Sigma Acquires 34 U.S. Patents from Foveon

Camera Sensor Innovations at the Forefront

(Source: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/special/fp-series/)

By PatentTrip

Japan's Sigma Corporation acquired 34 U.S. patents from Foveon, Inc. in December 2024. 

The acquisition stands out as Sigma's most significant U.S. patent transaction since 2000, as the company had only purchased four U.S. patents in the intervening years—one in 2010, another in 2012, and two in 2022.

The newly acquired patents primarily focus on technologies aimed at enhancing camera sensor performance and improving image quality. Specifically, the portfolio covers innovations in CMOS sensor and image processing technologies, spanning three key technical domains:

-Image Sensor and Pixel Technology: Advancements in sensor architecture and pixel-level noise reduction.

-Digital Image Processing: Methods for noise suppression, dynamic range extension, and defect correction.

-Advanced Optical and Image Sensor Features: Including stacked sensor designs and electronically controlled filters.

(Source: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/special/fp-series/)

Below is the list of the 34 U.S. patents acquired by Sigma (Source: USPTO):

Patent    Application    Invention title

7683958 10355750 CAMERA EXPOSURE INDICATION INTERFACE

7541627 10796763 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING SENSITIVITY IN VERTICAL COLOR CMOS IMAGE SENSORS

7683953 10882566 INTRA-PIXEL FIXED-PATTERN-NOISE CANCELLATION CIRCUIT AND METHOD

8115242 11672182 PINNED PHOTODIODE CMOS PIXEL SENSOR

7602430 11736932 HIGH-GAIN MULTICOLOR PIXEL SENSOR WITH RESET NOISE CANCELLATION

7834411 11748928 CMOS PIXEL SENSOR WITH DEPLETED PHOTOCOLLECTORS AND A DEPLETED COMMON NODE

7910394 12060702 PHOTODIODE WITH IMPROVED CHARGE CAPACITY

7745773 12101879 MULTI-COLOR CMOS PIXEL SENSOR WITH SHARED ROW WIRING AND DUAL OUTPUT LINES

8487349 12429600 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING SENSITIVITY IN VERTICAL COLOR CMOS IMAGE SENSORS

8823427 12819005 UNIT ELEMENT RAMP GENERATOR FOR ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER

8559730 12882819 METHOD FOR DETECTING PIXEL OUTLIERS

8039916 12944027 CMOS PIXEL SENSOR WITH DEPLETED PHOTOCOLLECTORS AND A DEPLETED COMMON NODE

8351696 12961284 CORRECTING DEFECTIVE PIXELS IN DIGITAL COLOR IMAGES

9049334 13405195 DENOISING IMAGES WITH A COLOR MATRIX PYRAMID

8849057 13465694 METHODS FOR DIGITAL IMAGE SHARPENING WITH NOISE AMPLIFICATION AVOIDANCE

8559716 13466405 METHODS FOR SUPPRESSING STRUCTURED NOISE IN A DIGITAL IMAGE

8836816 13467264 METHOD OF ADJUSTING THE BRIGHTNESS OF A DIGITAL CAMERA IMAGE

8687885 13473287 METHODS FOR REDUCING ROW AND COLUMN PATTERNS IN A DIGITAL IMAGE

8842912 13473313 METHOD FOR PROCESSING HIGHLIGHTS AND SATURATED REGIONS IN A DIGITAL IMAGE

9191556 13550436 IMAGING ARRAY HAVING PHOTODIODES WITH DIFFERENT LIGHT SENSITIVITIES AND ASSOCIATED IMAGE RESTORATION METHODS

9530194 14168155 Method for Processing Highlights and Saturated Regions in a Digital Image

9147235 14168189 METHOD FOR PROCESSING HIGHLIGHTS AND SATURATED REGIONS IN A DIGITAL IMAGE

9240035 14230661 Methods for Reducing Row and Column Patterns in a Digital Image

9942495 14942700 IMAGING ARRAY HAVING PHOTODIODES WITH DIFFERENT LIGHT SENSITIVITIES AND ASSOCIATED IMAGE RESTORATION METHODS

10021320 15195344 ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED GRADUATED DENSITY FILTERS IN STACKED IMAGE SENSORS

10523885 15492951 COLUMN LINE CLAMP CIRCUIT FOR IMAGING ARRAY

10319113 15629649 METHOD FOR RECOVERING HIGHLIGHTS AND SATURATED REGIONS AND EXTENDING DYNAMIC RANGE IN A DIGITAL IMAGE

10178328 16024346 ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED GRADUATED DENSITY FILTERS IN STACKED IMAGE SENSORS

10616535 16148951 SUB-SAMPLED COLOR CHANNEL READOUT WIRING FOR VERTICAL DETECTOR PIXEL SENSORS

10475840 16150211 IMAGING ARRAY HAVING IMPROVED SURFACE-TO-DETECTOR LIGHT TRANSMISSION

10608039 16150215 IMAGING ARRAYS HAVING FOCAL PLANE PHASE DETECTING PIXEL SENSORS

10897592 16572580 COMBINED PROGRAMMABLE GAIN AMPLIFIER AND COMPARATOR FOR LOW POWER AND LOW AREA READOUT IN IMAGE SENSOR

11050982 16833438 SUB-SAMPLED COLOR CHANNEL READOUT WIRING FOR VERTICAL DETECTOR PIXEL SENSORS

11223790 16891031 PIPELINED ROW DECODER TOPOLOGY  FOR FASTER IMAGER ROW DECODING

By PatentTrip