Motorola Mobility LLC

Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Motorola Corporation

Apple Inc.

Google Technology Holdings LLC

Kevin W Johnson

Dongxue Wang

By-Her W Richards

Boyd Fowler

Fan He

Zhiming Zhuang

Sean C Kelly

Duli Mao

Dyson Hsinchih Tai

Sohei Manabe

Keiji Mabuchi

Roger W Harmon

Victor Manuel Tiscareno

Lindsay Alexander Grant

Zhiqiang Lin

Chien-Hui Wen

John Christopher Pincenti

Andreas Suess

Eiichi Funatsu

Sen Yang

Xianmin Yi

Michael W Frenzer

Philip John Cizdziel

Eric Webster

Cindy H Lawrence

Paul J Smith

Jens Landgraf

Amit Mittra

Jingming Yao

Tomas Geurts

Devang Patel

An image sensor comprises: a control block generating a video interface enabled signal, a video interface for receiving the video interface enabled signal, a pixel array for providing a video stream to the video interface, an output port for receiving the video stream from the video interface and outputting the video stream to outside of the image sensor, a stream indicator pin for receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block when the video interface is receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block, where a terminal of the video interface receiving the video interface enabled signal is connected to the stream indicator pin by a conductor, and they are sealed in a package of the image sensor.

Camera having video stream indicator

Multiple read image sensors, and associated methods for the same, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method comprises reading out a reset level from a pixel to a corresponding sample and hold circuit; storing the reset level to a first storage device and to a second storage device of the sample and hold circuit; reading out a signal level from the pixel to the sample and hold circuit; and storing the signal level to a third storage device and to a fourth storage device of the sample and hold circuit. The reset level and the signal level can correspond to a same correlated double sampling of an image data signal captured by the pixel. The method can further include reading out the reset level from the first storage device; reading out the signal level from the third storage device; and recovering a first copy of the image data signal.

Multiple read image sensors, and associated methods for the same

A sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to receive light and convert the light into charge, and a first floating diffusion coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge. A second floating diffusion is coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge, and a first transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the second floating diffusion, and an inductor is coupled between a first gate terminal of the first transfer transistor and a second gate terminal of the second transfer transistor. The inductor, the first gate terminal, and the second gate terminal form a resonant circuit.

Sensor comprising gate modulation with inductor to form a resonant circuit

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.

Multiple camera apparatus and method for synchronized autofocus

A digital widescreen camera has an anamorphic lens focusing a field of view nearly twice as wide as tall on a photosensor array having nearly square aspect ratio. In embodiments, the photosensor array has an 8-pixel tiling unit organized as four pairs of adjacent left and right pixels, a first pair having two red-responsive pixels, a second pair having two blue-responsive pixels, and a third pair having two green-responsive pixels. In embodiments, signals from the 8-pixel tiling unit are processed into signals equivalent to signals from two adjacent Bayer-pattern 4-pixel tiling units. The corresponding method of digital photography includes receiving light through an anamorphic lens onto a photosensor array. In embodiments, the photosensor array has an eight-pixel tiling with four pairs of adjacent left and right pixels, a first pair with two red-responsive pixels, a second pair with two blue-responsive pixels, and a third pair with two green-responsive pixels.

Camera and method with widescreen image on nearly-square aspect ratio photosensor array

A display system includes a processor coupled to receive image data from an image source and a frame timing circuit. The processor is coupled to output the image data and first sync signals, where each one of the first sync signals is output after M number of pixel values of the image data are output from the processor. The frame timing circuit is coupled to the processor to receive the image data and the first sync signals. The frame timing circuit is coupled to output X number of pixel values of the image data and second sync signals to a display, where the X number of pixel values is an integer multiple of the M number of pixel values of the image data. Each one of the second sync signals is output after X number of pixel values of the image data are output from the frame timing circuit.

Frame timing

In embodiments of dual camera system zoom notification, a dual camera system includes a first imager and a second imager that are designed to support synthetic optical zoom of a scene. A camera controller is implemented to determine that the synthetic optical zoom is not supported to capture an image of the scene with the dual camera system. The camera controller can then initiate a message for a user of the dual camera system to indicate that the synthetic optical zoom is not supported to capture the image of the scene. The message can be displayed to indicate that the synthetic optical zoom is not supported and/or to indicate that digital zoom is activated. A user can also be provided with selectable options that enable the user to decide the zoom operation when the dual camera system is not operational for synthetic optical zoom.

