With Motion Detection Patents (Class 348/352)
  • Patent number: 11758272
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a camera for capturing an image at a first moment; a range finder for measuring a distance to an object at a center of the image; a rotatable mounting platform, fixedly hosting the camera and the range finder; and a controller. The controller is configured to receive the captured image and the measured distance; determine whether a target of interest (TOI) appears in the image; in response to determining a TOI appearing in the image, determine whether the TOI appears at the center of the image; calculate position parameters of the rotatable mounting platform for centering the TOI in an image to be captured at a second moment, separated from the first moment by a pre-determined time interval; control the rotatable mounting platform to rotate according to the calculated position parameters; and calculate and store the position parameters of the TOI with respect to the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: INTELLIGENT FUSION TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Xingping Lin, Genshe Chen, Khanh Pham, Erik Blasch, Zhonghai Wang
  • Patent number: 11696050
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information that indicates a distance to a subject on each predetermined region in a captured image, a control unit configured to adjust a focus position, and a storage unit configured to store first distance information acquired by the acquisition unit in response to the adjusted focus position. The control unit readjusts the focus position based on the first distance information and second distance information acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Dobashi
  • Patent number: 11558554
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The image sensor alternatively captures a first bright image, a first dark image, a second bright image and a second dark image, wherein the first bright image is captured with a first exposure time corresponding to activation of the light source within a first time interval, the first dark image is captured with the first exposure time corresponding to deactivation of the light source within the first time interval, the second bright image is captured with a second exposure time corresponding to activation of the light source within a second time interval, and the second dark image is captured with the second exposure time corresponding to deactivation of the light source within the second time interval, wherein the second exposure time is longer than the first exposure time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Guo-Zhen Wang, Shiaw-Yu Jou
  • Patent number: 11277561
    Abstract: An image stabilization apparatus comprises: a first extraction unit that extracts first signals of a plurality of different frequency components from each of a plurality of motion vectors obtained from an image signal output from an image sensor; a second extraction unit that extracts second signals of the plurality of different frequency components from a detection signal of a detected shake of an apparatus; an acquisition unit that acquires correlation values between the first signals of the plurality of motion vectors and the second signal for each of the frequency components; a selection unit that selects at least one of the plurality of motion vectors based on the correlation values each for each of the frequency components; and an image stabilization unit that performs image stabilization using the motion vector selected by the selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomomi Uesugi, Koichi Washisu
  • Patent number: 11163169
    Abstract: A dynamic imaging system of an endoscope that adjusts path length differences or focal points to expand a usable depth of field. The imaging system utilizes a variable lens to adjust the focal plane of the beam or an actuated sensor to adjust the detected focal plane. The imaging system is thus capable of capturing and adjusting the focal plane of separate images captured on separate sensors. The separate light beams may be differently polarized by a variable wave plate or a polarized beam splitter to allow separate manipulation of the beams for addition of more frames. These differently focused frames are then combined using image fusion techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignees: KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG, KARL STORZ Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: George E. Duckett, III, Eric Hale, Nathan Schara
  • Patent number: 11095806
    Abstract: A display control apparatus, comprises: a focus detection unit configured to detect, based on an image signal obtainable from an image sensor, a focus state and reliability of the image signal; and a display control unit configured to display in a display unit, when focus adjustment is performed by a manual operation, an index that indicates the focus state that was detected by the focus detection unit, wherein the display control unit changes a display format of the index according to the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazunori Ishii
  • Patent number: 11032522
    Abstract: Various embodiments concern video patient monitoring with detection zones. Various embodiments can comprise a camera, a user interface, and a computing system. The computing system can be configured to perform various steps based on reception of a frame from the camera, including: calculate a background luminance of the frame; monitor for a luminance change of a zone as compared to one or more previous frames, the luminance change indicative of patient motion in the zone; and compare the background luminance to an aggregate background luminance, the aggregate background luminance based on the plurality of frames. If the background luminance changed by more than a predetermined amount, then the aggregate background luminance can be set to the background luminance, luminance information of the previous frames can be disregarded, and motion detection can be disregarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: CareView Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Cameron Clark, Derek del Carpio
