Reliability Of Focus/distance Signal Patents (Class 396/104)
  • Patent number: 12010448
    Abstract: Provided are a sensor module including an event-driven vision sensor that includes a sensor array having a sensor that generates an event signal when the sensor detects a change in intensity of incident light, and an actuator connected to the sensor array and configured to displace the sensor array in a predetermined direction, and an electronic device having such a sensor module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Hiromasa Naganuma
  • Patent number: 11500266
    Abstract: A lens apparatus includes an imaging optical system, a storage unit configured to store aperture information about the imaging optical system, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the aperture information to an imaging apparatus, wherein the aperture information is determined based on a shape parameter representing a shape of an aperture which defines an outer edge of a light flux passing through the imaging optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Inagaki, Nobutaka Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11494884
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method are provided which quantifies sharpness of one or more areas in an image. The sharpness processing includes acquiring an image from an image capturing apparatus, obtaining an object information characterizing a position of an object within the captured image, and controlling, based on a sharpness of each of a plurality of regions identified within the captured image according to the object information, an unit such that a sharpness information representing a numeric value regarding a sharpness of the captured image is displayed with the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Kazunari Kawabata
  • Patent number: 11470706
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting device, a lighting system and a lighting method. The lighting device comprises a row of lighting units mounted in a first direction X on an elongated carrier wherein each lighting unit is mounted with a respective, fixed, unique, pre-determined orientation. Said lighting device is configured to directly project on a target plane P a row of light patches, said plane P extending in said first direction X and in a second direction Y transverse to said first direction. Said row of light patches extends in the second direction and wherein said lighting device is offset out of said plane P in a third direction Z. The lighting system comprises at least a first and at least one second lighting device substantially lying in line in the length direction. Optionally said first and at least one second lighting device may extend in two or three parallel rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SIGNIFY HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Michel Cornelis Josephus Marie Vissenberg, Lucas Leo Desire Van Der Poel, Martinus Petrus Creusen
  • Patent number: 11457148
    Abstract: A digital camera that corrects an image blur of a captured image by driving a shift lens group is provided. The digital camera determines a specified region of the captured image, and when a panning shot will be performed, the digital camera drives the shift lens group based on a movement of the specified region to execute control to correct an image blur for the specified region, and subsequently executes focus control for focusing on an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 11399130
    Abstract: A focus adjustment method comprising setting a first range including at least one AF area, or a second range including the first range, every time the defocus amount is detected, selecting the first range or the second range based on a focus target position of an AF area included in the second range, and a reference position, updating the reference position based on the plurality of focus target positions of AF areas included in the range that has been selected, and the reference position, and selecting an AF area used in the focus adjustment from the plurality of AF areas, based on the plurality of focus target positions of AF areas included in the range that has been selected, and the reference position that has been updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Hoshino, Tetsuo Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11272131
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a first photoelectric conversion unit that converts light incident through a first opening to an electric charge, a second photoelectric conversion unit that converts light incident through a second opening which is smaller than the first opening to an electric charge, and a signal output wiring that outputs a first signal generated by the electric charge converted by the first photoelectric conversion unit and a second signal generated by the electric charge converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit. The second photoelectric conversion unit is disposed between the second opening and the signal output wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hironobu Murata
  • Patent number: 11212430
    Abstract: An interchangeable lens that is removably attachable to a camera body, includes: a first clock receiving unit that receives a first clock from the camera body; a second clock transmitting unit that transmits a second clock to the camera body; a lens that drives by receiving a driving force from a first driving member; a diaphragm member that drives by receiving a driving force from a second driving member; a receiving unit that receives an instruction from the camera body synchronized with the first clock; a first transmitting unit that periodically transmits positional information on the lens in synchronization with the second clock, to the camera body; and a second transmitting unit that transmits a state of the diaphragm member based on the instruction in synchronization with the first clock, to the camera body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiko Kawai
  • Patent number: 11184518
    Abstract: A focusing method, a computer readable storage medium and a mobile phone are provided. The focusing method includes: acquiring an fv value corresponding to a current frame, when detecting that a rotation angular velocity value corresponding to the current frame is greater than a first threshold during a first scan configured to acquire a focusing area; compensating the fv value corresponding to the current frame to obtain a compensated fv value, when detecting that a difference between the focus value fv corresponding to the current frame and an fv value corresponding to a previous frame is greater than a second threshold; and focusing with the compensated fv value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaopeng Li
