Patents Issued in May 27, 2014
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Patent number: 8736695Abstract: An electronic device for parallel image processing using multiple processors is disclosed. The electronic device includes multiple image sensors for providing image data. The electronic device also includes multiple processors for processing segmented image data to produce processed segmented image data. Each processor is dedicated to one of the image sensors. A multiple processor interface is also included. The multiple processor interface maps the image data to the processors, segments the image data to produce the segmented image data and synchronizes the segmented image data to processor clock rates.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Hau Hwang, Joseph Cheung, Sergiu R. Goma
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Patent number: 8736696Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a computing unit which determines a first difference value between brightness of a first image data and brightness of a second image data in an overlap area of the first image data including a first brightness characteristic with the second image data having a peripheral area at the center of the first image data and including a second brightness characteristic; and a generating unit which generates a brightness correction parameter for the first image data corresponding to the first difference value.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor LimitedInventors: Akira Kumagai, Nobuyasu Akaizawa
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Patent number: 8736697Abstract: A digital camera having a burst image capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; an image memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for capturing a sequence of digital images in the burst image capture mode. The instructions include: capturing two or more evaluation digital images of a scene that includes a moving object; analyzing the evaluation digital images to determine a rate of motion for the moving object; determining a frame rate responsive to the rate of motion for the moving object; initiating an image capture sequence; capturing a sequence of digital images; and storing a set of captured digital images corresponding to the determined frame rate in the image memory.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: William Vernon Fintel, David Wayne Jasinski
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Patent number: 8736698Abstract: The invention provides data for display on the display area for a child frame when the child frame is synthesized and displayed on the parent frame in picture-in-picture playback in order to give the displayed area of the child frame in conformity with the video content in the parent frame, as well as providing a video display apparatus etc. for displaying the child frame at an appropriate displayed position using the data for display. A video display apparatus 1 includes: decoders 101 and 103 for decoding two sets of video data; a synthesizer 105 for synthesizing the decoded videos to output; an input unit 108 for commanding display/non-display of the child frame; a processing controller 109 for controlling the operations of decoders 101 and 103 in accordance with the command; and a position designator 110 which receives the command and the data for display and time information and designates the displayed position of the child frame to the synthesizer 105.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shuichi Watanabe, Jiro Kiyama, Takayoshi Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 8736699Abstract: An imaging system includes optics for forming an optical image, that provide a first region in the optical image that is characterized by a first range of best focus and a second region in the optical image that is characterized by a second range of best focus The first and second ranges correspond to object distance ranges that are discontiguous A sensor array converts the optical image to a data stream, and a digital signal processor processes the data stream to generate a final image.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2008Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Edward R. Dowski, Jr., Kennegth S. Kubala, Inga Tamayo, Dennis W. Dobbs, Satoru Tachihara, Edwin Penniman
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Patent number: 8736700Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for performing audio-video synchronization using an image signal processing system. In one embodiment, a time code register provides a current time stamp when sampled. The value of the time code register may be incremented at regular intervals based on a clock of the image signal processing system. At the start of a current frame acquired by an image sensor, the time code register is sampled, and a timestamp is stored into a timestamp register associated with the image sensor. The timestamp is then read from the time stamp register and written to a set of metadata associated with the current frame. The timestamp stored in the frame metadata may then be used to synchronize the current frame with a corresponding set of audio data.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Guy Côté, Jeffrey E. Frederiksen
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Patent number: 8736701Abstract: Video analytics and a mass storage unit are contained in a camera housing of a video camera. The camera produces video data representing the field of view of a scene observed by the camera. The video analytics analyzes the video data and detects whether there is an occurrence of a defined feature of an object or a defined event of interest. The video analytics also generates metadata based upon the content of the video data. The video data and metadata are stored in the mass storage unit. Access to stored video data may be controlled based on content, and access to live video data may be controlled as metadata corresponding to the video data is created. The metadata can be used to search for corresponding video data representing the detected feature of an object or event of interest observed in the scene.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: VideoIQ, Inc.Inventors: Douglas H. Marman, Mahesh Saptharishi
