Patents Represented by Attorney Cowan Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.
  • Patent number: 8218021
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an image capture unit which includes an image sensor in which pixels for photoelectrically converting an object image are two-dimensionally arrayed in correspondence with color filters of a plurality of colors, and generates an image signal, a reducing unit which reduces the image signal output from the image capture unit to generate a reduced image, an image processing unit which performs development processing for the reduced image to obtain a first developed image containing luminance components and color difference components and performs development for the image signal output from the image capture unit to obtain a second developed image containing luminance and color difference components, an enlargement unit which enlarges the first developed image to the same size as that of the second developed image, and a composition unit which performs composition of the second developed image and an enlarged image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kota Terayama
  • Patent number: 8219066
    Abstract: This invention can reduce the load on a recording apparatus, efficiently design the overall system, and accurately calculate a data amount recordable on a recording unit in accordance with setting change of each communication apparatus or the like. A portable remote storage transmits information on a data amount storable in the portable remote storage to digital cameras. The information on the data amount storable in the portable remote storage is based on the remaining area of a shared storage area commonly available for the digital cameras except for an exclusive storage area assigned to each digital camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Chisato Mori
  • Patent number: 8218255
    Abstract: A lens barrel unit includes a holder configured to hold a lens, a cam cylinder including a cam groove configured to engage with the holder and define a movement of the holder in an optical axis direction, and a projection that has a part of the cam groove and projects in the optical axis direction, and a straightforward movement cylinder configured to guide a straightforward movement of the holder, the straightforward movement cylinder including a flange forming a notch. In a process from a retraction state in which the projection is located in the notch to an image pickup state in which the projection is located outside of the notch, the straightforward movement cylinder moves relative to the cam cylinder in the optical axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Katano
  • Patent number: 8218035
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus which corrects image data containing an image of a foreign substance, and outputs the corrected image data that has undergone correction as a visible image includes an image pixel count acquisition unit which acquires the number of pixels of the image, an output resolution acquisition unit which acquires information about the resolution of the image to be output to the output device, a foreign substance correction level setting unit which sets the degree of foreign substance correction on the basis of at least the number of pixels acquired by the image pixel count acquisition unit and the information about the resolution acquired by the output resolution acquisition unit, and a foreign substance correction unit which corrects the image of the foreign substance contained in the image data on the basis of the foreign substance correction level set by the foreign substance correction level setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Gyotoku
  • Patent number: 8212916
    Abstract: An image display device that is capable of checking a focusing operation at the time of shooting by a user easily even if a small-sized monitor is used. A luminance-signal extracting unit extracts a luminance signal from a video signal. An amplitude change calculating unit calculates an amplitude change component of the luminance signal extracted. An edge-signal extracting unit extracts an edge signal from the luminance signal extracted. An amplitude calculating unit calculates an amplitude of the edge signal extracted. An amplitude-ratio calculating unit calculates a ratio of the amplitude of the edge signal to the amplitude change component of the luminance signal. A color conversion unit converts the edge signal to add colors according to the calculation result. An adder unit adds the color-converted edge signal and the luminance signal. A display unit displays the video signal to which the color-converted edge signal is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8213733
    Abstract: An image processing method is a method for correcting both an image quality of an overall image and an image quality of a partial image with excellent balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minako Kato, Kiyoshi Umeda, Ryosuke Iguchi
  • Patent number: 8212896
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus is provided that is capable of performing both object detection using image recognition and object detection using movement detection on successively captured images. In the image capturing apparatus, the reliability of the result of the object detection using image recognition is evaluated based on the previous detection results. If it is determined that the reliability is high, execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. If it is determined that the reliability is low, non-execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. With this configuration, the object region can be tracked appropriately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunobu Kodama
  • Patent number: 8214555
    Abstract: A communication control device in an audio visual device system has disconnection detection unit for detecting that an audio visual device is disconnected from the audio visual device system, device detection unit for detecting an audio visual device which has not acquired a logical address according to a device type, and control unit for performing control for causing the audio visual device without a logical address to acquire a logical address, when disconnection of a audio visual device is detected by the disconnection detection unit. With this configuration, in an audio visual device system in which an upper limit is set to the number of logical addresses according to a device type, it is possible to cause an audio visual device which cannot acquire a logical address according to the device type to acquire a logical address when it is made available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazumi Suga
  • Patent number: 8208827
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus equipped with an image forming unit capable of image formation using color toner and transparent toner includes, a determining unit to determine whether each pixel of image data belongs to an image region or a text region; a control unit to control the image forming unit by switching between transfer of a toner image to the image region and transfer of a toner image to the text region; a fixing unit to fix the toner image formed on recording material; and a transport unit to discharge the recording material on which the toner image is fixed or re-feed the recording material to the image forming unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katuaki Sakata
  • Patent number: 8208035
