Patents by Inventor Seigo Kaneko

Seigo Kaneko has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11950012
    Abstract: An apparatus including a sensor for setting an exposure time or gain for each of pixel groups including at least one pixel includes an imaging unit including the sensor configured to capture a subject through an optical system to generate an image, an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a specific image region in the generated image, a determination unit configured to determine a specific pixel region including at least one pixel group in the sensor and corresponding to the specific image region, based on the information about the specific image region, a change unit configured to change at least one of a number, a size, and a shape of pixel groups in the specific pixel region determined by the determination unit, and a control unit configured to control the exposure time or gain for each of the pixel groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20240048860
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor configured to set an exposure period and a gain individually for each of a plurality of pixel groups, a diaphragm or a neutral density filter configured to adjust a quantity of light incident on the image sensor, at least one processor, and a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory having instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, performs operations as a first control unit configured to control an exposure parameter including at least one of the exposure period and the gain for each of the plurality of pixel groups, and a second control unit configured to control the quantity of light incident on the image sensor by controlling the diaphragm or the neutral density filter based on the exposure parameter controlled by the first control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventor: SEIGO KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20240031683
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus including an image sensor that can set exposure conditions for each exposure area having one or more pixels, the image sensor capturing an image with the set exposure conditions, acquire an image recognition area where image recognition is to be performed by performing image processing on the image captured by the image sensor, to determine a transition setting of the exposure conditions to be applied to the exposure area corresponding to the image recognition area based on content of the image recognition, and to perform image capturing through the image sensor by applying the transition setting of the determined exposure conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventor: SEIGO KANEKO
  • Patent number: 11838645
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information indicating a distance to an object included in a divided area obtained by dividing an image capturing area, a calculation unit configured to calculate a distance distribution on the object included in the divided area based on a position of the divided area and the distance information, and a determination unit configured to determine a settable range of exposure conditions for the divided area based on the calculated distance distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11838646
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information indicating a distance to an object included in each of divided areas of an imaging area, a creation unit configured to create a combined area that is obtained by combining divided areas based on the acquired distance information and positions of the divided areas in the imaging area, and a decision unit configured to decide an exposure condition of the created combined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11825210
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a capturing unit configured to capture an image of an object, an exposure control unit configured to control an exposure condition including an exposure time or an analog gain for each of a plurality of pixels or pixel groups on a surface of the capturing unit, a determination unit configured to determine one or more evaluation areas including an achromatic color area from the captured image, a calculation unit configured to calculate a first evaluation value for each of the plurality of pixels or pixel groups in the evaluation area, and calculate a second evaluation value based on the first evaluation value weighted based on the exposure condition for each of the plurality of pixels or pixel groups, a correction unit configured to correct the image based on the second evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuya Fujiwara, Seigo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11696044
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor configured to change an exposure condition for each of a plurality of exposure areas, each of the exposure areas including a single pixel or a plurality of pixels, and an image processing unit configured to perform steps of digital signal processing on a signal of a captured image includes generating a plurality of coupled areas in which the exposure areas are coupled based on a first threshold of the exposure condition, calculating a development parameter for each of the coupled areas, and applying the development parameter to the image processing unit for each of the exposure areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20230090876
    Abstract: An apparatus including a sensor for setting an exposure time or gain for each of pixel groups including at least one pixel includes an imaging unit including the sensor configured to capture a subject through an optical system to generate an image, an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a specific image region in the generated image, a determination unit configured to determine a specific pixel region including at least one pixel group in the sensor and corresponding to the specific image region, based on the information about the specific image region, a change unit configured to change at least one of a number, a size, and a shape of pixel groups in the specific pixel region determined by the determination unit, and a control unit configured to control the exposure time or gain for each of the pixel groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20220394224
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a capturing unit configured to capture an image of an object, an exposure control unit configured to control an exposure condition including an exposure time or an analog gain for each of a plurality of pixels or pixel groups on a surface of the capturing unit, a determination unit configured to determine one or more evaluation areas including an achromatic color area from the captured image, a calculation unit configured to calculate a first evaluation value for each of the plurality of pixels or pixel groups in the evaluation area, and calculate a second evaluation value based on the first evaluation value weighted based on the exposure condition for each of the plurality of pixels or pixel groups, a correction unit configured to correct the image based on the second evaluation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Yuya Fujiwara, Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20220329739
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information indicating a distance to an object included in a divided area obtained by dividing an image capturing area, a calculation unit configured to calculate a distance distribution on the object included in the divided area based on a position of the divided area and the distance information, and a determination unit configured to determine a settable range of exposure conditions for the divided area based on the calculated distance distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20220329719
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire distance information indicating a distance to an object included in each of divided areas of an imaging area, a creation unit configured to create a combined area that is obtained by combining divided areas based on the acquired distance information and positions of the divided areas in the imaging area, and a decision unit configured to decide an exposure condition of the created combined area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20220311982
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor configured to change an exposure condition for each of a plurality of exposure areas, each of the exposure areas including a single pixel or a plurality of pixels, and an image processing unit configured to perform steps of digital signal processing on a signal of a captured image includes generating a plurality of coupled areas in which the exposure areas are coupled based on a first threshold of the exposure condition, calculating a development parameter for each of the coupled areas, and applying the development parameter to the image processing unit for each of the exposure areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11457155
    Abstract: There is provided with an image processing apparatus. An acquisition unit acquires a first image captured with visible light and a second image captured with non-visible light. A correction unit corrects luminance of the second image so as to bring luminance distribution of the second image close to luminance distribution of the first image. A generation unit combines the second image whose luminance is corrected by the correction unit and chromaticity information of the first image to generate a composite image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11243375
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a lens unit including an image sensor, and configured to be rotatable about a tilt rotation axis, a rotating unit configured to be rotatable about a pan rotation axis, a non-rotating unit to which the rotating unit is rotatably attached, and a flexible printed circuit configured to connect the lens unit with the non-rotating unit. The flexible printed circuit includes an arc-shaped first portion coaxial with the pan rotation axis in a plane perpendicular to the pan rotation axis, and an arc-shaped second portion coaxial with the tilt rotation axis in a plane perpendicular to the tilt rotation axis. The first portion is bent around an axis orthogonal to the pan rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Sasaki, Yujiro Idaka, Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20210044736
    Abstract: There is provided with an image processing apparatus. An acquisition unit acquires a first image captured with visible light and a second image captured with non-visible light. A correction unit corrects luminance of the second image so as to bring luminance distribution of the second image close to luminance distribution of the first image. A generation unit combines the second image whose luminance is corrected by the correction unit and chromaticity information of the first image to generate a composite image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventor: Seigo Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20180120531
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a lens unit including an image sensor, and configured to be rotatable about a tilt rotation axis, a rotating unit configured to be rotatable about a pan rotation axis, a non-rotating unit to which the rotating unit is rotatably attached, and a flexible printed circuit configured to connect the lens unit with the non-rotating unit. The flexible printed circuit includes an arc-shaped first portion coaxial with the pan rotation axis in a plane perpendicular to the pan rotation axis, and an arc-shaped second portion coaxial with the tilt rotation axis in a plane perpendicular to the tilt rotation axis. The first portion is bent around an axis orthogonal to the pan rotation axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Daisuke Sasaki, Yujiro Idaka, Seigo Kaneko