Patents by Inventor Hidenori Taniguchi

Hidenori Taniguchi 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: 9912889
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus that has a mixture readout mode configured to mix and read outputs of a plurality of pixels in an image sensor (107), when pixels to be mixed are image pickup pixels, they are mixed. When the pixels to be mixed contain a focus detection pixel, a signal of the image pickup pixel is not mixed with a signal of the focus detection pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9854178
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of calculating light amount changing characteristics of an object with high accuracy and enlarging a dynamic range during photometric measurement. An image pickup device of the image pickup apparatus has a plurality of unit pixel areas arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, and a first pixel and a second pixel are included in each of the unit pixel areas. When a flicker detection mode in which an image signal for use in calculating the light amount changing characteristics of the object is obtained is selected, a first accumulation period and a second accumulation period for the first pixels and the second pixels, respectively, are set such that a first barycentric position which is a barycentric position of the first accumulation period and a second barycentric position which is a barycentric position of the second accumulation period correspond to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9503616
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor constructed by replacing some of a plurality of image forming pixels of the image sensor with focus detecting pixels, a comparison unit configured to compare outputs of the image forming pixels as a plurality of correction targets adjacent to the focus detecting pixel with outputs of a plurality of reference image forming pixels of the same color as the plurality of image forming pixels arranged in the vicinity of the plurality of image forming pixels adjacent to the focus detecting pixel, and a correction unit configured to execute correction processing of the outputs of the image forming pixels as the plurality of correction targets in accordance with a comparison result of the comparison unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidenori Taniguchi, Minoru Hirose
  • Publication number: 20160173795
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus that has a mixture readout mode configured to mix and read outputs of a plurality of pixels in an image sensor (107), when pixels to be mixed are image pickup pixels, they are mixed. When the pixels to be mixed contain a focus detection pixel, a signal of the image pickup pixel is not mixed with a signal of the focus detection pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9338341
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus that has a mixture readout mode configured to mix and read outputs of a plurality of pixels in an image sensor (107), when pixels to be mixed are image pickup pixels, they are mixed. When the pixels to be mixed contain a focus detection pixel, a signal of the image pickup pixel is not mixed with a signal of the focus detection pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 9270911
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation, and focus detection pixels dividing the pupil region of an imaging lens into pupil regions and generating a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images from the pupil regions obtained by the division; a switching unit that switches between an all-pixel readout mode in which signals from all of the multiple pixels are read out and a thinning readout mode in which the signals of the multiple pixels are thinned and read out; and a control unit that, in the case where the mode has been switched by the switching unit to the thinning readout mode, controls the accumulation of charges in imaging rows used for image generation and focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels independent from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20150358570
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus which is capable of calculating light amount changing characteristics of an object with high accuracy and enlarging a dynamic range during photometric measurement. An image pickup device of the image pickup apparatus has a plurality of unit pixel areas arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, and a first pixel and a second pixel are included in each of the unit pixel areas. When a flicker detection mode in which an image signal for use in calculating the light amount changing characteristics of the object is obtained is selected, a first accumulation period and a second accumulation period for the first pixels and the second pixels, respectively, are set such that a first barycentric position which is a barycentric position of the first accumulation period and a second barycentric position which is a barycentric position of the second accumulation period correspond to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20140240550
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor constructed by replacing some of a plurality of image forming pixels of the image sensor with focus detecting pixels, a comparison unit configured to compare outputs of the image forming pixels as a plurality of correction targets adjacent to the focus detecting pixel with outputs of a plurality of reference image forming pixels of the same color as the plurality of image forming pixels arranged in the vicinity of the plurality of image forming pixels adjacent to the focus detecting pixel, and a correction unit configured to execute correction processing of the outputs of the image forming pixels as the plurality of correction targets in accordance with a comparison result of the comparison unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidenori Taniguchi, Minoru Hirose
  • Patent number: 8582965
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: a photometry unit configured to perform photometry on a subject and output a photometric value; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of photometric values from the photometry unit during a predetermined period of time; and a calculation unit configured to perform a prediction calculation to predict a luminance of the subject based on the plurality of photometric values obtained by the obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 8525917
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensor having a pair of focus detection pixel groups and a plurality of image sensing pixels, and a control unit that, in a thinning readout mode that reads out signal charges from a portion of pixels disposed within a part of pixels of the image sensor, controls so that at least the pair of focus detection pixel groups are included in the part of the pixels from which signal charges are read out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20120138773
