Patents by Inventor Kunihiro Yamamoto

Kunihiro Yamamoto 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: 6796386
    Abstract: A pneumatic rotary tool has a housing formed primarily from plastic so that the weight and price of the tool are substantially reduced. The air motor is formed for economic assembly while permitting greater structural stability should the housing deflect under an impact. The tool includes a torque selector which controls the amount of pressurized air allowed to enter the air motor, thereby controlling the torque output of the motor. The user may adjust the torque selector to a number of set positions which correspond to discrete torque values. The tool additionally incorporates early and late stage exhaust ports, so that backpressure within the air motor does not slow motor rotation or decrease tool power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: S.P. Air Kabusiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Izumisawa, Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6731826
    Abstract: A plurality of image data are stored in a hard disk device in correspondence with their image feature amounts. An image is using an input window. A CPU computes the image feature amount of the input image. The CPU computes image similarity on the basis of the computed image feature amount and the image feature amounts of the stored image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kentaro Matsumoto, Miyuki Enokida, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Patent number: 6724946
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image processing method, apparatus and storage medium for forming a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images. The method includes dividing an image, which is the basis of the mosaic image, into a plurality of tile areas, obtaining an image characteristic of each tile area obtained by division, calculating distances between the image characteristics of each of the tile areas and image characteristics of respective ones of the plurality of material images, selecting material images corresponding to each of the tile areas in dependence upon result of calculation of the distances, forming a mosaic image by pasting the selected material images to the corresponding tile areas, and subjecting this mosaic image to filtering processing, thereby generating a mosaic image in which the joints between tile areas are no longer noticeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kusama, Kentaro Matsumoto, Miyuki Enokida, Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6720971
    Abstract: There are provided an image processing method and apparatus for generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images in a mosaic pattern. The number of material images is increased on the basis of a plurality of stored material images, material images added by capturing a moving image, or the like, and a mosaic image with higher image quality is generated based on such material images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kentaro Matsumoto, Yasuo Fukuda, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Patent number: 6718075
    Abstract: An image search apparatus searches image data based on an input search condition, and displays a graphic view of plural images based on plural image data obtained as search results. In this view display, when plural image data are obtained by a new search, the view displayed images are respectively updated. Upon update of the display of each of the displayed images, if the image data of the displayed image is the same as the image data of an image to be displayed after the update, the execution of a update display is prohibited. Thus, the display of previous search results are effectively utilized, and the speed of view display of images as search results is increased, and an efficient image search operation can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6704466
    Abstract: First control controls execution of a process for inputting an image drawn by the user using an input window, and a process for computing the image feature amount of the input image. Parallel to the first control, second control controls execution of a process for storing a plurality of image data in correspondence with their image feature amounts, a process for computing image similarity on the basis of the computed image feature amount and those of the stored image data, and a process for displaying a list of image data as search results on the basis of the computed image similarity. Also, communications between the first control and the second control are controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Publication number: 20040022453
    Abstract: To generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images, an original image is divided into tiles and a material image having a characteristic similar to that of an image in each tile is applied to the tile. If more than one version of image data having different resolutions is provided as the image data for the material image, a low-resolution version of the image data is used to calculate a characteristic quantity of the image. Thus, the amount of time required to generate the mosaic image can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Canon Kabukshiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kusama, Kentaro Matsumoto, Miyuki Enokida, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Yasuo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6665451
    Abstract: Upon forming a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images, an original image of the mosaic image is segmented into M×N areas. The image characteristics of these segmented areas are calculated, and a material image corresponding to each segmented area is determined on the basis of the calculated image characteristics while inhibiting a single material image from being repetitively selected for a plurality of areas. By generating the mosaic image in this way, an expected texture pattern due to a specific combination of material images can be prevented from being formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kusama, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6633685
    Abstract: To generating a mosaic image by combining a plurality of material images, an original image is divided into tiles and a material image having a characteristic similar to that of an image in each tile is applied to the tile. If more than one version of image data having different resolutions is provided as the image data for the material image, a low-resolution version of the image data is used to calculate a characteristic quantity of the image. Thus, the amount of time required to generate the mosaic image can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kusama, Kentaro Matsumoto, Miyuki Enokida, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Yasuo Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20030179928
    Abstract: According to the present invention, in a borderless printing mode, a printing region is determined from an original image, a region expanded outward is determined for borderless printing based on the determined region. When the thus determined region exceeds the region of the original image, an image in the surplus portion is extrapolated based on an image at end portions of the original image, and printing data is formed based on the extrapolated image and image data of the expanded region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 25, 2003
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Kusama, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Takuya Kotani
  • Publication number: 20030169921
