| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 348367000 | Periodic shuttering | 29 |
| 20090128685 | Camera Chip, Camera and Method for Image Recording - The invention relates to a camera chip (C) for image acquisition. It is characterized in that pixel groups (P | 05-21-2009 |
| 20100157140 | METHOD OF ECONOMIZING POWER IN IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM USING THE METHOD - A method of operating an image pickup system includes generating a first control signal in response to a long duration exposure mode selectively input by a user, setting circuits to process image data associated with modes other than long duration exposure mode to a standby mode in response to the first control signal, generating a second control signal when the standby mode has been established, opening a shutter in response to the second control signal, and performing a long duration exposure to accumulate a charge corresponding to an optical signal incident on an image sensor of the image pickup system when the shutter is open. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100225801 | DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A digital image processing apparatus that detects a moving object included in an input image, establishes a shutter speed according to an amount of movement of the moving object, and performs a capturing operation based on the established shutter speed, and a method of controlling the digital image processing apparatus are provided. The method includes: receiving an input image; detecting a moving object in the input image; measuring an amount of movement of the moving object; and establishing a shutter time for a capturing operation according to the amount of movement of the moving object and according to at least one of: an established file size of an image to be captured or an established image size of the image to be captured. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20110025906 | Solid State Shutter Devices and Methods - Disclosed are methods and devices for solid state electronically switched optical shutters of cameras and other devices. The disclosed non-mechanical camera shutter includes an electronically controlled material that provides optical density variation, to transition the shutter from being open to being closed. The layer of electronically controlled material is configured to change from substantially to transparent to substantially opaque, without scattering, by changing the state of the material. The transmittance period is the period of time that the layer changes transmittance from approximately 100% to approximately 0%. Electronic circuitry is in communication with a timing control module that is configured to provide a signal output to a transparent conductive layer proximal to the layer of electronically controlled material to initiate a change in its transmissivity. The described electronically switched optical component would add little or no additional bulk to a small camera. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110032414 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR THE SAME - A digital camera that is an image pickup device includes: a sensor; a background portion movement speed calculating unit configured to calculate a movement speed of a background portion of a subject from a plurality of images picked up by the sensor; and a shutter speed calculating unit configured to calculate a shutter speed from the movement speed and a predetermined image flow quantity. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110075020 | Increasing Temporal Resolution of Signals - Embodiments of invention disclose a system and a method for increasing a temporal resolution of a substantially periodic signal. The method acquires a signal as an input sequence of frames having a first temporal resolution, wherein the signal is a substantially periodic signal, wherein the frames in the input sequence of frames are encoded according to an encoded pattern; and transforms the input sequence of frames into an output sequence of frames having a second temporal resolution, such that the second temporal resolution is greater than the first temporal resolution, wherein the transforming is based on a sparsity of the signal in Fourier domain. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110157459 | METHOD FOR REAL-TIME ADJUSTING IMAGE CAPTURE FREQUENCY BY IMAGE DETECTION APPARATUS - A method for real-time adjusting image capture frequency by an image detection apparatus comprises: sensing the frames consecutively by an image detection unit; setting a value for a counting variable; selecting a testing frame from the frames and comparing an image displacement between the testing frame and a previous frame thereof, to obtain a motion reference signal by a processing unit; providing a plurality of adjustable values for a capturing frequency variable by a memory unit and corresponding either one of the capturing frequency variable values to the motion reference signal; comparing the value of the counting variable to that of the capturing frequency variable by the processing unit; capturing and recording the testing frame as a sampling frame while the counting variable value reaches that of the capturing frequency variable; comparing an image displacement between the sampling frame and a previous frame thereof, to obtain an ultimate motion speed. