Patents by Inventor Koichi Fukuda

Koichi Fukuda 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: 9698235
    Abstract: The present invention provides a field-effect transistor having an accumulation-layer-operation type field-effect transistor that includes a semiconductor layer in which a source region, a channel region, and a drain region that have either an N-type or P-type conductivity in common are formed, and a gate electrode disposed adjacent to the channel region via a gate insulating film, wherein the gate insulating film is made of a dielectric having a change gradient of a relative dielectric constant in which the relative dielectric constant changes to decrease according to the magnitude of a gate voltage applied to the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shinji Migita, Hiroyuki Ota, Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20170174988
    Abstract: Provided is a soil erosion prevention agent which can suppress the amount of resin used without decreasing soil erosion prevention effect. A soil erosion prevention agent containing a water-borne resin emulsion, wherein: the emulsion has a solid content of 30 to 70 mass %; and the emulsion has a viscosity of 50 mPa·s or lower measured at 30° C. when a water content of the emulsion is adjusted so that the solid content of the emulsion is 40 mass %, is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: Denka Company Limited
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Hironori Konishi, Kazuhiro Kote
  • Publication number: 20170154408
    Abstract: An image processing device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of viewpoint images, an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on image data based on the plurality of viewpoint images, and a setting unit configured to set the image processing by the image processing unit, wherein the image processing unit is able to selectively apply a plurality of different image processings to the image data, and wherein the setting unit is able to set whether to apply each of the plurality of image processings to the image data and a parameter of image processing to be applied to the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Masashi Jobara, Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9625675
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of image forming pixels which receive light beams passing through an imaging pupil area of an imaging optical system, a plurality of first focus detecting pixels which receive light beams passing through a first pupil area smaller than the imaging pupil area, and a plurality of second focus detecting pixels which receive light beams passing through a second pupil area smaller than the imaging pupil area. The geometric center of the first pupil area differs from the geometric center of the second pupil area. The eccentricity of the microlens of the first focus detecting pixel relative to the center of the pixel differs from the eccentricity of the first focus detecting pixel relative to the center of the pixel of the microlens of the image forming pixel adjacent to the first focus detecting pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9621789
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging plane phase-difference type first focus detecting unit and a contrast type second focus detecting unit. A saturation detecting unit detects saturation of focus detecting pixels or imaging pixels provided in an imaging element. A brightness detecting unit detects the brightness of an object. If the number of pixels detected by the saturation detecting unit exceeds a predetermined value or the brightness of an object detected by the brightness detecting unit is less than a predetermined value, a CPU controls a focus adjustment operation only using a first detection amount. Alternatively, the CPU controls a focus adjustment operation based on the result obtained by weighting processing of a first detection amount and a second detection amount in response to an increase in the number of pixels of which saturation of the outputs has been detected or a decrease in the brightness of an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junichi Saito, Hideaki Takamiya, Yoshihito Tamaki, Yuki Yoshimura, Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20170094152
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image processing apparatus that can efficiently suppress the data amount of data indicating a spatial distribution and an angular distribution of light intensity and a control method of the same. The image processing apparatus obtains data indicating the spatial distribution and the angular distribution of the intensity of light beams that have passed through partial pupil areas obtained by dividing the exit pupil of an imaging optical system into a predetermined number. The image processing apparatus then reduces the bit depth or the number of tones of signals constituting the data based on the predetermined number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9609208
    Abstract: An image generation method is provided for generating an output image from an input image acquired by an image sensor that has an array of multiple pixels, each of which has arranged therein multiple sub-pixels that each receive a light beam that passes through a different pupil sub-area of an imaging optical system. The method includes a step of generating multiple parallax images that respectively correspond to the different pupil sub-areas; a step of generating multiple pixel shifted images by performing different shifting for each of the parallax images according to a virtual image forming plane of the imaging optical system; and a step of generating an output image that has a higher resolution than the resolution of the parallax images from the pixel shifted images through composition processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Masafumi Kimura, Koshi Hatakeyama, Norihito Hiasa, Shohei Tsutsumi, Tomohiro Nishiyama, Kazuhiro Yahata