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Patent number: 8736702Abstract: A non-transitory computer program product, photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the photographing apparatus, the method including obtaining sound information; calculating a shooting frequency based on the obtained sound information; and controlling a shutter of an imaging device to obtain image data according to the calculated shooting frequency.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Junichi Takizawa
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Patent number: 8736703Abstract: When a continuous imaging mode is set, a screen is displayed for allowing input of a number of images to shoot and the imaging parameters for each of the images, a determination is made as to whether the number of images to shoot and the imaging parameters for each of the images have been input by the user. When the number of images to shoot and the imaging parameters for each of the images have been input, the input number of images and the imaging parameters are stored, and a direct image display is started. Moreover, when there is an imaging instruction, a continuous imaging process is started in which still imaging is performed continuously based on the stored number of images and the imaging parameters. When the continuous imaging process has been completed, the plurality of still image data, obtained with differing imaging parameters, is recorded.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Iwamoto, Osamu Nojima
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Patent number: 8736704Abstract: A digital camera having a burst image capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; an image memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for capturing a sequence of digital images in the burst image capture mode. The instructions include: capturing a sequence of digital images of the scene using the image sensor, each digital image being captured at a different time; identifying a moving object in the captured digital images; automatically determining the position of the moving object in each of the captured digital images; automatically selecting a subset of the captured digital images where the moving object has positions that most nearly correspond to a set of desirable positions; and storing the selected subset of captured digital images in the image memory.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: David Wayne Jasinski, William Vernon Fintel
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Patent number: 8736705Abstract: An electronic device includes a camera module, a user interface module, a display module and a detection module. The electronic device continuously captures face image of face areas of a user in response to entering a menu selecting mode, displays an initial face image divided into a plurality of face regions relationships between the face regions and menus on the display module. The detection module notifies the user interface module the selected face region that is selected according to hand placement of a hand of the user on a corresponding face area of a face of the user for more than a predetermined timer period. Then the user interface module determines a menu of the current content that corresponds to the selected face region is selected corresponding to the relationships between the face regions and the menus.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jin-Jye Chou, Hsi-Hsun Huang
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Patent number: 8736706Abstract: Methods and systems for generating high resolution composite imagery are provided. The methods and systems can create a fully-in-focus high resolution composite image by combining a number of source images in which only a part of the source image is in-focus. The composite image can be analyzed to identify portions of the composite image that satisfy an image quality metric. The capture of additional source images can be controlled based at least in part on the image analysis of the composite image. In addition, a control routine for capturing the plurality of source images can be dynamically adjusted based on the image quality of the individual source images.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Google Inc.Inventors: Matthew Thomas Valente, Richard Francis Lyon, Peter Gregory Brueckner
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Patent number: 8736707Abstract: A system and method for performing a depth estimation procedure includes a camera device with a sensor device for capturing blur images of a photographic target. Each of the captured blur images has a corresponding scene type that includes either a Gaussian scene type or a pillbox scene type. A depth generator performs a scene recognition procedure to identify the appropriate scene type for the respective blur images. The depth generator then selects an effective depth estimation procedure depending upon the detected scene type.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Pingshan Li, Kensuke Miyagi, Florian Ciurea, Tomonori Shuda
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Patent number: 8736708Abstract: An information processing apparatus receives images from the image capturing apparatus and displays them on a screen. The information processing apparatus then receives the designation of an image area by a user with respect to an image displayed on the screen, and calculates white balance information based on color information from the designated image area of the image displayed when the designation was received. The apparatus determines, based on the color information of the image area on the image displayed when the designation was received and the color information of image areas on a predetermined number of images received before the image, whether the white balance information to be calculated is proper. Upon determining that the information is proper, the apparatus applies the calculated white balance information to the image capturing apparatus. Upon determining that the information is not proper, the apparatus issues a corresponding warning.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Miho Nagoya
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Patent number: 8736709Abstract: Systems and methods for modifying a color image of a scene are provided. The systems and methods involve illuminating at least a portion of the scene with a light having a known spectral power distribution, and detecting a finite number of spectral components of light received from the scene under such illumination. The detected values of spectral components of light received from the scene are used to modify the color image or rendition of the scene.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2008Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLCInventors: Nathan P. Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene