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110176053 | Camera shutter - Systems and methods using the same to achieve a camera having precise timing of a camera shutter, which can be used also for a controllable aperture, are disclosed. The aperture can be controlled continuously and can therefore be used for video cameras. The shutter system is controlled by a feedback loop. The shutter blades are moved by at least one linear motor, a position sensor senses the actual position and speed of the blades. The movement of the blades can be stopped any time to get an aperture desired. For capturing an image in a first step a global reset is opening (activating) every pixel of the image sensor after the shutter is opened. In order to achieve a short active light exposure time (below 1 ms), after the global reset, the mechanical shutter invented closes rapidly after a defined active light exposure time. An active light exposure time is the time span between the image sensor is activated and the mechanical shutter is closed. In order to achieve a precise timing the shutter of the present invention uses electronic control and a feedback loop to control the actual position of the shutter. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20120075521 | MECHANICAL CAMERA SHUTTER MECHANISM - A camera shutter mechanism for covering and exposing an imaging sensor array is disclosed. The camera shutter mechanism includes a rotary motor, a crank mechanism, a cover, a guide, and a drive circuit. The rotary motor is coupled to the crank mechanism to rotate the crank mechanism about a central axis. The cover is coupled to the crank mechanism at a point away from the central axis. The drive circuit controls the rotary motor so that the cover moves back and forth repeatedly in a substantially linear motion along the guide between a shutter closed position and a shutter open position over the imaging sensor array. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20130242177 | Digital Camera with High Dynamic Range Mode of Operation - A digital camera is provided with a high dynamic range (HDR) mode of operation wherein a nominal exposure is automatically bracketed by one or more under exposures and one or more overexposures. The images thus obtained can then be used by suitable software to process the images to produce a final HDR image. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130250168 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE PRODUCT FOR EXPOSURE CONTROL OF AN IMAGING DEVICE USING FLASH LAMP PULSES - A system including a flash lamp configured to operate at least at a single pulse duration which is less than a shutter speed of an imaging device and a flash lamp pulse count controller configured to operate the flash lamp at a number of successive pulses as set by the count controller. The number of successive pulses is determined by an image exposure level taken by the imaging device with a shutter of the imaging device continuously opened as the flash lamp produces the number of successive pulses. A method is disclosed. A non-transitory processor readable storage medium, providing an executable computer program product, the executable computer program product comprising a computer software code that, when executed by a processor, causes the process to perform certain functions is also disclosed. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130258176 | SHUTTER ASSEMBLY AND PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A shutter assembly includes: a driver for generating a rotation force; an input gear unit rotated by the driver; a transmission gear unit rotated by the input gear unit; an output gear unit rotated by the transmission gear unit; and a rotation unit that is rotated by the output gear unit between a position for transmitting light and a position for blocking light, wherein the transmission gear unit at least partially corresponds to a rotation path of the rotation unit and is spaced apart from a surface containing the rotation path along a direction of a central axis of the transmission gear unit. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130329128 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM - An apparatus and a method are provided, which realize image pickup processing in which setting of an exposure time is performed in units of regions in an image pickup apparatus. An electronic shutter control unit that controls an exposure start time of an image pickup device by an electronic shutter operation and a mechanical shutter control unit that controls an exposure end time of the image pickup device by a mechanical shutter operation. The electronic shutter control unit calculates the exposure start time in units of image regions based on an exposure time individually set in units of image regions, and an operation time of the mechanical shutter in units of image regions, and controls the electronic shutter to operate at the calculated exposure start time in units of image regions. For example, the exposure time control in units of regions is executed by subtracting a mechanical shutter an exposure time from a mechanical shutter operation time in units of row blocks, for example, and calculating a reset time serving as an exposure start time as an electronic shutter operation time. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20140125864 | RAPID SYNCHRONIZED LIGHTING AND SHUTTERING - This document describes various apparatuses and techniques for rapid synchronized lighting and shuttering. These apparatuses and techniques are capable of capturing two images, where one of the images integrates multiple exposures during which an image area is illuminated by a light source and another of the images integrates multiple exposures during which the image is not illuminated by the light source. The image area can be illuminated by rapidly flashing the image area with the light source and synchronizing a shutter to permit one image sensor to capture an image when the image area is illuminated and another image sensor to capture the image area when the image area is not illuminated. These two images can be captured concurrently or nearly concurrently, thereby reducing or eliminating motion artifacts. Further, these apparatuses and techniques may do so with slow and relatively low-cost cameras and relatively low computational costs. | 05-08-2014 |
