07th week of 2009 patent applcation highlights part 23 |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20090040247 | MICRO SHIM FOR MOVING COIL ACTUATOR - Apparatuses and methods for changing the friction and stiffness characteristics of a linear guide assembly are disclosed. Micro-shims are strategically added between a carriage of the linear guide assembly and a mating component to increase or decrease the clearance between the carriage and a linear rail of the linear guide assembly. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040248 | INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS - An inkjet recording apparatus comprises a main body, a print head, and a cable. The main body includes an ink container for storing ink, an ink supply pump for supplying the ink, and an operation control section. The print head includes a nozzle for expelling the ink supplied from the main body as ink particles, charging electrodes for charging the ink particles, deflecting electrodes for deflecting the charged ink particles, and a gutter for collecting ink particles that have not been used for printing. The cable includes an ink supply path through which the ink is supplied from the main body to the print head, an ink collecting path through which the ink particles collected in the gutter are returned to the ink container, signal lines interconnecting the operation control section and the print head. An ink collecting pump for transferring the ink particles collected in the gutter to the ink container is disposed in the print head. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040249 | Ink Circulation System For Inkjet Printing - An ink circulation system for use in an inkjet printing apparatus includes an inkjet printhead, a supply subtank for containing a supply of ink for the inkjet printhead and a return subtank for containing a surplus of ink not used by the inkjet printhead. The supply subtank is coupled with the return subtank and with the inkjet printhead via a first fluid path. A second fluid path couples the return subtank with the supply subtank for circulating the ink from the return subtank back to the supply subtank. This way a closed ink circulation path is realized. The ink flow from the supply subtank to the inkjet printhead and to the return subtank is controlled by means of a pressure difference between the ink in the supply subtank and the ink in the return subtank. A back pressure at the nozzle of the inkjet printhead is established via active pressure control means. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040250 | INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS AND HEAD MAINTENANCE METHOD - An inkjet recording apparatus includes an inkjet head, a tank in which liquid to be supplied to the inkjet head is retained, and a flow path for connecting the inkjet head and the tank to each other. The inkjet head includes a head main body, liquid chambers which are built in the head main body, and in which liquid is kept under negative pressure, a nozzle plate bonded to the head main body in such a manner that the plate constitutes one wall part of each of the liquid chambers, nozzles formed in the nozzle plate in such a manner that the nozzles communicate with the liquid chambers, drive elements for causing the nozzles to eject liquid droplets, and first suction holes formed in the nozzle plate in such a manner that the holes communicate with the liquid chambers. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040251 | DISPLAY CONTROL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTER - A multifunction machine includes cartridge accommodation portions provided at different positions. Each of the accommodation portions accommodates multiple ink cartridges. If the ink remaining amount of at least one of the cartridges is smaller than a threshold value, a display control section determines that the cartridge requires replacement and operates a display to display an ink-end screen. The ink-end screen displays a message requiring the cartridge be replaced and information regarding the position of the accommodation portion corresponding to the cartridge requiring replacement. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040252 | RECORDING APPARATUS AND RECOVERY METHOD - A recording apparatus includes recording heads mounted in a carriage which can move in a direction vertical to a main surface of a recording medium, a guide rail which guides movement of the carriage, and a recovery unit which recovers recording characteristics. The carriage has a regulating section which regulates vertical upward movement of the carriage. A regulating section distance between the guide rail and regulating section is switchable between a first distance and a second distance which is smaller than the first distance. The regulating section distance is set to the second distance when the recovery unit performs a recovery operation. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040253 | LIQUID MATERIAL DISCHARGE CONTROL METHOD AND DROPLET DISCHARGE DEVICE - In a liquid material discharge control method, timing signals generated periodically are used to control discharge timing for discharging a liquid material from a plurality of nozzles onto a workpiece during a scan in which the nozzles and the workpiece are moved relative to each other. The liquid material discharge control method includes calculating a first elapsed time in a relative movement between the nozzles and the workpiece by counting a first prescribed number of outputs of the timing signals that define the discharge timing, comparing the first elapsed time with a first predicted time at which the nozzles are predicted to reach intended discharge positions on the workpiece, and discharging the liquid material from the nozzles onto the workpiece upon the first predicted time having elapsed when the first elapsed time is at least shorter than the first predicted time. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040254 | LIQUID-DROPLET EJECTING APPARATUS - A liquid-droplet ejecting apparatus, including: a plurality of liquid-droplet ejecting heads; a plurality of liquid storage chambers respectively communicating with the liquid-droplet ejecting heads and respectively storing liquids to be respectively supplied to the liquid-droplet ejecting heads; a plurality of liquid tanks respectively accommodating the liquids to be respectively supplied to the liquid storage chambers, the liquid tanks and the liquid storage chambers being configured to be connected to each other only when the liquids in the liquid tanks are respectively supplied to the liquid storage chambers; a common gas chamber communicating commonly with the liquid storage chambers via respective gas-permeable membranes; and a pressure control device configured to control a pressure in the common gas chamber such that, when the pressure becomes not higher than a threshold that is lower than an atmospheric pressure, the pressure becomes higher than the threshold. