With Optics Peculiar To Solid-state Sensor Patents (Class 348/340)
  • Patent number: 10587860
    Abstract: An imaging element includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units that output an image signal for each pixel through a micro lens. An imaging signal processing circuit separates image signals output from the imaging element into a left-eye image signal and a right-eye image signal. An image combining circuit generates combined image data by performing arithmetic average processing for left-eye image data and right-eye image data. A recording medium control I/F unit controls to record left-eye image data and right-eye image data for use in 3D display and combined image data for use in 2D display in different regions in an image file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Shintani, Yuuzou Aoyama, Takayuki Nakahama
  • Patent number: 10582123
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of imaging optical systems, and an imaging device having a plurality of imaging regions, each corresponding to one of the plurality of imaging optical systems. The plurality of imaging optical systems are arranged such that (2M+1)×(2N+1) imaging optical systems are arranged two-dimensionally in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, where M and N are integers of 1 or more. A difference between a shift amount of the reference imaging optical system and a shift amount of an imaging optical system other than the reference imaging optical system is 2×Km/(2M+1) pixels in a horizontal direction and 2×Kn/(2N+1) pixels in a vertical direction, where Km is an integer satisfying ?M?Km?M, and Kn is an integer satisfying ?N?Kn?N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichiro Ishihara
  • Patent number: 10558009
    Abstract: The invention discloses an at least two optical lenses for capturing image and an optical module for capturing image. The optical image capturing system comprises at least three pieces of optical lenses, an image plane, a first positioning element and a second positioning element. In certain conditions, the design of said optical image capturing system can achieve effects of simultaneously increasing input light, field of view, illuminance and improving the imagining quality in compact cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: ABILITY OPTO-ELECTRONICS TECHNOLGOY CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Yeong-Ming Chang, Chien-Hsun Lai, Yao-Wei Liu
  • Patent number: 10551595
    Abstract: A photographing 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 and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second lens element with negative refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element has refractive power, and an object-side surface and an image-side surface thereof are aspheric. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has a concave image-side surface, wherein an object-side surface and the image-side surface thereof are aspheric, and at least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface thereof has at least one inflection point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: LARGAN PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lin-Yao Liao, Hsin-Hsuan Huang
  • Patent number: 10552942
    Abstract: In one aspect, a color plenoptic imaging system captures a plenoptic image of an object. The plenoptic image is made up of a plurality of superpixels, and each superpixel includes a center subpixel. The collection of center subpixels from the plurality of superpixels forms a set of captured center view data for the object. The sensor array includes at least two arrays of different color sensors that capture subpixels of different colors. The microlens array and the sensor array are positioned such that, within the set of captured center view data, for each of the different colors, adjacent center subpixels of that color are separated by not more than three intervening center subpixels of a different color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Aashish Kumar, Manuel Martinello
  • Patent number: 10551560
    Abstract: Arrays of tapered light-guides enable the development of snapshot multi-dimensional imaging systems, such as containing wavelength information in addition to spatial (x,y) image intensity-distribution information. As a result of the tapered guides, the input and output of the array can have the same overall dimension while producing greater total inter-guide free space at the output plane than present at the input plane for the introduction of optical elements, such as dispersers, as needed for particular applications. Individual guides may be tapered at different rates within the array and the array itself may be tapered as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Inventor: Tomasz S. Tkaczyk
  • Patent number: 10542229
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a signal processing method therefor, and an electronic apparatus enabling sensitivity correction in which a sensitivity difference between solid-state imaging devices is suppressed. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel unit in which one microlens is formed for a plurality of pixels in a manner such that a boundary of the microlens coincides with boundaries of the pixels. The correction circuit corrects a sensitivity difference between the pixels inside the pixel unit based on a correction coefficient. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a solid-state imaging device and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Youji Sakioka, Masayuki Tachi, Hisashi Nishimaki, Taishin Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10520701
    Abstract: An optical lens of the present disclosure 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, an optical filter and a sensor. The optical lens also has an axis. The first lens element, the fourth lens element and the sixth lens element have negative power, the second lens element, the third lens element and the fifth lens element have positive power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Cheng-Yi Lai