  • Patent number: 11175737
    Abstract: An electronic device comprising: a control unit performs control such that a selected position in a display is changed, wherein the control unit performs control such that the selected position is changed based on gazing at a first position in response to satisfaction of a viewed point condition corresponding to a fact that gazing at the first position at a first distance from the selected position has been performed for a first period, and the selected position is changed based on gazing at a second position in response to satisfaction of a viewed point condition corresponding to a fact that gazing at the second position at a second distance which is farther from the selected position than the first distance, has been performed for a second period shorter than the first period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichi Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 11163144
    Abstract: The present subject matter includes a method of focusing of an optical imaging apparatus. The method comprises causing illumination of an object using an illuminating beam to thereby cause generation of a scattered beam. A first set of luminous parameters are derived from a first detected position of a luminous representation formed by the scattered beam from the object. The illumination-beam is focused upon the object by triggering a movement of the object along an optical-axis in a first direction, the first direction being based a numerical-representation of the first set of luminous parameters. A second set of luminous parameters are derived from a second detected position of the luminous-representation of the object, the second detected position being related to the first detected position and the movement of the object. The focusing of the illumination beam is ceased based at-least on a numerical-representation of the second set of luminous parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: APPLEJACK 199 L.P.
    Inventors: Mihail Mihaylov, Wojciech J Walecki, Jae Ryu
  • Patent number: 11025868
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging apparatus including an imaging unit that captures a moving image and a communication unit that performs wireless communication. The imaging apparatus further includes a control unit that controls an imaging function and a transmission function for transmitting an image signal indicating a captured image that has been captured, on the basis of a time setting set in advance. The control unit at least controls switching between a standby state where the imaging function is not working and an operating state where the imaging function is working, based on the time setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ryunosuke Oda, Takeshi Harada
  • Patent number: 11022858
    Abstract: A disclosed apparatus includes a plurality of camera units. Control logic, operatively coupled to each camera unit, is operative to perform a parallax operation using at least two image frames from at least two camera units to determine a common focus distance, subsequent to completing independent auto-focus operations and respective lens position adjustments for the at least two camera units. The control logic provides a control signal to at least one of the camera units to adjust its actuator to adjust lens position in response to the determined common focus distance. A test procedure is used to map focus distance to lens position for each camera unit and to generate a lookup table. The control logic uses the lookup table unique to each camera unit to adjust the lens settings according to the determined common focus distance. The parallax operation is iterated until the common focus distance converges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
    Inventors: By-Her W. Richards, Sean C. Kelly, Kevin W. Johnson
  • Patent number: 10929960
    Abstract: A method and an image processing device for detecting a portion of an image that is dominated by infrared (IR) light of at least one predetermined IR wavelength are disclosed. A set of phase pixel values for setting focus in the image is obtained. Each of the phase pixel values is compared to a first threshold related to phase shift occurring due to difference between at least a wavelength of the first colour component and said at least one predetermined IR wavelength. Moreover, in case a phase pixel value satisfies the first threshold, it is determined that the respective location associated with said phase pixel value is included in the portion of the image that is dominated by the IR light. A computer program and a computer program carrier are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: AXIS AB
    Inventor: Per Wilhelmsson
  • Patent number: 10904425
    Abstract: A camera controller controls driving of a focus lens included in a lens group based on a result of first focus detection performed by a defocus amount detection unit. The defocus amount detection unit performs second focus detection based on image data acquired by a first image sensor which outputs image data corresponding to a subject image at a position of the focus lens that is based on the control. The camera controller evaluates, based on a result of the second focus detection, a focusing state of the image data that is based on an output of the first image sensor, and performs control to record information about the evaluated focusing state together with data corresponding to the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Kawarada
  • Patent number: 10839264
    Abstract: Scalable feature classification for 3D point cloud data is provided. In one aspect, a method for rasterizing 3D point cloud data includes: obtaining the 3D point cloud data; generating a digital elevation model (DEM) from the 3D point cloud data; decomposing the DEM into local and global fluctuations to obtain a local DEM; generating geo-referenced shapes by automatically thresholding the local DEM; cropping and normalizing the local DEM using minimum bounding boxes derived from the geo-referenced shapes and manual annotations from subject matter experts to create a cropped DEM; and linking geo-spatially tagged labels from the subject matter experts to the cropped DEM. These data can be then directly fed into a system having an ensemble of artificial neural networks. By way of example, a scalable ecosystem is presented on the basis of the geo-spatial platform IBM PAIRS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Conrad M. Albrecht, Sharathchandra Pankanti, Marcus O. Freitag, Hendrik F. Hamann
