-time factorization set that matches, or aligns near-to-matching, an exposure time identified in the second exposure-time factorization set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gang Sun, Jinglun Gao, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Szepo Robert Hung
  • Patent number: 11595585
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, based on sensor data from a sensor on a mobile device, an environmental brightness measurement, where the mobile device comprises a display screen configured to adjust display brightness based on environmental brightness. The method further includes determining, based on image data from a camera on the mobile device, an extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen. The method additionally includes setting a rate of exposure change for the camera based on the determined extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jinglun Gao, Lin Lu, Gang Sun, Szepo Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Patent number: 11546524
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatuses are described for reducing a flicker effect of multiple light sources in an image captured with an imaging device. A lighting frequency associated with each of the multiple light sources is detected and prioritized relative to a flicker effect upon the image to identify at least a first-prioritized lighting frequency and a second-prioritized lighting frequency. A first exposure-time factorization set is determined for the first-prioritized lighting frequency, and a second exposure-time factorization set is determined for the second-prioritized lighting frequency. An exposure time of the imaging device is adjusted to an exposure time identified in the first exposure-time factorization set that matches, or aligns near-to-matching, an exposure time identified in the second exposure-time factorization set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gang Sun, Jinglun Gao, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Szepo Robert Hung
  • Patent number: 11496690
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, based on sensor data from a sensor on a mobile device, an environmental brightness measurement, where the mobile device comprises a display screen configured to adjust display brightness based on environmental brightness. The method further includes determining, based on image data from a camera on the mobile device, an extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen. The method additionally includes setting a rate of exposure change for the camera based on the determined extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jinglun Gao, Lin Lu, Gang Sun, Szepo Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Publication number: 20220191374
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable automatic exposure and gain control for face authentication. The techniques and systems include a user device initializing a gain for a near-infrared camera system using a default gain. The user device ascertains patch-mean statistics of one or more regions-of-interest of a most-recently captured image that was captured by the near-infrared camera system. The user device computes an update in the initialized gain to provide an updated gain that is usable to scale the one or more regions-of-interest toward a target mean-luminance value. The user device dampens the updated gain by using hysteresis. Then, the user device sets the initialized gain for the near-infrared camera system to the dampened updated gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Adarsh Prakash Murthy Kowdle, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Zhijun He, Xu Han, Kourosh Derakshan, Shahram Izadi
  • Patent number: 11240421
    Abstract: Methods and imaging devices are disclosed for reducing defocus events occurring during autofocus search operations. For example, one method includes capturing a plurality of frames depicting a scene with an imaging device, selecting a portion of the scene of at least one frame that corresponds to an object of the scene, and detecting a change in the scene. The method further includes detecting a distance between the object and the imaging device for each of the plurality of frames, determining a lens position for each frame based on the determined distance of each frame and moving a lens toward the lens position of each frame while the scene continuously changes. The method also includes determining the scene is stable and initiating an autofocus search operation based on the determination that the scene is stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sanket Krishnamurthy Sagar, Ying Chen Lou, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Publication number: 20220006940
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, based on sensor data from a sensor on a mobile device, an environmental brightness measurement, where the mobile device comprises a display screen configured to adjust display brightness based on environmental brightness. The method further includes determining, based on image data from a camera on the mobile device, an extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen. The method additionally includes setting a rate of exposure change for the camera based on the determined extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Jinglun Gao, Lin Lu, Gang Sun, Szepo Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Patent number: 11159737
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, based on sensor data from a sensor on a mobile device, an environmental brightness measurement, where the mobile device comprises a display screen configured to adjust display brightness based on environmental brightness. The method further includes determining, based on image data from a camera on the mobile device, an extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen. The method additionally includes setting a rate of exposure change for the camera based on the determined extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Jinglun Gao, Lin Lu, Gang Sun, Szepo Robert Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Publication number: 20210250488
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatuses are described for reducing a flicker effect of multiple light sources in an image captured with an imaging device. A lighting frequency associated with each of the multiple light sources is detected and prioritized relative to a flicker effect upon the image to identify at least a first-prioritized lighting frequency and a second-prioritized lighting frequency. A first exposure-time factorization set is determined for the first-prioritized lighting frequency, and a second exposure-time factorization set is determined for the second-prioritized lighting frequency. An exposure time of the imaging device is adjusted to an exposure time identified in the first exposure-time factorization set that matches, or aligns near-to-matching, an exposure time identified in the second exposure-time factorization set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gang Sun, Jinglun Gao, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Szepo Robert Hung
  • Patent number: 11032486