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040255 | INKJET PRINTER AND INKJET PRINTING METHOD - An image having high quality is output, in which density unevenness due to a deflection in an ejecting direction is reduced, in an inkjet printer for forming an image by ejecting small droplets at a high frequency and high density. Thereby, in a mask pattern employed for multi-pass printing, a print permission rate of an ejection port positioned at the end of a ejection port array is set higher than those of ejection ports positioned at the other parts of the ejection port array. Thus, even if extremely small droplets are ejected at a high frequency and high-density, the generated density unevenness is reduced, and an image excellent in uniformity and having high definition can be output at a high speed. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040256 | PRINTING APPARATUS AND CALIBRATION METHOD - A printing apparatus and a calibration method are provided which, by using a small-capacity memory, can perform a high-speed calibration processing on data used to eject ink of the same color from a plurality of nozzle arrays. By ejecting ink of the same color from the plurality of nozzle arrays, patch is printed and, based on the printed result of the patch, a content of a print data correction processing is changed. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040257 | INKJET PRINTHEADS WITH WARMING CIRCUITS - A thermal inkjet apparatus includes a printhead body, nozzles, ink cavities and ink supply lines. Heater resistors are in the cavities and a firing circuit is connected to provide firing pulses to the heater resistor and nucleate the ink so that it fires ink out of the nozzles. Each heater resistor is also connected to a warming circuit that supplies warming pulses, one warming pulse during each firing cycle, to warm the heater resistors but not nucleate the ink. The warming circuit includes current limiting ballast resistors to limit the current through the healer resistors and thereby prevent the warming pulse from nucleating the ink. Warming pulses and firing pulses are not generated during the same firing cycle for a particular heater resistor. One or more thermal sensors are disposed on the printhead body to sense the temperature and a control circuit responds to the sensors to generate warming pulses having desired widths to provide a desired level of warming. By wide range pulse width modulation of the warming pulse, the warming effect of the warming pulse may be increased or decreased as desired. Also the warming pulse may be completely eliminated, such as by pulse width modulating the pulse to have a zero duration. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040258 | INKJET IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - A plurality of temperature sensors is provided adjacent to a plurality of nozzles formed in a print head. The temperature sensors are operated according to address information to select the sensor to measure the temperatures of the nozzles. The measured temperatures are compared with a reference temperature such that a missing nozzle is detected. At the time of printing, compensation is provided for the missing nozzle. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040259 | INKJET IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An inkjet image forming apparatus includes a stabilization circuit to stabilize operations of a thermal shutdown circuit simultaneously restricting noise induced in a thermal shutdown circuit. The stabilization circuit includes a pair of PMOSFETs. The PMOSFETs are connected between a power-supply signal of the thermal shutdown circuit and a ground terminal, and serve as a current source and a resistor. The voltage applied to a gate of the pair of PMOSFETs is equal to a voltage applied to the thermal shutdown circuit, so that a circuit configuration is simplified. This voltage is higher than a minimum turn-on voltage of the PMOSFETs, and current signals flowing in the pair of PMOSFETs are approximately equal to each other. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040260 | Disabling a nozzle - Embodiments of nozzle disable systems and methods are disclosed. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040261 | System and method for calibrating a printing system to compensate for sensor artifact using non-complementary illuminations of test patterns on an image substrate - A system removes a light sensor artifact from a light sensor in a printer that is used to obtain reflectance measurements from test patterns printed on an image substrate. The system includes a print head for ejecting a plurality of pixels having a first single color in a test pattern onto an image substrate, a light source for illuminating the test pattern on the image substrate with a light, a light sensor for measuring reflectance of the first portion of the test pattern with reference to a light having a color that is non-complementary to the first single color of the test pattern, measuring reflectance of the first portion of the test pattern with reference to a light that is complementary to the first single color of the test pattern, and measuring reflectance of the second portion of the test pattern with reference to the complementary light, the second portion including an area that overlaps the first portion of the test pattern, and a sensor controller configured to scale the reflectance of the first portion measured with reference to the non-complementary light to minimize a difference between the reflectance of the first portion measured with reference to the complementary light and the reflectance of the second portion measured with reference to the complementary light in the overlapped area. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040262 | Remaining amount detection sensor and ink-jet printer using the same - Provided is a remaining amount detection sensor ( | 2009-02-12 |