  • Patent number: 11032345
    Abstract: Methods and devices for encoding and decoding data streams are disclosed. In some aspects, the data streams are multimedia data streams. One method disclosed includes obtaining, by a client device, a first multimedia data stream and a second multimedia data stream, the second multimedia data stream being a lower fidelity version of the first multimedia data stream, generating, by the client device, a third multimedia data stream based on differences between the first and second multimedia data streams, compressing, by the client device, the second multimedia data stream to generate a first compressed multimedia data stream, compressing, by the client device, the third multimedia data stream to generate a second compressed multimedia data stream; and transmitting, by the client device, the first and second compressed multimedia data steams to the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Eduardo A Cuervo Laffaye, Alastair Wolman, Stefan Saroiu, Sharad Agarwal, Paramvir Bahl, Landon Cox
  • Patent number: 10992852
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a medical observation device and a control method. [Solution] Provided is a medical observation device including: an imaging optical system including an objective optical system that condenses light from a subject and two image-forming optical systems which have optical axes different from an optical axis of the objective optical system and which cause light condensed by the objective optical system to form an image; and a control unit configured to cause an autofocus operation to be executed by causing a focusing optical member included in the objective optical system to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Hirano, Tatsuya Ibuka, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10893186
    Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus includes: an image sensor configured to capture a subject image of a subject gathered by a fiberscope and emitted from proximal ends of optical fibers; a lens unit including a focus lens moving along an optical axis to adjust a focus, the lens unit being configured to form the subject image emitted from the proximal ends of the optical fibers on the image sensor; lens driving circuitry configured to move the focus lens along the optical axis; and a lens controller configured to perform, when the fiberscope is connected, a first auto-focus control of operating the lens driving circuitry to move the focus lens in a first movement range, evaluating a focusing state of the subject image, and positioning the focus lens at a position deviated from a first lens position at which the proximal ends of the optical fibers are focused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventors: Taihei Michihata, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10742868
    Abstract: A digital camera includes an imaging element having an imaging surface where pixels are arranged in two dimensions in a row direction X and in a column direction Y, an AF processing unit that determines whether a focus lens is in a focused state using detection signals obtained from respective pixels of a first pixel group including plural pixels arranged in the row direction X and a second pixel group including pixels arranged at the same distance in one direction that crosses the row direction X with respect to each of the plural pixels of the first pixel group, in a state where the focus lens is at an arbitrary position, and a system control unit that moves the focus lens until the AF processing unit determines that the focus lens is in the focused state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Aoki, Yasuo Ohtsuki
  • Patent number: 10623641
    Abstract: An imaging system includes an angular velocity sensor configured to detect shake, and controls driving of a shift lens group on the basis of a shake detection signal and corrects image blur. A motion vector detection unit detects a motion vector from a plurality of captured images. A distance acquisition unit acquires distance information regarding the captured image. A camera control unit acquires the shake detection signal and the motion vector, determines a subject using a detection value of the motion vector in the direction of the closest distance based on the distance information, and calculates an angular velocity of the subject. A panning control unit of a lens control unit performs drive control of the shift lens group using an angular velocity detection signal from which an offset is removed and an angular velocity of the subject acquired from the camera control unit and thus performs control for supporting panning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hitoshi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 10484676
    Abstract: Testing of control wires of a pixel array of an image sensor is performed by applying a signal transition to a control wire and detecting, based on a voltage signal detected on the control wire, the duration of at least part of the signal transition on the control wire. An electrical fault in the control wire is indicated based on a comparison of the detected duration to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SA
    Inventors: Richun Fei, Salvador Mir, Jocelyn Moreau
  • Patent number: 10326938
    Abstract: The image stabilization control apparatus that performs, using a shake detection signal acquired through a shake detector configured to detect a shake and a motion vector detection signal indicating a motion vector detected in a video signal produced through an image sensor, image stabilization control for reducing image blur due to the shake. The apparatus includes a predictor that produces, using the motion vector detection signal, a predicted error signal that indicates a predicted value of an error signal included in the shake detection signal, a signal producer that subtracts the predicted error signal from the shake detection signal to produce a first image stabilization signal, and a controller that performs the image stabilization control using the first image stabilization signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumihiro Kajimura, Koichi Washisu