| 20140198248 | ARRAY CAMERA SHUTTER - The present invention relates to a shutter blade arrangement ( | 07-17-2014 |
| 20140247387 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER - An image pickup device includes: a focal plane shutter including: a board including an opening; a leading shutter and a trailing shutter moving to open and close the opening; a leading-shutter actuator and a trailing-shutter actuator respectively causing the leading shutter and the trailing shutter to move; a leading-shutter sensor detecting that the leading shutter passes through a first position; and a trailing-shutter sensor detecting that the trailing shutter passes through a second position, an image pickup element that light enters through the opening; and a drive control portion. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140320737 | FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER, IMAGING DEVICE AND DIGITAL CAMERA - A focal plane shutter includes: a board including an opening; a leading shutter and a trailing shutter opening and closing the opening; first and second biasing members respectively biasing the leading shutter and the trailing shutter to move away from the opening; a first actuator causing the leading shutter to move from a position to close the opening to a position to recede from the opening while the leading shutter is assisted by a biasing force of the first biasing member in an exposure operation; and a second actuator causing the trailing shutter to move from a position to recede from the opening to a position to close the opening against a biasing force of the second biasing member in the exposure operation, wherein drive torque of the first actuator is smaller than that of the second actuator. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140347553 | IMAGING DEVICES WITH LIGHT SOURCES FOR REDUCED SHADOW, CONTROLLERS AND METHODS - An imaging device includes a casing, a defined a field of view, and light sources on the casing. Each light source has a field of illumination configured to illuminate a respective distinct sector of the FOV at a higher intensity than the other sectors. Accordingly, any partial shadow or visible partial shadow around a front image can be reduced or eliminated completely. | 11-27-2014 |
| 20150009397 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus disclosed herein includes: a solid-state imaging device in which pixels are arranged in a matrix; a mechanical shutter; and a signal processing unit, wherein the signal processing unit: resets charge stored in all the pixels by closing the mechanical shutter and applying a voltage V2 to a photoelectric conversion unit; starts first exposure by opening the mechanical shutter and applying a voltage V1 to the photoelectric conversion unit; finishes the first exposure by applying the voltage V2 to the photoelectric conversion unit with the mechanical shutter open; | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150109523 | Focal-Plane Shutter for Camera and Digital Camera equipped therewith - A focal plane shutter is provided with a switching mechanism having an electromagnet and a stopping member. The stopping member is provided with an engaging portion able to lock an engagement portion provided in a first driving member for a leading edge, and an operating portion wherein a direction of a force, in relation to the electromagnet, switches, in accordance with switching between an application and removal of an electric current in a single direction to the electromagnet, so as to move the engaging portion to a position wherein it is able to release locking of the engagement portion when the electric current is applied, and to move the engaging portion to a position wherein it is able to lock the engagement portion when the electric current is removed. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20150116584 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND SHUTTER OPERATION SELECTING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device that includes a plurality of pixels; a first curtain that travels to block incidence of light on the imaging device; a second curtain that permits the incidence of light on the imaging device earlier than the traveling of the first curtain; a reset unit that sequentially reset-scans lines of the pixels earlier than the traveling of the first curtain; and an operation selecting unit that selects one of a mechanical shutter operation performed by the traveling of the first curtain and the second curtain and an electronic shutter operation performed by the first curtain and the reset unit depending on a slit width formed by the first curtain and the second curtain or a slit width formed by the first curtain and the reset-scanning of the reset unit. | 04-30-2015 |