  • Patent number: 10834309
    Abstract: Based on information corresponding to a state of an object at a first time, information corresponding to the state of the object at a second time after the first time is estimated. The information corresponding to the state of the object at the second time is calculated by correcting the estimated information corresponding to the state of the object at the second time based on a focus detection result detected by a focus detection unit at the second time. Based on the information corresponding to the state of the object at the second time and information of time from the second time to a third time after the second time, an image plane position at the third time is predicted. Based on the image plane position predicted by a first prediction unit, driving of a focus lens is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kuniaki Sugitani, Yasuyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10657657
    Abstract: A method of detecting a change in angular position of a camera. A plurality of frames captured by the camera is received, each frame being associated with brightness and acceleration metadata. The brightness metadata is associated with a frame being representative of brightness of a scene captured by the frame. A contiguous set of candidate panning motion frames is selected from the plurality of frames, based on similarity of acceleration characteristics, to determine a change of brightness metadata in the selected contiguous set of frames. An angular movement score is determined for the selected contiguous set of frames using the change of brightness metadata. A change in the angular position of the camera is detected based on the angular movement score to adjust a manner in which the plurality of frames is displayed by a display device coupled with the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: David Ian Johnston
  • Patent number: 10578830
    Abstract: There are provided an imaging device, a focusing control method, and a focusing control program which are capable of realizing focusing control at a high speed with high accuracy. A digital camera includes an imaging element 5 that has pixels including phase-difference detecting pixels 52A and 52B and images a subject through an imaging optical system including a focus lens, and a system controller 11 that selectively performs focusing control using a phase difference AF method or focusing control using a contrast AF method in a mode in which focusing control for focusing on a main subject by driving the focus lens is continuously performed multiple times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 10545312
    Abstract: Light quantity information of an imaging optical system is acquired according to a focus detection position in an imaging screen. Conversion is performed from the light quantity information and a first aperture value of the imaging optical system, so that the first aperture value is converted into a second aperture value according to the focus detection position. A conversion coefficient is set according to the second aperture value and an exit pupil distance. A correction value to correct output signals from an imaging unit is obtained according to the second aperture value and an exit pupil distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Yuki Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 10546402
    Abstract: [Object] To provide an information processing system capable of transmitting a message with a state of a user at the time of inputting the message, to another user. [Solution] The information processing system includes: a message acquisition unit configured to acquire messages input by users; a related information acquisition unit configured to use an imaging device and acquire information related to the user who has input the message; and a control unit configured to control information processing to transmit the input message on the basis of the information related to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masashi Nakata
  • Patent number: 10455141
    Abstract: An auto-focus method including at a same moment, collecting a first image of a first object using a first image shooting unit, collecting a second image of the first object using a second image shooting unit, calculating M pieces of first depth information of M same feature point pairs in corresponding areas in the first image and the second image, determining whether confidence of the M pieces of first depth information is greater than a threshold, obtaining focusing depth information according to N pieces of first depth information in the IM pieces of first depth information when the confidence of the M pieces of first depth information is greater than the threshold, obtaining a target position of a first lens of the first image shooting unit according to the focusing depth information, and controlling the first lens to move to the target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng Du, Jin Wu, Wei Luo, Bin Deng
  • Patent number: 10416430
    Abstract: The present subject matter includes a method of focusing of an optical imaging apparatus. The method comprises causing illumination of an object using an illuminating beam to thereby cause generation of a scattered beam. A first set of luminous parameters are derived from a first detected position of a luminous representation formed by the scattered beam from the object. The illumination-beam is focused upon the object by triggering a movement of the object along an optical-axis in a first direction, the first direction being based a numerical-representation of the first set of luminous parameters. A second set of luminous parameters are derived from a second detected position of the luminous-representation of the object, the second detected position being related to the first detected position and the movement of the object. The focusing of the illumination beam is ceased based at-least on a numerical-representation of the second set of luminous parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: APPLEJACK 199 L.P.