  • Patent number: 10313602
    Abstract: In an image capture apparatus, defocus amount detection and the exposure control are concurrently performed. If it is determined that a detected defocus amount is based on a signal obtained before exposure control has been completed, or if it is determined that the detected defocus amount is based on a signal affected by driving of an aperture in the exposure control, control of driving of a focusing lens that is based on the defocus amount is differentiated from control performed in other cases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Uenishi
  • Patent number: 10200674
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus processes an image obtained by an image capturing apparatus that includes a plurality of first photoelectric converters and a plurality of second photoelectric converters each forming a pair with each other. The second photoelectric converters providing a signal that has a parallax for a signal from the corresponding one of the first photoelectric converters, and a signal reading unit configured to read a first signal as an output signal from the first photoelectric converter and to read a second signal as a combination signal of the first signal and an output signal from a paired one of the second photoelectric converters in image capturing in which the first and second photoelectric converters receive light from an object. The image processing apparatus includes a defocus amount calculating unit configured to calculate a defocus amount using the first signal and the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Abe
  • Patent number: 10158803
    Abstract: A vibration detection apparatus comprising: an extraction unit that extracts, from among a plurality of motion vectors obtained from a difference between frames of images output from an image sensor for predetermined regions set in the images, motion vectors that exist outside a range determined based on an angular velocity of vibration, as subject vectors, and outputs an average value of the extracted subject vectors; and an acquisition unit that obtains, in panning shooting, a correction amount of a correction unit based on the average value and the angular velocity in a case where the subject vectors were extracted. The extraction unit sets the range narrower in a case where the angular velocity is less than a predetermined threshold value than in a case where the angular velocity is greater than or equal to the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoshi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 10116856
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus, comprising a focus controller that generates an evaluation value by extracting given signal components from an image signal, and carries out focus adjustment by calculating position of the focus lens where the evaluation value becomes a peak, a display that displays an image based on image data generated from the image signal, and a controller that, as initial image display after commencement of the continuous focus adjustment operation, executes display using the display based on image data corresponding to an image signal in which the evaluation value becomes a peak, from among image data that has been acquired during the focus adjustment operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Kikuchi, Satoru Ito
  • Patent number: 9912858
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an object detection unit, a focus control unit, a shooting control unit, a focus detection unit, a prediction unit which predicts a position of the object, a setting unit which sets a focus detection area with respect to the position of the predicted object, a reliability acquisition unit which obtains a reliability regarding the focus detection area and an object moving amount acquisition unit which obtains a moving amount of the object based on the in-focus positions of the imaging optical system. Until the object detection result is obtained before the real shooting processing during continuous shooting, the focus control unit drives the imaging optical system based on the in-focus position indicated by detection results up until the previous real shooting processing, the reliability and the moving amount of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ogino
  • Patent number: 9838608
    Abstract: The work, visual inspection device 30 composes a conveyance table 2 which holds and conveys works W1 and W2 and camera units 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 which capture images of the works conveyed by the conveyance table, The camera 91/101 of the camera units 9 and 10 includes a first body tube 91C/101C including an imaging lens 91L/101L and a second body tube 91Ca/101a attached to the front end of the first body tube 91C/101C. The second body tube 91Ca/101Ca includes a glass plate 91G/101G for focal adjustment having two surfaces in parallel with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO WELD CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Chaki
  • Patent number: 9703070
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging apparatus capable of performing AF with a high precision regardless of an object while realizing increase in AF speed. When there is an AF instruction, photographing is performed while a focus lens is moved. AF evaluated values are calculated at every position of the focus lens by a contrast AF processing unit. The contrast AF processing unit calculates a sharpness in the vicinity of the maximal point of an evaluated value curve from three AF evaluated values, including the maximum value among calculated AF evaluated values and AF evaluated values calculated at positions in front and rear of a focus lens position corresponding to the maximum value, and position information of the focus lens corresponding thereto, and calculates a focusing position by a calculation method selected from among plural kinds of methods according to the sharpness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Sakurabu
  • Patent number: 9247123
