Patents Represented by Attorney Canon U.S.A. Inc., I.P. Division
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Patent number: 8314851Abstract: When calculating the amount of color blur suppression based on gradient values at edge portions of image data, the degree of color blur suppression has been different between a non-addition readout method and an addition readout method even with an identical subject. To solve this problem, there is provided an image processing apparatus that calculates a suppression coefficient so as to suppress color blur when a gradient value exceeds a threshold value, and sets up the threshold value so that the gradient value range required for color blur suppression when an image sensor is driven by the addition readout method to generate image data is wider than the gradient value range required when the image sensor is driven by the non-addition readout method.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2010Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Minoru Sakaida
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Patent number: 8280163Abstract: When determining an area in which color blur occurs from an image, there may be an area where color blur suppression is performed in an area even though color blur does not occur, and the area becomes more noticeable or less noticeable depending on a degree of gamma correction processing. To solve this problem, an image processing apparatus obtains a color blur suppression coefficient based on a gradient value obtained from the image, performs color blur suppression on the image data using the color blur suppression coefficient, and changes the color blur suppression coefficient corresponding to the gradient value according to brightness.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2010Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kosuke Nobuoka
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Patent number: 8270481Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image coding apparatus configured to encode moving image data including: a coding unit configured to encode each picture in the moving image data in a unit of a first block; a luminance change detection unit configured to divide the moving image data into a plurality of second blocks and to detect a luminance change block in which a luminance change occurred from the plurality of the second blocks in one picture; and a code amount adjustment unit configured to increase an amount of code allocated to the first block if the first block corresponds to the luminance change block detected by the luminance change detection unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2007Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Akihiro Oishi
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Communication apparatus, method of controlling the communication apparatus, and communication system
Patent number: 8213415Abstract: A method and system for establishing communication between communication apparatuses, including a first communication apparatus receiving, from another communication apparatus, first information used for communication by a first communication unit via a second communication unit, detecting a transfer of second information, and depending on the detection result, determining whether to use the first information for the communication by the first communication unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2006Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shigeru Hiroki -
Patent number: 8189066Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an evaluation value calculation unit configured to acquire an evaluation value from image data, a reduction coefficient calculation unit configured to calculate a reduction coefficient based on the evaluation value, a reduction unit configured to subject the image data to image processing to reduce color bleeding in a target area in the image data based on the reduction coefficient, and a size change unit configured to change the size of the image data. The reduction coefficient calculation unit calculates the reduction coefficient to reduce the color bleeding in a target area in the image data when the evaluation value exceeds a threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2010Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Makoto Oota
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Patent number: 8176427Abstract: A method for a user to easily securely configure a device is provided. The method includes displaying a user interface including a plurality of symbols available for user selection, accepting user inputs including an indication of any symbols selected by the user, converting the symbols selected by the user into numeric data, and assigning the numeric data to configuration parameters for the device.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2006Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Sebastien A. Jean, Swee Huat Sng
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Patent number: 8164808Abstract: An image reading device for reading front and back sides of an original using different reading units has a simple configuration and is capable of matching the input-output characteristic of the front side and the input-output characteristic of the back side and reducing a difference between color on the front side and color on the back side. Based on image data of a color chart read by a front-side reading unit and image data of the color chart read by a back-side reading unit, the image reading device calculates and sets adjustment values for the front and back sides for individual hues of color patches of the color chart and performs adjustment for the front and back sides in accordance with adjustment values corresponding to hue of an original image when the original is read.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2008Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Daisuke Morikawa
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Patent number: 8164646Abstract: This invention is directed to reduce a deterioration in image quality after thinning operation when pixels are read out upon thinning. An image sensor is designed such that different gains are applied on a pixel basis. After periodical gains are applied to the respective pixels, the pixels of the same colors are added and averaged to obtain a low-pass filter effect before thinning processing for the pixels in the sensor, thereby preventing the occurrence of aliasing (moiré) due to thinning.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2009Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Eiichiro Ikeda
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Patent number: 8160310Abstract: An image processing apparatus determines, when white balance correction is executed on an image signal of a face area detected by face detection unit, based on a first white balance correction value obtained by detecting white pixels, whether the corrected image signal of the face area is present in a second color signal area around a first color signal area indicating a flesh color. When the corrected image signal of the face area is determined to be present in the second color signal area, the image processing apparatus calculates a second white balance correction value for correcting the image signal based on a relationship between the corrected image signal of the face area and the first color signal area.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2008Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masahiro Takayama
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Patent number: 8154618Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire a representative value of a luminance level in a main object area and a plurality of representative values of luminance levels in peripheral areas of the main object area in an image obtained by an imaging unit, a calculation unit configured to calculate a plurality of relative values between the respective plurality of representative values of luminance levels in the peripheral areas and the representative value of a luminance level in the main object area, which are acquired by the acquiring unit, a setting unit configured to set intensity of knee processing based on the plurality of relative values calculated by the calculation unit, and a knee processing unit configured to execute the knee processing on an image acquired by the imaging unit according to the intensity set by the setting unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2009Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Jun Makino
