Patents Represented by Attorney Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman
  • Patent number: 8184309
    Abstract: This invention can cope with various user needs and use cases related to a holding function and can prevent any situation in which, for example, even when the holding function is disabled, an external device continuously inputs, to a printing apparatus, jobs which require use of the holding function. This invention also prevents the data of a job that requires use of the holding function from remaining in a memory when the holding function is disabled. This invention prevents data that will never be used from remaining in a storage area when the holding function is disabled. A printing system, according to the invention, enables a printing unit to execute a process of a job that requires use of the holding function of causing a storage unit to hold data of a job to be processed. The printing system includes a control unit which disables the holding function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Koshika, Takeshi Utsunomiya
  • Patent number: 8185504
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including: a correspondence determination unit configured to refer to respective additional information data included in a file and another file and determine whether identical additional information data exists; a size determination unit configured to compare a combined size of the two files with a reference size when judged that identical additional data exists; a flag addition unit configured to add a flag indicating data exempt from search target to identical additional information data included in either one of the two files when judged that the combined size is smaller than the reference size; a deletion unit configured to delete identical additional information data included in either one of the two files when judged that the combined size is equal to or greater than the reference size; and a storing unit configured to store a combined file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Hino
  • Patent number: 8182164
    Abstract: A printing apparatus which prints one image by sequentially transferring a set of a plurality of color inks to roll paper from an ink ribbon cyclically coated with the plurality of color inks, the apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit which acquires image data; a print processing unit which prints an image on the roll paper based on the image data acquired by the acquisition unit; a cutting unit which cuts the roll paper after the print processing unit prints the image; and a setting unit which sets a cutting position, the setting unit displaying an image to be printed on a display unit together with the cutting position, and changing the cutting position in accordance with an operation to an operation member, wherein the cutting unit cuts the roll paper in accordance with the cutting position set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yaguchi
  • Patent number: 8181330
    Abstract: A member for a push button switch that has a small thickness, high durability, and excellent click feeling and can be manufactured at low cost. The member for the push button switch includes one or more key tops, a metal sheet including at least holes that correspond to positions of the key tops, and an elastic sheet that is provided on the metal sheet so as to be positioned on the same side as or opposite side to the key tops. The elastic sheet is fitted into the holes and comes in contact with the key tops at positions of the holes. The elastic sheet includes a urethane film or polycarbonate, and a silicone rubber, which are laminated in a thickness direction of the metal sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kato, Hideto Taneyama, Hitoshi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8184177
    Abstract: First white balance correction coefficients computed based on a detected face region, and second white balance correction coefficients for correcting, to a skin color, chromaticity obtained after applying the first white balance correction coefficients to the face region are obtained. The degree of detection reliability of the face region is determined based on the parameter values obtained from the pixels of the face region and predetermined conditions. Resultant white balance correction coefficients are computed from the first white balance correction coefficients and the second white balance correction coefficients to which a smaller weight is applied as the degree of detection reliability is lower. Even when a face region is erroneously detected, high-precision white balance correction coefficients can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuko Kakuta
  • Patent number: 8185677
    Abstract: A data reproducing apparatus comprises: a reproducing unit adapted to read out data from a plurality of recording media; a list generating unit adapted to generate a content list which describes storage location information in association with contents stored in the plurality of recording media; and a communication unit adapted to communicate with an external device and sending the content list to the external device, wherein the list generating unit checks if the contents stored in the plurality of recording media include identical contents, and if the identical contents are detected, the list generating unit generates the content list including information indicating that the storage location information of the identical contents are integrated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakama
  • Patent number: 8184167
