Patents by Inventor Aihiko Numata

Aihiko Numata has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230065051
    Abstract: In order to achieve a photoelectric conversion device that enables suppressing the lowering in tone, a photoelectric conversion device has a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element that outputs a signal according to an incident photon; a photon counter that outputs a measured value according to the number of photons incident to the pixel, a time counter that measures a time until the measured value of the photon counter reaches a first threshold after the photon counter starts the measurement, and a sensitivity adjustment unit configured to perform a sensitivity change for the pixel during a time until the measured value of the photon counter reaches the first threshold after the photon counter starts the measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20220400199
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to obtain an event signal that indicates a position of a pixel and a time at which a luminance change has occurred includes a detection unit configured to detect an object based on the event signal, and a control unit configured to perform control to change at least one parameter in a case where a time period during which the detection unit does not detect the object is longer than a predetermined time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11516390
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus that generates a wide-angle image on the basis of images from a plurality of imaging units and is capable of decreasing a likelihood of a subject becoming a double image. The imaging apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine an imaging range of at least one of a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit on the basis of information relating to a subject designated by a user in a case in which a switching instruction from a non-composition mode to a composition mode and information relating to a subject designated by the user are received from an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11423524
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprising, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a visible light image and an invisible light image, a determination unit configured to determine a region on an image based on the visible light image or the invisible light image acquired by the acquisition unit, and a combining unit configured to generate a composite image such that a combination ratio of the visible light image is larger than a combination ratio of the invisible light image in the region determined by the determination unit, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the visible light image for which an exposure is adjusted such that a region of the visible light image that corresponds to the region determined by the determination unit has an appropriate exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11399126
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a focus controller, an image sensor, an angle controller configured to change an angle of an imaging plane of the image sensor, an evaluation value acquirer configured to acquire a contrast evaluation value in a first evaluation area of the image sensor during a focus control, and to acquire a contrast evaluation value in a second evaluation area different from the first evaluation area during an angle control, and an exposure controller configured to control an exposure condition of the image sensor. The exposure controller determines a first exposure condition so as to provide a correct exposure value to the first evaluation area during the focus control, and determines a second exposure condition different from the first exposure so as to provide a correct exposure value to the second evaluation area during the angle control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20220191379
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device unit including imaging regions for each of which exposure conditions are individually controllable, a calculation unit configured to calculate, for positions on the solid-state imaging device, a movement amount between a first position on the solid-state imaging device unit, corresponding to a portion in an image captured at a present imaging, and a second position on the solid-state imaging device unit, corresponding to the same portion in an image captured for a next imaging, and calculate a direction in which the first and second positions move based on control information directed to the image capturing apparatus, and a determination unit configured to determine the exposure conditions for each of the imaging regions to be used for the next imaging based on luminance distribution information about a captured image at the present imaging, the movement amount, and the calculated direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20220150424
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a measurement result of a number of luminance changes, based on an address event signal indicating an address of a pixel having changed in luminance and a time, and a control unit configured to cause a relationship between the time and the measurement result to be displayed. The control unit causes the measurement result to be displayed in accordance with a direction of the luminance changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20220150435
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to obtain a signal indicating an address of a pixel in which a change in luminance has occurred and time of the change and a generation unit configured to generate a time-series image indicating a position of at least one pixel in which a change in luminance has occurred and a direction of the change in luminance based on the signal, wherein, when the time-series image is to be displayed in reverse chronological order, the generation unit generates the time-series image in which the direction of the change in luminance is reversed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20220120610
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device including a pixel configured to output a signal in response to incidence of a photon includes a first measurement unit configured to measure the signal output from the pixel, a second measurement unit configured to measure time until the signal measured by the first measurement unit reaches a first threshold, a first storage unit configured to store, as a first time, a result of the measurement by the second measurement unit at a first time point, a comparison unit configured to compare the first time stored in the first storage unit and a second time measured by the second measurement unit at a second time point later than the first time point, and an output unit configured to output a signal corresponding to a result of the comparison by the comparison unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11301955
    Abstract: Provided are a synthesis processing configured to that synthesize a first image acquired by a first imaging unit and a second image acquired by a second imaging unit of which an imaging range overlaps a part of an imaging range of the first imaging unit and generates a wide-angle image and an extraction unit configured to extract a region of interest within an imaging range in which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit perform overlapping imaging on the basis of at least one of a third image, acquired by a third imaging unit, which includes at least a part of the imaging range in which the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit perform overlapping imaging in an imaging range thereof and a state of the third imaging unit when the third image is captured. The synthesis processing unit adjusts an amount of positional shift between the first image and the second image in the region of interest, and generates the wide-angle image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11240446
