Optics Patents (Class 348/335)
  • Patent number: 10185128
    Abstract: An optical photographing lens assembly includes five lens elements, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element with negative refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The fourth lens element with positive refractive power has a convex image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has a concave image-side surface in a paraxial region thereof, wherein the image-side surface of the fifth lens element has at least one convex critical point in an off-axial region thereof, and two surfaces of the fifth lens element are both aspheric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: LARGAN Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Che Hsueh, Wei-Yu Chen, Chun-Shan Chen, Hsuan-Chin Huang, Kuan-Ting Yeh
  • Patent number: 10185137
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to Fourier ptychographic microscopy systems and methods. The system includes: a three-color LED array; a microscope, configured to obtain image information with multi-wavelength, and magnify to generate magnified image information; an RGB camera configured to acquire a first color image with a first resolution based on the magnified image information; and a controller, configured to synchronously control the three-color LED array and the RGB camera, in which the three-color LED array is further configured to display a plurality of illumination patterns, the RGB camera is further configured to acquire synchronously a plurality of first color images, and the controller is further configured to restore a single second image with a second resolution according to the plurality of first color images, and the first resolution is less than the second resolution. The present disclosure improves sampling speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Tsinghua University
    Inventors: Qionghai Dai, You Zhou, Jiamin Wu, Jingtao Fan
  • Patent number: 10180564
    Abstract: A transport-of-intensity imaging system is proposed which incorporates a control element positioned in an optical relay system, such as a 4f optical relay system, between a microscope system for generating an image of a specimen, and an image capturing device. The control element is located with an optical relay system, and is controllable to vary the focal plane without changing the spacing of the specimen and the image capturing device. In one form the control element is an electronically tunable lens (ETL). In another form, the control element is a spatial light modulator (SLM). The arrangement may include a beam splitter arrangement for generating a plurality of beams, which are not all subject to the same control element, such that multiple images with different focal planes are captured from the respective beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Anand Krishna Asundi, Chao Zuo
  • Patent number: 10175456
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an imaging lens assembly including, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof; a second lens element with negative refractive power having an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof; a third lens element; a fourth lens element; a fifth lens element having an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, both of the object-side surface and an image-side surface thereof being aspheric; and a sixth lens element having an object-side surface and an image-side surface being both aspheric. The imaging lens assembly has a total of six lens elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chien-Hsun Wu, Hsiang Chi Tang, Wei-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 10175458
    Abstract: A photographing lens assembly includes five lens elements, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region. The second lens element has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region. The third lens element has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region. The fourth lens element has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region, wherein two surfaces thereof are both aspheric. The fifth lens element has an object-side surface and an image-side surface being both aspheric. At least one surface of the lens elements has at least one inflection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: LARGAN Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Tai Tseng, Tung-Yi Hsieh, Hsin-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 10171727
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image-taking apparatus wherein a first actuation of a control element locks image-taking parameters and a subsequent actuation of this control element causes a picture to be taken. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a cellular telephone equipped with a camera wherein a first press on the volume up button locks focus and exposure. The photographer can then recompose the picture according to the ‘half-press’ technique and take a picture with a subsequent press on the volume up button. The locked focus and exposure may be unlocked after a predetermined timeout period during which no picture was taken. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Promanthan Brains LLC, Series Click only
    Inventor: Oliver Markus Haynold
  • Patent number: 10162155
    Abstract: An optical image capturing system includes, along the optical axis in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, and a fifth lens. At least one lens among the first to the fifth lenses has positive refractive force. The fifth lens can have negative refractive force, wherein both surfaces thereof are aspheric, and at least one surface thereof has an inflection point. The lenses in the optical image capturing system which have refractive power include the first to the fifth lenses. The optical image capturing system can increase aperture value and improve the imagining quality for use in compact cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: ABILITY OPTO-ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chien-Hsun Lai, Yao-Wei Liu, Yeong-Ming Chang
