Qualcomm Incorporated

Ying Chen Lou

Ruben Manuel Velarde

Sanket Krishnamurthy Sagar

Hengzhou Ding

Shizhong Liu

Venkata Ravi Kiran Dayana

Karthikeyan Shanmugavadivelu

Leung Chun Chan

Narayana Karthik Sadanandam Ravirala

Hung-Hsin Wu

Adarsh Abhay Golikeri

Liang Liang

Methods and imaging devices are disclosed for reducing defocus events occurring during autofocus search operations. For example, one method includes capturing a plurality of frames depicting a scene with an imaging device, selecting a portion of the scene of at least one frame that corresponds to an object of the scene, and detecting a change in the scene. The method further includes detecting a distance between the object and the imaging device for each of the plurality of frames, determining a lens position for each frame based on the determined distance of each frame and moving a lens toward the lens position of each frame while the scene continuously changes. The method also includes determining the scene is stable and initiating an autofocus search operation based on the determination that the scene is stable.

Methods and apparatus for defocus reduction using laser autofocus

An apparatus includes an initializer configured to adjust one or more settings of a camera prior to initialization of the camera. The one or more settings are adjusted based on an indication of motion detected using at least one measurement performed by a sensor device. The apparatus further includes a processing device configured to execute a camera application to initialize the camera after adjustment of the one or more settings.

Sensor-based camera initialization

Method and systems for autofocus triggering focusing are disclosed herein. In one example, a system may include a lens, a memory component configured to store lens parameters of the lens and regions of focus corresponding to the lens parameters, and a processor coupled to the memory and the lens. The processor may be configured to focus the lens on a target object at a first instance of time, receive information indicative of distances from an imaging device to the target object over a period of time, obtain lens parameters of the lens, and determine a region of focus, and trigger the lens to re-focus on the target object if the distance to the target object indicates the target object is outside of the region of focus and the distance to the target object is unchanged for a designated time period.

Systems and methods for autofocus trigger

This application relates to capturing an image of a target object using information from a time-of-flight sensor. In one aspect, a method may include a time-of-flight (TOF) system configured to emit light and sense a reflection of the emitted light and may determine a return energy based on the reflection of the emitted light. The method may measure a time between when the light is emitted and when the reflection is sensed and may determine a distance between the target object and the TOF system based on that time. The method may also identify a reflectance of the target object based on the return energy and may determine an exposure level based on a distance between the target object and a reflectance of the target object.

Methods and apparatus for performing exposure estimation using a time-of-flight sensor

Systems and methods described herein can adjust a search range generated by a camera using depth-assisted autofocus based in part on measuring focus values in a first search range. For example, in some embodiments, a method includes estimating a depth of an object to be captured in an image, determining a first range of lens positions based at least in part on the estimating, moving the lens of the camera to a plurality of lens positions within the first range of lens positions, capturing a plurality of images, the plurality of images being captured at one or more of the plurality of lens positions, generating one or more focus values based on the plurality of images, and determining one or more additional lens positions or a second range of lens positions based at least in part on the one or more focus values.

Search range extension for depth assisted autofocus

A method includes determining, at an image processor, a first time period associated with processing a first frame of an image captured via an image sensor. The method also includes extending a frame time for processing the first frame by a second time period. The second time period is based at least in part on an amount of permitted focus value contamination for processing the first frame, and the frame time includes the first time period and the second time period.

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Escondido, CA, United States of America

Ying Chen Lou