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatuses are described for reducing a flicker effect of multiple light sources in an image captured with an imaging device. A lighting frequency associated with each of the multiple light sources is detected and prioritized relative to a flicker effect upon the image to identify at least a first-prioritized lighting frequency and a second-prioritized lighting frequency. A first exposure-time factorization set is determined for the first-prioritized lighting frequency, and a second exposure-time factorization set is determined for the second-prioritized lighting frequency. An exposure time of the imaging device is adjusted to an exposure time identified in the first exposure-time factorization set that matches, or aligns near-to-matching, an exposure time identified in the second exposure-time factorization set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gang Sun, Jinglun Gao, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Szepo Robert Hung
  • Publication number: 20210112188
    Abstract: A method includes detecting, based on sensor data from a sensor on a mobile device, an environmental brightness measurement, where the mobile device comprises a display screen configured to adjust display brightness based on environmental brightness. The method further includes determining, based on image data from a camera on the mobile device, an extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen. The method additionally includes setting a rate of exposure change for the camera based on the determined extent to which the detected environmental brightness measurement is caused by reflected light from the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Jinglun Gao, Lin Lu, Gang Sun, Szepo Robert Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Publication number: 20210112189
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatuses are described for reducing a flicker effect of multiple light sources in an image captured with an imaging device. A lighting frequency associated with each of the multiple light sources is detected and prioritized relative to a flicker effect upon the image to identify at least a first-prioritized lighting frequency and a second-prioritized lighting frequency. A first exposure-time factorization set is determined for the first-prioritized lighting frequency, and a second exposure-time factorization set is determined for the second-prioritized lighting frequency. An exposure time of the imaging device is adjusted to an exposure time identified in the first exposure-time factorization set that matches, or aligns near-to-matching, an exposure time identified in the second exposure-time factorization set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Gang Sun, Jinglun Gao, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Szepo Robert Hung
  • Patent number: 10178373
    Abstract: Systems and methods for correcting stereo yaw of a stereoscopic image sensor pair using autofocus feedback are disclosed. A stereo depth of an object in an image is estimated from the disparity of the object between the images captured by each sensor of the image sensor pair. An autofocus depth to the object is found from the autofocus lens position. If the difference between the stereo depth and the autofocus depth is non zero, one of the images is warped and the disparity is recalculated until the stereo depth and the autofocus depth to the object is substantially the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Vikas Ramachandra, Kalin Mitkov Atanassov, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Patent number: 10171791
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for conditional display of a stereoscopic image pair on a display device are disclosed. In some aspects, a vertical disparity between two images is corrected. If the corrected vertical disparity is below a threshold, a three dimensional image may be generated based on the correction. In some cases, the corrected vertical disparity may still be significant, for example, above the threshold. In these instances, the disclosed apparatus and methods may display a two dimensional image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Hau Hwang, Szepo Robert Hung, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Patent number: 9804357
    Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for using imaging pixels (that is, non-phase detection pixels) in addition to phase detection pixels for calculating autofocus information. Imaging pixel values can be used to interpolate a value at a phase detection pixel location. The interpolated value and a value received from the phase difference detection pixel can be used to obtain a virtual phase detection pixel value. The interpolated value, value received from the phase difference detection pixel, and the virtual phase detection pixel value can be used to obtain a phase difference detection signal indicating a shift direction (defocus direction) and a shift amount (defocus amount) of image focus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Micha Galor Gluskin, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Jisoo Lee
  • Patent number: 9729779
    Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for using imaging pixels (that is, non-phase detection pixels) for performing noise reduction on phase detection autofocus. Advantageously, this can provide for more accurate phase detection autofocus and also to optimized processor usage for performing phase detection. The phase difference detection pixels are provided to obtain a phase difference detection signal indicating a shift direction (defocus direction) and a shift amount (defocus amount) of image focus, and analysis of imaging pixel values can be used to estimate a level of focus of an in-focus region of interest and to limit the identified phase difference accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Micha Galor Gluskin, Ruben Manuel Velarde, Jisoo Lee
  • Patent number: 9638791
    Abstract: This application relates to capturing an image of a target object using information from a time-of-flight sensor. In one aspect, a method may include a time-of-flight (TOF) system configured to emit light and sense a reflection of the emitted light and may determine a return energy based on the reflection of the emitted light. The method may measure a time between when the light is emitted and when the reflection is sensed and may determine a distance between the target object and the TOF system based on that time. The method may also identify a reflectance of the target object based on the return energy and may determine an exposure level based on a distance between the target object and a reflectance of the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen Lou, Hengzhou Ding, Ruben Manuel Velarde
  • Patent number: 9638984
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein can adjust a search range generated by a camera using depth-assisted autofocus based in part on measuring focus values in a first search range. For example, in some embodiments, a method includes estimating a depth of an object to be captured in an image, determining a first range of lens positions based at least in part on the estimating, moving the lens of the camera to a plurality of lens positions within the first range of lens positions, capturing a plurality of images, the plurality of images being captured at one or more of the plurality of lens positions, generating one or more focus values based on the plurality of images, and determining one or more additional lens positions or a second range of lens positions based at least in part on the one or more focus values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ying Chen Lou, Sanket Krishnamurthy Sagar, Ruben Manuel Velarde