  • Patent number: 10515252
    Abstract: An optical element fabrication method including following steps are provided. First, a micro-lens layer including a micro-lens and a first substrate is provided. Besides, a micro optical channel layer including a micro optical channel and a second substrate is provided. A first bonding process is performed to bond the micro-lens layer to the micro optical channel layer, wherein the micro-lens is corresponded to the micro optical channel in a direction that is perpendicular to the surface of the second substrate, and the first substrate of the micro-lens layer is removed later.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Inventors: Chih-Yen Wu, Chen-Ta Ho, Chien-Hung Wu
  • Patent number: 10516877
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present application disclose light field collection control methods and apparatuses and light field collection devices, wherein one light field collection control method comprises: acquiring an aperture parameter of a main lens of a light field camera; determining, according to the main lens aperture parameter, in an image sensor of the light field camera, a local part of an imaging region corresponding to at least one sub-lens in a sub-lens array of the light field camera as a first imaging region; adjusting pixel density distribution of the image sensor, to cause pixel density of the first imaging region after adjustment to be distinguished from that of other parts of the imaging region; and performing light field collection on a scene via the adjusted light field camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: BEIJING ZHIGU RUI TUO TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lin Du
  • Patent number: 10511754
    Abstract: An imaging device having a lens group having lenses; a lens frame that holds said lens group; a base that holds said lens frame; an imaging element that has an imaging area; and a compression coil spring that prescribes the position of the lens frame relative to the imaging element so as to keep the optical axis of the lens group perpendicular to the imaging area of the imaging element. The imaging-element side of the lens frame has an orthogonal surface that is orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens group. The compression coil spring keeps said orthogonal surface in surface contact with an area that surrounds and is parallel to the imaging area of the imaging element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Nidec Copal Corporation
    Inventors: Yuta Nakamura, Ryo Kikuta
  • Patent number: 10510737
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip on a substrate, a second semiconductor chip on the substrate and spaced apart from the first semiconductor device, a mold layer on the substrate and covering sides of the first and second semiconductor chips, and an image sensor unit on the first and second semiconductor chips and the mold layer. The image sensor unit is electrically connected to the first semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jichul Kim, Chajea Jo, Sang-Uk Han, Kyoung Soon Cho, Jae Choon Kim, Woohyun Park
  • Patent number: 10506190
    Abstract: An image pickup device which suppresses an increase in chip area of peripheral circuits without degrading the performance of a pixel section and makes it possible to prevent costs from being increased. The image pickup device includes a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate. A pixel section includes photo diodes each for generate electric charges by photoelectric conversion, floating diffusions each for temporarily storing the electric charges generated by the photo diode, and amplifiers each connected to the floating diffusion, for outputting a signal dependent on a potential of the associated floating diffusion. Column circuits are connected to vertical signal lines, respectively, for performing predetermined processing on signals output from the pixel section to vertical signal lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Kishi
  • Patent number: 10492672
    Abstract: An image pickup unit includes a first element with a first flat glass, a second element with a second flat glass, a first spacer configured to define a distance between the first element and the second element, an image pickup device, and a second spacer configured to define a distance between the second element and the image pickup device, wherein no resin lens is disposed on a light incidence surface of the first flat glass, a resin lens with a negative power is disposed on a surface opposing the light incidence surface, a resin lens with a positive power is disposed on a second flat glass, the image pickup unit has side surfaces covered with a sealing member composed of an inorganic material, a brightness aperture is disposed between the first element and the second element, and an path space is a sealed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noriyuki Fujimori
  • Patent number: 10495857
    Abstract: A large field-of-view (FOV) imaging apparatus includes a monocentric lens, and a plurality of imaging modules comprising digital mirror device(s) (DMD) arranged to form or arranged in proximity to a spherical focal surface in optical communication with the monocentric lens such that the monocentric lens directs light rays that enter the monocentric lens at a surface of the monocentric lens towards the spherical focal surface and into the imaging modules as a function of incident angle of each light ray relative to a reference plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Erik L. Waldron
  • Patent number: 10490585