  • Publication number: 20170034426
    Abstract: A control apparatus (121) includes a generation unit (121a) for generating first and second focus detection signals based on a plurality of types of color signals from first and second pixel groups that receive light beams passing through partial pupil regions different from each other, and a calculation unit (121b) for calculating a defocus amount by a phase difference detection method by using the first and second focus detection signals, and the generation unit combines the color signals with respect to the first pixel group so that centroids of the color signals in a pupil division direction coincide with each other to generate the first focus detection signal, and combines the color signals with respect to the second pixel group so that centroids of the color signals in the pupil division direction coincide with each other to generate the second focus detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventor: Koichi FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 9521312
    Abstract: Signals of pixels are acquired from an image sensor in which a first pixel, a second pixel, and an imaging pixel are arranged, the first pixel receiving light flux that is restricted to light flux passing through a first portion of a pupil area of an imaging optical system, the second pixel receiving light flux that is restricted to light flux passing through a second portion that is different from the first portion of the pupil area, and the imaging pixel being different from the first and second pixels. Based on the acquired signals, estimated signals at a position at which the first and second pixel is not arranged are estimated. A defocus amount of the imaging optical system is calculated based on evaluation values obtained based on the estimated signals and the signals from the first and second pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Yoshimura, Koichi Fukuda, Junichi Saito, Hideaki Takamiya, Yoshihito Tamaki
  • Patent number: 9490281
    Abstract: An image sensor comprising a plurality of image sensing pixel groups is provided. Each of the image sensing pixel groups has a plurality of first pixels each having photoelectric conversion portions arrayed in first and second directions for first and second numbers of divisions, respectively, and a plurality of second pixels each having photoelectric conversion portions arrayed in the first and second directions for third and fourth numbers of divisions, respectively. The photoelectric conversion portions comprising the first pixel and the second pixel have a function of photoelectrically converting a plurality of images formed by divided light fluxes of a light flux from an imaging optical system and outputting a focus detection signal for phase difference detection. The first and third numbers of division are coprime natural numbers, and the second and fourth numbers of divisions are coprime natural numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Ryo Yamasaki, Makoto Oikawa, Ichiro Onuki, Hideaki Yamamoto, Akihiro Nishio
  • Publication number: 20160316135
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging plane phase-difference type first focus detecting unit and a contrast type second focus detecting unit. A saturation detecting unit detects saturation of focus detecting pixels or imaging pixels provided in an imaging element. A brightness detecting unit detects the brightness of an object. If the number of pixels detected by the saturation detecting unit exceeds a predetermined value or the brightness of an object detected by the brightness detecting unit is less than a predetermined value, a CPU controls a focus adjustment operation only using a first detection amount. Alternatively, the CPU controls a focus adjustment operation based on the result obtained by weighting processing of a first detection amount and a second detection amount in response to an increase in the number of pixels of which saturation of the outputs has been detected or a decrease in the brightness of an object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Inventors: Junichi Saito, Hideaki Takamiya, Yoshihito Tamaki, Yuki Yoshimura, Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20160308019
    Abstract: The present invention provides a field-effect transistor having an accumulation-layer-operation type field-effect transistor that includes a semiconductor layer in which a source region, a channel region, and a drain region that have either an N-type or P-type conductivity in common are formed, and a gate electrode disposed adjacent to the channel region via a gate insulating film, wherein the gate insulating film is made of a dielectric having a change gradient of a relative dielectric constant in which the relative dielectric constant changes to decrease according to the magnitude of a gate voltage applied to the gate electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Shinji MIGITA, Hiroyuki OTA, Koichi FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20160301838
    Abstract: An image capture apparatus comprises an imaging optical system, an image sensor, a pupil division unit which limits a light beam entering each pixel on the image sensor to a specific pupil area of the imaging optical system, an incident angle determination unit which determines an incident angle to each pixel on the image sensor, an image shift unit which shifts an electric signal obtained from the image sensor, based on the incident angle determined by the incident angle determination unit and a position of a plane on which image generation is performed, and an image generation unit which synthesizes electric signals obtained from the image shift unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Masafumi Kimura, Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9462177
