Patents Represented by Attorney Cowan Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
  • Patent number: 8249325
    Abstract: An X-ray image processing apparatus includes a calculating unit adapted to calculate the noise amount of a sensor on the basis of a difference value of a plurality of dark images acquired at different timings by the sensor when no X-rays are irradiated, a changing unit adapted to change a predetermined parameter for processing an X-ray image acquired by the sensor when X-rays are irradiated, in order to prevent the noise amount from being superposed on the X-ray image, and an image processing unit adapted to perform image processing on the X-ray image on the basis of the changed parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Omi
  • Patent number: 8248709
    Abstract: A zoom lens barrel capable of attaining a higher photographing magnification by reducing spacing between lens groups in a telephoto state. A first lens group barrel holds a first lens group. A second lens group holding member supported by a third cam barrel holds a second lens group. A spring member urges the holding member toward the first lens group. Cam followers are formed at an opposite end of the holding member from the first lens group. Cam grooves for engagement with the cam followers are formed on the third cam barrel. When the holding member is urged by the spring member in a non-shooting region, each cam groove is brought into contact via one cam surface with the associated cam follower. In a shooting region, the cam groove is brought into contact with the cam follower via two cam surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kanji Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8248534
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus having multi-window display mode for displaying a plurality of images and single-window display mode for displaying one image on the display screen, including receiving units which receive broadcast signal and acquiring image signals relating to programs, and acquisition unit which acquires program information of the programs, and memory unit which stores program information of a selected program, and control unit which selects display mode for an image, and the control unit exerts control such that if the multi-window display mode is selected, a comparison is made at predetermined timing between the program information about the selected program and program information about newly selected program, and the display mode is switched from multi-window mode to single-window mode according to the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Osawa
  • Patent number: 8248517
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus capable of achieving in-focus photographing with a reduced time lag. A system controller of the image pickup apparatus detects an in-focus state of image while moving a focus lens in an optical axis direction, and detects a state of a photographing scene at image acquisition. When detecting a change in photographing scene, the system controller moves the focus lens to a movement start position. When detecting that a photographing scene has been decided by a photographer, the controller detects an in-focus state while moving the focus lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Genjiro Shibagami, Naoki Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8243061
    Abstract: In an image processing method of determining the positional relationship among virtual objects in virtual space and generating a virtual shadow of the virtual objects, a plurality of virtual objects are rendered in a first plane to which a first axis passing through a virtual light source is normal, and the positional relationship among the plurality of virtual objects is determined based upon the result of rendering acquired. Shadow information of the plurality of virtual objects is generated using the result of acquired rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Dai Matsumura, Yasuo Katano
  • Patent number: 8243148
    Abstract: An image processing device that produces a restored image that gives people natural feeling when a shot image with longer exposure time on the way to image blurring due to hand jiggling or an end portion is restored. The image processing device comprises an image processing unit that produces a restored image approximated to an original image from an object image to be processed, which is fluctuated against the original image due to movement of an image shooting device during exposure. The image processing unit produces the restored image while making the restored image correspond to a position having the longest exposure time for an object image to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Nittoh Kogaku K.K.
    Inventor: Fuminori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8242975
    Abstract: One of a plurality of color components which form pixels in an image that is influenced by chromatic aberrations caused by an optical system is selected as a reference color, and coordinates after conversion are calculated by applying conversion for correcting a distortion of the optical system with respect to the image to coordinates of pixels in association with the reference color. Correction values indicating amounts of color misregistration are calculated using the proportional relationship of difference values between the calculated coordinates and coordinates obtained by applying the conversion to coordinates of the image in association with remaining colors except for the reference color of the plurality of color components. Based on the calculated correction values, coordinates obtained by applying the conversion to coordinates of the image in association with the remaining colors are calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Tsujimoto, Kazutaka Inoguchi
  • Patent number: 8237626
    Abstract: A head-mounted device mounted on a wearer's head has a first pressing unit to press against the wearer's head from a position of his/her medulla, a second pressing unit to press against the wearer's head in an opposite direction to a pressing direction of the first pressing unit, and a mounting unit to mount the head-mounted device on the wearer's head by adjusting at least one of the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Ishino, Takaaki Nakabayashi, Yoshihiro Saito, Toshiyuki Okuma
  • Patent number: 8238710
    Abstract: A reproduction apparatus includes a reproduction unit that reproduces digital data selected by a user; a prediction unit that predicts a reproducible time based on remaining power of a battery and a determination unit that determines whether the digital data selected by the user can be reproduced to the end or not based on the reproducible time, wherein when the determination unit determines that the selected digital data can be reproduced to the end, the reproduction apparatus causes the reproduction unit to reproduce the selected digital data and when the determination unit determines that the selected digital data cannot be reproduced to the end, the reproduction apparatus warns that the digital data cannot be reproduced to the end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirotaka Shiiyama
  • Patent number: 8239761
    Abstract: An apparatus of an original album editor uploads to a server album data in which instructions of allowed object that allows editing and information on content type of editing allowed for the allowed object are embedded. An apparatus of an admitted subscriber downloads the album data from the server, and edits the album data within allowance in accordance with the instructions and information embedded in the album data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichiro Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8237800
