Patents by Inventor Eiji Anno

Eiji Anno 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: 20130010169
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging sensor configured to capture a subject image to output image data, a display unit configured to display an image based on the output image data, a touch panel configured to receive an operation by user's touching, the touch panel arranged on the display unit, and a controller configured to control enabling/disabling of the touch operation on the touch panel based on an output from the imaging sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: TAKAYUKI TOCHIO, EIJI ANNO
  • Patent number: 8345150
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit operable to capture a subject image via an optical system and generate image data, a regulating unit operable to regulate an exposure amount for the imaging unit; a shake detector operable to detect a shake of the imaging apparatus; an operation unit capable of being in a first operating state and a second operating state; and a controller operable to control the recording unit to record the image data generated by the imaging unit in the recording medium, when the operation unit is in the first operating state. The controller determines whether or not the operation unit is in the second operating state before the first operating state, and regulates an exposure time of the regulating unit based on the determination result and the shake of the imaging apparatus detected by the shake detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kojima, Toshihito Egami, Eiji Anno
  • Patent number: 8203625
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes: an optical system for producing a subject's image; an imager with multiple photodiodes, which reads an electrical signal representing the intensity of light that has been incident on each photodiode from the photodiode, thereby generating an image signal representing the subject's image; a controller, which acquires sensitivity information by photometry in order to adjust the sensitivity of the imager to light and which selects one of multiple methods for reading the electrical signal from each photodiode according to the sensitivity information acquired; and a driver for driving the imager by the reading method selected. The multiple reading methods include a mixing reading method, by which the electrical signals supplied from the photodiodes are added together and then output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Furuya, Eiji Anno, Yuichi Suzuki, Tomoaki Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8130282
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes: an image capturing section for capturing a subject's image and generating image data, thereby outputting a moving picture; a first area shifting section for shifting a first area, which is associated with a first kind of feature information that represents a first feature in the image data, based on a result of search for the first kind of feature information through the image data; and a second area shifting section for shifting, independently of the first area, a second area, which is associated with a second kind of feature information that represents a second feature in the image data, based on a result of search for the second kind of feature information through the image data. If unable to detect the second kind of feature information, the second area shifting section shifts the second area with respect to the location of the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Miura, Eiji Anno
  • Publication number: 20110115971
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image capture device that can omit calculating a pulse signal that should otherwise be used to get a flash fired during a flash-ON sequential shooting operation. An image capture device includes: an image capturing section configured to capture a subject's image; a flashing section configured to store electricity and emitting flash light using the electricity; a power supply configured to supply the electricity; and a control section configured to control the supply of the electricity to the flashing section. If the flashing section performs preliminary flashing and main flashing sequentially, the control section supplies no electricity to the flashing section after the preliminary flashing is done and before the main flashing is performed for a first time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Shinji Furuya, Eiji Anno, Yuichi Suzuki, Tomoaki Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20110019069
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit operable to capture a subject image via an optical system and generate image data, a regulating unit operable to regulate an exposure amount for the imaging unit; a shake detector operable to detect a shake of the imaging apparatus; an operation unit capable of being in a first operating state and a second operating state; and a controller operable to control the recording unit to record the image data generated by the imaging unit in the recording medium, when the operation unit is in the first operating state. The controller determines whether or not the operation unit is in the second operating state before the first operating state, and regulates an exposure time of the regulating unit based on the determination result and the shake of the imaging apparatus detected by the shake detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: HIROYUKI KOJIMA, TOSHIHITO EGAMI, EIJI ANNO
  • Publication number: 20100013956
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes: an optical system for producing a subject's image; an imager with multiple photodiodes, which reads an electrical signal representing the intensity of light that has been incident on each photodiode from the photodiode, thereby generating an image signal representing the subject's image; a controller, which acquires sensitivity information by photometry in order to adjust the sensitivity of the imager to light and which selects one of multiple methods for reading the electrical signal from each photodiode according to the sensitivity information acquired; and a driver for driving the imager by the reading method selected. The multiple reading methods include a mixing reading method, by which the electrical signals supplied from the photodiodes are added together and then output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Furuya, Eiji Anno, Yuichi Suzuki, Tomoaki Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20090244315
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes: an image capturing section for capturing a subject's image and generating image data, thereby outputting a moving picture; a first area shifting section for shifting a first area, which is associated with a first kind of feature information that represents a first feature in the image data, based on a result of search for the first kind of feature information through the image data; and a second area shifting section for shifting, independently of the first area, a second area, which is associated with a second kind of feature information that represents a second feature in the image data, based on a result of search for the second kind of feature information through the image data. If unable to detect the second kind of feature information, the second area shifting section shifts the second area with respect to the location of the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki MIURA, Eiji ANNO