Dual camera system zoom notification

An apparatus includes a plurality of camera units where each camera unit has a lens, a sensor that can detect at least three colors, and camera unit calibration data for each camera unit is stored in non-volatile, non-transitory memory. The apparatus also includes multi-camera auto white balance synchronization logic that is operatively coupled to each camera unit. The multi-camera auto white balance synchronization logic is operative to determine common white balance results based on the camera unit white balance results per frame and the camera calibration data. The common white balance results are provided to image signal processing pipelines such that a merged frame can be obtained by combining the frames of each camera after performing white balance and color correction using the common white balance results.

Multiple camera apparatus and method for synchronized auto white balance

Systems and methods for receiving infrared data with a camera designed to detect images based on visible light are provided. A system can include a camera and image processing circuitry electrically coupled to the camera. The image processing circuitry can determine whether each image detected by the camera includes an infrared signal with encoded data. If the image processing circuitry determines that an image includes an infrared signal with encoded data, the circuitry may route at least a portion of the image (e.g., the infrared signal) to circuitry operative to decode the encoded data. If the image processing circuitry determines that an image does not include an infrared signal with encoded data, the circuitry may route the image to a display or storage. Images routed to the display or storage can then be used as individual pictures or frames in a video because those images do not include any effects of infrared light communications.

Systems and methods for receiving infrared data with a camera designed to detect images based on visible light

An auto-focus camera () can include a lens (), a sensor () for detecting an image from the lens, a first liquid crystal layer () between the lens and the sensor, and a second liquid crystal layer () between the lens and the sensor and further orthogonally aligned to the first liquid crystal layer. The auto-focus camera can further include an integrated circuit programmed to drive the first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer. The auto-focus camera can include a controller () programmed to control two orthogonally aligned liquid crystal layers. The liquid crystal layers can serve as an optical anti-alias filter using birefringence properties of the liquid crystal layers. The first liquid crystal layer and the second liquid crystal layer can be orthogonally aligned to achieve polarization insensitive operation of the auto-focus camera.

Method and apparatus for auto-focus using liquid crystal adaptive optics

An electronic optical zoom system () includes a first lens assembly () and a second lens assembly (). The first lens assembly () and the second lens assembly () may be adjacently disposed or concentrically disposed. The first lens assembly () and second lens assembly (), in one embodiment, have different magnification configurations. An image sensor () captures electronic images of a subject (). Optical zoom capability is achieved by an alterable electronic optical device (), such as a switchable mirror (). The alterable electronic optical device () selectively redirects received light between a first optical path () from a reflective surface () to a second optical path () from the alterable electronic optical device () depending upon the state of the alterable electronic optical device (). The electronic optical zoom system () thereby provides optical zoom capabilities in a compact package without the need for physically moving lens assemblies.

Compact stationary lens optical zoom image capture system

An image capture system is configured to automatically focus upon an object () electronically, without moving mechanical parts. In one embodiment, a focal length alteration device (), examples of which include an electronically switchable mirror () or an interference layer (), is disposed between a lens assembly () and a reflective surface (). The focal length alteration device () is configured to alter the distance light travels from the lens assembly () to the image sensor (). In another embodiment, a light redirection device (), such as a phase shifting mirror (), is configured to alter phases of various polarizations of light. An image processing circuit () then resolves images into a single, focused, composite image ().

Image capture device with electronic focus

A camera-movement compensation device includes a first liquid-crystal cell with a pair of parallel transparent plates and a first voltage source coupled to the first liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a first voltage gradient across the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell. The device also includes a second liquid-crystal cell having a pair of parallel transparent plates and disposed so that each of the plates of the second liquid-crystal cell is parallel to the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell and in light communication with at least one wave of light passing through the plates of the first liquid-crystal cell, a second voltage source coupled to the second liquid-crystal cell and able to apply and alter a second voltage gradient across the surfaces of the second liquid-crystal cell, and a movement detector coupled to the voltage sources to alter the slope of the voltage gradients in proportion to a movement.

Device and method for reducing optical blurring

Miniature camera lenses () include in order an object side () to the image side () a first double concave lens (), a lens group including first convergent meniscus lens (), a first double convex lens (), a second convergent meniscus lens (), a second double concave lens (), a second double convex lens (), and a divergent meniscus lens (). The lenses () feature a field of view of about fifty six degrees, low distortion, a relatively long back focal distance, and a relatively low F-number.

Miniature digital camera lens

An electronic device () and a method for use thereof having an integral camera () for taking pictures from multiple sides of the electronic device. The electronic device () has a case () and a moveable assembly () for allowing the camera () to capture images from multiple angles with respect to the case depending on the position of the moveable assembly (). A lens () may be used to correct or adjust the image. The camera () or electronic device electronics may be used to reverse an image when an odd number of mirrors (), () are used to direct light to the camera ().

Growing community of inventors

Mundelein, IL, United States of America

Kevin W Johnson