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an image, a subject detector configured to detect a subject from the image captured by the imaging unit, a setting unit configured to set, in accordance with a change of a position of the subject detected by the subject detector, an image region to be focused on for the changed position of the subject, a focus unit configured to perform a focus operation to the subject included in the set image region, and a controller configured to control a speed of the focus operation according to a moving speed of the subject detected by the subject detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuniyoshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9215363
    Abstract: A system and method for focusing an image capture device are disclosed. One embodiment is a method comprising moving an autofocus window in response to detected movement of the image capture device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Donald J. Stavely, Mark J. Bianchi, Daniel M. Bloom, Charles E. Schinner, Kurt E. Spears, Wilfred Brake
  • Patent number: 9160919
    Abstract: A focus adjustment unit according to the present invention has an imaging section configured to generate an image signal by forming and capturing an optical image on an image sensor by an optical system including a focusing lens, and performs focus adjustment based on a focus detection signal relating to a focus detection area set within an imaging area, the focus adjustment unit comprising a focusing lens position detection section configured to detect a position of the focusing lens, a storage section configured to store information on an image magnification change of the optical system along with movement of the focusing lens, and a focus detection area setting section configured to set a focus detection area within the imaging area, wherein the focus detection area setting section sets the focus detection area based on the position of the focusing lens and the information on an image magnification change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Ito
  • Patent number: 9160916
    Abstract: In a focus position control apparatus, a control unit performs, when a size changing amount of an object image is larger than a predetermined amount during control for driving a focus lens according to a distance change of an object image in an optical axis direction based on a determination result of a determination unit, a following driving operation corresponding to the distance change as a driving control, and limits the following driving operation corresponding to the distance change when the size changing amount of the object image smaller than the predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is changed according to an imaging parameter and an object status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyasu Hongu, Makoto Yokozeki
  • Patent number: 9124799
    Abstract: In a focus position control apparatus, a control unit performs, when a size changing amount of an object image is larger than a predetermined amount during control for driving a focus lens according to a distance change of an object image in an optical axis direction based on a determination result of a determination unit, a following driving operation corresponding to the distance change as a driving control, and limits the following driving operation corresponding to the distance change when the size changing amount of the object image smaller than the predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is changed according to an imaging parameter and an object status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyasu Hongu, Makoto Yokozeki
  • Patent number: 9106827
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus having an image sensor including focus detection pixels capable of outputting a pair of image signals for focus detection determines whether each line of the pixels of the image sensor is an addition/non-addition line that outputs the image signal suitable/unsuitable for detection of a correlation amount, obtains the correlation amount for each addition line based on the pair of image signals, add the obtained correlation amount of the addition line, counts the number of addition lines, obtains a defocus amount based on the added correlation amount, and drives a focus lens based on the defocus amount when a product of an evaluation value representing reliability of the defocus amount and a predetermined standard number of additions is smaller than the product of the number of addition lines and a standard evaluation value representing a predetermined evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9100572
    Abstract: A system and method for triggering image re-capture in image processing by receiving a first image captured using a first mode, performing a computer vision task on the first image to produce a first result, generating a confidence score of the first result using a machine learning technique, triggering an image re-capture using a second mode in response to the confidence score of the first result, and performing the computer vision task on a result of the image recapture using the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jose A. Rodriguez-Serrano, Peter Paul, Florent Perronnin
  • Patent number: 9041814
    Abstract: An automatic tracking camera system includes: a rotating unit for panning and tilting an image pickup unit including a lens apparatus and an image pickup apparatus; a tracking object detector; a motion vector detector for detecting a motion vector of the object to be tracked; a capture position setting unit for setting a capture position of the object to be tracked in the picked up image; and a controller for controlling drive of the rotating unit. The controller controls the rotating unit in a capture mode to capture the object to be tracked at the capture position based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detector after the tracking object detector has detected the object to be tracked in the picked up image, and a maintenance mode to continuously capture the object to be tracked at the capture position after the capture mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuji Takashima