  • Patent number: 10165181
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging device capable of greatly reducing the assignment number of light reception cells assigned to each microlens of an array lens and increasing the number of pixels of images having different characteristics that are captured simultaneously. One aspect of the present invention is an imaging device that includes an imaging optical system including a center optical system (wide-angle lens) and an annular optical system (telescopic lens) that share an optical axis, an image sensor, and an array lens arranged on the incidence side of the image sensor and including microlenses (pupil imaging lenses). The array lens causes annular pupil images corresponding to the annular optical system adjacent to each other among a center pupil image and annular pupil images formed on the image sensor by the respective microlenses to partially overlap each other on the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Shuji Ono
  • Patent number: 10162047
    Abstract: A light receiving/emitting element module includes: a substrate; a light emitting element disposed on one principal face of the substrate; a light receiving element disposed on the one principal face and disposed next to the light emitting element in a first direction; and an optical element located away from the one principal face, and having a first principal face, and a second principal face. The optical element includes a first lens for the light emitting element, and a second lens for the light receiving element. The first lens and the second lens are disposed side by side in the first direction, and a curved surface defining the first lens and a curved surface defining the second lens which are disposed on at least one of the first principal face and the second principal face, intersect each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Okushiba
  • Patent number: 10158804
    Abstract: An imaging device performs live view control in which control of imaging a subject image formed by a focusing lens so as to output image data, generating tilt-distortion correction image data in accordance with the tilt-distortion correction level on the basis of the image data, and displaying a tilt-distortion correction image represented by the tilt-distortion correction image data is performed repeatedly, and performs focus bracket control in which control of moving the focusing lens to each of a plurality of lens positions determined on the basis of the tilt-distortion correction level and imaging a subject image formed by the focusing lens so as to output image data when the focusing lens has moved to each of the plurality of lens positions is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Takeyuki Ajito
  • Patent number: 10156733
    Abstract: A lens device comprises a connect assembly, a lens assembly and a drive assembly. The lens assembly is disposed on the connect assembly and has a central axis. The drive assembly comprises a first coil, a magnet and a second coil. The first coil is wound around the lens assembly. The magnet is disposed on the connect assembly and has a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, a first direction of magnetic field and a second direction of magnetic field. The first direction of magnetic field and the second direction of magnetic field are not parallel to each other. The first direction of magnetic field points toward the first coil. The second coil is disposed on the connect assembly. The second direction of magnetic field points toward a part of the second coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Shou-Cheng Ma, Cheng-Hsuan Lin, Wen-Yang Peng, Chieh-Yi Huang, Chau-Shin Jang
  • Patent number: 10154184
    Abstract: A camera module includes a circuit carrier, an image sensor chip arranged on the circuit carrier and an optics module with an optics housing accommodating a lens. Provision is made for the optics housing to be embodied with at least three press-fit pins, the optics housing to be connected to the circuit carrier by way of the three press-fit pins with a predetermined distance from the circuit carrier, wherein the circuit carrier is embodied with at least three press-fit holes for establishing a press-fit connection by the press-fit pins. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing the camera module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventor: Boris Werthessen
  • Patent number: 10144342
    Abstract: A mobile robot comprising: a vision system, the vision system comprising a camera and two or more light sources each arranged to provide a level of illumination to an area surrounding the mobile robot; wherein the two or more light sources are arranged to illuminate separate areas surrounding the robot corresponding to different sections of an image captured by the camera, and the level of illumination provided by each of the light sources is independently adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Ze Ji, Christopher Andrew Smith
  • Patent number: 10148865
    Abstract: A focus detection apparatus, comprising, focus detection pixels that receive a pair of light fluxes resulting from pupil division of light flux, a memory that stores correction values in accordance with width of the imaging light flux in the pupil-division direction relating to a two-image interval value, and a controller having a focus detection section, a light flux width calculation section, and a defocus amount calculation section, wherein the light flux width calculation section calculates the width of the imaging light flux in the pupil-division direction, and the defocus amount calculation section calculates defocus amount of the photographing optical system based on the two-image interval value, wherein the focus detection section detects a first two-image interval value and corrects the first two-image interval value based on the correction values and the width of the imaging light flux in the pupil-division direction to obtain a second two-image interval value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuhi Okubo, Kazumi Ito
