Patents by Inventor Shugo Higuchi

Shugo Higuchi 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: 11948282
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a normal image, when lighting correction of an image is performed using three-dimensional shape data. Three-dimensional shape data of a predetermined object is adjusted with a subject in position, based on a feature pattern detected in image data, and lighting processing for correcting a pixel value of the image data is performed based on the adjusted three-dimensional shape data, distance information of the subject, and a position of a virtual light source. When the three-dimensional shape data is adjusted with the image data in position, a region having a large irregularity in the three-dimensional shape data is preferentially adjusted in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Shugo Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20230368396
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises one or more processors, and one or more memories storing executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the image processing apparatus to function as: a specification unit configured to specify, on a basis of a difference between a first region, corresponding to a foreground region of a target frame, in a background image corresponding to the target frame in a buffered frame group and a second region, corresponding to the foreground region, in a background image of each of frames after the target frame in the buffered frame group, a background image among the background images of the frames; and an output unit configured to output the specified background image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventor: Shugo HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210365720
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a normal image, when lighting correction of an image is performed using three-dimensional shape data. Three-dimensional shape data of a predetermined object is adjusted with a subject in position, based on a feature pattern detected in image data, and lighting processing for correcting a pixel value of the image data is performed based on the adjusted three-dimensional shape data, distance information of the subject, and a position of a virtual light source. When the three-dimensional shape data is adjusted with the image data in position, a region having a large irregularity in the three-dimensional shape data is preferentially adjusted in position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Shugo Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11106938
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a normal image, when lighting correction of an image is performed using three-dimensional shape data. Three-dimensional shape data of a predetermined object is adjusted with a subject in position, based on a feature pattern detected in image data, and lighting processing for correcting a pixel value of the image data is performed based on the adjusted three-dimensional shape data, distance information of the subject, and a position of a virtual light source. When the three-dimensional shape data is adjusted with the image data in position, a region having a large irregularity in the three-dimensional shape data is preferentially adjusted in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Shugo Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11017588
    Abstract: A system comprises an obtainment unit that obtains virtual viewpoint information relating to a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint; a designation unit that designates a focus object from a plurality of objects detected based on at least one of the plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras; a decision unit that decides an object to make transparent from among the plurality of objects based on a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint that the virtual viewpoint information obtained by the obtainment unit indicates, and a position of the focus object designated by the designation unit; and a generation unit that generates, based on the plurality of captured images obtained by the plurality of cameras, a virtual viewpoint image in which the object decided by the decision unit is made to be transparent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yoshimura, Kaori Taya, Shugo Higuchi, Tatsuro Koizumi
  • Patent number: 10986324
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image obtaining unit configured to obtain images based on image capturing by a plurality of cameras capturing an imaging area in a plurality of directions; an information obtaining unit configured to obtain viewpoint information that indicates a virtual viewpoint; and a generation unit configured to generate a virtual viewpoint image based on the images obtained by the image obtaining unit and the viewpoint information obtained by the information obtaining unit, so that in the virtual viewpoint image, transparency of an object at a position that shields an object of interest determined among a plurality of objects positioned in the imaging area is higher than transparency of an object at a position that does not shield the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shugo Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20200211271
    Abstract: A system comprises an obtainment unit that obtains virtual viewpoint information relating to a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint; a designation unit that designates a focus object from a plurality of objects detected based on at least one of the plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras; a decision unit that decides an object to make transparent from among the plurality of objects based on a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint that the virtual viewpoint information obtained by the obtainment unit indicates, and a position of the focus object designated by the designation unit; and a generation unit that generates, based on the plurality of captured images obtained by the plurality of cameras, a virtual viewpoint image in which the object decided by the decision unit is made to be transparent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA, Kaori TAYA, Shugo HIGUCHI, Tatsuro KOIZUMI