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Patent number: 8736710Abstract: A photographic flash unit comprises a direct flash unit and a bounce flash unit rotatably connected to the direct flash unit. Status and control lines coupled between a hot shoe and each flash unit enable independent triggering and control of each flash unit. The direct and bounce flash units may be a part of a digital camera adapted to make a first test exposure using direct flash illumination and second test exposure using bounce flash illumination, then computing an attenuation factor for compensating a selected flash exposure parameter by dividing the selected parameter by the attenuation factor. Steps in a method embodiment include making a first test image, making a second test image, selecting regions in the first and second test images, computing an attenuation factor from luminosity values for the first and second test images, and compensating settings for a final bounce flash image by the attenuation factor.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Anthony C. Spielberg
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Patent number: 8736711Abstract: A camera and an image capturing method with anti-flicker capability. The camera has a camera sensor and an image signal processor. The camera sensor captures first and second image data separated by a time delay which depends on a flicker period of background illumination. The image signal processor differentiates the first and the second image data along rows to obtain first and second differentiated image data, respectively, normalizes the first and second image data to obtain for each column an oscillation amplitude, normalizes the first and second differentiated image data to obtain for each column an oscillation amplitude, and obtains flicker-eliminated image data based on the first and second image data, the first and second differentiated image data, and the oscillation amplitudes obtained from normalizing the first and second image data and the oscillation amplitudes obtained from normalizing the first and second differentiated image data.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: HTC CorporationInventor: Jau-Yu Chen
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Patent number: 8736712Abstract: Management of files stored on an image capturing unit such as a digital camera, includes detection of connection of the image capturing unit, reception of plural image data respectively corresponding to plural images stored in the image capturing unit, and storage of the plural received image data in a storage medium. A setting screen is displayed for storage settings, wherein the setting screen includes a first region for inputting a character string for a file name and a second region for setting a number. A file name is assigned to each one of the plural image data, the assigned file name including the inputted character string and a number sequentially assigned to the plural image data, the numbers starting from the number set in the second region. Each such one of the plural received image data is stored in the storage medium with the assigned file name.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Andrew Hunter Tomat, Manjula Geethani Wickramaratne, Laurence Andrew Lavendel
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Patent number: 8736713Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device acquiring a captured image on a subject; a display section; setting means for setting whether to make effective a temporary recording mode in which the captured image is temporarily recorded in a first storage section; if the temporary recording mode is effective, display control means for playback displaying the captured image recorded in the first storage section from when the temporary recording mode has been effective on the display section in response to an instruction operation of a user; and recording control means for recording an image specified by the user from the playback-displayed captured images in a second storage section as an image to be saved.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Hiroto Ishikawa
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Patent number: 8736714Abstract: The present invention is related to providing, in association with an image, information related to the image capture device used to capture the image. In one embodiment, information related to a first static camera characteristic and camera setting information related to a first captured digitized image is embedded in the first captured digitized image using a watermark. The watermarked information may be used to identify the source or owner of the picture, and/or to aid in the more accurate reproduction of the image.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Youliza, Gehts B.V. Limited Liability CompanyInventor: Vahid Ordoubadian
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Patent number: 8736715Abstract: Shutter operation information of a user is input and an audio-recording start and end are controlled according to the input shutter operation information. Audio-recording start and end timings are determined by identifying independent shutter operation information corresponding to audio-recording start and end requests. Specifically, for example, the audio-recording start and end timings are controlled by identifying a half pressing/release process or a full pressing/release process of the shutter different from shutter operation information used in automatic exposure control (AE) or automatic focus control (AF) start control.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Yuji Wada
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Patent number: 8736716Abstract: A digital camera for having a variable time duration burst capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; a frame buffer memory; and a program memory. The program memory stores instructions including: specifying a first frame rate; initiating an image capture sequence; storing a sequence of digital images captured at the first frame rate in the frame buffer memory; determining whether the frame buffer memory has been filled to a predetermined capacity. If the frame buffer memory has been filled to the predetermined capacity, the program memory further includes instructions for specifying a second frame rate, wherein the second frame rate is lower than the first frame rate; designating a set of stored digital images that can be overwritten; and storing a sequence of digital images captured at the second frame rate in the frame buffer memory, overwriting the designated set of stored digital images.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Wayne E. Prentice