  • Patent number: 10133033
    Abstract: An optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element has refractive power. The fifth lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. The sixth lens element with refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. The seventh lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wei-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 10129479
    Abstract: In a photographing apparatus, a low-pass selector controller (processor) is configured to perform a plurality of photographing operations including an LPF-ON photographing operation, which obtains an image signal from an image sensor in a state where the image sensor has been LPF driven by the image-shake correction device (driver) and obtains an optical low-pass filter effect, and an LPF-OFF photographing operation, which obtains an image signal from the image sensor in a state where the image sensor has not been LPF driven by the image-shake correction device (driver) and does not obtain an optical low-pass filter effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Muramatsu, Koichi Akiyama, Akira Nakano
  • Patent number: 10129470
    Abstract: System and methods are disclosed for generating an output video stream from a wide field video stream. The wide field video stream may be created from compiling a plurality of video stream capturing different viewpoints of the same environment simultaneously. Upon selecting a wide field video stream, a first geometric function may be utilized to generate individual intermediate points that correspond to locations in a wide field video stream to be displayed on a particular display space. A second geometric function may be further utilized to generate reference points so that a the pixel on the output video stream are determined from the intermediate points of the wide field video stream of the first geometric function. Upon the execution of the first and second geometric function, an output video stream is generated for display on the determined display space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Jenny, Yann Renaud Gilquin
  • Patent number: 10126564
    Abstract: An optical image stabilization mechanism is provided, including a holder for holding a lens, a frame, a base, a first coil, a second coil, a displacement sensor, a first magnetic element, a second magnetic element, and a third magnetic element. The frame is movably connected to the holder and the base. The first coil is disposed on a side of the holder. The second coil is disposed on the base. The first and second magnetic elements are disposed on the frame and correspond to the first coil. The magnetic pole direction of the first magnetic element is opposite to that of the second magnetic element. The third magnetic element is disposed on the frame and corresponds to the second coil. The displacement sensor is disposed on the base to detect relative displacement between the lens and the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TDK Taiwan Corp.
    Inventors: Yi-Liang Chan, Shang-Yu Hsu
  • Patent number: 10110790
    Abstract: A camera module, in particular for a vehicle, including a lens holder and a sensor carrier on which a carrier element is attached. The lens holder is fastened on the carrier element by an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Hans-Georg Drotleff, Nikolai Bauer
  • Patent number: 10110823
    Abstract: A position output unit according to the invention includes a pulse generator that generates a second pulse train signal on a basis of a first pulse train signal output from a position detector that generates the first pulse train signal including a number of pulses representing the displacement amount of a movable member. The pulse generator generates the second pulse train signal in such a way that a second total pulse number defined as a total number of pulses in the second pulse train signal corresponding to a displacement amount of the movable member over an entirety of the movable range is smaller than or equal to a first total pulse number defined as a total number of pulses in the first pulse train signal corresponding to the entirety of the movable range of the movable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Junji Shigeta
  • Patent number: 10101561
    Abstract: A five-piece optical imaging lens, in order from an object side to an image side, includes: an aperture stop; a first lens element with a positive refractive power having an object-side surface being convex near an optical axis and the image-side surface being concave near the optical axis; a second lens element with a negative refractive power having an object-side surface being convex near the optical axis and an image-side surface being concave near the optical axis; a third lens element with a negative refractive power having an image-side surface being concave near the optical axis; a fourth lens element with a positive refractive power having an object-side surface being concave near the optical axis and an image-side surface being convex near the optical axis; a fifth lens element with a negative refractive power having an image-side surface being concave near the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: NEWMAX TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fei-Hsin Tsai, Shu-Tzu Lai, Sian-Chih Ke
  • Patent number: 10101558
    Abstract: A lens driving device is provided, including a frame, a lens holder, and a dust-proof structure. The frame includes a top casing and a bottom base. The lens holder carries a lens and is movably disposed in the frame and has a first anti-twist structure. A second anti-twist structure corresponding to the first anti-twist structure is formed on a surface of the bottom base. The dust-proof structure is formed on the surface of the bottom base to prevent dust from entering a receiving hole in the bottom base, and the receiving hole is used for receiving an image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: TDK TAIWAN CORP.