    Abstract: Image sensors may include plasmonic color filter elements that transmit specific wavelengths of incident light. Each plasmonic color filter element may be interposed between a respective microlens and photosensitive area. The plasmonic color filter elements may be formed from a metal layer such as gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, or copper and may have a pattern of openings in the metal layer that is designed to allow transmission of a certain type of light. To prevent cross-talk between adjacent pixels having plasmonic color filter elements, metal walls may be interposed between adjacent plasmonic color filter elements. The metal walls may extend above the upper surface of the metal layer that forms the plasmonic color filter elements. The metal walls may run around the periphery of each plasmonic color filter element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Byounghee Lee
  • Patent number: 10491792
    Abstract: A plenoptic camera has a moveable micro-lens array in optical registration with an image sensor. A first prime mover displaces the micro-lens array synchronized with a frame rate for the camera to obtain multi-resolution of a scene. A second prime mover displaces the image sensor to increase color sampling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS
    Inventors: Mozhdeh Seifi, Nues Sabater, Valter Drazic
  • Patent number: 10477137
    Abstract: An array-camera imaging system and method for producing a rendered image are presented, wherein the system includes a plurality of imagers, a plurality of image processors, and a plurality of memory modules that are networked with the image processors via a communications bus. Each image processor provides processed and processed image data from at least one imager to the memory modules. Preferably, the processed image data is distributed among the memory modules at multiple resolution scales. In response to a request from an image rendering system, image data is read out from the memory modules at the resolution scale of the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Aqueti Incorporated
    Inventors: David Jones Brady, Scott Thomas McCain, Steven Douglas Feller
  • Patent number: 10469718
    Abstract: A camera module comprises an image sensor and a lens module disposed on the image sensor. The lens module comprises a top glass structure at top of the lens module. The top glass structure includes a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, and a baffle disposed immediately between the first and the second glass substrates. The top glass structure is an outermost layer of the camera module. The lens module also comprises a bottom glass substrate at bottom of the lens module. The bottom glass substrate is disposed on the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Wan, Wei-Ping Chen
  • Patent number: 10459189
    Abstract: A method for forming a lens barrel includes aligning each of a plurality of upper apertures of an upper wafer to (i) a respective one of a plurality of middle apertures of a middle wafer and (ii) a respective one of a plurality of lower apertures of a lower wafer. The middle wafer is between the upper wafer and the lower wafer. The method also includes bonding the middle wafer to the upper wafer to form a lens barrel wafer. Each triad of co-aligned upper, middle, and lower apertures forms a wafer aperture spanning between a top surface of the upper wafer and a bottom surface of the lower wafer. Each upper aperture has a respective upper width and each middle aperture has a respective middle width less than the respective upper width to form, in each triad, a ledge for supporting a lens in the upper aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Yang Chang, Teng-Sheng Chen
  • Patent number: 10455131
    Abstract: A wafer-level method for packaging a plurality of camera modules includes (a) overmolding a first housing material around a plurality of image sensors to produce a first wafer of packaged image sensors, (b) seating a plurality of lens units in the first wafer above the plurality of image sensors, respectively, and (d) overmolding a second housing material over the first wafer and around the lens units to form a second wafer of packaged camera modules, wherein each of the packaged camera modules includes one of the image sensors and one of the lens units, and the second housing material cooperates with the first housing material to secure the lens units in the second wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Wan, Wei-Ping Chen
  • Patent number: 10446597
    Abstract: In a hermetic integrated-circuit package, the peripheral wall that bounds the cavity 2 containing the integrated circuit has, all the length of the peripheral wall, a surface containing a relief, which is defined by a raised planar zone z1, on the side inside the package of the cavity, and a recessed zone z2, on the exterior of the raised planar zone. The planar zone makes direct contact with the closing plate 6 of the package, without interposition of adhesive, over the entire length of the peripheral wall, except where planarity defects prevent the contact. The recessed zone does not make direct contact with the closing plate, and contains an adhesive bead that joins the closing plate and the upper portion of the peripheral wall over all the peripheral length of the latter. The adhesive bead 9 has a surface Se in open air between the closing plate and the recessed zone, on the exterior side of the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: TELEDYNE E2V SEMICONDUCTORS SAS
    Inventors: Philippe Sandri, Pierre Reber, Charlotte Alluis, Laurent Riondet
  • Patent number: 10426324
