Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Takei

Hirofumi Takei 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: 8957899
    Abstract: The present invention includes an image processing apparatus having a slide show function of displaying a plurality of images while sequentially automatically switching the images and including an adding unit which adds a transition effect at the time of switching display from a first image to a second image, an obtaining unit which obtains characteristic values indicative of luminance of the first and second images, and a control unit which controls the adding unit to add a transition effect when the difference between the characteristic value of the first image and the characteristic value of the second image is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 8929684
    Abstract: When an area in a first image is specified, an amounts of characteristics of image data included in the area and a neighboring area are detected and it is determined based on the amount of the characteristics whether or not a notification display indicating that the area is likely not to be a target area needs to be presented. If it is determined that the notification display needs to be displayed, a notification image that enables the area to be identified is generated for the first image and is combined with a second image to generate a composite image and the composite image is displayed on a display unit. On the other hand, if it is determined that the specified area is likely to be a target area, the second image based on the image data included in the area is displayed over the full screen of the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 8411169
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image processing apparatus that generates control information related to the generation of image data executed in shooting processing, and generates component information of a special effect, for example, such as a film grain, based on the control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 8379916
    Abstract: When an area in a first image is specified, an amounts of characteristics of image data included in the area and a neighboring area are detected and it is determined based on the amount of the characteristics whether or not a notification display indicating that the area is likely not to be a target area needs to be presented. If it is determined that the notification display needs to be displayed, a notification image that enables the area to be identified is generated for the first image and is combined with a second image to generate a composite image and the composite image is displayed on a display unit. On the other hand, if it is determined that the specified area is likely to be a target area, the second image based on the image data included in the area is displayed over the full screen of the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7932935
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to image an object, a gain adjustment unit configured to adjust a gain for an image signal output from the imaging unit, a signal processing unit configured to process the image signal, the signal processing unit including a first noise reduction unit to reduce a particular noise included in the image signal, an image compression unit configured to compress an image signal output from the signal processing unit, the image compression unit including a second noise reduction unit to reduce the particular noise included in the image signal output from the signal processing unit, and a control unit configured to set one of the first and second noise reduction units into an operative state and another unit into an inoperative state according to a gain adjustment by the gain adjustment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Publication number: 20110032268
    Abstract: The present invention includes an image processing apparatus having a slide show function of displaying a plurality of images while sequentially automatically switching the images and including an adding unit which adds a transition effect at the time of switching display from a first image to a second image, an obtaining unit which obtains characteristic values indicative of luminance of the first and second images, and a control unit which controls the adding unit to add a transition effect when the difference between the characteristic value of the first image and the characteristic value of the second image is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7876375
    Abstract: An automatic focus adjustment device has an image sensing element for converting an object optical image into an electrical signal, and outputting an image signal, a filter for extracting high-frequency components of the image signal obtained by the image sensing element, an integrator for integrating the high-frequency components extracted by the filter and outputting an integrated value, a peak hold circuit for detecting and outputting a peak value of the high-frequency components extracted by the filter, a discrimination unit for discriminating the luminance distribution of the object optical image, and a focus adjustment unit for making focus adjustment using one of the integrated value output from the integrator and the peak value output from the peak hold circuit in accordance with the discrimination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7760953
    Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes obtaining unit for obtaining moving image data having been obtained in shooting unit for shooting an object and shooting information relating to a condition of the shooting unit during the shooting, encoding unit for executing motion detection on the moving image data by unit of two or more kinds of pixel block shapes and encoding the data, and decision unit for deciding, based on the shooting information, whether to execute motion detection using all the kinds of pixel block shapes, wherein when the decision unit decides that motion detection should not be executed using all the kinds of pixel block shapes, the encoding unit executes the motion detection using some of the kinds of pixel block shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7706583
    Abstract: There is disclosed an image processing apparatus which implements an image process suitable for an effect for compositing or switching images, and an image process that allows smooth high-speed playback of even an image in motion. The apparatus has band segmentation means for segmenting an image signal into a plurality of frequency band components, and image composition means for, after the band segmentation means segments input first and second image signals, outputting a third image signal by replacing image data for respective segmented band components. When image data, which are recorded while being segmented into a plurality of frequency band components, are composited for respective band, and the composite image data is output, image data obtained by compositing a plurality of image frequency components is decoded and played back in a high-speed playback mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Publication number: 20100073511
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image processing apparatus that generates control information related to the generation of image data executed in shooting processing, and generates component information of a special effect, for example, such as a film grain, based on the control information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7651785