    Inventors: Chen-Hsien Fan, Shu-Shan Chen
  • Patent number: 10097806
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus (204) includes an unnecessary component determiner (204a) which determines unnecessary component information of a parallax image based on difference information relating to a plurality of parallax images, a reduction processor (204b) which performs reduction processing on at least one of the parallax image, the difference information, and the unnecessary component information, a magnification processor (204c) which performs magnification processing on the unnecessary component information, and an unnecessary component reducer (204d) which reduces an unnecessary component, based on the unnecessary component information, from the parallax image or a synthesized image obtained by synthesizing the plurality of parallax images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaoru Eguchi, Chiaki Inoue
  • Patent number: 10091408
    Abstract: The imaging apparatus includes: an imaging optical system that is formed of a wide-angle optical system and a telephoto optical system having a common optical axis; a directional sensor; a panning/tilting mechanism that rotates an imaging section, which includes the imaging optical system and the directional sensor, in horizontal and vertical directions; and an image acquisition section that respectively acquires a wide-angle image, and a telephoto image, and a first target object is detected from a wide-angle image, the panning/tilting mechanism is controlled on the basis of information about a position of the detected first target object within the wide-angle image, and image recognition is performed on a telephoto image, when the first target object is positioned at the center of the wide-angle image, thereby recognizing the first target object or a second target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Shunichiro Nonaka
  • Patent number: 10089730
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first obtaining unit that obtains an image pickup condition of a shot image, a second obtaining unit that obtains information on an optical transfer function based on the image pickup condition, and a processor that generates an image restoration filter using the information on the optical transfer function and performs image processing on the shot image using the image restoration filter. The processor performs the image processing on the basis of information on noise characteristics of the image pickup condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kunihiro Shirai
  • Patent number: 10082649
    Abstract: A reflection type imaging apparatus includes a deflector that reflects light incident from an outside; a reflecting mirror that reflects the light reflected by the deflector in a direction parallel to a direction in which the light is incident on the deflector; an image sensor that is disposed below the reflecting mirror and arranged perpendicular to the direction in which the light is incident on the deflector, wherein the light reflected by the reflecting mirror is focused on the image sensor; and a stray light blocking member disposed at one side of the image sensor facing the deflector, the stray light blocking member configured to block stray light rays from the deflector from being directly incident on the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyong-tae Park, Jong-chul Choi
  • Patent number: 10084979
    Abstract: A camera field indicating method, system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for a camera including a light sensor, imaging optics, and an extended light source situated near the light sensor and sharing the imaging optics, including sensing incoming light via the imaging optics and the light sensor and intermittently activating the extended light source when the light sensor does not sense incoming light such that a projection of the extended light source through the imaging optics matches a field of view of the light sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Hudson Connell, II, Sharathchandra Umapathirao Pankanti
  • Patent number: 10084958
    Abstract: Aspects relate to an array camera exhibiting little or no parallax artifacts in captured images. For example, the planes of the central prism of the array camera can intersect at an apex defining the vertical axis of symmetry of the system. The apex can serve as a point of intersection for the optical axes of the sensors in the array. Each sensor in the array “sees” a portion of the image scene using a corresponding facet of the central prism, and accordingly each individual sensor/facet pair represents only a sub-aperture of the total array camera. The complete array camera has a synthetic aperture generated based on the sum of all individual aperture rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Todor Georgiev Georgiev, Sergiu Radu Goma
  • Patent number: 10070025
    Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing such as a metal housing. Openings may be formed in the housing to accommodate a button, to form a camera window, to form a microphone port, and to form a camera flash window. An input-output component mounting member may be used to mount input-output components to the housing of the electronic device. The input-output component mounting member may have a recess that mates with a corresponding protrusion on the housing. Screws may attach the input-output component mounting member to the housing. The protrusion and recess in the input-output component mounting member may ensure that the input-output component mounting member is accurately aligned with respect to the housing. Input-output components such as a microphone, button switch, camera, and camera flash may be mounted to the electronic device with the input-output component mounting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Emery A. Sanford, David G. Havskjold, Teodor Dabov, Stephen Brian Lynch, Erik G. P. de Jong, Tyson B. Manullang, Anthony S. Montevirgen
  • Patent number: 10068314
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an input unit adapted to input an image; a first acquisition unit adapted to acquire a low-frequency component image from the image input by the input unit; a first transformation unit adapted to transform the low-frequency component image acquired by the first acquisition unit; a second transformation unit adapted to transform the image input by the input unit; a second acquisition unit adapted to acquire a transformed high-frequency component image from the transformed image obtained by the second transformation unit; and a display control unit adapted to display, on a display unit, a combined image obtained by combining the transformed low-frequency component image obtained by the first transformation unit and the transformed high-frequency component image acquired by the second acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eisaku Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 10067318
    Abstract: An optical imaging system includes a first lens having a positive refractive power, an object-side surface wherein an object-side surface of the first lens is convex and an image-side surface of the first lens is concave, a second lens having a negative refractive power, wherein an image-side surface of the second lens is concave, a third lens having a negative refractive power, a fourth lens having a positive refractive power, and a fifth lens having a negative refractive power, wherein the first to fifth lenses are sequentially disposed from an object side toward an imaging plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Joo Jo
  • Patent number: 10061182
    Abstract: Method and systems for autofocus triggering focusing are disclosed herein. In one example, a system may include a lens, a memory component configured to store lens parameters of the lens and regions of focus corresponding to the lens parameters, and a processor coupled to the memory and the lens. The processor may be configured to focus the lens on a target object at a first instance of time, receive information indicative of distances from an imaging device to the target object over a period of time, obtain lens parameters of the lens, and determine a region of focus, and trigger the lens to re-focus on the target object if the distance to the target object indicates the target object is outside of the region of focus and the distance to the target object is unchanged for a designated time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Venkata Ravi Kiran Dayana, Karthikeyan Shanmugavadivelu, Shizhong Liu, Ying Chen Lou, Hung-Hsin Wu, Narayana Karthik Sadanandam Ravirala, Adarsh Abhay Golikeri
  • Patent number: 10063765
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including a focus detection pixel configured to perform focus detection by a phase difference method, is provided. The focus detection pixel comprises a photoelectric conversion unit arranged in a substrate, a microlens arranged above the photoelectric conversion unit, and a light guide arranged between the photoelectric conversion unit and the microlens. A refracting power of the microlens on a first plane is smaller than a refracting power of the microlens on a second plane. The first plane passes through a top of the microlens, is perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, and is located along a direction in which the focus detection pixel performs the focus detection. The second plane passes through the top of the microlens, is perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate, and intersects the first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Taro Kato
  • Patent number: 10051182
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for compensating for motion and/or changing light conditions during image capture, e.g., in video, through use of multiple camera modules and/or images captured by multiple camera modules are described. During image capture time periods a plurality of camera modules capture images. During a first image capture time period a first camera module captures an image including a complete image of a user selected scene area of interest. During an additional image capture time period the first camera module captures an image including a portion of the scene area of interest; however, a portion of the scene area image is missing from the captured image, e.g., due to camera motion, occlusion and/or lighting conditions. Captured images from other camera modules and/or from during different image capture time periods which include the missing portion are identified and ranked; the highest ranked image is used in generating a composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Light Labs Inc.