    Abstract: In order to be able to appropriately control whether to generate a wide-angle image in accordance with control of an imaging range of the plurality of imaging units, an imaging device includes: a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit, each of which is movable in a predetermined direction; a combination processing unit configured to combine a first image obtained by the first imaging unit and a second image obtained by the second imaging unit to generate a wide-angle image; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not to generate the wide-angle image by the combination processing unit, based on a relation between an imaging range of the first imaging unit and an imaging range of the second imaging unit, or a position relation between the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11184547
    Abstract: To provide an imaging device for controlling imaging ranges of a plurality of imaging units, the imaging device includes: a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit; a driving mechanism for controlling an imaging range of at least one of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit; a synthesizing unit for synthesizing a first image acquired by the first imaging unit and a second image acquired by the second imaging unit to generate a wide-angle image; a display unit for displaying an image; a user interface used for a user to designate an region or a position in the image displayed by the display unit; and a control unit for controlling the imaging range of at least one of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit in accordance with the designated region or position and control whether the synthesizing unit performs synthesizing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11178371
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus that can obtain an optimum image in accordance with a region of interest of a user is provided. An image processing apparatus comprises an image synthesis unit configured to synthesize a visible light image and an infrared light image and generate a synthesis image; a region specifying unit configured to specify a region in the synthesis image; and an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the saturation of the synthesis image in a region specified by the region specifying unit. The image synthesis unit changes the synthesis ratio of the visible light image and the infrared light image in the synthesis image in accordance with the saturation that has been evaluated by the evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11138764
    Abstract: To provide an image processing device which is user-friendly and is able to acquire an optimum image in which a user's intention is reflected based on various kinds of parameter setting by the user, the image processing device includes: a combination processing unit configured to combine a visible-light image signal and an infrared-light image signal to generate a combined image signal, and a parameter setting unit configured to set a parameter other than combination ratios of the visible-light image signal and the infrared-light image signal in the combined image signal. The combination processing unit changes the combination ratio in accordance with a change in the parameter when the parameter setting unit changes the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11108968
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image sensor; an optical filter having a first filter region that selectively passes light in a first wavelength band; and a calculation circuit that calculates an in-focus position of a focus lens based on a signal obtained from the image sensor. The calculation circuit estimates a first component in the first wavelength band and a second component in a second wavelength band of light received by a second pixel region of the image sensor excluding a first pixel region of the image sensor, based on a first signal obtained from the first pixel region that receives light passed through the first filter region and a second signal obtained from the second pixel region, and calculates an in-focus position with respect to a predetermined shooting distance based on the estimated first and second components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 11106114
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor, an angle controller configured to change an angle between a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an imaging optical system and an imaging plane of the image sensor, an illuminator; and an illumination controller configured to change an optical axis direction of the illuminator based on the angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20210247664
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor, an angle controller configured to change an angle between a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an imaging optical system and an imaging plane of the image sensor, an illuminator; and an illumination controller configured to change an optical axis direction of the illuminator based on the angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 10931882
    Abstract: A first imaging unit according to the present embodiment has a plurality of imaging units arranged such that capturing ranges partially overlap with each other and generates a combined image in which images captured by the plurality of imaging units are connected and combined to each other by a combining processing unit. A second imaging unit according to the present embodiment captures a part of a capturing range of the first imaging unit. A control unit according to the present embodiment controls exposure levels of the plurality of imaging units based on at least one of a state of the second imaging unit and information included in an image captured by the second imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Publication number: 20210021759
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus that generates a wide-angle image on the basis of images from a plurality of imaging units and is capable of decreasing a likelihood of a subject becoming a double image. The imaging apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine an imaging range of at least one of a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit on the basis of information relating to a subject designated by a user in a case in which a switching instruction from a non-composition mode to a composition mode and information relating to a subject designated by the user are received from an external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata
  • Patent number: 10887527
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus capable of improving the quality of an image captured using illumination. A multi-eye image capture section has image capture sections that capture images in different image capture ranges partially overlapping with each other to generate a wide-angle image. A single-eye image capture section captures an image in part of the image capture ranges of the multi-eye image capture section and changes an image capture direction. When performing image capture using illumination, the exposure level of a first image capture section of the multi-eye image capture section, having an image capture range overlapping with the image capture range of the single-eye image capture section is controlled to be lower than the exposure level of a second image capture section having an image capture range not overlapping with the image capture range of the single-eye image capture section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Aihiko Numata