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus or an image processing method, and takes as its technical problem the fact that conventionally it is difficult to perform a process of carving out a rectangle with high precision in a noisy environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20030147097
    Abstract: In conventional technique, a layout result is displayed on only one page, and a print result cannot be roughly observed by reduced display of all pages. For this reason, a specific image printed on a specific page cannot be overlooked, and a user must print the image while imaging an image result. When a user tries to change a layout method in the middle of a printing operation, the user must inconveniently restart the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Kotani, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Publication number: 20030136570
    Abstract: A pneumatic rotary tool has a housing formed primarily from plastic so that the weight and price of the tool are substantially reduced. The air motor is formed for economic assembly while permitting greater structural stability should the housing deflect under an impact. The tool includes a torque selector which controls the amount of pressurized air allowed to enter the air motor, thereby controlling the torque output of the motor. The user may adjust the torque selector to a number of set positions which correspond to discrete torque values. The tool additionally incorporates early and late stage exhaust ports, so that backpressure within the air motor does not slow motor rotation or decrease tool power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Osamu Izumisawa, Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20030121680
    Abstract: A pneumatic rotary tool has a housing formed primarily from plastic so that the weight and price of the tool are substantially reduced. The air motor is formed for economic assembly while permitting greater structural stability should the housing deflect under an impact. The tool includes a torque selector which controls the amount of pressurized air allowed to enter the air motor, thereby controlling the torque output of the motor. The user may adjust the torque selector to a number of set positions which correspond to discrete torque values. The tool additionally incorporates early and late stage exhaust ports, so that backpressure within the air motor does not slow motor rotation or decrease tool power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Osamu Izumisawa, Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6556210
    Abstract: Image processing method and apparatus for combining a plurality of texture images and generating a mosaic image. A first image serving as an original image is divided into a plurality of tile areas; a texture image having a minimum difference between the average luminance of R, G and B tristimulus values in each tile area and average luminance of R, G and B tristimulus values in each texture image is selected; and a mosaic image is produced by substituting the tile area by the selected texture image. In determination of the texture image, L*a*b* space parameters of each tile area and each texture image are compared and a texture image having the closest space parameter is selected as the image for the corresponding tile area, and a mosaic image is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kentaro Matsumoto, Kiyoshi Kusama
  • Publication number: 20030053718
    Abstract: A plurality of image data are stored in a hard disk drive in one-to-one correspondence with the image feature amounts of the image data. A CPU calculates the image feature amount of an input image on the basis of each color component value in a predetermined color space of each of regions obtained by segmenting the input image by a predetermined segmentation pattern. Image data similar to the input image is searched for on the basis of the calculated image feature amounts and the image feature amounts of the image data stored in the hard disk drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventor: Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20030050952
    Abstract: It is arranged so that a summary of schematic images is promptly displayed even if a transmission speed is low. For that purpose, a numerical value indicating a reference resolution is substituted for a variable r. The current time is substituted for a variable t0, and data having a resolution of r is decoded. The current time is substituted for a variable t1, and a time period required for decoding processing is calculated. If there is no succeeding image, the process is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a succeeding image, the time period of the decoding processing (t1-t0) is compared with a reference time period Tref. If (t1-t0) exceeds Tref, the resolution is halved. If (t1 to) is equal to or less than Tref, (t1-t0) is compared with Tref/2. If (t1-t0) is less than Tref/2, the resolution is doubled. By thus changing or maintaining the resolution, the processing of the second step and the succeeding steps is repeated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2000
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventor: Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20030004976
    Abstract: A data processing apparatus in which attachment of removable memory card is detected and it is determined whether or not binary data is stored in the memory card. If it is determined that binary data is stored in the memory card, it is further determined whether or not meta data is stored in the memory card. If it is determined that the meta data is stored, the meta data is added to the binary data. If it is determined that no meta data is stored, meta data registration processing is started, and addition processing is performed after registration of the meta data. On the other hand, if it is determined that no binary data is stored, the registration processing is started to register the meta data in the memory card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Miyuki Enokida, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Kusama, Takashi Hanamoto
  • Publication number: 20020156775
    Abstract: In a conventional client/server type image database for centralized management of image data, upon transmission of image as a search result from a server to a client, since it takes time for the client to display the image due to a network band, the image search cannot be always performed efficiently. Accordingly, in a client process, a feature amount is extracted from a search image, and the extracted feature amount is transmitted to a server process. Then, the result of search by the server process based on the feature amount and a GUID specifying the image database are received from the server process, and image data which is not cached in the client, is requested from the server process based on the search result and the GUID.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventor: Kunihiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20020089435
    Abstract: There are disclosed a method and an apparatus for inputting characters, capable of saving the space of a character input screen and facilitating character inputting, and a storage medium. When the information of a character to be input is selected and input by scrolling a character selection portion displaying predetermined character information to be displayed on the character inputting position of an input result display portion, the input character information is displayed on the input result display portion, and the character selection portion is moved to a next character information inputting position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Takashi Hanamoto, Kunihiro Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Kusama