  • Patent number: 10628993
    Abstract: A system comprises an obtainment unit that obtains virtual viewpoint information relating to a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint; a designation unit that designates a focus object from a plurality of objects detected based on at least one of the plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras; a decision unit that decides an object to make transparent from among the plurality of objects based on a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint that the virtual viewpoint information obtained by the obtainment unit indicates, and a position of the focus object designated by the designation unit; and a generation unit that generates, based on the plurality of captured images obtained by the plurality of cameras, a virtual viewpoint image in which the object decided by the decision unit is made to be transparent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yoshimura, Kaori Taya, Shugo Higuchi, Tatsuro Koizumi
  • Patent number: 10460461
    Abstract: The invention comprises a depth-image generator which, based on shape information representing a shape of an object in the captured images of the cameras, generates depth images corresponding to the captured images obtained from a plurality of cameras; a detector which, based on a generated depth image, detects a boundary region of the object in a corresponding captured image; a pixel map generator which, based on the boundary region in the captured image detected by the detector, generates a pixel map representing a contributing ratio for generating the virtual-viewpoint image for each pixel position of the captured image; and an output-image generator which generates the virtual-viewpoint image based on the captured images obtained from the plurality of cameras, and the pixel map corresponding to the captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shugo Higuchi, Tatsuro Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20190236404
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a normal image, when lighting correction of an image is performed using three-dimensional shape data. Three-dimensional shape data of a predetermined object is adjusted with a subject in position, based on a feature pattern detected in image data, and lighting processing for correcting a pixel value of the image data is performed based on the adjusted three-dimensional shape data, distance information of the subject, and a position of a virtual light source. When the three-dimensional shape data is adjusted with the image data in position, a region having a large irregularity in the three-dimensional shape data is preferentially adjusted in position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Shugo Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10303973
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a normal image, when lighting correction of an image is performed using three-dimensional shape data. Three-dimensional shape data of a predetermined object is adjusted with a subject in position, based on a feature pattern detected in image data, and lighting processing for correcting a pixel value of the image data is performed based on the adjusted three-dimensional shape data, distance information of the subject, and a position of a virtual light source. When the three-dimensional shape data is adjusted with the image data in position, a region having a large irregularity in the three-dimensional shape data is preferentially adjusted in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Shugo Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20190158802
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image obtaining unit configured to obtain images based on image capturing by a plurality of cameras capturing an imaging area in a plurality of directions; an information obtaining unit configured to obtain viewpoint information that indicates a virtual viewpoint; and a generation unit configured to generate a virtual viewpoint image based on the images obtained by the image obtaining unit and the viewpoint information obtained by the information obtaining unit, so that in the virtual viewpoint image, transparency of an object at a position that shields an object of interest determined among a plurality of objects positioned in the imaging area is higher than transparency of an object at a position that does not shield the object of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventor: Shugo Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20180098047
    Abstract: There is provided with an imaging system. The imaging system has a plurality of image capturing apparatuses. The plurality of image capturing apparatuses are configured to obtain captured images to generate a free-viewpoint image. The plurality of image capturing apparatuses include a first group of one or more image capturing apparatuses facing a first gaze point and a second group of one or more image capturing apparatuses facing a second gaze point different from the first gaze point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Kina ITAKURA, Tatsuro KOIZUMI, Kaori TAYA, Shugo HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180096520
    Abstract: A system comprises an obtainment unit that obtains virtual viewpoint information relating to a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint; a designation unit that designates a focus object from a plurality of objects detected based on at least one of the plurality of images captured by the plurality of cameras; a decision unit that decides an object to make transparent from among the plurality of objects based on a position and direction of a virtual viewpoint that the virtual viewpoint information obtained by the obtainment unit indicates, and a position of the focus object designated by the designation unit; and a generation unit that generates, based on the plurality of captured images obtained by the plurality of cameras, a virtual viewpoint image in which the object decided by the decision unit is made to be transparent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA, Kaori TAYA, Shugo HIGUCHI, Tatsuro KOIZUMI