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus mount assembly for an image sensor chip includes a substrate, a plurality of first pins and at least one first electronic component, both mounted on a first surface of the substrate, and a first resin sealant configured to seal the first surface so as to expose an end face of a first shaft section opposite to where a first connecting section is provided. A plurality of second pins and at least one second electronic component are both mounted on a second surf ace of the substrate. A second resin sealant is configured to seal the second surface so as to expose an end face of a second shaft section opposite to where a second connecting section is provided. The image sensor chip includes a light receiving unit and a back-surface electrode, the first shaft section exposed on the first resin sealant is connected to the back-surface electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Mikio Nakamura, Takanori Sekido, Nau Satake
  • Patent number: 10431618
    Abstract: A deformation of a stacked lens is suppressed. A stacked lens structure has a configuration in which substrates with lenses having a lens disposed on an inner side of a through-hole formed in the substrate are bonded and stacked by direct bonding. The present technique can be applied to a camera module or the like in which a stacked lens structure in which at least three substrates with lenses including first to third substrates with lenses which are substrates with lenses in which a through-hole is formed in the substrate and a lens is formed on an inner side of the through-hole is integrated with a light receiving element, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Matsugai, Hiroyuki Itou, Suguru Saito, Keiji Ohshima, Masanori Iwasaki, Toshihiko Hayashi, Shuzo Sato, Nobutoshi Fujii, Hiroshi Tazawa, Toshiaki Shiraiwa, Minoru Ishida
  • Patent number: 10429622
    Abstract: An optical imaging lens includes a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, and a fifth lens element sequentially arranged along an optical axis from an object side to an image side. Each of the first lens element to the fifth lens element has an object-side surface facing toward the object side and an image-side surface facing toward the image side. A distance between the image-side surface of the fifth lens element and an image plane along the optical axis is BFL, an air gap between the first lens element and the second lens element along the optical axis is G12, an air gap between the fourth lens element and the fifth lens element along the optical axis is G45, a central thickness of the fifth lens element along the optical axis is T5, satisfying the equation: 1.861?(BFL+G12)/(G45+T5)?3.055.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Genius Electronic Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Wen Chang, Poche Lee, Wei-Yu Lo
  • Patent number: 10425632
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including an imaging lens, and an image sensor array of first and second image sensor units, wherein a single first image sensor unit includes a single first microlens and a plurality of image sensors, a single second image sensor unit includes a single second microlens and a single image sensor, light passing through the imaging lens and reaching each first image sensor unit passes through the first microlens and forms an image on the image sensors constituting the first image sensor unit, light passing through the imaging lens and reaching each second image sensor unit passes through the second microlens and forms an image on the image sensor constituting the second image sensor unit, an inter-unit light shielding layer is formed between the image sensor units, and a light shielding layer is not formed between the image sensor units constituting the first image sensor unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 10425562
    Abstract: Disclosed is a three-dimensional image sensing module with a low z-height, and a process for forming the same. The three-dimensional image sensing module may include two or more cameras to capture image data, where each camera includes a lens holder having at least one optical camera lens. Furthermore, the three-dimensional image sensing module may also include a spacer attached to a top side of the lens holders of the two or more cameras that provides dimensional stability for the relative positioning of the two or more cameras with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wei Shi
  • Patent number: 10418408
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes arranged in an array and disposed in a semiconductor material to receive light through a first surface of the semiconductor material. At least part of the semiconductor material is curved. A carrier wafer is attached to a second surface, opposite the first surface, of the semiconductor material, and a polymer layer is attached to the carrier wafer, so that the carrier wafer is disposed between the polymer layer and the semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuanwei Zheng, Chia-Chun Miao, Gang Chen, Yin Qian, Duli Mao, Dyson H. Tai, Lindsay Grant
  • Patent number: 10412314
    Abstract: Systems and methods for performing photometric normalization in an array camera in accordance with embodiments of this invention are disclosed. The image data of scene from a reference imaging component and alternate imaging components is received. The image data from each of the alternate imaging components is then translated to so that pixel information in the image data of each alternate imaging component corresponds to pixel information in the image data of the reference component. The shifted image data of each alternate imaging component is compared to the image data of the reference imaging component to determine gain and offset parameters for each alternate imaging component. The gain and offset parameters of each alternate imaging component is then applied to the image data of the associate imaging to generate corrected image data for each of the alternate imaging components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Kenneth John McMahon, Dan Lelescu, Florian Ciurea
  • Patent number: 10412282