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Patent number: 8736717Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of improving a conversion speed of column parallel A/D converters, while preventing a gradation representation of image pickup signals from becoming rough. The image pickup apparatus includes a CMOS sensor having A/D converters provided on output sides of column amplifiers for respective columns of two-dimensionally arranged pixels. The A/D converters have a first operation mode in which they operate with a first number of conversion bits and at a first conversion speed and a second operation mode in which they operate with a second number of conversion bits and at a second conversion speed. A signal processing circuit adds together plural pieces of two-dimensionally arranged pixel data output from the A/D converter that operate in the second operation mode, thereby expanding the number of gradation bits of the pixel data from the second number of conversion bits.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Makoto Ise
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Patent number: 8736718Abstract: A noise elimination method of an image sequence is described. During a color separation of a raw image data captured by an image capturing element, 3D filtering is integrated. First, the raw image data is converted into a gray-scaled full luma image, an interframe filtering process is performed to eliminate possible noises in the gray-scaled full luma image, and an interpolation process is performed with the raw image data. During the implementation, an adaptive frame average filtering process is also performed to obtain a preferred image filtering result through an appropriate filtering manner. Therefore, an adaptive interframe interpolation for eliminating noises is to prevent noises or artifacts generated by the noises from affecting the subsequent image processing.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2009Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Altek CorporationInventors: Hong-Long Chou, Chen-Hung Chan
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Patent number: 8736719Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, information indicating a degree of correlation between a current frame and a previous frame is computed based on a pixel value in the current frame before being subjected to the recursive noise reduction and a pixel value in the previous frame after being subjected to the recursive noise reduction. Then, a recursive coefficient, which is a weight of the previous frame, is determined based on the degree of correlation and a frame rate of the moving image. The recursive noise reduction is applied to the current frame by combining the pixels in the previous frame and the current frame using the recursive coefficient. For the same degree of the correlation, the recursive coefficient is determined to be smaller as the frame rate is lower. Noise reduction in accordance with the image frame rate is achieved.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hironori Aokage
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Patent number: 8736720Abstract: An image processing device of the present application detects a color drift of an input image, and includes a saturation reducing section and a color drift detecting section. The saturation reducing section reduces a saturation of the input image and generates a saturation reduction image. The color drift detecting section detects a color drift of the saturation reduction image.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2007Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Nikon CorporationInventor: Akihiko Utsugi
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Patent number: 8736721Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method and an apparatus for image processing. The method includes: setting a block including at least one pixel and a window including the at least one block, with a center pixel as a reference; converting an input image in a YCbCr format to a monochrome image; determining a magnitude of an edge component and an edge direction in the window; determining a weight of the block in consideration of the magnitude of the edge component and the edge direction; and determining a color signal value of the center pixel by reflecting the weight of the block in the monochrome-converted window.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hee-Chan Park, Min-Kyu Park, Han-Sae Song, Young-Kwon Yoon, Yong-Gu Lee
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Patent number: 8736722Abstract: An image capture sharpening subsystem for a digital camera includes a capture sharpening processor and a memory that stores values for a capture sharpening amount. The values for the capture sharpening amount are a function of position on an image sensor of the digital camera. The capture sharpening processor receives a first value for a pixel in an image captured by the image sensor and a position value for the pixel on the image sensor. The capture sharpening processor determines a pixel sharpening amount from the values for the capture sharpening amount stored in the first memory according to the position value. The capture sharpening processor applies a capture sharpening process to the pixel to provide a second value for the pixel according to the pixel sharpening amount and stores the second value in a second memory that provides a sharpened version of the image captured by the image sensor.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Richard Tsai
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Patent number: 8736723Abstract: An image processing system includes a multiresolution decomposition section for frequency decomposing an image signal into high and low frequency components at an nth stage, a correction coefficient calculation section for calculating at least one of a gradation correction coefficient, a noise correction coefficient, and an edge correction coefficient with respect to the high frequency component at an ith decomposition stage (1?i?n) based on at least one of the low frequency component at the ith decomposition stage, a visual system adaptation model, a noise amount estimation model, and an edge enhancement model, a correction section for correcting the high frequency component based on the calculated correction coefficient, and a multiresolution composition section for composing the image signal corrected based on the low frequency component and the corrected high frequency component.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2008Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Takao Tsuruoka