    Inventors: Wojciech J Walecki, Mihail Mihaylov, Jae Ryu
  • Patent number: 10326924
    Abstract: A focus detection apparatus comprising: a focus detection unit that detects an in-focus position using an image signal obtained by an image sensor photoelectrically converting light that has entered via an imaging optical system; a first acquisition unit that acquires aberration information of the imaging optical system; a generating unit that generates a recording image using the image signal; a calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of the aberration information, a correction value for correcting a difference between the in-focus position detected by the focus detection unit and a position to be focused on in the recording image; and a correction unit that corrects the in-focus position using the correction value. The calculation unit calculates the correction value on the basis of information of a display unit that displays an image based on the image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yumi Takao
  • Patent number: 10310213
    Abstract: One or more lens control apparatuses, methods and storage mediums for use therewith are provided herein. In a third mode where a camera control unit performs control in such a manner as to drive a focus lens at a preset speed, if the camera control unit has determined that a subject is a moving subject, when the camera control unit determines that the subject is in focus, a transition is made to a second mode where a drive speed of the focus lens is variably controlled on a basis of the amount of defocus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyasu Hongu
  • Patent number: 10200591
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first phase difference detector configured to detect two phase differences in a range that contains a phase difference that provides the highest correlation between a pair of image signals, a comparator configured to compare a signal representative of a matching degree when the pair of image signals have a first phase difference among the two phase differences, and a signal representative of a matching degree when the pair of image signals have a second phase difference among the two phase differences, a signal separator configured to separate a pair of signal components relating to a specific object from the pair of image signals, based on a comparison result by the comparator, and a second phase difference detector configured to detect a phase difference that provides the highest correlation between the pair of signal components separated by the signal separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10148925
    Abstract: A projector includes a projection optical system adapted to project an image on a screen, a lens drive section adapted to perform a focus adjustment in accordance with an operation, a shooting section adapted to shoot the screen, an evaluation value calculation section adapted to calculate an evaluation value used to evaluate contrast of a shot image of the shooting section, and a display control section adapted to make the projection lens project an image, which corresponds to a difference between the evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation section after the focus adjustment and a maximum value of the evaluation values having been calculated by the evaluation value calculation section before the focus adjustment, on the screen in a case in which the lens drive section has performed the focus adjustment in accordance with the operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Nakashin
  • Patent number: 10148862
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus of the present invention includes a display unit that displays an image obtained from an image capturing unit, the image capturing unit being a plenoptic image capturing unit capable of acquiring multi-viewpoint images having different viewpoints is provided. The image capturing apparatus includes: a disparity amount deriving unit that derives a disparity amount of the multi-viewpoint images in relation to a subject; a focus area specifying unit that specifies a subject area in which the derived disparity amount is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold as a focus area; and a display control unit that displays the specified focus area on the display unit in a manner different from an area other than the focus area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuhiko Tamura
  • Patent number: 10142550
    Abstract: A method for controlling an imaging system comprising a variable focal length (VFL) lens having first and second operating resonant frequencies, a lens controller, and a camera is disclosed. The first frequency provides a larger optical power variation and large focus range, at the expense of aberration in the imaging system. The second frequency provides a smaller optical power variation and small focus range, but provides low aberration in the imaging system. The method comprises: providing an extended focus range demand to the lens controller and, in response, configuring the lens controller to operate the VFL lens at the first resonant frequency (e.g., to provide a large autofocus search range). The method further comprises: providing an accurate image demand signal to the lens controller and, in response, configuring the lens controller to operate the VFL lens at the second resonant frequency (e.g., to provide low aberration images).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Gerard Gladnick
  • Patent number: 10116808
    Abstract: A moving amount detector that sets a movable member included in a device of a mounting destination or an object conveyed by the device as a detection target and detects a moving amount of the detection target includes: an imaging unit that repeatedly captures images of the detection target at a constant sampling period while the detection target moves; and a moving amount calculating unit that selects two images to be compared with each other among a series of images of the detection target captured by the imaging unit such that an imaging time difference between the two images is increased as a difference due to moving of the detection target is further generated between the two images and calculates a moving amount of the detection target based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Takaki Kato, Masayuki Fukunaga, Yuji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10116857