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus chooses a main face from among faces detected in successively captured images based on a degree of priority calculated for each detected face. Moreover, the image capturing apparatus compares the degree of priority assigned to the face corresponding to a last chosen main face and the degrees of priority assigned to the faces corresponding to faces other than the main face, and then counts the number of times the degrees of priority assigned to the faces corresponding to faces other than the main face exceed the degree of priority assigned to the face corresponding to the main face. When one of the number of times counted for the faces other than the main face exceeds a preset threshold value, the image capturing apparatus performs a main face changeover to the one of the faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hitoshi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 8237328
    Abstract: A foreign substance removing apparatus that removes a foreign substance adhering on an optical member, comprising a piezoelectric element arranged at one end of the optical member, a transformer which generates a voltage to drive the piezoelectric element, the transformer including a primary-side wound wire and a secondary-side wound wire, the secondary-side wound wire being connected to the piezoelectric element, a first driving signal generation circuit which is connected to one end of the primary-side wound wire in the transformer, and generates a signal with a first frequency, and a second driving signal generation circuit which is connected to the other end of the primary-side wound wire in the transformer, and generates a signal with a second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ritsuo Kashiyama
  • Patent number: 8238712
    Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus which records and reproduces data with respect to a plurality of recording media includes a display unit for simultaneously displaying, on a display screen having a display area for each recording medium, data recorded onto recording media in corresponding display areas, a selection unit for selecting specific data from the data displayed on the display screen, and a designation unit for designating a moving destination of the selected data. If a display area other than a recording medium as a recording source of the selected data exists in the moving destination designated by the designation unit, the selected data is duplicated or moved to a recording medium corresponding to the display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8237826
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor, an optical element disposed in front of the image sensor, and a foreign substance information generation unit that generates foreign substance information for a still image from a foreign substance image obtained by sensing a foreign substance that adheres to the optical element with the image sensor, and generates foreign substance information for a moving image by performing reduction processing on the foreign substance image in accordance with the driving method of the image sensor when shooting a moving image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Miwa
  • Patent number: 8237815
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which corrects, based on information of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element arranged in front of an image sensor in an image capturing apparatus, a shadow of the foreign substance in the moving image data generated by performing predictive encoding by referring to image data of a different input frame, the image processing apparatus comprises: a moving image decompression unit which decompresses an image of each frame by obtaining information representing a difference between frames from the moving image data; and a correction unit which corrects the information representing the difference between frames when the information representing the difference between frames that is obtained by the moving image decompression unit in correspondence with a region containing the shadow of the foreign substance represented by the foreign substance information is determined to be larger than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 8238737
    Abstract: A lens barrel that is capable of decreasing a barrel length under a retracted condition by simplifying a configuration. The lens barrel changes a focal length by moving first and second lens groups in an optical axis direction. A light-amount adjusting member is located between the first and second lens groups. First, second, third holding frames hold the first lens group, the second lens group, and the light-amount adjusting member, respectively. A cam mechanism moves the first, second, and third holding frames in the optical axis direction so that a part of the second lens group is inserted into the aperture of the light-amount adjusting member and concave and convex surfaces of the first and second lens groups are overlapped in the optical axis direction under a retracted condition. The aperture diameter of the light-amount adjusting member is enlarged when shifting to the retracted condition from a shooting condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Ishimasa
  • Patent number: 8238673
    Abstract: A pattern identification apparatus for identifying one of a plurality of classes defined in advance, to which data of a pattern identification target belongs, comprises a read unit adapted to read out, from a storage unit in correspondence with each of the plurality of classes, a projection rule to a hyperplane which approximates a manifold corresponding to the class in a feature space an input unit adapted to input identification target data; a calculation unit adapted to calculate, for each class, a projection result obtained by projecting the input identification target data to the hyperplane which approximates the manifold corresponding to each of the plurality of classes, on the basis of the projection rule; and an identification unit adapted to identify, on the basis of the projection result of each classes calculated by said calculation unit, one of the plurality of classes to which the identification target data belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yusuke Mitarai, Masakazu Matsugu
  • Patent number: 8237853
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus that carries out image sensing continuously and inputs a plurality of images, having a digital signal processing circuit that detects, at each input image, from image data thereof, an object that satisfies a preset condition, a first exposure value determination unit that calculates a first exposure value from the image data, a second exposure value determination unit that calculates a second exposure value based on the detected object, and a selection unit that selects either the first exposure value, the second exposure value, a currently set exposure value, or an exposure value calculated based on a luminance of an area referenced when calculating a currently set exposure value as an exposure value to be used for a next image sensing based on object detection results obtained by the digital signal processing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8236458
    Abstract: A dual stack fuel cell system comprising a first fuel cell stack comprising a first anode side, adapted to receive fuel and to output a first anode exhaust, and a first cathode side, a second fuel cell stack comprising a second anode side, adapted to receive processed anode exhaust derived from the first anode exhaust and to output a second anode exhaust, and a second cathode side, adapted to receive oxidant gas and to output a first cathode exhaust, wherein the first cathode side receives at least the first cathode exhaust outputted from the second cathode side; and wherein the first fuel cell stack includes indirect internal reforming and the second fuel cell stack may not include any indirect internal reforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred C. Jahnke, Mohammad Farooque, Hossein Ghezel-Ayagh
  • Patent number: D664897
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
    Inventor: Lorenzo Ramaciotti