Patents Represented by Attorney Cowan Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
  • Patent number: 8130385
    Abstract: An index detection unit (110) detects the image coordinates of indices from a captured image. An index allocation information updating unit (160) calculates the position and orientation of an image capturing apparatus using the image coordinates of the indices and allocation information of each of these indices. Furthermore, the index allocation information updating unit (160) re-calibrates allocation information of an unreliable index having a reliability indicating that the allocation information is unreliable. The index allocation information updating unit (160) updates allocation information held by an allocation information holding unit (140) in association with the unreliable index to the re-calibrated allocation information and a reliability indicating that the allocation information is reliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyohide Satoh, Shinji Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8122556
    Abstract: A cleaning device is used to remove an alien substance adhering to a surface of an optical member arranged in front of a solid image sensing device inside a lens replaceable digital single-lens reflex camera. The cleaning device includes a supporting member that is supported by a user, and an elastic member having an adhesive surface 12 and being formed in a substantially square shape larger than equally divided four parts of a 135 format of a camera and smaller than an APS-C format of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoji Kaihara, Takanori Honda
  • Patent number: 8124504
    Abstract: A GaN-based thin film (thick film) is grown using a metal buffer layer grown on a substrate. (a) A metal buffer layer (210) made of, for example, Cr or Cu is vapor-deposited on a sapphire substrate (120). (b) A substrate obtained by vapor-depositing the metal buffer layer (210) on the sapphire substrate (120) is nitrided in an ammonia gas ambient, thereby forming a metal nitride layer (212). (c) A GaN buffer layer (222) is grown on the nitrided metal buffer layers (210, 212). (d) Finally, a GaN single-crystal layer (220) is grown. This GaN single-crystal layer (220) can be grown to have various thicknesses depending on the objects. A freestanding substrate can be fabricated by selective chemical etching of the substrate fabricated by the above steps. It is also possible to use the substrate fabricated by the above steps as a GaN template substrate for fabricating a GaN-based light emitting diode or laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignees: Tohoku Techno Arch Co., Ltd., Furukawa Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Wavesquare Inc., Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd., Epivalley Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yao, Meoung-Whan Cho
  • Patent number: 8125679
    Abstract: An image processing method and image processing apparatus which can execute vector conversion processing by appropriately dividing a clipart image including gradation into regions are provided. To this end, a color document image including a clipart image having an area of gradation is input, the clipart image is selected, and outline information of the clipart image is extracted. The color document image is separated into an achromatic color area and a chromatic color area, which are respectively divided into a plurality of regions. Of the plurality of regions of each of the achromatic color area and the chromatic color area divided in the dividing of region step, regions which meet a set condition are integrated. After that, the clipart image is converted into vector data using a region group after integrating of region and the outline information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Xiaoyan Dai, Hidefumi Osawa
  • Patent number: 8122254
    Abstract: It is simpler to manage an electronic signature on a It is simpler to manage an electronic signature on a server. On the contrary, authentication in a paper is more conveniently managed by a serverless system. However, data embedded in a document relies on an authentication system and security system. In view of this, a security data extraction unit separates electronic data into security data and non-security data. An image arrangement unit arranges the non-security data on a paper surface and converts it to readable image data. An encryption processing unit encrypts the security data. An authentication program generation unit generates an authentication program that executes authentication using authentication data. A package unit packages the encrypted data and the authentication program. A background embedding unit generates background image data where the package data is embedded in a background pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsuru Uzawa
  • Patent number: 8118433
    Abstract: In an image projection apparatus, a sensed image obtained by sensing a projection surface, which contains a projected image, is obtained. Then, a difference image obtained by removing the projected image from the sensed image is used to detect a region corresponding to a predetermined object such as a user's hand or a pointer. Then, a user operation is determined based on the position and temporal variations of a particular portion of the region corresponding to the predetermined object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiki Ishii
  • Patent number: 8119499
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate fabrication method according to the first aspect of this invention is characterized by including a preparation step of preparing an underlying substrate, a stacking step of stacking, on the underlying substrate, at least two multilayered films each including a peeling layer and a semiconductor layer, and a separation step of separating the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignees: Tohoku Techno Arch Co., Ltd., Furukawa Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd., Epivalley Co., Ltd., Wavesquare Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Yao, Meoung-Whan Cho
  • Patent number: 8120663
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensor, a driving unit that drives the image sensor so as to output electrical signals through multiple readout modes including at least a full pixel readout mode and a thinning readout mode, an acquisition unit that acquires lens magnification chromatic aberration correction information, a correction coefficient calculation unit that obtains a coefficient for a first magnification chromatic aberration correction method during full pixel readout and a coefficient for a second magnification chromatic aberration correction method during thinning readout, and a digital signal processor that corrects the electrical signals using the obtained coefficients. In the second magnification chromatic aberration correction method, the thinned and read-out electrical signals are corrected based on positions in the image sensor of pixels corresponding to the electrical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8117633
    Abstract: In a network including a source of video contents and a playback terminal to receive video contents distributed from the source of video contents and play back the video contents, information on viewing state of video contents is collected and the collected information is stored. Then access right of the playback terminal for the video contents is set based on the stored information on viewing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8111981
    Abstract: This invention includes accumulation units (102a, 102b) which accumulate signals obtained by sensing units (111a, 111b), an area determination unit (103, 100) which sets the size of an area of a sensing unit to be segmented into a plurality of areas on the basis of the information of a lens to be focus-detected, accumulation control units (104a-104c, 105) which control, for each of the areas, accumulation of signals obtained in a plurality of areas by the accumulation units, and a defocus detection unit (100) which detects defocus states in the respective areas from accumulated signals from a plurality of areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Ichimiya, Masanori Ohtsuka
  • Patent number: 8112716