    Abstract: There is provided a tin-plated product which has a small deterioration of contact resistance with age, an excellent wear resistance and a low coefficient of friction. A coating of a composite material, which contains 0.1 to 1.0 wt % of carbon particles dispersed in a tin layer and which has a thickness of 0.5 to 10.0 ?m, preferably 1.0 to 5.0 ?m, is formed as the outermost layer of a substrate. Thus, the coefficient of dynamic friction between the tin-plated products of the same kind is 0.20 or less, and the coefficient of dynamic friction between the tin-plated product and a reflow tin-plated product is 0.20 or less, while the contact resistance is 1 m? or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Takei, Hiroshi Miyazawa, Kentaro Asai
  • Patent number: 7630005
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image processing apparatus that generates control information related to the generation of image data executed in shooting processing, and generates component information of a special effect, for example, such as a film grain, based on the control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Publication number: 20090226038
    Abstract: When an area in a first image is specified, an amounts of characteristics of image data included in the area and a neighboring area are detected and it is determined based on the amount of the characteristics whether or not a notification display indicating that the area is likely not to be a target area needs to be presented. If it is determined that the notification display needs to be displayed, a notification image that enables the area to be identified is generated for the first image and is combined with a second image to generate a composite image and the composite image is displayed on a display unit. On the other hand, if it is determined that the specified area is likely to be a target area, the second image based on the image data included in the area is displayed over the full screen of the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7567286
    Abstract: A light quantity control device includes a diaphragm for controlling an incident light quantity and an ND filter insertable into and retractable from an effective ray in a plane approximately perpendicular to an optical axis, and inserts the ND filter into the effective ray before small-aperture diffraction occurs, and also controls the amount of relative movement between the diaphragm and the ND filter to prevent occurrence of shading due to an edge of the ND filter and a variation in brightness during the insertion of the ND filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Takei, Naoya Kaneda, Tadanori Okada
  • Publication number: 20090147018
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus comprises a signal processor that performs processing corresponding to a plurality of color gamuts for image data, an image recording unit that records the processed image data, an image displaying unit that displays the processed image data, a first selector that selects a color gamut of image data to be recorded in the image recording unit from the plurality of color gamuts, and a second selector that selects a color gamut of image data to be displayed on the image displaying unit from the plurality of color gamuts, during recording of image data of the color gamut selected by the first selector in the image recording unit, image data of a plurality of color gamuts are displayed on the image displaying unit by switching selection by the second selector while maintaining a selection state by the first selector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7481698
    Abstract: A surface grinding machine for a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy wafer comprises a pair of disk-shaped grindstones that face each other across a prescribed gap to be rotatable in opposite directions about their center axes. The grinding surfaces of the pair of grindstones and the center axe inclination of one grinding stone are configured to form a planar grinding region A wherein a portion of both of the grinding surfaces of the pair of grindstones lie parallel with a constant intervening gap therebetween. Other portions of the grinding surfaces of the grindstones constitute a wedge-like opening region B that becomes more narrow toward the planar grinding surface A. A feeder to feed the wafers from the wedge-like opening region B toward the planar grinding region A is provided in order to grind both surfaces of the wafers at the planar grinding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yamada, Hirofumi Takei, Masami Kamada, Toshinori Eba
  • Publication number: 20080051016
    Abstract: A method of producing a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy wafer comprises a step of using a cutter to slice a wafer of a thickness of not greater than 3 mm from a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy having ferromagnetic crystal grains surrounded by a more readily grindable grain boundary phase and a step of surface-grinding at least one cut surface of the obtained wafer with a grindstone to form at a surface layer thereof flat ferromagnetic crystal grain cross-sections lying parallel to the wafer planar surface. The method enables high-yield production of a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy wafer having flat surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yamada, Hirofumi Takei, Masami Kamada, Toshinori Eba
  • Publication number: 20070297767
    Abstract: An image reproducing apparatus includes a selection unit configured to select one of a plurality of pieces of image data recorded on a recording medium, a recording unit configured to perform post-recording of audio data upon the piece of image data selected by the selection unit, a measurement unit configured to measure a recording time period of the audio data post-recorded by the recording unit, and a control unit configured to create or update a reproducing program for specifying display periods of a plurality of pieces of image data to be reproduced and a display sequence thereof based on the audio data recording time period measured by the measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7307656
    Abstract: A white balance correcting device for correcting white balance by using video signals is arranged to be capable of accurately obtaining white balance even in a case where a picture includes only a small white part therein. The white balance correcting device is arranged to divide a picture into a plurality of blocks, to obtain a mean value of signals by averaging signals of each divided block as representing the block and a peak value of luminance from a signal having the highest luminance among others in each divided block also as representing the block, and to use, for white balance control, either the mean value or the peak value according to the state of the object of shooting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hirofumi Takei
  • Patent number: 7273405
    Abstract: A method of producing a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy wafer comprises a step of using a cutter to slice a wafer of a thickness of not greater than 3 mm from a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy having ferromagnetic crystal grains surrounded by a more readily grindable grain boundary phase and a step of surface-grinding at least one cut surface of the obtained wafer with a grindstone to form at a surface layer thereof flat ferromagnetic crystal grain cross-sections lying parallel to the wafer planar surface. The method enables high-yield production of a sintered rare earth magnetic alloy wafer having flat surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Dowa Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Yamada, Hirofumi Takei, Masami Kamada, Toshinori Eba