  • Publication number: 20180061070
    Abstract: The invention comprises a depth-image generator which, based on shape information representing a shape of an object in the captured images of the cameras, generates depth images corresponding to the captured images obtained from a plurality of cameras; a detector which, based on a generated depth image, detects a boundary region of the object in a corresponding captured image; a pixel map generator which, based on the boundary region in the captured image detected by the detector, generates a pixel map representing a contributing ratio for generating the virtual-viewpoint image for each pixel position of the captured image; and an output-image generator which generates the virtual-viewpoint image based on the captured images obtained from the plurality of cameras, and the pixel map corresponding to the captured images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Shugo Higuchi, Tatsuro Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20160307324
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus generates a normal image, when lighting correction of an image is performed using three-dimensional shape data. Three-dimensional shape data of a predetermined object is adjusted with a subject in position, based on a feature pattern detected in image data, and lighting processing for correcting a pixel value of the image data is performed based on the adjusted three-dimensional shape data, distance information of the subject, and a position of a virtual light source. When the three-dimensional shape data is adjusted with the image data in position, a region having a large irregularity in the three-dimensional shape data is preferentially adjusted in position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakada, Shugo Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8508666
    Abstract: A moving image processing apparatus includes a brightness information acquisition unit configured to acquire, from an input video signal, brightness information indicating brightness of the video signal, an illumination information acquisition unit configured to acquire illumination information about an environment of the moving image processing apparatus, an adaptation coefficient calculation unit configured to calculate an adaptation coefficient for an observer based on brightness when the brightness indicated by the brightness information is less than a first threshold and the brightness indicated by the illumination information is less than a second threshold, a correction coefficient calculation unit configured to calculate a correction coefficient to be used for image correction of the video signal based on the adaptation coefficient calculated by the adaptation coefficient calculation unit, and an image correction unit configured to perform image correction on the video signal using the correction coef
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shugo Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8467693
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus which forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum, serving as an image carrier, develops the image using toners of a plurality of colors, and transfers a toner image onto a printing medium in accordance with an electrophotographic process. A toner consumption amount detection unit detects the toner consumption amount of each of the toners of the plurality of colors, a decision unit decides upon a color to form a patch, based on input image data and the detected toner consumption amount of each color, a patch sensor detects the density of a patch of the decided color by generating the patch at a predetermined position on the photosensitive drum serving as an image carrier outside an area to form a color image, and an adjustment unit adjusts the printing density based on the detected patch density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shugo Higuchi, Hideki Kubo, Mizue Morishita
  • Publication number: 20130083169
    Abstract: Information for a camera unit not used for a stereoscopic view in the case of a display method having parallax only in a horizontal direction is used to thereby generate a multi-viewpoint image subjected to an image processing. Step S801 acquires parallax-related information to be displayed. Step S802 determines, based on the parallax-related information, whether the parallax direction is “only the horizontal direction” or not. When the parallax direction is “only the horizontal direction”, the processing proceeds to Step S803. When the parallax direction is not “only the horizontal direction”, the processing proceeds to Step S807. Step S803 acquires the layout information for the image capturing units. Next, Step S804 selects the image capturing unit in the vertical direction. Next, Step S805 uses the selected image to perform a high dynamic range (HDR) combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shugo Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8385430
    Abstract: A moving area detecting circuit detects a moving area of image information S(i-1). An intermediate image generating circuit generates intermediate image information SC(i-1) based on the moving area information. A spatial frequency separating circuit generates high-frequency image information SH(i-1) and low-frequency image information SL(i-1) from the image information S(i-1). If contrast information of the moving area is higher than a predetermined value, an image represented by the image information S(i-1) and an image represented by the intermediate image information SC(i-1) are sequentially displayed. If the contrast information is not higher than the predetermined value, an image represented by the high-frequency image information SH(i-1) and an image represented by the low-frequency image information SL(i-1) are sequentially displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shugo Higuchi