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus includes an image sensor which includes, a plurality of image forming pixels, and a plurality of focus detecting pixels that receive light beams having passed through the exit pupils of the imaging lenses while they are partially shielded, a vertical output line which outputs, in the vertical direction of the image sensor, signals of a plurality of pixels aligned on one column, a vertical addition unit which adds, in the vertical direction of the image sensor, signals of a plurality of pixels aligned on one column, and a control unit which controls so that the vertical addition unit is always OFF when the focus detecting pixel is included in pixels having signals to be added, in adding the signals of the plurality of pixels in the vertical direction and reading them out by the vertical addition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 8194935
    Abstract: Plural kinds of feature information for identifying an object and a period of time, set for each kind of the feature information, for which the feature information is effective are stored in connection with each other. A feature is extracted from image data, the extracted feature is compared with the feature information, which is within the set period of time, among the stored feature information, and an object is recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20120128341
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises: a photometry unit configured to perform photometry on a subject and output a photometric value; an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of photometric values from the photometry unit during a predetermined period of time; and a calculation unit configured to perform a prediction calculation to predict a luminance of the subject based on the plurality of photometric values obtained by the obtaining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20120038810
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image sensor including image sensing pixels that generate a signal for image generation, and focus detection pixels dividing the pupil region of an imaging lens into pupil regions and generating a signal for phase difference detection by photoelectrically converting object images from the pupil regions obtained by the division; a switching unit that switches between an all-pixel readout mode in which signals from all of the multiple pixels are read out and a thinning readout mode in which the signals of the multiple pixels are thinned and read out; and a control unit that, in the case where the mode has been switched by the switching unit to the thinning readout mode, controls the accumulation of charges in imaging rows used for image generation and focus detection rows including the focus detection pixels independent from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20110096189
    Abstract: There is provided an image pickup apparatus that has a mixture readout mode configured to mix and read outputs of a plurality of pixels in an image sensor (107), when pixels to be mixed are image pickup pixels, they are mixed. When the pixels to be mixed contain a focus detection pixel, a signal of the image pickup pixel is not mixed with a signal of the focus detection pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20100165176
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises an image sensor having a pair of focus detection pixel groups and a plurality of image sensing pixels, and a control unit that, in a thinning readout mode that reads out signal charges from a portion of pixels disposed within a part of pixels of the image sensor, controls so that at least the pair of focus detection pixel groups are included in the part of the pixels from which signal charges are read out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 7595475
    Abstract: The image-pickup apparatus includes a focus detector generating focus detection information using light from an image-pickup optical system, a photometer generating photometry information using the light from the image-pickup optical system, a focus controller performing focus control, and an exposure controller performing exposure control. The photometer includes first and second photoelectric conversion part having different spectral sensitivity characteristics and formed to at least partially overlap each other in a light entrance direction from the image-pickup optical system. The photometer generates the photometry information based on the output from the first photoelectric conversion part. The focus controller performs the focus control using the focus detection information and focus correction information obtained based on the outputs from the first and second photoelectric conversion parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20090032678
    Abstract: The image-pickup apparatus includes a focus detector generating focus detection information using light from an image-pickup optical system, a photometer generating photometry information using the light from the image-pickup optical system, a focus controller performing focus control, and an exposure controller performing exposure control. The photometer includes first and second photoelectric conversion part having different spectral sensitivity characteristics and formed to at least partially overlap each other in a light entrance direction from the image-pickup optical system. The photometer generates the photometry information based on the output from the first photoelectric conversion part. The focus controller performs the focus control using the focus detection information and focus correction information obtained based on the outputs from the first and second photoelectric conversion parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20070122006
    Abstract: Plural kinds of feature information for identifying an object and a period of time, set for each kind of the feature information, for which the feature information is effective are stored in connection with each other. A feature is extracted from image data, the extracted feature is compared with the feature information, which is within the set period of time, among the stored feature information, and an object is recognized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventor: Hidenori TANIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 7164856
    Abstract: In a distance measurement and photometry sensor device in which sensors are arranged on the same plane to be formed in the form of a semiconductor chip, a photometry sensor is arranged such that its sensor center is deviated by a predetermined distance in a direction perpendicular to a base length direction in which sensor centers of a pair of first and second line sensors are connected with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidenori Taniguchi