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Patent number: 8736724Abstract: Two kinds of color images, obtained by a solid-state imaging device, having different color tones are combined with each other. A first captured color image due to a first pixel group (pixels in which spectral sensitivities of color filters are wide) of the solid-state imaging device is processed. A second captured color image due to a second pixel group (pixels in which spectral sensitivities of color filters are narrow) is processed. The level difference between captured image signals of the pixels of the first pixel group and captured image signals of the pixels of the second pixel group, and due to the spectral sensitivity difference between the color filters in which the spectral sensitivities are wide and narrow is obtained (steps S1 and S2). The level difference is corrected. The first captured color image and the second captured color image are combined with each other.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Seiji Tanaka, Tetsuro Ashida, Tomoyuki Kawai, Takehiro Kouguchi, Hisashi Endo
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Patent number: 8736725Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit having plural pixels arranged in a row direction and a column direction; a weighted addition unit performing weighted addition on pixel signals read out from the plural pixels as analog signals; an A/D converter performing A/D conversion of the pixel signals on which weighted addition is performed; and a computing unit computing the A/D converted pixel signals.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Ryo Ueda, Yoshinori Muramatsu, Atsushi Suzuki
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Patent number: 8736726Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems may operate to copy pixel charge, compensating for image subject shift within in an imaging array during exposure time of an imaging device. Activities may include transferring charge from one or more source pixels to one or more buffer pixels within the same pixel array, and copying the charge to destination pixels within the same pixel array prior to an end of the image integration time. Charge transfer may include transfer of charge from more than one array on a single die. Additional activities may include transferring charge from one or more source pixels to one or more destination pixels multiple times prior to the end of the image integration time.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2007Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Roger Panicacci
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Patent number: 8736727Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a photoelectric conversion portion, a charge-receiving portion to which charges are transferred from the photoelectric conversion portion, and a light control film having a reverse tapered opening over the photoelectric conversion portion to reduce the intensity of diffracted light diffusing to regions other than the photoelectric conversion portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Atsuhiro Ando
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Patent number: 8736728Abstract: An image sensor includes front-side and backside photodetectors of a first conductivity type disposed in a substrate layer of the first conductivity type. A front-side pinning layer of a second conductivity type is connected to a first contact. The first contact receives a predetermined potential. A backside pinning layer of the second conductivity type is connected to a second contact. The second contact receives an adjustable and programmable potential.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Truesense Imaging, Inc.Inventors: John P. McCarten, Robert Michael Guidash
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Patent number: 8736729Abstract: An electric camera includes an image sensing device with a light receiving surface having N vertically arranged pixels and an arbitrary number of pixels arranged horizontally, N being equal to or more than three times the number of effective scanning lines M of a display screen of a television system, a driver to drive the image sensing device to vertically mix or cull signal charges accumulated in individual pixels of K pixels to produce, during a vertical effective scanning period of the television system, a number of lines of output signals which corresponds to 1/K the number of vertically arranged pixels N of the image sensing device, K being an integer equal to or less than an integral part of a quotient of N divided by M, and a signal processing unit having a function of generating image signals by using the output signals of the image sensing device.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takahiro Nakano, Ryuji Nishimura, Toshiro Kinugasa
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Patent number: 8736730Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a plurality of common output lines receiving signals from a plurality of pixels, a plurality of column amplifier units amplifying the signals, a plurality of storage capacitors storing the amplified signals, a first transistor controlling electrical conduction between the output node of the column amplifier unit and the input node of a storage capacitor, a switch switching current for operating the column amplifier unit between a first current and a second current smaller than the first current, and a controller inhibiting, while the second current is flowing through the column amplifier unit, a potential at the output node of the column amplifier unit from approaching an off-state voltage supplied to a gate of the first transistor in an OFF state of the first transistor.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomoyuki Noda, Tetsuya Itano
