Patents by Inventor Hirotake Nozaki

Hirotake Nozaki 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: 20080008361
    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: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura, Hideya Inoue
  • Publication number: 20080001916
    Abstract: The electronic device includes a projector device that projects an image formed by an optical image formation element, an imaging device that captures an image of an object to be photographed so that an imaging range includes the range of projection by the projector device and outputs an image signal, an image change detection unit that detects change of the image signal after having excluded the projection range from the range photographed by the imaging device, and a command unit that issues a command related to operation of the projector device according to the region within the imaging range in which change has been detected by the image change detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa
  • Publication number: 20070296831
    Abstract: An image reproduction device has a display interface, a data reading unit, an image processing section, a recording unit, and a control section. The display interface outputs to a monitor device including a display screen. The data reading unit reads data from an external recording device as well as including a connection section capable of electrically connecting the external recording device recording photographic image data. The image processing section generates monitor image data based on the photographic image data. The image size of the monitor image data corresponds to the image resolution of the monitor device. The recording unit records the monitor image data in a memory. The control section performs the reproduction mode in which a reproduction image based on the monitor image data is displayed on the monitor device. Besides, the control section is configured to produce a reproduction image when not connected with the external recording device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa
  • Publication number: 20070294300
    Abstract: An image data management device has a data reading unit and a control section. The data reading unit includes a plurality of recording medium insert sections. To the recording medium insert section, a recording medium having recorded photographic image data is connected detachably and data can be read from and written to the recording medium. The control section acquires imaging date/time information included in each photographic image data, classifies the groups of photographic image data recorded in each recording medium of the data reading unit according to the imaging date/time, and moves the photographic image data among the recording media based on the result of classification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Nixon Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotake Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20070263176
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a projector device that projects an image formed by an optical image formation element via a projection optical system towards a projection surface external to a body of the electronic device; and the projector device projects the image while determining an orientation of the projection light flux, so that neither in a first placement method, in which the electronic device is placed with a first surface of the body being downwards upon a plane upon which the electronic device and the projection surface are placed, nor in a second placement method in which the electronic device is placed with a second surface of the body that is different from the first surface being downwards, is the image projected from the projector device intercepted by the plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Keiichi Nitta
  • Publication number: 20070248345
    Abstract: A camera has a face detecting section, a focusing section, and a controlling section. The face detecting section detects a face area in a shooting image plane. The focusing section calculates a defocus amount based on a relative distance of a pair of images of a light beam that has passed through a shooting lens in each of a plurality of optional areas in the shooting image plane. The controlling section designates a focusing area among the optional areas based on an output of the face detecting section and performs a focusing operation of the shooting lens based on the defocus amount in the focusing area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20070249396
    Abstract: A portable telephone device with incorporated projector 10 starts projection by a projection module 6 when a relative angle ? is set to a projection attitude of 80° and three seconds elapses. If a setting is made for performing vibration correction processing, then a camera unit 200 is commanded to start image-capturing or photographing frame pictures continuously. The portable telephone device with incorporated projector 10 calculates six movement vectors by comparing pictures between successive frames photographed by an image sensor. Along with deciding upon “hand tremor” based upon the movement vectors which are calculated, moreover a representative vector is calculated. The portable telephone device with incorporated projector 10 further creates picture shift information for canceling the representative vector, and, if “hand tremor” has been decided upon, suppresses vibration or wobbling of the contents projected by the projector module using the picture shift information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiichi Nitta, Hirotake Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20070242942
    Abstract: A camera is provided with a face detecting section, a focusing section, an area specifying section, and a controlling section. The face detecting section detects a face area within a shooting image plane. The focusing section has plural optional areas within the shooting image plane. Further, the focusing section obtains an image phase difference amount of a pair of images based on luminous flux having passed through a shooting lens in each of the optional areas. The area specifying section specifies a focusing area from among the optional areas corresponding to the face area. Further, the area specifying section changes a method of specifying the focusing area in accordance with the size of the face area. The controlling section performs a focusing operation of the shooting lens on the basis of the image phase difference amount in the focusing area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20070236597
    Abstract: An autofocus apparatus with a photographic optical system having a movably disposed focus adjusting lens, an optical element to split light beams received from an object, a plurality of image forming lenses to form images from portions of the split light beams, a plurality of focusing estimating portions to create focusing data for focusing the image of the object on the corresponding image forming lenses, a data detecting device to detect data for focusing the image, a data creating device to correct the detected focusing data, a selecting portion to select from among the focusing estimating portions, and a moving device to move the focus adjusting lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurokawa, Hirotake Nozaki, Koutarou Murakami
  • Publication number: 20070195173
    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: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa, Akira Ohmura, Tadashi Ohta, Setsu Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 7209175