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensing unit configured to sense an object and generate image data, a face detection unit configured to detect a face region of a person contained in the image data generated by the image sensing unit, and a facial expression determination unit configured to determine a plurality of facial expressions in the face region determined by the face detection unit. When both a first facial expression and a second facial expression are determined, the facial expression determination unit corrects a condition to determine the second facial expression so as to become difficult as compared to the determination condition when the first facial expression is not determined and the second facial expression is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Zenya Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8208070
    Abstract: When a video output apparatus (100) is connected, a video display apparatus (200) obtains information of content data stored in the video output apparatus (100). Then, based on the obtained information, the video display apparatus (200) determines whether the content data is decodable with respect to itself. If it is not decodable, it requests the video output apparatus (100) to decode the content data before transferring the content data using a data transfer method specified. By doing this, an appropriate transfer protocol is selected automatically when transferring content data between the video display apparatus (200) and the video output apparatus (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruki Kikkawa, Yoshikazu Shibamiya, Yasushi Shikata, Hirofumi Urabe, Daisuke Takayanagi, Chika Masuda
  • Patent number: 8208752
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus which corrects a shot image, which is shot by an image capturing apparatus and on which a shadow of a foreign substance existing on a shooting optical path of the image capturing apparatus is captured, so as to reduce an influence of the shadow of the foreign substance. The image processing apparatus includes a display unit which displays the shot image, a correction unit which corrects the shot image so as to reduce the influence of the shadow of the foreign substance on the basis of foreign substance information, an input unit which is used by a user to perform input operation in accordance with a shot image displayed on the display unit and inputs unregistered foreign substance information which has not been registered in foreign substance information, and an additional registration unit which additionally registers the unregistered foreign substance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Ishii
  • Patent number: 8207909
    Abstract: If an image acquired from a video camera (113) contains a two-dimensional bar code as information unique to an operation input device (116), information unique to the video camera (113) and the information unique to the operation input device (116) are managed in a shared memory (107) in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Okuno
  • Patent number: 8203626
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is arranged so that when a special effect to be applied to an input image is selected, an image showing the behavior of the special effect is displayed during the selection, comprising an image input unit for inputting an image; a selecting unit for selecting a special effect to be applied to the input unit; an effect applying unit for applying the selected special effect to the input unit; a special effect image display unit for displaying an image showing behavior of the selected special effect during the selection by the selecting unit; and a display unit for displaying the image to which the effect applying unit has applied the special effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiro Ota
  • Patent number: 8204373
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a motor, a shutter charge mechanism which rotates the motor in a first direction to perform a charge operation of a shutter, a flash pop-up mechanism which rotates the motor in a second direction to move a flash to an up state, a state detector which detects the up state of the flash, a clutch mechanism which cuts off a transmission between the motor and the flash pop-up mechanism when the motor rotates in the first direction, and cuts off a transmission between the motor and the shutter charge mechanism when the motor rotates in the second direction, and a controller which controls the motor to rotate in the first direction to drive the shutter charge mechanism when the state detector detects the up state of the flash after the motor rotates in the second direction to drive the flash pop-up mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akira Karasawa
  • Patent number: 8203629
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor provided with a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric converter that receives light from an object and converts the received light to a signal, a semiconductor region to which the signal from the photoelectric converter is transferred, a transfer unit that transfers the signal of the photoelectric converter to the semiconductor region, and a readout unit that reads out a signal from the semiconductor region, and a correction unit that corrects a first signal read out from the photoelectric converter, based on a second signal obtained by reading out the signal accumulated in the semiconductor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiji Nagata
  • Patent number: 8203641
    Abstract: A display processing apparatus which makes it possible to set auto bracketing values while confirming a whole range of shooting conditions configurable for correction in which possible shooting condition corrections are taken into account. An exposure correction value is set based on an instruction from a user for correcting a preset value of exposure. Auto bracketing value auto bracketing shooting are set based on an instruction from the user. A process is carried out for displaying a scale for indicating values of the exposure correction value and the auto bracketing values, indicators indicative of a range of exposure correction values that can be set and are arranged in a manner associated with the scale, and indicators indicative of a range of auto bracketing values that can be set and are arranged in a manner associated with the scale and the first indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naomi Mori
  • Patent number: 8203759
    Abstract: The quality of an image read from a degraded image of an original document can be improved. Hence, a specific pixel of an image is selected, and additional information to be added to the image is generated from the position information and color information of the selected pixel. The image of an original document is read, position information and color information added to the original document are extracted, and the color information of a pixel corresponding to the position information is acquired from the read image. The color of the read image is corrected based on the extracted color information and the acquired color information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Minako Kato
  • Patent number: 8201462
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a recirculation type hydrodynamic oscillator flow meter for measuring the flow of fluids such as gas, air, water and oil, flowing through a conduit. This flow meter gives very accurate measurements over a long period of time since piezoelectric sensors are employed. The principle of working of this hydrodynamic oscillator flow meter is the generation of a self induced jet where the frequency of oscillations of the fluid jet is proportional to the flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Inventor: Avinash Shrikrishna Vaidya
  • Patent number: D662354
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Pi-Design AG
    Inventor: Jørgen Bodum