Patents by Inventor Akira Ohmura

Akira Ohmura 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).

  • Patent number: 8498532
    Abstract: A digital camera equipped with a projector, includes a photographing device; a projector device that projects an optical image; a mode switching operation member that outputs a switching operation signal indicating a changeover to one of a photographing operation mode in which image data photographed by the photographing device are saved as a photographic image file in a recording medium and a projection operation mode in which a reproduced image is projected by the projector device; a top surface operation member disposed at an upper surface of a casing; and a projection control device that controls the projector device based upon an operation signal provided by the top surface operation member upon receiving a switching operation signal indicating a changeover to the projection operation mode from the mode switching operation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8488847
    Abstract: An image sensor of an electronic camera photoelectrically converts a subject image obtained by a shooting optical system to generate an image signal. A image processing section generates face registration image data and moving image data. A face detecting section detects a face area inside a shooting screen based on the moving image data. A controlling section adjusts shooting parameters of the shooting optical system, depending on a position detected at the face area. A face image generating section cuts out an image of the face area to generate face image data. A face recognizing data generating section extracts feature points of the face of a captured person from a part of the face area of the face registration image data and generates face recognizing data. A recording section records the face recognizing data or face image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura, Yasuyuki Motoki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa
  • Patent number: 8454172
    Abstract: A projector device includes: an image generation unit that generates an image; an irradiation unit that irradiates light for projecting the image generated by the image generation unit upon a projection surface; and a change unit that changes luminance of the light irradiated from the irradiation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Fujinawa, Setsu Mitsuhashi, Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8416275
    Abstract: A camera having communication ability can switch a mode between a communication mode and a shooting mode. The camera combines features of a communication device and a digital camera. The camera comprises a communication device, an imaging device, and a switching device. The switching device switches the communication mode to the shooting mode responsive to completion of communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Itaru Homma, Chiyuki Kuwata, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8306280
    Abstract: An electronic camera includes an image pickup device, a memory, a face detecting section, a face recognizing section, and an object specifying section. The image pickup device photo-electrically converts an image of an object into an electric signal and generates an image signal as the electric signal. The memory has recorded registration data representing characterizing points of faces as recognizing targets. The face detecting section detects face areas in a shooting image plane based on the image signal and extracts characterizing points of faces of objects from the face areas. The face recognizing section determines whether or not the face areas are the recognizing targets based on data of the characterizing points corresponding to the face areas and on the registration data. The object specifying section specifies as a main object an object present on nearest side of the electronic camera of objects as the recognizing targets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura, Hideya Inoue
  • Patent number: 8248503
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes: a display at which a photographic image and a map image are displayed; and a display control unit that controls the display so as to display identifiers respectively indicating photographing locations at which a plurality of photographic images were captured over the map image displayed at the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Chie Sogoh, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8243168
    Abstract: An image manager includes a communicator that communicates with a server computer storing image data, a detector that detects a storage capacity of image data stored into the server computer by the communicator and a controller that controls download of image data stored into the server computer in response to a detection result of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8228398
    Abstract: An electronic camera system has an electronic camera and a cradle. The electronic camera includes an image pickup section that photoelectrically converts a subject image to generate image data, a first recording section that records image data, a first connecting terminal used for transmission/reception of data to/from an outside of the camera, and a camera controlling section that transfers the image data to the outside of the camera. The cradle includes a second connecting terminal constructed to be capable of engaging with the first connecting terminal, a cradle controlling section that transmits/receives data to/from the electronic camera, and a second recording section in which the image data transferred from the electronic camera can be recorded. Also, at least one of the electronic camera and the cradle further includes a transfer determination section which determines a possibility of transferring the image data based on predetermined authentication information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ejima, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8212909
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera capable of deciding display form of the multi-display optimally suited an external monitor on the basis of detecting pixel information of the external monitor connected to the digital camera. In one aspect of the present invention, a digital camera includes a memory that stores a plurality of image frames, a display that shows an image frame, an output means that outputs image data to an electric instrument, a multi-display forming means that shows simultaneously a plurality of image frames stored in the memory, an image selection means that selects a given image frame among the plurality of image frames of the multi-display shown on the display, and a controller that controls such that when the multi-display is shown on the display, only the given image data selected by the image selection means is output from the output means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura, Tadashi Ohta
  • Patent number: 8212894
