Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Niitsuma

Hiroaki Niitsuma 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: 11907008
    Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a communication circuit, a clock supply circuit, a CPU and a memory storing a program which, when executed by the CPU, causes the communication apparatus to function as a control unit which causes the communication circuit to operate in one of a first mode in which the communication circuit performs a normal communication with the external apparatus and a second mode in which the communication circuit operates with lower power consumption than in the first mode. In the second mode, the control unit controls the clock supply circuit so as not to supply the clock signal to the communication circuit. While the communication circuit is operating in the second mode and the clock signal is not being supplied to the communication circuit, the control unit controls the clock supply circuit to start supply of the clock signal to the communication circuit in response to a predetermined signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20220283604
    Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a communication circuit, a clock supply circuit, a CPU and a memory storing a program which, when executed by the CPU, causes the communication apparatus to function as a control unit which causes the communication circuit to operate in one of a first mode in which the communication circuit performs a normal communication with the external apparatus and a second mode in which the communication circuit operates with lower power consumption than in the first mode. In the second mode, the control unit controls the clock supply circuit so as not to supply the clock signal to the communication circuit. While the communication circuit is operating in the second mode and the clock signal is not being supplied to the communication circuit, the control unit controls the clock supply circuit to start supply of the clock signal to the communication circuit in response to a predetermined signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 11036668
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a semiconductor integrated circuit, another semiconductor integrated circuit connected to the semiconductor integrated circuit via a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, and devices (a hard disk drive (HDD), and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) connected to the another semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit transmits a predetermined instruction to the another semiconductor integrated circuit, and the another semiconductor integrated circuit shifts the PCI bus to a non-communicable state or a state communicable at low speed. Thereafter, the another semiconductor integrated circuit shifts the devices (the HDD and the DRAM) to a power saving state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Yoshihara, Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 10860331
    Abstract: An information processing which reduces production costs. The information processing apparatus has a first semiconductor device, a second semiconductor device, a ROM that stores both a first boot program and a second boot program, and an interface for communicating with the ROM. In response to the first semiconductor device being reset, the first semiconductor device reads out the first boot program from the ROM via the interface. In response to the second semiconductor device being reset, the second semiconductor device reads out the second boot program from the ROM via the interface. While the first semiconductor device is reading out the first boot program from the ROM, an output from the second semiconductor device to the interface is controlled to have high impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niitsuma, Toshio Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 10802561
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a first circuit configured to operate by receiving a first voltage or a second voltage higher than the first voltage; a second circuit configured to output a signal indicating which of the first voltage or the second voltage is to be input to the first circuit; and a control unit configured to receive the signal output by the second circuit and to output, to the first circuit, a signal indicating a voltage to be supplied to the first circuit. The control unit is configured to output a signal indicating the second voltage for a period until when the signal output by the second circuit has stabilized, and to output a signal indicating a voltage as indicated by the signal received from the second circuit, after the signal output by the second circuit has stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20200250125
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a semiconductor integrated circuit, another semiconductor integrated circuit connected to the semiconductor integrated circuit via a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus, and devices (a hard disk drive (HDD), and a dynamic random access memory (DRAM)) connected to the another semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit transmits a predetermined instruction to the another semiconductor integrated circuit, and the another semiconductor integrated circuit shifts the PCI bus to a non-communicable state or a state communicable at low speed. Thereafter, the another semiconductor integrated circuit shifts the devices (the HDD and the DRAM) to a power saving state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Toshio Yoshihara, Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 10652430
    Abstract: An image processing method includes determining whether image data acquired by reading a document with a reading unit is color or monochrome, saving color image data determined to be color and monochrome image data generated by monochrome conversion of the color image data, in association with each other as a learning sample, deciding a color conversion parameter to be used when image data read by the reading unit and determined to be monochrome image data is converted into a color image, using the saved learning sample, and converting the image data read by the reading unit and determined to be the monochrome image data into color image data, using the decided color conversion parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Ichikawa, Shigeki Hasui, Yosuke Obayashi, Yoshihisa Nomura, Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 10637349
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: a power source unit having a PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuit; a semiconductor integrated circuit including at least one module for performing image processing; and a first power source control unit configured to control whether to turn on or to turn off a power of the PFC circuit, and to control a power control signal input into the semiconductor integrated circuit so that the power of the PFC circuit is on while the power of the module in the semiconductor integrated circuit is on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 10630915
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a first image processing module; a second image processing module; a first SRAM configured to temporarily store image data for which the first image processing has been performed by the first image processing module; a second SRAM configured to store a parameter for performing the second image processing for image data that is input to the second image processing module; and a control unit. The control unit stops power supply to the first SRAM, continues to supply power to a storage area of the second SRAM in which the parameter is stored, and stops power supply to a control area for writing data to the storage area of the second SRAM based on that a condition to cause the semiconductor integrated circuit to make a transition into a power-saving mode is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20190268500
    Abstract: An image processing method includes determining whether image data acquired by reading a document with a reading unit is color or monochrome, saving color image data determined to be color and monochrome image data generated by monochrome conversion of the color image data, in association with each other as a learning sample, deciding a color conversion parameter to be used when image data read by the reading unit and determined to be monochrome image data is converted into a color image, using the saved learning sample, and converting the image data read by the reading unit and determined to be the monochrome image data into color image data, using the decided color conversion parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Masanori Ichikawa, Shigeki Hasui, Yosuke Obayashi, Yoshihisa Nomura, Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20190268580