    Inventors: Kari Pulli, Nitesh Shroff, Sapna A. Shroff
  • Patent number: 10048469
    Abstract: A camera lens is disclosed. The camera lens includes a first lens with positive refractive power; a second lens with negative refractive power; a third lens with negative refractive power; a fourth lens with positive refractive power; a fifth lens with negative refractive power; and a sixth lens with negative refractive power. The camera lens further satisfies specific conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Teraoka
  • Patent number: 10048751
    Abstract: An exemplary virtual reality media system presents a field of view of an immersive virtual reality world on a display screen of a media player device associated with a user. The field of view includes content of the immersive virtual reality world and dynamically changes in response to user input provided by the user as the user experiences the immersive virtual reality world. Additionally, the virtual reality media system detects that a gaze of the user is directed for a predetermined amount of time at a gaze target included within the field of view. In response to the detection, the virtual reality media system presents an interactive user interface associated with the gaze target. In some examples, the interactive user interface is presented within the field of view together with the content of the immersive virtual reality world. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Jaafar, Mohammad Raheel Khalid
  • Patent number: 10044143
    Abstract: A single multi-functional position holder is positioned in a receiving space of a housing to implement multiple functions of: satisfying a limitation on the height of a connector by making contact with an insertion portion and a concentric mounting portion of a connector assembly assembled through a curling process; increasing durability to absorb an internal load attributable to the curling process, by making tight contact with the housing; and preventing shaking of a PCB assembly due to a disturbance by restricting the PCB assembly to hold a PCB, thereby reducing the number of component parts of the connector, the process steps, and the cost. In particular, the multi-functional position holder is fixed in the housing without welding so that it is possible to remove a welding process from an assembling process of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: SEJONG IND. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seok-Yun Jang, Ho-Cheol Suh, Bong-Ki Kim
  • Patent number: 10025071
    Abstract: Present embodiments provide for an optical imaging lens. The optical imaging lens includes a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element positioned in an order from an object side to an image side. Through controlling the convex or concave shape of the surfaces of the lens elements and designing parameters satisfying at least two inequalities, the optical imaging lens shows better optical characteristics, increases the effective focal length, and narrows the angle of view while the total length of the optical imaging lens is shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: GENIUS ELECTRONIC OPTICAL (XIAMEN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Feng Chen, Tacheng Fan, Huifeng Pan
  • Patent number: 10015415
    Abstract: A light field camera includes a lens module generating a middle image, a light field sensor having a lens array and an image sensor device, and a position adjuster adjusting a position of the light field sensor. The light field camera is between an object side and an image side. The lens array between the lens module and the image side generates a light field image according to the middle image. The image sensor device is arranged at the image side and senses the light field image. When the light field sensor is at a first or second position, the light field image includes a first or second light field sub-image. A relation of a focal length fMLA of the lens array and an exit pupil distance PEXP of the lens module satisfies 0.7 ? f MLA P EXP ? 1.3 .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventor: Hsin-Hsiang Lo
  • Patent number: 10001697
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus that makes it possible to properly update a second accessory that is attached to a first accessory attached to the image capture apparatus, and a method for controlling the image capture apparatus, are disclosed. An update target accessory, out of the attached first accessory and the second accessory attached to the first accessory, is set based on the operation status of the first accessory and the operation status of the second accessory. If it is determined that the operation status of the first accessory is abnormal, the first accessory is set as the update target accessory, regardless of the operation status of the second accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hironori Seki
  • Patent number: 9995908
    Abstract: An optical imaging lens system includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element and a fourth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The fourth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, the image-side surface of the fourth lens element has at least one convex critical point in an off-axial region thereof, and the two surfaces thereof are both aspheric. The optical imaging lens system has a total of four lens elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: LARGAN Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chien-Hsun Wu, Tzu-Chieh Kuo
  • Patent number: 9992482
    Abstract: An omnidirectional camera apparatus configured to facilitate omnidirectional stereo imaging is described. The apparatus may include a first convex mirror, a first camera disposed at the first convex mirror, a second convex mirror, and a second camera disposed at the second convex mirror. The first convex mirror and the second convex mirror may be arranged such that a first mirrored surface of the first convex mirror and a second mirrored surface of the second convex mirror may face each other. The first camera may capture imagery reflected off the second convex mirror. The second camera may capture imagery reflected off the first convex mirror. A method of calibrating an omnidirectional camera apparatus is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignees: Disney Enterprises, Inc., ETH ZÜRICH