    Abstract: A camera device which includes a holder which retains an optical member therein and a circuit board on which an image sensor is mounted. The holder is joined to the circuit board using an adhesive agent. The circuit board at least partially includes a metallic layer and a resinous layer stacked in a thickness-wise direction of the circuit board. The circuit board has a metallic layer-absent portion in which the metallic layer is partially omitted. The metallic layer-absent portion is located so as to overlap the joint between the holder and the circuit board in the thickness-wise direction of the circuit board, thereby minimizing the transfer of heat of the adhesive agent to the metallic layer. This achieves effective hardening the adhesive agent, which will facilitate the ease with which the camera device is assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Soji Masui, Yasuki Furutake, Daisuke Takama, Kazuma Yamaguchi, Takashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 10411048
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a controller configured to instruct an image pickup apparatus that includes an image pickup element configured to capture an image formed by an optical system to capture a plurality of images in different polarization directions, and to obtain polarization information based on the plurality of images. The controller instructs the image pickup apparatus to capture the plurality of images on exposure conditions different from one another while setting constant an F-number of the optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takeharu Okuno
  • Patent number: 10404905
    Abstract: An image sensor comprising a pixel portion that is constituted by a plurality of pixels, and includes a first pixel group and a second pixel group, wherein each of the pixels included in the first pixel group and the second pixel group includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; and a plurality of transfer gates that respectively correspond to the photoelectric conversion portions, and have transfer gate electrodes covering same partial regions in the photoelectric conversion portions, and an average position of barycenters of respective light receivable regions of the photoelectric conversion portions included in each pixel of the first pixel group and an average position of barycenters of respective light receivable regions of the photoelectric conversion portions included in each pixel of the second pixel group are at positions different from each other in the pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Junichi Saito, Yumi Takao, Yoshiaki Takada, Masaaki Iwane, Shoji Kono
  • Patent number: 10393990
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a main lens, an image sensor, a first microlens array and a second microlens array, where the first and the second microlens arrays are disposed between the main lens and the image sensor. The first microlens array is disposed between the second microlens array and the main lens. The first microlens array is arranged in parallel with the second microlens array. The first microlens array includes M*N first microlenses. The second microlens array includes M*N second microlenses. The M*N first microlenses are in a one-to-one correspondence to the M*N second microlenses in a concave-convex manner. When a first microlens is a planoconcave lens, a second microlens is a planoconvex lens, and when the first microlens is the planoconvex lens, the second microlens is the planoconcave lens. A driving apparatus is configured to adjust a distance between the first microlens array and the second microlens array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhi Huang
  • Patent number: 10386546
    Abstract: A camera module according to an embodiment includes a liquid lens unit including a cavity, a conductive liquid and a non-conductive liquid disposed in the cavity, “n” individual electrodes (n being an integer of 2 or more), and a common electrode, an interface being formed between the conductive liquid and the non-conductive liquid, a main board including an element constituting a control circuit for controlling the operation of the liquid lens unit, and a holder coupled to the main board such that the open area of an insertion hole for insertion of the liquid lens unit is disposed along a first side of the main board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Bok Choi
  • Patent number: 10382709
    Abstract: An image processing method is provided. The image sensor is controlled to output a merged image and a color-block image of a same scene. The merged image is converted into a merged true-color image, and the color-block image is converted into a simulation true-color image. The merged true-color image and the simulation true-color image are displayed. At least one of the merged true-color image and the simulation true-color image is stored according to a user input. An image processing apparatus and an electronic device are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Cheng Tang
  • Patent number: 10375282
    Abstract: The present technique relates to a camera module and an electronic apparatus that allow a camera module to be used for various purposes. The camera module includes a first pixel array in which pixels that receive light having an R, G, or B wavelength are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix form and a second pixel array in which pixels that receive light having a wavelength region of visible light are two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix form and a first optical unit that converges incident light onto the first pixel array and a second optical unit that converges the incident light onto the second pixel array. The present technique can be for example applied to a camera module and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Ishida, Katsuhisa Kugimiya, Hironori Hoshi
  • Patent number: 10368727