    Abstract: An electromagnetic driving apparatus includes a magnet member having a first face in which first and second magnetic poles are formed in a first direction and a second face in which the first and second magnetic poles are formed in a second direction, a first coil facing the first face, a second coil facing the second face, a first member holding the magnet member, and a second member holding the first and second coils. One of the first and second members holds a driven member. The first and second members are relatively moved in the first direction by the energization of the first coil, and the first and second members are relatively moved in the second direction by the energization of the second coil. The actuator constituted by the first and second coils and the magnet member can be compactly arranged in one region in the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyoshi Inaba
  • Patent number: 8184354
    Abstract: A light-amount adjusting apparatus includes a plurality of light-amount adjusting blades that causes a size of a light-passing aperture to change by rotation thereof. Each of the light-amount adjusting blades includes a base portion on which a rotation center portion and a driven portion are formed, and a blade portion that overlaps another light-amount adjusting blade in a light-passing direction so as to form the light-passing aperture. A thickness of the blade portion is thinner than that of the base portion. When the plurality of light-amount adjusting blades is rotated to set the light-passing aperture to be smaller than a full-opened aperture, a thickness of a portion that overlaps an adjacent stop blade is thinner than that of a portion that does not overlap the adjacent stop blade in each of the light-amount adjusting blades. The blades have high dimension accuracy, and deterioration of the optical performance of the apparatus is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masao Mizumaki, Hiroshi Akada
  • Patent number: 8183988
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention comprises a method for tuning a power line communication inductive signal coupling device comprising a coupler and a plurality of capacitors, the method comprising: passing a carrier frequency signal through the coupler; sensing an amplitude of the signal; and switching the capacitors until the amplitude of the signal reaches a maximum. In various embodiments: (a) the signal is transmitted by a second transmitter, and the method further comprises switching to a first transmitter for data transmission; (b) the signal is received by a receiver after passing through the coupler; and (c) the capacitors are switched by a relay controller receiving commands from a microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Quadlogic Controls Corporation
    Inventors: Sayre Swarztrauber, Michael Newsome
  • Patent number: 8184382
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which makes it possible to achieve reduction of the size in the optical axis direction thereof, and easily maintain the accuracy of rectilinear guidance between lenses. A cam barrel rotatable around an optical axis has a cam for controlling motion of a lens unit along the optical axis. A rectilinear motion guide unit rectilinearly guides the lens unit. The rectilinear motion guide unit has a rectilinear motion barrel fitted in the cam barrel for rectilinearly guiding the lens unit, and a rectilinear motion member that is rectilinearly guided by a rectilinear motion guide member disposed around the rectilinear motion barrel and is connected to the rectilinear motion barrel. The cam barrel is sandwiched from front and rear in a direction along the optical axis by the rectilinear motion guide unit, and is movable together therewith along the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Katano
  • Patent number: 8179612
    Abstract: A lens barrel unit includes a lens holding cylinder, a cam cylinder, and a straightforward movement cylinder. The lens holding cylinder includes a ring-shaped step that projects outward in a radial direction. In an image pickup state, a surface of the ring-shaped step which is an end of an object side in the ring-shaped step is closer to an object than a surface of the straightforward movement cylinder which is an end of an object side in the straightforward movement cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Katano
  • Patent number: 8179547
    Abstract: This invention facilitates an operation required to restore a desired file from code information. To accomplish this, a printing apparatus prints code information generated by encoding a file on a first sheet set, and prints identification information required to identify the sheet on which the code information corresponding to the file is printed. A restoration apparatus scans the first and second sheet sets. The restoration apparatus specifies, based on the identification information on the second sheet set, a sheet on which code information corresponding to a desired file is printed. Furthermore, the restoration apparatus restores the desired file by decoding the code information printed on the specified sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Kamasuka, Fumio Shoji
  • Patent number: 8179451
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image sensing apparatus that photographs a moving image and records moving image data, and the image sensing apparatus has an image sensing unit and a recording unit which records moving image data obtained by the image sensing unit on a storage medium; the image sensing device extracts frames of a portion of the moving image data in accordance with a predetermined condition during recording of the moving image data by the recording unit, and stores the extracted frames in a memory as image data for RecReview. Here, the number of frames of the image data for RecReview is set, and a review unit reads out image data of frames of the set number in accordance with termination of recording of moving image data, outputs the image data of frames to a display device, and displays the RecReview images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8174584