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus comprising display unit configured to display a window, accepting unit configured to accept a resize instruction of the displayed window together with a scroll instruction indicating whether or not to scroll display contents within the window, and control unit configured to control a size of the window and a scrolling of the display contents within the window based on contents of the resize instruction and the scroll instruction, wherein when the scroll instruction indicates that the display contents are to be scrolled, the control unit changes the window to a size indicated by the resize instruction, and scrolls the display contents according to a change amount of the window, and when the scroll instruction indicates that the display contents are not to be scrolled, the control unit changes the window to a size indicated by the resize instruction, and suppresses a scrolling of the display contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiwamu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8106958
    Abstract: An evaluation value for a pixel in an eye region in an image is computed, which is increased with increase in the redness of the pixel and with decrease in the luminance of the pixel. Furthermore, a color saturation value for the pixel included in the eye region is corrected with the use of a luminance value for a surrounding region around an eye and the evaluation value. In this case, the color saturation value is corrected such that the amount of correction is smaller in a case in which the luminance value is smaller even with the same evaluation value, thereby achieving improvement in the correction factor of and prevention of false corrections of a redeye region with a low color saturation and a low luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8106996
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a face detector configured to provide a face detection process based on image data obtained from an image pickup optical system that includes a focus lens configured to provide a focus control, a focus lens position extractor configured to extract a focus lens position at which the face detector has actually provided a successful face detection process from among focus lens positions set as a candidate position for the focus lens to be arranged when the face detector provides the face detection process, a focus control range setting part configured to set a focus control range in a focus range that contains the focus lens position extracted by the focus lens position extractor, and an autofocus controller configured to provide autofocus control in the focus control range set by the focus control range setting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8106964
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to simplify an operation of reproducing, on a single window, pieces of image information of different image capturing apparatuses or pieces of image information captured at different times. A display apparatus manages a camera apparatus (1) serving as the image capturing source of image information to be reproduced in each image region in association with a plurality of image regions on a single window. The display apparatus manages whether the image information to be reproduced in each image region is recorded image information or image information which is currently being captured. On the basis of the pieces of management information, the display apparatus acquires image information from a desired one of camera apparatuses and recording apparatuses and reproduces the pieces of acquired image information on the plurality of image regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuhiro Takanezawa
  • Patent number: 8106959
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image capturing apparatus comprising an image capturing element configured to convert an optical image into an image signal, a signal processing unit configured to apply signal processing to the image signal and to output the processed image signal, a super-resolution processing unit configured to apply, when a still image of the object is to be captured during capturing of a moving image of the object, super-resolution processing for enhancing a resolution by compositing a plurality of image signals output from the signal processing unit, and outputting an image signal required to generate the still image of the object, and an APC correction unit configured to apply APC correction processing for emphasizing an edge of each of the image signal output from the signal processing unit and the image signal output from the super-resolution processing unit, and to output the processed image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Hara
  • Patent number: 8103127
    Abstract: Indices in an image of a physical space on which a plurality of indices are allocated are identified, and the positions and orientations, on the physical space, of all or some identified indices are calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Yonezawa, Kenji Morita, Akihiro Katayama, Rika Takemoto, Kiyohide Satoh, Toshihiro Kobayashi, Sonoko Maeda
  • Patent number: 8103158
    Abstract: In continuous shooting processing, the defocus amounts of respective focus detection areas and the reliabilities of the defocus amounts are detected from information of the focus detection areas. Weightings are determined based on the reliabilities and defocus amounts. If the detection of defocus amounts is not completed in one shooting operation during continuous shooting, weightings are determined using defocus amounts detected in a shooting operation preceding the current one during continuous shooting. If there is no defocus amount that has been detected in a shooting operation preceding the current one, weightings are determined to weight a photometry area at a predetermined position of the field. A correct exposure for shooting is determined by calculating the weighted average of photometric values obtained in a plurality of photometry areas using the determined weightings. Continuous shooting can be performed with a correct exposure without decreasing the continuous shooting speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisuke Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8102437
    Abstract: In a case in which flickers are detected from a live-view image, at least one of a start timing and an end timing of charge accumulation at an image sensor is fixed by setting the image-sensing frame rate during execution of image-sensing plane AF to a value synchronized with the flicker cycle. In an image sensing apparatus for carrying out image-sensing plane AF with the use of live-view images, aperture control and accumulation time control with a high degree of freedom can be achieved even under a flicking light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukihiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8098954
    Abstract: A distorted aberration correction processing apparatus includes DRAM and SRAM for storing an object image from an optical system. Further, the distorted aberration correction processing apparatus includes: a first address control circuit for reading out a pixel in the DRAM on a unit basis of an area including a plurality of the pixels along a curve corresponding to a distorted aberration of an optical system and writing the read-out pixel in SRAM; and a second address control circuit for reading out a pixel in the SRAM on a pixel basis and outputting the pixel read out on a pixel basis to an output portion so as to suppress the distorted aberration of the optical system. The first address control circuit effects control so that the signal of the areas is sequentially read out in a predetermined order, and the second address control circuit effects random access control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Hara
  • Patent number: 8094913
    Abstract: An image processing device by which a user can operate a window level value without being conscious of a photometric interpretation of an image is provided. In the image processing device, the operation direction for increasing or decreasing the window level value is reversed according to the photometric interpretation of the input image, according to whether the window level operation direction is the right-and-left direction or the up-and-down direction, and according to whether or not to execute the grayscale inversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiichi Sakai