    Inventors: Paul Beardsley, Javier Alonso Mora
  • Patent number: 9986144
    Abstract: A portable device comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first front surface and a first back surface. The first portion comprises an image sensor and a first imaging optical arrangement lying in imaging connection with the image sensor and defining a first field of view with a wide angle of view. The second portion comprises a second imaging optical arrangement. The first and the second portions are movably coupled to allow adjustment of the device to a closed position with the second portion lying against the first back surface, with the second imaging optical arrangement aligned with the first imaging optical arrangement, whereby the first and the second imaging optical arrangements define a second field of view, and to open positions with the second portion lying outside the first field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Eero Tuulos, Urho Konttori, Mikko Juhola, Marko Eromäki, Eero Salmelin
  • Patent number: 9977220
    Abstract: An image pickup optical system includes: from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power; a second lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a third lens unit having a negative refractive power. The first lens unit includes one negative lens or two negative lenses, the second lens unit includes a positive lens closest to the object side, and includes a plurality of lenses, the third lens unit includes, from the object side to the image side, a negative lens and a positive lens. A focal length f1 of the first lens unit, a focal length f3 of the third lens unit, a focal length fGr of the positive lens included in the third lens unit, an entire lens length L, and a focal length f of the image pickup optical system are set appropriately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayoshi Yokoyama, Kentaro Mori
  • Patent number: 9955128
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging apparatus which can reduce the lowering of the precision of the object detection, when detecting the object by using photometric optical elements and a photometric image sensor. The imaging apparatus detects the object by using the photometric optical elements and a photometric, sensor. In this case, weighting coefficients Wr, Wg and Wb are each set at a region in which H in the photometric region is divided into three from the image height 0. The imaging apparatus is structured so as to form information for the object detection by using weighting coefficients which have been set for each of the wavelength regions according to the regions in the photometric region, and accordingly can reduce the lowering of the precision of the object detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuuichirou Ashida
  • Patent number: 9933598
    Abstract: An imaging lens includes, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens having a negative refractive power and a concave surface toward the image side; a positive second lens having a negative refractive power; a third lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the image side; a fourth lens having a convex surface toward the image side; a fifth lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface toward the image side; and a sixth lens having a negative refractive power and a concave surface toward the object side. Predetermined conditional formulae related to first lens, the second lens, and the third lens are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Mori
  • Patent number: 9936188
    Abstract: A plenoptic imaging device according to the invention comprises an image multiplier (130) for obtaining a multitude of optical images of an object or scene and a pick-up system (140) for imaging at least some of the multitude of images to a common image sensor (170) during the same exposure of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignees: UNIVERSITÄT DES SAARLANDES, MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.
    Inventors: Oliver Klehm, Ivo Ihrke, John Restrepo, Alkhazur Manakov, Ramon Hegedüs
  • Patent number: 9933689
    Abstract: A tilt module subassembly comprising a cage essentially made of elastic material and shape memory alloy wires. An optical positioning system for microstructures using the tilt module subassembly is also described. The optical positioning system for microstructures is an optical image stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: ACTUATOR SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventor: Markus Koepfer
  • Patent number: 9921385
    Abstract: An optical barrel assembly includes a barrel having an inner bottom surface and an inner lateral surface extending from the inner bottom surface, the inner bottom and lateral surfaces defining a cylindrical housing, and a first element surrounded by the inner lateral surface of the barrel, wherein an outer perimeter of the first element has a different shape than a perimeter defined by the cylindrical housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FLIR SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Willis, Craig Aker, Todd Rixman, Jeremy Huddleston, David Keller, Paul Greco
  • Patent number: 9917993
    Abstract: A lens mounting module includes an image pickup unit; a mount plate that includes an installation surface on which a lens unit is installed; a first support frame located between the image pickup unit and the mount plate, that supports the mount plate, and that includes a contact point that provides an electrical contact with the lens unit installed on the mount plate; and a second support frame installed between the first support frame and the image pickup unit, that supports the first support frame, and that includes an insertion part through which the image pickup unit is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-han Park, Sang-ki Min