    Abstract: An electronic camera includes an image pickup device that takes a subject image, a face detecting section, an inferential section, and an image processing section. The face detecting section not only detects a face area in a shooting image plane based on the output of the image pickup device but also extracts a feature amount of the face of the subject from the face area. The inferential section performs inferential processing relating to either of the age and gender of the subject based on the feature amount. The image processing section makes at least one of an exposure correction, a soft focus correction, a skin smoothing correction to adjust color saturation of the color of the skin, and a correction to make a person look slim, on a recording-purpose image taken by the image pickup device based on the inference result of the inferential section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20120162468
    Abstract: A digital camera comprises an imaging device; an internal memory; an attachment device that attaches a storage medium; a medium detector that detects whether the storage medium attached to the attachment device is a storage medium limiting overwrite; and a record control device that controls so as to store image data taken by the imaging device in the storage medium attached to the attachment device. When the medium detector detects that the storage medium attached to the attachment device is the storage medium limiting overwrite, the record control device controls so as to store data management information of the image data recorded in the storage medium limiting overwrite in the internal memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake NOZAKI, Akira OHMURA
  • Patent number: 8194173
    Abstract: An electronic camera includes a menu providing section that provides a focus area selection menu that allows a user to select a focus area, a characterizing portion detecting section that detects a characterizing portion of an object, and an area setting section that sets a focus area based on the characterizing portion detected by the characterizing portion detecting section. The focus area selection menu that is provided by the menu providing section to the user includes, as a selection item, a focus area to be set by the area setting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Kawahara, Yasuyuki Motoki, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8149295
    Abstract: A digital camera comprises an imaging device; an internal memory; an attachment device that attaches a storage medium; a medium detector that detects whether the storage medium attached to the attachment device is a storage medium limiting overwrite; and a record control device that controls so as to store image data taken by the imaging device in the storage medium attached to the attachment device. When the medium detector detects that the storage medium attached to the attachment device is the storage medium limiting overwrite, the record control device controls so as to store data management information of the image data recorded in the storage medium limiting overwrite in the internal memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8147066
    Abstract: A portable type information device includes: a projector device that, with illumination light from a light source unit, projects a projection pattern which has been created upon an image pattern generation unit to an exterior of the portable type information device via a projection lens; and a power supply command device that commands the projector device to turn ON only a power supply to the light source unit. The projector device is configured to be utilized as a simple electric torch. In addition, by retracting the image pattern generation unit from an optical path for projection, the illumination light can be irradiated to the exterior effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa, Akira Ohmura, Tadashi Ohta
  • Patent number: 8123363
    Abstract: A projector device that generates a projection image, photographs this projection image and performs various adjustments to the projection image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Tadashi Ohta, Setsu Mitsuhashi, Keiichi Nitta, Akira Ohmura, Nobuhiro Fujinawa
  • Patent number: 8104900
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a moving part; a projector device provided to the moving part; and a projection control unit that starts projection of an image by the projector device according to the state of the moving part, and the projection control unit starts projection of an image when a first time period has elapsed with the moving part in a predetermined state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 8099468
    Abstract: A digital camera comprises an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject and acquires image data, a communication unit for sending and receiving electronic mail data including image data, a recording control unit that records the image data acquired by the image-capturing unit as photographed image data upon a recording medium, an email for sending creation unit that creates an email for sending, to which is attached an image based upon the photographed image data recorded upon the recording medium, an email address setting unit that sets an email address as the destination of the email for sending, and an upper limit setting unit that sets an upper limit of data amount or an upper limit of the number of images, for the image to be sent, according to the email address that is set by the email address setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Aki Iwasawa, Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20110310272
    Abstract: A digital camera includes an insertion unit for inserting a storage medium, an image pickup unit, a control unit for storing an image picked up by the image pickup unit onto a storage medium inserted into the insertion unit, and a medium detection unit for detecting whether the storage medium inserted into the insertion unit is a storage medium in which rewrite is limited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Norikazu Yokonuma, Masahide Tanaka, Tadashi Ohta, Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20110310258
    Abstract: A digital camera includes a communicator that communicates with other digital camera, a receiver that receives a camera information of another digital camera and an imaging device that forms a digital image of an object. The digital camera further includes a processor that creates a digital image data from the digital image based upon the camera information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20110285650
    Abstract: Various processes effectively execute updating of related information that is correlated to user selected information. For example, when a selected screen is touched by a pen or the like while an image corresponding to the selected image data is displayed on the screen, existing line drawing data (for example, a first character string) that is correlated to the image data and stored is displayed on the screen. In this instance, if new line drawing data (for example, a second character string) is input using the pen or the like, the new line drawing data is added to the existing line drawing data, and is correlated to the image data being displayed and stored. Different sound data can be correlated to selected image data. Different memo data also can be correlated user selected sound data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ejima, Akihiko Hamamura, Akira Ohmura