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a focus detection unit that detects a defocus amount using the pair of parallax image signals; a control unit that controls adjustment of a focus position based on the defocus amount; a first determination unit that determines whether a subject with a repetitive pattern is being imaged in a focus detection area; and a second determination unit that determines whether a degree of image blurring is equal to or more than a predetermined degree of blurring. When the first determination unit determines that a subject with a repetitive pattern is being imaged and the second determination unit determines that a degree of image blurring is equal to or more than the predetermined degree of blurring, the control unit moves a focus lens to acquire a new defocus amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoki Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10072977
    Abstract: To shorten the length of an electric wiring between a capacitor and a PD, and to improve high frequency characteristics. An optical module of the present invention includes a light receiving element disposed at such a position that light from an optical transmission path is received on a light receiving surface in a state that the light receiving surface faces the optical transmission path; a spacer jointed to the optical transmission path and to the light receiving element in such a manner that a gap between the optical transmission path and the light receiving element is kept at a predetermined distance that light from the optical transmission path is allowed to enter the light receiving surface; and a capacitor electrically connected to the light receiving element, and disposed along with the light receiving element on a surface of the spacer on the same side as that joined to the light receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Taro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 10068079
    Abstract: A biometric image output control method in a biometric authentication device comprises the step of generating a biometric image by imaging an living body to be authenticated; determining whether an imaging environment; if the imaging environment satisfies a predetermined recognition condition, controlling a change rate of a size of a biometric image, a change rate of a focal point of the biometric image and a change rate of a brightness of the biometric image according to a distance to the living body to be authenticated; and if the imaging environment does not satisfy the predetermined recognition condition, overly controlling at least one of the change rate of the size of the biometric image, the change rate of the focal point of the biometric image and the change rate of the brightness of the biometric image according to the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: SUPREMA HQ INC.
    Inventors: Hyeonchang Lee, Hochul Shin, Kideok Lee, Jae Won Lee, Bong Seop Song
  • Patent number: 10048380
    Abstract: A distance-measuring imaging device includes: a drive control unit; a light source unit; an image processing unit including light receiving units and charge reading units arranged one-to-one; and an image processing unit. The charge reading units are arranged partly at the left side of corresponding ones of the light receiving units and partly at the right side of corresponding ones of the same. In each of a period in which the exposure is performed when the exposure control signal is received after a first delay time since when the light emission control signal is received and a period in which the exposure is performed when the exposure control signal is received after a second delay time longer than the first delay time, since when the light emission control signal is received, the left-side charge reading units read charge leftward, and the right-side charge reading units read charge rightward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Yarino, Toshiya Fujii, Mitsuhiko Otani, Haruka Takano
  • Patent number: 10015388
    Abstract: A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tiejun Dai, Eiichi Funatsu, Donghui Wu, Zheng Yang, Xiao Xie
  • Patent number: 10014336
    Abstract: An imager may include depth sensing pixels that provide an asymmetrical angular response to incident light. The depth sensing pixels may each include a substrate region formed from a photosensitive portion and a non-photosensitive portion. The depth sensing pixels may include mechanisms that prevent regions of the substrate from receiving incident light. Depth sensing pixel pairs may be formed from depth sensing pixels that have different asymmetrical angular responses. Each of the depth sensing pixel pairs may effectively divide the corresponding imaging lens into separate portions. Depth information for each depth sensing pixel pair may be determined based on the difference between output signals of the depth sensing pixels of that depth sensing pixel pair. The imager may be formed from various combinations of depth sensing pixel pairs and color sensing pixel pairs arranged in a Bayer pattern or other desired patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gennadiy Agranov, Dongqing Cao, Junichi Nakamura, Richard Scott Johnson
  • Patent number: 9990733
    Abstract: In an object tracking device that obtains image data, detects an object, and tracks a target object, a matching unit collates image data of a characteristic model that represents a tracking object, which is a tracking target, with input image data, and outputs a candidate region of the tracking object. An object region determination unit determines an object region from the candidate region that is output by the matching unit. A depth map calculation unit calculates depth information relating to the input image. An object depth setting unit obtains the object region that has been determined by the object region determination unit in the past and the depth information that has been calculated by the depth map calculation unit, and sets a predetermined depth range where the object can exist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryosuke Tsuji