    Abstract: An autofocus apparatus with a photographic optical system having a movably disposed focus adjusting lens, an optical element to split light beams received from an object, a plurality of image forming lenses to form images from portions of the split light beams, a plurality of focusing estimating portions to create focusing data for focusing the image of the object on the corresponding image forming lenses, a data detecting device to detect data for focusing the image, a data creating device to correct the detected focusing data, a selecting portion to select from among the focusing estimating portions, and a moving device to move the focus adjusting lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurokawa, Hirotake Nozaki, Koutarou Murakami
  • Publication number: 20060291851
    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: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Nobuhiro Fujinawa, Akira Ohmura
  • Publication number: 20060256225
    Abstract: An electronic camera displays recorded information, such as image frames, to permit the selection of items of information to be transferred to external equipment. Each time an item of information is transferred, an informative indication (e.g., an icon) is displayed in association with the transferred item to confirm the transfer and to permit an operator to select items of recorded information that may be erased. If an error occurs during transfer of a series of items, the operator can determine from the display the point at which the error occurred, avoiding the need for transferring items that have already been transferred.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kawamura, Norikazu Yokonuma, Hirotake Nozaki, Akira Ezawa, Kazuyuki Kazami
  • Publication number: 20060256396
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus having an image selecting function, includes: an evaluation device that takes in a plurality of sets of image data of a subject obtained through image-capturing and performs acceptability evaluation on each of the plurality of sets of image date; and an acceptability selection device that selects image data ranked high in the acceptability evaluation among the plurality of sets of image data having undergone the acceptability evaluation performed at the evaluation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ejima, Hirotake Nozaki, Fumio Hiraide
  • Publication number: 20060193627
    Abstract: An electronic camera includes: an image sensor that captures an image of a subject and outputs image data; a projection device that projects an image based upon image data; a single mode switching operation member operated to select a mode; and a control device that selects a photographing operation mode in which image data output by the image sensor are saved into a recording medium or a projection operation mode in which an image is projected by the projection device based upon image data read out from the recording medium in correspondence to a position to which the single mode switching operation member is operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirotake Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20060176240
    Abstract: An information process apparatus is provided with an interface transmitting and receiving data between a plurality of display devices provided with a display portion of showing information and electronic appliances, a reception unit-receiving a given data from the electronic appliance via the interface, a judgment unit judging an action status of the plurality of display devices via the interface in accordance with a reception result of the given data by the reception unit, and an output unit outputting a given display signal to a display device of which the action state is judged to be in a given state by the judgment device out of the plurality of the display devices in accordance with the given data via the interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicants: NIKON CORPORATION, NIKON TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Masahide Tanaka, Akira Ohmura, Tadashi Ohta
  • Patent number: 7088865
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus having an image selecting function, includes: an evaluation device that takes in a plurality of sets of image data of a subject obtained through image-capturing and performs acceptability evaluation on each of the plurality of sets of image data; and an acceptability selection device that selects image data ranked high in the acceptability evaluation among the plurality of sets of image data having undergone the acceptability evaluation performed at the evaluation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Ejima, Hirotake Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20060139478
    Abstract: A camera for recording an image captured using image-capturing element in a recording medium is provided with a focal point detection device for detecting a focal point adjustment state of a photographic lens in each focal point detection region of a plurality of focal point detection regions set inside an photographic field. When electronic zoom shooting is carried out, part of an imaged picture is trimmed and an image for recording in the recording medium is created. For a plurality of focal point detection regions the focal point detection regions are changed according to the trimming range of the imaged picture. Focal point adjustment of the photographic lens is carried out based on focal point detection results for focal point detection regions that have been changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirotake Nozaki
  • Publication number: 20060132623
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electronic camera which images an object image and records image data. Particularly, the present invention relates to technology to record image data in a good shooting state, such as with little blurring due to hand shaking. The invention has an image pick-up means 1 which continuously images an object, a temporary memory means 2 which temporarily stores a plurality of frames of image data which are continuously imaged by the image pick-up means 1, a shooting evaluation means 3 which evaluates a good or bad shooting state of the image data imaged by the image pick-up means 1, a still image selection means 4 which selects the image data with the highest evaluation of the shooting evaluation means 3 among the image data which are stored in the temporary memory means 2, and an image saving means 5 which saves the image data which is selected by the still image selection means 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotake Nozaki, Satoshi Ejima
  • Patent number: 7046290
    Abstract: A camera for recording an image captured using image-capturing element in a recording medium is provided with a focal point detection device for detecting a focal point adjustment state of a photographic lens in each focal point detection region of a plurality of focal point detection regions set inside an photographic field. When electronic zoom shooting is carried out, part of an imaged picture is trimmed and an image for recording in the recording medium is created. For a plurality of focal point detection regions the focal point detection regions are changed according to the trimming range of the imaged picture. Focal point adjustment of the photographic lens is carried out based on focal point detection results for focal point detection regions that have been changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotake Nozaki