    Abstract: A focus adjustment apparatus has: an imaging unit that is capable of outputting a pair of focus detection signals by photoelectrically converting rays of light which pass through different pupil areas of a focusing optical system; a focus detection unit for detecting a first defocus amount by executing a first filter processing to the pair of focus detection signals; a determination unit for determining a focus state on the basis of the first defocus amount; an evaluation value generation unit for generating an evaluation value of the first defocus amount by executing a second filter processing to the pair of focus detection signals in accordance with a result of the determination; and a control unit for evaluating the result of the determination about the focus state on the basis of the evaluation value and controlling a focus adjustment in accordance with a result of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9438786
    Abstract: A focus detection apparatus has an obtaining unit for obtaining a first image signal corresponding to object light passing through a first pupil area of a focusing optical system and a second image signal corresponding to object light passing through a pupil area different from the first pupil area of the focusing optical system, a combination unit for generating a combination signal by combining the first and second image signals at least one of which is shifted by a predetermined step, wherein the shift and the generation of the combination signal are performed for a plurality of predetermined steps and a plurality of combination signals are generated, a calculation unit for calculating a contrast evaluation value from the plurality of combination signals, and a focus detection unit for detecting a defocus amount on the basis of the contrast evaluation value and the shift amount of the shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9428689
    Abstract: A solid light-emitting device comprising a light-emitting semiconductor element and a phosphor dispersed in a sealant, in which the phosphor is exited by the light emitted by the semiconductor element to emit a visible light of a wavelength differing from that of the light emitted by the semiconductor element and is a silicate phosphor or a phosphor having a hydroxyl group on its surface, and the sealant is a condensation product of a prepolymer produced by condensation of polydimethyl-siloxane having a silanol group at both ends and an oligomer of an alkoxide of a metal or a semimetal or its derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Ube Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Shindo, Midori Sato, Koichi Fukuda, Kaoru Takazaki, Jin Amagai, Rika Nogita, Toru Inagaki, Kenji Arima
  • Patent number: 9426349
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a plurality of parallactic images having a relationship that the magnitude of an amount of image shift between parallactic images increases with an increase of a defocus amount, generates, through plural selections of the generated parallactic images permitting a repeated same selection, a series of parallactic images in which the selected parallactic images are arranged in a selection order; repeatedly applies interpolation processing to each pair of adjacent parallactic images included in the series of parallactic images to generate a plurality of interpolation images; and arranges the interpolation images between the adjacent parallactic images to output the interpolated parallactic images as an output image of a moving image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20160234435
    Abstract: An image generation method is provided for generating an output image from an input image acquired by an image sensor that has an array of mnitple pixels, each of which has arranged therein multiple sub-pixels that each receive a light beam that passes through a different pupil sub-area of an imaging optical system. The method includes a step of generating multiple parallax images that respectively correspond to the different pupil sub-areas; a step of generating multiple pixel shifted images by performing different shifting for each of the parallax images according to a virtual image forming plane of the imaging optical system; and a step of generating an output image that has a higher resolution than the resolution of the parallax images from the pixel shifted images through composition processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Koichi Fukuda, Masafumi Kimura, Koshi Hatakeyama, Norihito Hiasa, Shohei Tsutsumi, Tomohiro Nishiyama, Kazuhiro Yahata
  • Patent number: 9412777
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor including a plurality of image forming pixels and a lens which is arranged for the plurality of image forming pixels. Each of the image forming pixels includes a plurality of divided photo-electric conversion units, and the plurality of photo-electric conversion units have a function of photo-electrically converting a plurality of images having passed through different exit pupils of the imaging optical system, and outputting focus detection signals. Each of the image forming pixels includes a first light guide and a second light guide. The first light guide is arranged on a side of the lens, and the second light guide is arranged on a side of the photo-electric conversion unit, and a division count of the second light guide is larger than the division count of the first light guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20160222288
    Abstract: A silicate phosphor produced by a method of firing in a reducing atmosphere a mixture comprising a silicon compound, a strontium compound and a barium compound in a ratio providing strontium barium silicate and a europium compound in the presence of two or more halide compounds selected from a group consisting of fluoride, chloride and bromide exhibits higher external quantum efficiency to a light in the wavelength region of ultraviolet light to blue light, as compared with a silicate phosphor produced by a method of firing in a reducing atmosphere the mixture in the presence of a single halide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Koichi FUKUDA, Kenji ARIMA, Jin AMAGAI