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Patent number: 8135291Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detachable consumable part having a storage unit configured to store information. The image forming apparatus includes a counting unit configured to count the number of times of access to the storage unit, a measurement unit configured to measure a used amount of the consumable part, and an access control unit configured to control an access frequency to the storage unit based on the counted number of times of access and the used amount of the consumable part.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2008Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Hiroshi Chihara
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Patent number: 8130416Abstract: An image processing method is applied for recording an image on a recording medium using a plurality of color materials including a chromatic material and an achromatic material. A total amount of recording of the chromatic material is smaller than a total amount of recording of the achromatic material, and a plurality of monochrome modes including a first monochrome mode and a second monochrome mode are provided, the total amount of recording of the chromatic material being different for each of the monochrome modes. The image processing method includes adjusting the amount of recording of the achromatic material so that a recording density of an image recorded in the first monochrome mode and a recording density of an image recorded in the second monochrome mode become equivalent to each other with respect to the same luminance signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2010Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Nakamura, Kentaro Yano
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Patent number: 8125689Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes at least one input device for inputting a plurality of pieces of content data; a recognition unit configured to recognize a mark included in the pieces of content data, and an association processing unit configured to perform association processing by mutually establishing a link between at least two pieces of content data based on the mark recognized by the recognition unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2008Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroyasu Morita, Satoshi Ookuma
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Patent number: 8123398Abstract: A fluid-processing device is provided for bringing two kinds of fluids into contact to mix or react with each other. The device comprises a first supply path connected to a first feed inlet for feeding a first fluid for supplying the first fluid, and plural second supply paths connected to a second feed inlet for feeding a second fluid for supplying the second fluid; the second supply paths being arranged along supply direction of the first fluid, the second supply paths being surrounded by the first fluid, the second fluid discharged from fluid outlets of the second supply paths being brought into contact with the first fluid in the first supply path.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2006Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takayuki Teshima, Takeo Yamazaki
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Patent number: 8115861Abstract: An image pickup system causes a first illumination unit to emit light toward a subject at a first angle without causing a second illumination unit for emitting light toward the subject at a second angle different from the first angle, and causes an image pickup unit to capture the image of the subject so as to obtain a first captured image. The image pickup system causes the second illumination unit to emit light without causing the first illumination unit to emit light, and causes the image pickup unit to capture the image of the subject so as to obtain a second captured image. The image pickup system associates the first captured image with the second captured image.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2009Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masami Sugimori
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Patent number: 8116561Abstract: A color processing apparatus includes an input conversion unit configured to convert input data expressed in an input device-dependent color space into data expressed in a device-independent color space, a determination unit configured to determine an attribute of the input data and transmit a result of the determination to a color gamut mapping unit and an output conversion unit. The color gamut mapping unit is configured to perform color gamut mapping on data expressed in the device-independent color space to data corresponding to color gamut information of an output device based on a result of the determination. The output conversion unit is configured to convert the data which is subjected to the color gamut mapping into output data which is expressed in an output device-dependent color space based on a result of the determination.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2008Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yosuke Hayase
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Patent number: 8115827Abstract: A color processing apparatus for evaluating the gradation characteristic of a color conversion table that is used to convert signal values in input color space into signal values in output color space and has a plurality of grid points includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire signal values in the output color space corresponding to four adjacent grid points in the input color space through the color conversion table, a calculation unit configured to calculate a property of a tetrahedron formed by the signal values in the output color space, and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a gradation characteristic of the color conversion table based on the property of the tetrahedron. The property of the tetrahedron may be the volume of the tetrahedron or the surface area of the tetrahedron.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2009Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takahiro Matsuura
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Patent number: 8113614Abstract: A recording apparatus for discharging ink from a recording head arraying a plurality of nozzles to execute recording of an image includes a drive unit configured to form a group with a defined number of nozzles so as to include an adjacent nozzle in a different block and to execute time-division driving of the block according to a driving order corresponding to a recording mode, and a recording control unit configured to execute scan recording to a recording medium in a first recording mode or a second recording mode. Each pass of scan recording in the second recording mode is executed using nozzles smaller in number than a number of nozzles used to execute each pass of scan recording in the first recording mode.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2010Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Nitta, Hiroaki Shirakawa, Yasunori Fujimoto, Taku Yokozawa
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Patent number: 8116560Abstract: A method for generating a color processing parameter used in color processing performed on an image captured by an imaging unit includes inputting data of an image captured by the imaging unit, inputting target data corresponding to the data, generating a pair of data and target data based on the data and the target data, and generating a color processing parameter for converting the data to the target data.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2008Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Takahiro Matsuura
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Patent number: 8111427Abstract: In an image forming system, an information processing apparatus (host computer) outputs print data to a printer connected to the apparatus through an interface. The apparatus includes an interface identifying module for identifying the type of the interface, a query module for determining, based on the identified interface type, a quantization method for quantizing print data and/or a compression method, and an image processing module for performing quantization and/or compression on the print data by the determined quantization method and/or compression method. The apparatus outputs, to the printer, the print data processed by the image processing module.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2009Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Mitsuru Konji, Kenichiro Uotani