    Abstract: An apparatus which concurrently shoots a movie and a still image, comprises an image sensing unit which generates movie data and still image data; a storage unit which stores the generated still image data in a temporary memory area at predetermined time intervals; a detection unit which detects at least one of feature information, audio information and operation information; an analyzing unit which analyzes the detected information; a control unit which outputs, based on an analysis result, an instruction used as a trigger for selecting still image data among the still image data stored in the temporary memory area; an image processing unit which performs image processing on the selected still image data selected in accordance with the instruction used as the trigger; and a recording unit which records the processed still image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideaki Sambonsugi
  • Patent number: 8174589
    Abstract: A period of periodical noise caused by a period of a drive signal of a CMOS sensor and a period of a signal generated by driving of a circuit other than the CMOS sensor is acquired, and a length of a horizontal blanking period is adjusted so that one horizontal period of a drive signal of the CMOS sensor becomes an integer multiple of the periodical noise period. Then, column noise is detected from an image signal read out by driving the CMOS sensor with a drive signal based on one horizontal period after the adjustment and the detected column noise is subtracted from the image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Ise
  • Patent number: 8175447
    Abstract: The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element including first pixels for photoelectrically converting an object image formed by a light flux from an image taking optical system and second pixels for photoelectrically converting optical images formed by light fluxes divided form the light flux from the image taking optical system, and a controller performing focus detection based on a phase difference of the optical images, control of an aperture stop included in the image taking optical system and an image capturing operation for generating a captured image by using signals obtained from the first pixels. The controller increases, when an image capturing aperture size of the aperture stop is smaller than a focus detecting aperture size in a case of performing the focus detection between the image capturing operations in continuous image capturing, the aperture size to the focus detecting aperture size in the focus detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kan Takaiwa
  • Patent number: 8170220
    Abstract: Provided is an image sensing apparatus in which directivity can be changed in accordance with the position of the shooter. The image sensing apparatus includes a video shooting unit, at least four microphones placed around the video shooting unit, and an audio signal processing unit adapted to synthesize audio signals from two microphones among the at least four microphones, thereby outputting a synthesized audio signal from a specific direction of the video shooting unit. The apparatus further includes a selecting unit adapted to select the position of a shooter. The audio signal processing unit includes a directivity changeover unit adapted to change over directivity by changing a combination of the two microphones in accordance with a selection output signal the said selecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Mori
  • Patent number: 8169171
    Abstract: A drive apparatus includes a magnet rotor, a stator having a coil, a position detector configured to detect a position of the magnet rotor, a lead angle circuit configured to output a signal having a lead angle relative to an output of the position detector, a first driver configured to switch an electrification state of the coil in accordance with a preset time interval, a second driver configured to switch an electrification state of the coil in accordance with an output of the lead angle circuit, and a controller configured to adjust a lead angle amount of the signal output from the lead angle circuit within a range that does not cause step out in the driving by the first driver, prior to changing the driving by the second driver to the driving by the first driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kousuke Kiyamura
  • Patent number: 8169668
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is premised on the assumption that it is connected to a policy server. If no access policy is given to a file to be transmitted, the image processing apparatus forms definition information for defining an access policy, and registers the formed definition information in the policy server. The image processing apparatus then transmits, to a client computer across a network, a file to which the access policy is given.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junko Nemoto
  • Patent number: 8169494
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises: a pixel array including a first pixel group and a second pixel group; a first readout unit which reads out a first signal from the first pixel group in a readout period which remains constant regardless of the operation modes; a second readout unit which reads out a second signal from the second pixel group in a readout period selected in accordance with a switched operation mode between the operation modes; and a control unit which controls a performance of generating an evaluation value by using the first signal of the first pixel group, and which controls at least one of image displaying performance and image recording performance by using the second signal of the second pixel group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuya Ino