    Abstract: An endoscope which promotes downsizing and cost reduction, and a manufacturing method of an endoscope are provided. For this reason, in an endoscope, a lens unit containing a lens in a lens tube, an image capturing element of which an image capturing surface is covered with element cover glass, and an adhesive resin fixing the lens unit of which an optical axis of the lens is coincident with the center of the image capturing surface to the element cover glass with a separation portion are disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinori Osada, Takafumi Sanada, Yasuyuki Hanada, Naoyuki Haraguchi, Takahisa Suzuki, Tooru Tanaka, Hiroshi Nagayasu
  • Patent number: 10371907
    Abstract: An optical structure includes a substrate including a cavity on a first surface of the substrate, an optical component on the substrate and an adhesive applied to a side of the optical component to fix the optical component to the substrate. The optical component includes a recess on a second surface of the optical component, the second surface is opposed to the first surface of the substrate, and the recess is provided along an edge of the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Elaine Cyr, Paul F. Fortier, Takashi Hisada, Patrick Jacques, Koji Masuda, Masao Tokunari
  • Patent number: 10362214
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an acquirer (129a) that acquires a first signal and a second signal that correspond to output signals of a first photoelectric converter and a second photoelectric converter, respectively, the first and second photoelectric converters receiving light beams passing through different pupil regions of an image capturing optical system from each other, and a calculator (129b) that calculates a correlation value of the first signal and the second signal to calculate a defocus amount based on the correlation value, and the calculator corrects the correlation value based on a light receiving amount of at least one of the first photoelectric converter and the second photoelectric converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yu Inagaki
  • Patent number: 10356299
    Abstract: A camera module includes a lens, a photosensitive chip and an electrical holder. The electrical holder has an integrated circuit that the electrical holder serves as an integration of a base and a PCB in a conventional camera module, wherein the electrical holder not only forms an assembling unit for connecting a driver and an optical lens but also forms an electrical connection unit for electrically connecting to the driver, a photosensitive chip and a flexible circuit board with each other, so as to minimize an overall size of the camera module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mingzhu Wang, Nan Guo, Feifan Chen, Bojie Zhao, Bo Peng, Zhen Huang
  • Patent number: 10353178
    Abstract: Provided are a lens optical system and an imaging device including the lens optical system. The lens optical system includes first to sixth lenses sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image plane side. The first to sixth lenses have negative, positive, positive, negative, positive, and negative refractive powers, respectively. The lens optical system may satisfy 100?FOV?160, and DiaL3?DiaL1?DiaL6 where FOV refers to the field of view of the lens optical system in degrees (°), and DiaL1, DiaL3, and DiaL6 refer to the effective diameters of the first lens, the third lens, and the sixth lens, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: ACE SOLUTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Pil Sun Jung, Dong Young Kim, Chi Ho An
  • Patent number: 10310222
    Abstract: A compact, wide angle, low F-number lens system that may be used in small form factor cameras is described. The compact lens system has six lens elements, and provides high brightness with a low F-number and a wide field of view (FOV) in small form factor cameras. The shapes, materials, and arrangements of the lens elements in the lens system may be selected to correct aberrations, enabling the camera to capture high resolution, bright, high quality images at low F-numbers with a wide FOV. In addition, the shapes and arrangements of the lens elements in the lens system may reduce or eliminate a flare phenomenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Apple, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhong Yao, Yoshikazu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10297697
    Abstract: A system for imaging at least one source of radiation with a mask and a plurality of detectors. The mask is characterized by a base pattern and configured to selectively transmit or block the radiation striking the mask based in part on the base pattern. The mask includes a plurality of tiles each repeating the base pattern. The number of the detectors is N and each of the tiles is divided into N respective portions. The plurality of detectors is positioned in a spaced apart configuration such that each of the plurality of detectors captures the radiation passing through different ones of the N respective portions of the plurality of tiles. The different ones of the N respective portions combine to form the base pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: H3D, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher G. Wahl
  • Patent number: 10295837
    Abstract: A variable transmission window includes a patterned first polarizer and an opposing patterned second polarizer. The first polarizer includes an optically transmissive first substrate; alternating first and second domains attached to the first substrate, the first domains having a polarization axis that is perpendicular to a polarization axis of the second domains; and blackout bars configured to block visible light, each blackout bar overlapping opposing edge regions of adjacent corresponding first and second domains. The second polarizer includes an optically transmissive second substrate; and alternating third and fourth domains attached to the second substrate, the third domains having a polarization axis that is perpendicular to a polarization axis of the fourth domains. The second polarizer may also include blackout bars overlapping opposing edge regions of adjacent corresponding third and fourth domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: VG SMARTGLASS, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Tatzel, Michael Stacey, Abhiroop Chattopadhyay