  • Patent number: 9986184
    Abstract: An image sensor includes phase difference detection pixels including first group pixels each having a first shield region deviated at one side and second group pixels each having a second shield region deviated at the other side, and image detection pixels arranged in a lattice pattern together with the phase difference detection pixels. The phase difference detection pixels include a first pixel group configured such that an area of the first shield region is equal to that of the second shield region, a second pixel group configured such that the area of the first shield region is equal to or greater than that of the second shield region, and a third pixel group configured such that the area of the first shield region is equal to or less than that of the second shield region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eun Sung Seo, Yu Kyeong Jeong
  • Patent number: 9942460
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including a camerawork determination unit configured to determine camerawork at a time of imaging and set a determination start timing of a main subject in image data on the basis of the determination, and a main subject determination unit configured to determine the main subject among subjects contained in the image data from the image data from the determination start timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaya Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9883164
    Abstract: The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for optimizing usage of image sensors in a stereoscopic environment. The method includes: (a) providing a first image sensor, where the first image sensor is associated with a first image sensor area and a first imaging area; (b) determining a distance from the camera to an object to be captured; and (c) shifting the first imaging area along a length of the first image sensor area, where the amount of the shifting is based at least partially on the distance from the camera to the object, and where the first imaging area can shift along an entire length of the first image sensor area. The invention optimizes usage of an image sensor by permitting an increase in disparity control. Additionally, the invention reduces the closest permissible distance of an object to be captured using a stereoscopic camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Inc.
    Inventor: Mats Wernersson
  • Patent number: 9852338
    Abstract: It is an objective of the present invention to provide a biometric imaging device comprising an optical lens component for performing optical imaging (including static image and dynamic image) on a biometric of a region of interest; an image sensor for converting an optical image of said biometric into an electronic image (including static image and dynamic image); and a micromotor controller for acquiring, delivering, or analyzing image quality information of the electronic image, analyzing in real time the definition of the image according to the image quality information of the electronic image, and feeding back said information in real time so as to adjust the optical lens component to perform autofocus control of the biometric of the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: EYESMART TECHNOLOGY LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaopeng Wang
  • Patent number: 9787889
    Abstract: An image sensor may include an image pixel array with both image pixels to gather image data and phase detection pixels to gather phase information. The image sensor may dynamically group the phase detection pixels into focus zones. Based on the characteristics of the scene being imaged and the use settings of the image sensor, the image sensor may determine the size, shape, and number of focus zones to be grouped. One or more focus zones may then be used to gather phase information data. The focus zones may vary in size and shape across the pixel array. A scene with low illumination level may result in larger focus zones with more phase detection pixels to ensure reliable phase information data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Richard Scott Johnson
  • Patent number: 9762803
    Abstract: A focal point detection device according to the present invention comprising: an image sensor having an imaging pixel and a focal point detection pixel; a camera-shake preventing section which moves the image sensor in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographic lens to correct camera shake and also outputs information on the movement of the image sensor; a calculation section to calculate a focal point adjustment signal, based on the output of the focal point detection pixel; a memory to store a correction value for correcting the focal point adjustment signal, depending on the image height position of the focal point detection pixel; and a correction section to correct the focal point adjustment signal, depending on the output of the memory, the information output by the camera-shake preventing section, and the position of the focal point detection pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa Kunugi, Kazumi Ito, Tetsuo Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9667878
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image sensor; a selection unit that selects one of a first mode in which the electric signal output from the image sensor is not output as a visible image and a second mode in which the electric signal output from the image sensor is output as a visible image; a photometry unit that performs photometry based on an electric signal output from the image sensor; a focus detection unit that performs focus detection based on the electric signal output from the image sensor; and control unit that controls a charge accumulation period such that a minimum accumulation period is set to a first period if the first mode has been selected, and to a second period that is greater than or equal to the first period if the second mode has been selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirokazu Ishii