  • Patent number: 9001262
    Abstract: An image sensor comprises a first imaging pixel and a second imaging pixel each of which detects an object image formed by a photographing optical system and generates a recording image. Each of the first imaging pixel and the second imaging pixel comprises a plurality of photoelectric conversion units segmented in a first direction, the plurality of photoelectric conversion units have an ability of photoelectrically converting images formed by split light beams out of a light beam from the photographing optical system and outputting focus detection signals to be used to detect a phase difference. A base-line length of photoelectric conversion units to be used to detect the phase difference included in the first imaging pixel is longer than that of photoelectric conversion units to be used to detect the phase difference included in the second imaging pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ichiro Onuki, Koichi Fukuda, Akihiro Nishio, Hideaki Yamamoto, Ryo Yamasaki, Makoto Oikawa
  • Patent number: 8994869
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a focus lens, an image sensor which captures an image and a controller which moves the image sensor or the focus lens. A distance measurer measures a distance to a subject based on a first image and a second image. A focal position moves for the first focal range by moving the image sensor or by moving the position of the focus lens during the first exposure time period, and the focal position moves for the second focal range by moving the image sensor or by moving the position of the focus lens during the second exposure time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Kimura, Hajime Nagahara
  • Patent number: 8988595
    Abstract: A focus detection apparatus performs focus detection by a phase difference method using an image pickup element including first and second pixels, the focus detection apparatus includes a correlation data calculator which calculates correlation data between pixel data obtained from the first pixels and the second pixels in ranges of image data, a detector which detects a saturated pixel having a level of at least a predetermined value in each of the ranges, an adding processor which performs an addition processing of the correlation data calculated in each of the ranges based on a detection result, and a defocus amount calculator which calculates a defocus amount based on a result of the addition processing, and the adding processor performs the addition processing using correlation data obtained from a first range in which the number of the saturated pixels is less than a predetermined number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shutaro Kunieda, Takeshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8964045
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for quantifying blur of an image. Blur may result due to motion of a camera while the image is captured. Accordingly, motion measurement data corresponding to motion of the camera during an exposure event may be used to create a camera rotation matrix. A camera intrinsic matrix may be obtained based upon a focal length and principle point of the camera. A transformation matrix may be estimated based upon the camera rotation matrix and/or the camera intrinsic matrix. The transformation matrix may be applied to pixels within the image to determine a blur metric for the image. In this way, blur of an image may be quantified offline and/or in real-time during operation of the camera (e.g., so that the image may be re-acquired (e.g., on the fly) if the image is regarded as being overly blurry).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Chintan Anil Shah, Wolfgang M. Schickler, Maksim Lepikhin, Corey Benjamin Goff, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8964101
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to photoelectrically convert an object image incident via a focus lens to acquire image data; a detection unit configured to detect a size and a position of an object based on the acquired image data; an adjustment unit configured to execute focus adjustment by acquiring a focus signal indicating a focusing state of the focus lens based on the image data while moving the focus lens, and moving the focus lens based on the focus signal; and a control unit configured to execute an operation if the detected size has changed, and to change the operation if the detected position has changed while the detected size has not changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Genjiro Shibagami
  • Patent number: 8953041
    Abstract: An Engineer's View (EV) wireless video system for powered and unpowered model railroad engines is disclosed. The invention uses commercially available wireless spy cameras, powered by a custom power supply circuit which is compatible with either DC or DCC track systems. The present invention is compatible with all commercial model railroad gauge diesel engines including HO and N Gauge or may be factory installed. The EV system demonstrates a remarkably stable and realistic image of a model railroad layout. Moreover, the present invention may also provide a stable source of power to the engine where stalling could occur at points of track defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Inventors: Richard Johnson Bartlett, Sr., William Travis Bartlett
  • Patent number: 8947577
    Abstract: A barrel assembly includes a barrel, at least one lens group disposed in the barrel to move in an optical axis direction, an aperture disposed in the barrel that adjusts an amount of light passing through the at least one lens group; and a light adjustment unit disposed in the barrel to move in the optical axis direction and that blocks light passing through a peripheral area of the at least one lens group when the at least one lens group is in at least one part of a travel section along which the at least one lens group moves in the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoon-seok Kang
  • Publication number: 20150022712
    Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit configured to generate a moving-image signal by capturing an image of a subject formed by an imaging optical system, a focus adjustment information acquisition unit configured to acquire focus adjustment information related to human subjective focus adjustment, and a focus adjustment determination unit configured to determine behavior of the focus adjustment of the imaging unit using the focus adjustment information obtained by the focus adjustment information acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Natsumi KOISHI
  • Publication number: 20150022711
    Abstract: A photographing method, medium, and apparatus based on face detection in a portable camera. The portable photographing apparatus may include an image input unit that receives an image, a face detection unit that detects a face from the received image, a storage unit that stores the image detected by the face detection unit as a moving image in a first mode, and a quality evaluation unit that evaluates the quality of the image detected by the face detection unit and stores the same as a still image in a second mode upon satisfaction of predetermined conditions evaluated based on the quality evaluation of the still image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-bae KIM, Chan-min PARK, Eui-hyeon HWANG
  • Patent number: 8922703
    Abstract: A pixel selection unit sets an area based on a detection result of a contrast detection unit, in a case where it is determined that reliability of a focusing state detected by a phase difference detection unit is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kengo Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8922707
    Abstract: Imaging systems with image sensors and image processing circuitry are provided. The image processing circuitry may identify motion and perform autofocus (e.g., continuous autofocus) using images captured by an image sensor. Auto exposure metrics such as average luminance values and autofocus statistics such as sharpness scores may be calculated for each image. The auto exposure metrics may be used to calculate motion scores and identify directional motion between a series of captured images. The motion scores may be used with the sharpness scores to determine when to perform autofocus functions such as when to refocus a lens for a continuous autofocus application. For example, the motion scores may be monitored to identify motion that exceeds a given magnitude and duration. After identification of motion, motion scores and sharpness scores may be used to determine when a given scene has stabilized and when the lens should be refocused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Prajit Kulkarni, Sheng Lin, David R. Pope
  • Patent number: 8922721
    Abstract: A display apparatus and a control method thereof are provided The display apparatus includes: an image processor configured to process an image of content; a display configured to display the processed image of the content; a camera configured to capture an image of a remote controller; a storage configured to store information regarding a plurality of appearance states of the remote controller corresponding to user commands; and a controller configured to determine an appearance state from among the plurality of appearance states of the remote controller based on the image of remote controller captured by the camera, and control the display section to display the image of the content according to a user command corresponding to the determined appearance state of the remote controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-sung Jung, Nam-hyun Park, Hae-sung Park, Ri-na Shin, Hyung-ho Hwangbo
  • Patent number: 8913141
    Abstract: An image stabilization system applies a “pinned-edge” or “soft pinned edge” image stabilization technique to digital video to compensate for unwanted camera motion in a captured video. In these stabilization techniques, a warping function is applied to an image frame to achieve a non-uniform shifting of depicted points in the image frame such that a reference point is stabilized with respect to a reference frame. In pinned-edge image stabilization, the final stabilized output video has the same dimensions as the pre-stabilized input video captured by the image sensor. In soft pinned-edge image stabilization, the pre-stabilized input video has slightly larger dimensions than the stabilized output video but these larger dimensions are still reduced compared to traditional electronic image stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Patrick Campbell
  • Patent number: 8908086
    Abstract: Provided are a driving apparatus and an imaging device having the driving apparatus mounted thereon, the driving apparatus being capable of performing, with a simple configuration, driving in the Z-axis direction in addition to driving in a direction along the XY plane, reducing friction at the time of driving, and performing precise position holding at the time of stop. A driving apparatus includes: a frame, a contact body supported by the frame; a holder pressed against the contact body to be supported thereby; a VCM for relatively moving the frame in a direction along a support plane formed by the contact body; and a transducer for displacing, relative to the frame, the contact body in the Z-axis direction. When driving, the transducer causes the contact body to vibrate in the Z-axis direction so as to reduce a frictional force between the contact body and the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Sumio Kawai
  • Patent number: 8908107
    Abstract: A remote control system includes a remote control device and an electronic device. The remote control device includes an input element, a wireless transmitter to transmit an absolute coordinate signal and a motion signal and a control unit electrically connected to the input element and the wireless transmitter. The electronic device includes a wireless receiver and a display screen. The wireless receiver receives the absolute coordinate signal and the motion signal, and displays the absolute coordinate signal at the display screen via a cursor. When the electronic device does not receive the motion signal, the absolute coordinate signal is not operated on an application program of the electronic device. When the electronic device receives the motion signal, the absolute coordinate signal is operated on the application program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