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: an obtaining unit configured to obtain image data of an original read by a reading unit; a detection unit configured to detect an object from the image data; a color determination unit configured to determine whether an object detected by the detection unit is a color image or a monochrome image; a conversion unit configured to convert each object determined to be a monochrome image by the color determination unit into a color image; and a display unit configured to perform a display, for each object converted by the conversion unit, in which editing by a user is possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niitsuma, Yoshihisa Nomura, Masanori Ichikawa, Yosuke Obayashi, Shigeki Hasui
  • Publication number: 20190115827
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes: a power source unit having a PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuit; a semiconductor integrated circuit including at least one module for performing image processing; and a first power source control unit configured to control whether to turn on or to turn off a power of the PFC circuit, and to control a power control signal input into the semiconductor integrated circuit so that the power of the PFC circuit is on while the power of the module in the semiconductor integrated circuit is on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20190094934
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a first circuit configured to operate by receiving a first voltage or a second voltage higher than the first voltage; a second circuit configured to output a signal indicating which of the first voltage or the second voltage is to be input to the first circuit; and a control unit configured to receive the signal output by the second circuit and to output, to the first circuit, a signal indicating a voltage to be supplied to the first circuit. The control unit is configured to output a signal indicating the second voltage for a period until when the signal output by the second circuit has stabilized, and to output a signal indicating a voltage as indicated by the signal received from the second circuit, after the signal output by the second circuit has stabilized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20180302577
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a first image processing module; a second image processing module; a first SRAM configured to temporarily store image data for which the first image processing has been performed by the first image processing module; a second SRAM configured to store a parameter for performing the second image processing for image data that is input to the second image processing module; and a control unit. The control unit stops power supply to the first SRAM, continues to supply power to a storage area of the second SRAM in which the parameter is stored, and stops power supply to a control area for writing data to the storage area of the second SRAM based on that a condition to cause the semiconductor integrated circuit to make a transition into a power-saving mode is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 10027906
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a first image processing module; a second image processing module; a first SRAM configured to temporarily store image data for which the first image processing has been performed by the first image processing module; a second SRAM configured to store a parameter for performing the second image processing for image data that is input to the second image processing module; and a control unit. The control unit stops power supply to the first SRAM, continues to supply power to a storage area of the second SRAM in which the parameter is stored, and stops power supply to a control area for writing data to the storage area of the second SRAM based on that a condition to cause the semiconductor integrated circuit to make a transition into a power-saving mode is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20180060081
    Abstract: An information processing which reduces production costs. The information processing apparatus has a first semiconductor device, a second semiconductor device, a ROM that stores both a first boot program and a second boot program, and an interface for communicating with the ROM. In response to the first semiconductor device being reset, the first semiconductor device reads out the first boot program from the ROM via the interface. In response to the second semiconductor device being reset, the second semiconductor device reads out the second boot program from the ROM via the interface. While the first semiconductor device is reading out the first boot program from the ROM, an output from the second semiconductor device to the interface is controlled to have high impedance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niitsuma, Toshio Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20170201697
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus of the present invention is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a first image processing module; a second image processing module; a first SRAM configured to temporarily store image data for which the first image processing has been performed by the first image processing module; a second SRAM configured to store a parameter for performing the second image processing for image data that is input to the second image processing module; and a control unit. The control unit stops power supply to the first SRAM, continues to supply power to a storage area of the second SRAM in which the parameter is stored, and stops power supply to a control area for writing data to the storage area of the second SRAM based on that a condition to cause the semiconductor integrated circuit to make a transition into a power-saving mode is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 9658679
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus that improves the convenience of a user who performs authentication using an authentication medium. A communication system module acquires authentication information from an IC card. A sensor system module detects proximity of the IC card. A main circuit element group authenticates a user using the acquired authentication information. A power supply controller supplies power to those modules and the group. A power supply destination is controlled such that the apparatus is shifted to a power saving state in which power is supplied only to the sensor system module. In the power saving state, when the sensor system module detects proximity of the IC card, the power supply destination is controlled to cause the apparatus to shift to a normal power state in which power is supplied to the communication system module and the main circuit element group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 9432011
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes, a fixed frequency-division clock generation unit configured to generate a fixed frequency-division clock with a fixed frequency based on an output clock of a clock source, a variable frequency-division clock generation unit configured to generate a variable frequency-division clock with a variable frequency based on the output clock of the clock source, and a data path selection unit configured to select a data path. The data path selection unit selects a data path with or without a synchronization unit for converting the data into clock-synchronous data on a receiving side according to whether the variable frequency-division clock is or is not, respectively, generated by the variable frequency-division clock generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma
  • Patent number: 9419599
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first generation unit configured to generate a fixed frequency division clock signal (first signal) from an output clock signal of a clock source, a fixed frequency division state monitoring unit configured to monitor the first signal, a second generation unit configured to generate a variable frequency division clock signal (second signal) from the output signal, and a variable frequency division state monitoring unit configured to monitor the second signal. In a case where the frequency of the second signal is returned from a reduced frequency to normal, when the variable frequency division state monitoring unit determines that the second signal becomes high in a next cycle, output of the second signal is stopped, and when the fixed frequency division state monitoring unit determines, after the output is stopped, that the first signal becomes high in a next cycle, the output is resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Niitsuma