| 20160006916 | LENSLESS COMPRESSIVE IMAGE ACQUISITION - Systems, structures, devices and methods for lensless compressive image acquisition are disclosed herein with which images may be obtained from a single detection element while performing fewer times than a number of pixels associated with the image. Advantageously such systems, structures, devices and methods may be adapted to acquiring images at wavelengths that are difficult or impossible with contemporary CCD or CMOS imagers. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160109782 | Focal-Plane Shutter for Camera and Digital Camera equipped therewith - A focal plane shutter is provided with a switching mechanism having an electromagnet and a stopping member. The stopping member is provided with an engaging portion able to lock an engagement portion provided in a first driving member for a leading edge, and an operating portion wherein a direction of a force, in relation to the electromagnet, switches, in accordance with switching between an application and removal of an electric current in a single direction to the electromagnet, so as to move the engaging portion to a position wherein it is able to release locking of the engagement portion when the electric current is applied, and to move the engaging portion to a position wherein it is able to lock the engagement portion when the electric current is removed. | 04-21-2016 |
| 20160165118 | IMAGING DEVICES WITH OPTICAL SHUTTERS AND LOW-POWER DRIVERS THEREFOR - An imaging device includes at least a first group of pixels. A driver block is configured to generate at least two shutter signals, each having on-phases periodically alternating with off-phases. The shutter signals might not be in phase. The imaging device may have an optical shutter that is partitioned in two or more parts, or a set of two or more optical shutters. The shutter parts, or the shutters, may receive the shutter signals, and accordingly open and close. A design of the driver block requires reduced power, which is highly desirable for mobile applications. Moreover, 3D imaging may be implemented that uses various time-of-flight configurations. | 06-09-2016 |
| 20180025686 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR EMULATING CONTINUOUSLY VARYING FRAME RATES | 01-25-2018 |
| 348368000 | Rotary | 4 |
| 20140139727 | MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEM BASED DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING APERTURE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A micro-electro-mechanical system based device for adjusting aperture and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The system includes: an opaque deformable aperture ring, multiple groups of conductive deformable crossbeams and conductive structs; and one or more fixed parts. In each group, each conductive deformable crossbeam corresponds to a conductive struct. The conductive deformable crossbeams and the conductive structs are arranged around the deformable aperture ring and spaced from each other. The conductive deformable crossbeams are suspended in the air, their inner edges are connected with an external edge of the deformable aperture ring, and their external edges are connected with the fixed parts. The conductive structs are connected with the fixed parts and remain stationary. Electrostatic force between the conductive deformable crossbeam and the conductive struct causes the deformable aperture ring to be stretched and rotate, so that area of an inner bore of the deformable aperture ring is changed. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20160044224 | SHUTTER FOR AN INFRARED CAMERA - A shutter for an optical system, such as a small infrared camera, for alternately blocking and exposing an optical sensor to light includes an electrically conductive coil, having a center long axis, a magnet element rotatably mounted within the coil with an axis of rotation perpendicular to the center long axis of the coil, a shutter flag element connected to the magnet element, and a shutter base element supporting the shutter flag, magnet, and coil. Energizing the coil in a first manner causes the rotatable magnet to rotate from a first position to a second position and energizing the coil in a second manner returns the magnet to the first position, causing the flag to alternately block and expose the optical sensor. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160065821 | IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CAPTURING IMAGE DATA AT HIGH SCAN RATES - An imaging system may include a rolling shutter image sensor, data rate reduction circuitry, and image processing circuitry. The image sensor may output image data to the data rate reduction circuitry at a first high speed data rate. The data rate reduction circuitry may store the image data at the first data rate and may output the stored image data at a second reduced speed data rate. The image processing circuitry may receive the image data at the second data rate and may perform image processing operations at the second data rate. The data rate reduction circuitry may generate accumulated image frames by accumulating image frames received from the image sensor at the first data rate and may provide the accumulated frames to the image processing circuitry at the second data rate. The image processing circuitry may perform image processing operations on the accumulated frames at the second data rate. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160191777 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER - An image pickup device includes: an image pickup element; a board including an opening through which light entering the image pickup element passes; a shutter opening and closing the opening; an actuator driving the shutter, and including: a rotor; a stator; and first and second coils wound around the stator and not electrically connected to each other; and a drive circuit including plural terminal portions to which the first and second coils are individually connected. | 06-30-2016 |