    Inventor: Cheng-Shen Wu
  • Patent number: 8890997
    Abstract: An automatic focusing apparatus includes: a focus lens unit; a focus driver; a first focus detector that detects an in-focus state based on a phase difference; a second focus detector that detects an in-focus state using a signal from an image pickup element; a focus controller that controls the focus driver to perform focusing based on a first focus detection result and a second focus detection result; a movement detector that detects a movement of an object with components in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis based on an image signal obtained from the first focus detector; and a re-execution determination unit that determines whether to control the focus driver to re-execute focusing based on the first focus detection result and the second focus detection result that are newly detected after the execution of focusing and based on a movement detection result detected by the movement detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ryohei Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20140327810
    Abstract: Lh indicates the amount of image-surface movement of a photographic subject; Ls, a scan driving range; Lps, a scan driving range required to detect a peak; Li, the amount of initial position driving. Based on the speed of a photographic subject (inclination of a photographic-subject movement amount profile H), a body controlling unit sets Li as a driving amount and a driving direction of initial position driving in such a manner as to satisfy Lh<(Ls?Lps+Li), and performs initial position driving to move a focus lens, with the result that the profile H and a scan driving amount profile S of the focus lens intersect with each other within a section k4 where contrast AF is performed. Then, a scan driving operation is performed within the section k4, thereby detecting an in-focus position without fail regardless of the image-surface movement speed of the photographic subject (inclination of the profile H).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventors: Tetsuo KIKUCHI, Takeshi KINDAICHI
  • Publication number: 20140313373
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit for picking up an optical image of an object and generating image pickup data which can be refocused, a detection unit for detecting a focus state of the optical image of the object, a prediction unit for predicting an in-focus position of the optical image of the object on the basis of a detection result of the detection unit, and a focus adjustment unit for driving a focus lens on the basis of the in-focus position predicted by the prediction unit, wherein in a case where the imaging unit picks up a plurality of images from the object, the focus adjustment unit drives the focus lens to a position deviated from the in-focus position predicted by the prediction unit by a predetermined amount, and has a plurality of patterns of a position deviated by the predetermined amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Sugawara, Yuichi Ariga
  • Patent number: 8854544
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for controlling operation of an electronic device, such as a TV. The system includes a first sensor located at or near the electronic device and a second sensor spaced apart from the first sensor, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to detect motion of a user within an operating zone associated with the electronic device. A processor is coupled to the electronic device and the first and second sensors, the processor being configured to input a signal from the first and second sensors. Memory is coupled to the processor, the memory comprising a sensing algorithm configured to process the input signal from the first and second sensors and determine the location of the user with respect to the operating zone. The processor is configured to send a control command to the electronic device based on an output of the sensing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Ling Jun Wong
  • Patent number: 8830383
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a controller configured to perform an autofocus processing and an image pickup processing, the image pickup processing including a display of a live-view image, an exposure for recording of the image pickup element and a generation of a recording image from an image signal acquired by the exposure. The controller moves the image pickup element to a specific position closer to a center of the predetermined movable range of the image pickup element than the position of the image pickup element detected by the position detector, and subsequently performs a correction movement in which the focus lens moves so as to decrease generation of defocus for the image pickup element due to the movement of the image pickup element to the specific position after the exposure for recording before the display of the live-view image in the image pickup processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Hamano
  • Patent number: 8830393
    Abstract: Spatial or temporal interpolation may be performed upon source video content to create interpolated video content. A video signal including the interpolated video content and non-interpolated video content (e.g. the source video content) may be generated. At least one indicator for distinguishing the non-interpolated video content from the interpolated video content may also be generated. The video signal and indicator(s) may be passed from a video source device to a video sink device. The received indicator(s) may be used to distinguish the non-interpolated video content from the interpolated video content in the received video signal. The non-interpolated video content may be used to “redo” the interpolation or may be recorded to a storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventor: David Glen