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Patent number: 8736731Abstract: A solid-state imaging device which includes a pixel region which is provided on a semiconductor substrate, and in which a plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit having a photoelectric conversion function is arranged, a wiring layer which is provided at one plate surface of the semiconductor substrate, a color filter layer which is divided into a plurality of color filters provided corresponding to each pixel of the plurality of pixels which is arranged in the pixel region, and an inter-pixel light shielding unit which is provided in a boundary portion between the pixels adjacent to each other, between the semiconductor substrate and the color filter layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Shinichiro Noudo
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Patent number: 8736732Abstract: There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including ADCs that can be arranged in a limited space. The potential of a pixel signal outputted through a vertical readout line is held at a node. A plurality of capacitors are capacitively coupled to the node at which the pixel signal is held. The potential of the node is decreased in a stepwise manner by sequentially switching the voltages of the counter electrodes of the capacitors by the control of transistors. A comparator compares the potential of the node with the potential of the dark state of the pixel, and determines the upper bits of a digital value when the potential of the node becomes lower than the potential of the dark state. Following this, the conversion of the lower bits of the digital value is started. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the configuration of each ADC and arrange each ADC in a limited space.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Renesas Electronics CorporationInventors: Hiroto Utsunomiya, Katsumi Dosaka, Hiroshi Kato, Fukashi Morishita, Fumiyasu Sasaki
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Patent number: 8736733Abstract: In various embodiments, an image sensor and method of using an image sensor are described. In an example embodiment, the image sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of pixel regions with each pixel region comprising an optically sensitive material over the substrate and positioned to receive light. There is a bias electrode for each pixel region, with the bias electrode configured to provide a bias voltage to the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region. Also included is a pixel circuit for each pixel region with each pixel circuit comprising a charge store formed on the semiconductor substrate and a read out circuit, the charge store being in electrical communication with the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: InVisage Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Hui Tian, Pierre Henri Rene Della Nave
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Patent number: 8736734Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a pixel portion including a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel including a photoelectric conversion portion, an accumulation portion for accumulating the charge, a first transfer portion connecting the photoelectric conversion portion to the accumulation portion, a second transfer portion connecting the accumulation portion to a floating diffusion portion, and a third transfer portion connecting the photoelectric conversion portion to a power source, and wherein, from a state where no potential barrier is formed in the second transfer portion, a potential barrier is formed in the second transfer portion under a condition that a potential barrier is formed in the first transfer portion and no potential barrier is formed in the third transfer portion, and then a potential barrier is formed in the third transfer portion, thereby the operation of accumulating charges in the pixels is started.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yusuke Onuki, Yuichiro Yamashita
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Patent number: 8736735Abstract: A solid-state imaging device is provided, which includes a pixel region in which pixels including a photoelectric conversion section and a plurality of pixel transistors are arranged. In the solid-state imaging device, a transfer transistor of the pixel transistors includes: a transfer gate electrode extended in a surface of the substrate formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate; and a transfer gate electrode buried in the substrate which is electrically insulated from the transfer gate electrode extended in a surface of the substrate and is embedded in the inside of the semiconductor substrate in the vertical direction through the transfer gate electrode extended in a surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Takekazu Shinohara
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Patent number: 8736736Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a display section to sequentially display each of the images generated by the imaging section and an enlargement display control section to sequentially display parts of the images generated by the imaging section on the display section while enlarging the parts by a predetermined enlargement factor. The imaging section changes the enlargement factor of the enlargement display control section according to a shake quantity detected by the detecting section or an optical zoom magnification of an optical zoom section.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Hoshino, Erina Ichikawa, Hiroshi Shimizu, Jun Muraki
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Patent number: 8736737Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises edge detection unit, on-axis chromatic aberration edge detection unit which detects an edge determined to include chromatic aberration on an axis from the edges, color deviation amount acquisition unit which acquires color deviation amounts on the edges, and correction unit which performs chromatic aberration correction, wherein the on-axis chromatic aberration edge detection unit detects, as the edge which includes the chromatic aberration on the axis, an edge having signals corresponding to at least one color on the edge of the image data, which has a blur amount that is not less than a threshold value, and signals corresponding to at least another color which has a blur amount that is less than the threshold value, and the color deviation amount acquisition unit acquires the color deviation amounts from edges among the edges.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroaki Nashizawa