  • Patent number: 9591205
    Abstract: The focus control apparatus drives a focus element by following drive amounts: when a reliability of a phase difference focus detection is higher than a first reliability and a defocus amount is larger than a first defocus amount, a first drive amount that is smaller than a phase difference in-focus drive amount by a first non-drive amount; when the reliability is higher than the first reliability and the defocus amount is smaller than the first defocus amount, the phase difference in-focus drive amount; and when the reliability is lower than the first reliability and higher than a second reliability and the defocus amount is larger than a second defocus amount, a second drive amount that is smaller than the phase difference in-focus drive amount by a second non-drive amount. The apparatus drives the focus element, in other cases, by using the contrast evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keisuke Kudo
  • Patent number: 9571746
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of obtaining a high AF accuracy while reducing unnecessary power consumption and a release delay when photographing while detecting a focusing state using auxiliary light. The image pickup apparatus is capable of mounting a light emission device with which a first light emitting section of which an irradiation direction can be changed with respect to a body of the light emission device and a second light emitting section of which an irradiation direction is fixed to the body are provided. An obtaining unit obtains information about the irradiation direction of the first light emitting section. A control unit controls one of the first light emitting section and the second light emitting section on the basis of the information about the irradiation direction obtained as a light emitting section for irradiating with auxiliary light at the time when the focus detection unit performs focus detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yutaka Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9549116
    Abstract: A focus adjustment device has an image sensor for forming a subject image using light flux that has been received through a photographing lens, and generating image signals, and executes focus adjustment based on the image signals. This focus adjustment device comprises a focus detection region setting section for setting a plurality of focus detection regions of differing sizes, within a region in which an image is formed by the image sensor, a determination section, for detecting contrast of image signals within focus detection regions respectively relating to the plurality of focus detection regions, and determining change of a subject based on amount of change of the contrast and temporal change in amount of change of the contrast, and a control section for, in a case where the determination section has determined that there is subject change when a focus adjustment operation is stopped, starting the focus adjustment operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 9466114
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods, devices, and non-transitory computer readable media that relate to stereoscopic image creation. A camera captures an initial image at an initial position. A target displacement from the initial position is determined for a desired stereoscopic effect, and an instruction is provided that specifies a direction in which to move the camera from the initial position. While the camera is in motion, an estimated displacement from the initial position is calculated. When the estimated displacement corresponds to the target displacement, the camera automatically captures a candidate image. An acceptability analysis is performed to determine whether the candidate image has acceptable image quality and acceptable similarity to the initial image. If the candidate image passes the acceptability analysis, a stereoscopic image is created based on the initial and candidate images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Huang, Samuel Kvaalen, Peter Bradshaw
  • Patent number: 9420161
    Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus is configured to capture an image of an object, an object. The image-capturing apparatus includes a focus lens, an image sensor configured to capture an object image of the object to produce image data, and a controller. The controller is operable to detect a speed at which the image-capturing apparatus is panned, and determine, in response to the detected speed, a control amount corresponding to a moving speed at which the controller moves the focus lens until causing the focus lens to focusing on a target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Motonori Ogura
  • Patent number: 9420159
    Abstract: A digital photographing apparatus includes: an image pickup lens; an image pickup device that generates an image signal; an iris that controls an amount of the light transmitted through the image pickup lens; a shutter that controls exposure; a focus detector that detects focus using light transmitted through a predetermined exit pupil region of the lens; and a timing unit that controls a time for closing and/or opening the shutter, when the image pickup device outputs image information, where regardless of the time for closing and/or opening the shutter, the focus detector detects a focus when the iris has an iris value for ensuring transmission of a light flux used to detect the focus, after the exposure is finished. To precisely perform auto focus (AF), the digital photographing apparatus performs continuous AF or simultaneously displays a live view in consideration of timing for adjusting the iris and timing for controlling the shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masataka Hamada