  • Patent number: 10288831
    Abstract: A method for assembling a camera device includes: preparing a lens group composed of a plurality of lenses each having an outer shape not having the area that is not used by an imaging element; sequentially inserting the plurality of lenses from above into a cylindrical holding member having a lens accommodating inner wall face conforming to the outer shape of the lens group and for holding the lens group inside the holding member; and in a state in which the upper face of the upper lens of the lens group provided at the upper end of the holding member is exposed, mounting a retainer having an opening on the upper end of the holding member so as to enclose the outer peripheral edge of the upper lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mamoru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10275676
    Abstract: Systems and methods for storing images synthesized from light field image data and metadata describing the images in electronic files in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes a processor and memory containing an encoding application and light field image data, where the light field image data comprises a plurality of low resolution images of a scene captured from different viewpoints. In addition, the encoding application configures the processor to synthesize a higher resolution image of the scene from a reference viewpoint using the low resolution images, where synthesizing the higher resolution image involves creating a depth map that specifies depths from the reference viewpoint for pixels in the higher resolution image; encode the higher resolution image; and create a light field image file including the encoded image, the low resolution images, and metadata including the depth map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Kartik Venkataraman, Semyon Nisenzon, Dan Lelescu
  • Patent number: 10274695
    Abstract: An optical apparatus captures imaging light entering into an imager to acquire an image of an object. The optical apparatus includes a lens module and a support. The lens module is configured by a combination of two or more lenses, captures the imaging light through the lenses, and focuses the captured imaging light on the imager. The support supports the lens module at a position apart from the imager by a predetermined distance, such that the imager and the lenses are aligned on the optical axis, and a focal point of the imaging light is formed on the imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Takama, Takayuki Kimura
  • Patent number: 10264165
    Abstract: An optical bar assembly is provided for mounting in a bezel of an optical system housing. The optical bar assembly includes an optical bar for mounting an optical element and a pre-clamped elastic isolation grommet. The optical bar has a first end with a transverse axle having first and second opposed protruding ends and a second end with a longitudinal peg. The pre-clamped elastic isolation grommet is disposed on at least one of the first and second opposed protruding ends and the longitudinal peg. An optical system including the optical bar assembly and an isolation damping system for the optical bar assembly are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: HAND HELD PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventors: Dwight Linwood Franz, Anthony Raymond Charpentier
  • Patent number: 10261282
    Abstract: An imaging element mounting substrate may include an insulating substrate and a metal substrate. The insulating substrate may include a first mounting region for mounting an imaging element on a top surface, and a second mounting region located a distance away from the first mounting region for mounting one or more electronic components. The insulating substrate may include a fixed region for securing a lens housing surrounding the first mounting region. A metal substrate may be bonded to a bottom surface of the insulating substrate. A third mounting region located between the first mounting region and the second mounting region in the fixed region of the insulating substrate may be positioned with respect to the center of the insulating substrate in a plan view. The metal substrate may be located to overlap with the third mounting region and bestride the first mounting region and the second mounting region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: KYOCERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Kohama, Kanae Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 10257447
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an imaging method. The imaging method comprises: providing an image sensor, the image sensor comprising a photosensitive pixel array and a filter arranged on the photosensitive unit array, the filter comprising a filter cell array, and each filter cell covering a plurality of photosensitive pixels to form a merged pixel; and reading outputs of the photosensitive pixel array, and adding the outputs of the photosensitive pixels of the same merged pixel to obtain a pixel value of the merged pixel, thereby producing a merged image. Images, having higher signal to noise ratio, brightness, and definition, and less noise, can be captured by using the imaging method in low light. The present disclosure also discloses an imaging device using the imaging method and an electronic device using the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Qiqun Zhou