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Patent number: 8736738Abstract: A lens includes an optically effective portion and a peripheral portion. The optically effective portion is configured for converging light, and includes a first surface, a second surface, and a third surface interconnecting the first and second surfaces. The first and second surfaces are plane surfaces, and are parallel with each other. The third surface is a convex surface. The peripheral portion is arranged surrounding the optically effective portion. The peripheral portion has a fourth surface substantially perpendicular to the first and second surfaces. The third surface is convex away from the fourth surface. The first surface intersects the fourth surface at a first side. The second surface intersects the fourth surface at a second side. The first and second sides have a same length. The length is greater than a distance between the first side and the second side.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chun-Yu Lee
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Patent number: 8736739Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a half-silvered mirror that divides incident light from a subject into light fluxes traveling along two optical paths; a first imaging device that receives one of the incident light fluxes divided by the half-silvered mirror; a second imaging device that receives the other one of the incident light fluxes divided by the half-silvered mirror; a first subject luminance information calculator that calculates first subject luminance information based on an output from the first imaging device; a second subject luminance information calculator that calculates second subject luminance information based on an output from the second imaging device; and a subject luminance information comparator that compares the first subject luminance information with the second subject luminance information.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Takuji Yoshida
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Patent number: 8736740Abstract: A control unit that carries out focus adjustment by the drive control of a focus lens changes an oscillation convergence waiting time of the focus lens after stopped according to the imaging conditions. In the case in which an aperture value is larger than a predetermined value and the tolerated range of a focus deviation amount that accompanies the oscillation of the lens with stopped is large, the waiting time set in a timer is changed so as to be short in comparison to the waiting time that is set in the case in which the tolerated range of a focus deviation amount is small. The control unit outputs a stop command for a focus lens and ends the movement control of the focus lens after waiting for the passage of a time that has been calculated by a timer.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroyuki Ogino
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Patent number: 8736741Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided an imaging device, comprising: an imaging unit for receiving subject light flux, that has been made incident by the photographing lens, on an imaging surface, and photoelectrically converting a formed subject image to output image data; a display unit for carrying out a live view display operation using image data acquired by the imaging unit; a first contrast AF unit for obtaining contrast information of the subject information from image data acquired by the imaging unit and guiding the photographing lens into a first in-focus permissible range based on the contrast information, and a control unit for, when the live view display operation has started, executing a focus adjustment operation using the first contrast AF unit at a first time interval.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.Inventors: Keiji Kunishige, Satoshi Miyazaki
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Patent number: 8736742Abstract: An image pickup apparatus that can efficiently obtain an offset between focal positions detected in phase difference-based focus detection and contrast-based focus detection by using results of phase difference-based focus detection at multiple points. Focal positions in a plurality of regions based on a pair of image signals obtained from different pupils are obtained. A focal position for a focus lens at which a contrast of image signals for image pickup is at a peak is detected. A target focal position is determined from the plurality of focal positions. When another focal position is present between a present focal position and the target focal position, an offset between a focal position of the focus lens at which the contrast detected at the other focal position while the focus lens is moving is at a peak and the other focal position is calculated.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Akira Egawa
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Patent number: 8736743Abstract: Interpolation precision of phase difference detection pixels is raised. An image pickup device includes: a color filter disposed with a repeating basic array pattern configured by 3×3 pixel square arrays of a first array pattern and a second array pattern disposed symmetrically about a point; a first phase difference detection pixel that is placed at a position of a pixel corresponding to 1 corner portion out of the 4 corner portions of at least one array pattern in 1 pair of the first array pattern and the second array pattern out of 2 pairs of the first array pattern and the second array pattern configuring the basic array pattern; and a second phase difference detection pixel that is placed at a position of a pixel corresponding to 1 corner portion out of the 4 corner portions in the array pattern, out of the first array pattern.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventors: Hiroshi Endo, Takashi Aoki, Yoichi Iwasaki, Kazuki Inoue, Kenkichi Hayashi, Seiji Tanaka, Noriko Kawamura
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Patent number: 8736744Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus are provided. The digital photographing apparatus stores an image signal in a memory at the same time with the calculation of a horizontal AF evaluation value with respect to the image signal, and calculates a vertical AF evaluation value by using the stored image signal. Accordingly, exact AF detection may be performed with respect to images of all patterns.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2010Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masataka Hamada