20090040263 | PRINTING POSITION ALIGNMENT METHOD AND PRINTING APPARATUS - Multiple alignment patterns, each composed of first and second alignment pattern elements printed by forward and backward movements of a print head, respectively, are formed while the relative printing positions of the two elements are shifted. From optical characteristics data thereof, whether the data is influenced by a disturbance is determined. When the data is determined to be less influenced by the disturbance and therefore to be reliable, an adjusting value for aligning positions in printing in reciprocal movements is calculated by use of: data with the smallest relative printing position misalignment between the first and second alignment pattern elements; and data of optical characteristics close to the data. When the data is largely influence by the disturbance, a range of shifting of relative position is widened than that of the data less influenced by the disturbance so that more data pieces are used to obtain the adjusting value. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040264 | SUBSTRATE FOR INK JET PRINTING HEAD, INK JET PRINTING HEAD, INK JET PRINTING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF BLOWING FUSE ELEMENT OF INK JET PRINTING HEAD - A fuse element can be reliably blown and data that corresponds to whether or not the fuse element has been blown can be stored with high reliability. A resistor element is provided in a circuit through which an electric current flows to blow the fuse element in the ink jet printing head. The resistor element adjusts the electric current so that, in the process of blowing the fuse element, the current continues to flow for a predetermined duration even after a maximum current has passed through the fuse element. The predetermined duration is longer than a period from a time point when the electric current rises to a time point when the electric current reaches the maximum current. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040265 | INK STORING BOX - An ink-storing box includes a container, a cover covering on the container and a lock gate. The cover defines at least one communicating hole therein. The lock gate includes a base board movable arranged between the cover and the container and a drive portion located on the base board, the base board defining a cooperation hole therein. The lock gate is set between the cover and the container for allowing the hole of the cover communicating with the interior of the container or shielding the interior of the container from being exposed through the hole of the cover. Thereby the ink-storing box of the present invention can receive the ink jetted from the ink box and prevent the evaporation of the ink. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040266 | LIQUID-DISCHARGING HEAD AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME - A liquid-discharging head includes a substrate; a flow passage wall-forming layer bonded to the substrate so as to form a flow passage for liquid between the substrate and the flow passage wall-forming layer, the flow passage communicating with a discharge port configured to discharge the liquid; an element configured to generate energy used for discharging the liquid from the discharge port and provided on the flow passage wall-forming layer; a metal layer provided with the discharge port so as to correspond to the element; and a projecting portion made of a metal and extending from the metal layer through the flow passage wall-forming layer and projecting in the direction of the substrate. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040267 | INK-JET RECORDING APPARATUS - An ink-jet recording apparatus includes a first driving source, a second driving source, and a control section. The first driving source drives a cap unit. The second driving source moves a cap and a recording head in directions different from a direction along which the cap is separated from the recording head by the first driving source. The control section drives the second driving source at the same time as the cap unit is driven by the first driving source. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040268 | MAINTENANCE DEVICE FOR LIQUID EJECTION HEAD AND LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS - A maintenance device for use in a liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head with a nozzle forming surface provided with nozzle for ejecting a liquid. The maintenance device maintains the liquid ejection head and includes a wiper and an urging member. The wiper includes a wiper member formed from an elastic material. The wiper is movable in a wiping direction that is parallel to the nozzle forming surface in a state in which the wiper member is in contact with the nozzle forming surface to wipe the nozzle forming surface. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040269 | Droplet Applicator - A droplet applicator ( | 2009-02-12 |
20090040270 | PRINTHEAD WITH HIGH NOZZLE PITCH TRANVERSE TO PRINT DIRECTION - An inkjet printhead with an array of nozzles for ejecting drops of printing fluid onto print media. The print media moves in a print direction relative to the printhead and the nozzles in the array are spiced apart front each other by less than 10 microns in the direction perpendicular to the print direction. Wish nozzles spaced less than 10 microns apart in the direction perpendicular to the print direction, the printhead has a very high ‘true’ print resolution—i.e. the high number of dots per inch is achieved by a high number of nozzles per inch. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040271 | PRINTHEAD INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WITH HIGH DROPLET EJECTOR DENSITY - A printhead integrated circuit (IC) with a planar array of droplet ejectors, each having data distribution circuitry, a drive transistor, a printing fluid inlet, an actuator, a chamber and a nozzle, the chamber being configured to hold printing fluid adjacent the nozzle so that the drive transistor activates the actuator to eject a droplet of the printing fluid through the nozzle. The array has more than 700 of the droplet ejectors per square millimeter. With a high density of droplet ejectors fabricated on a wafer substrate, the nozzle array has a high nozzle pitch and the printhead has a very high ‘true’ print resolution—i.e. the high number of dots per inch is achieved by a high number of nozzles per inch. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040272 | LIQUID EJECTION HEAD AND IMAGE-FORMING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A liquid ejection head according to the present invention includes a plurality of ejection openings arranged in a first direction and a plurality of electro-thermal transducers for ejecting liquid from the ejection openings, the liquid ejection head and a printing medium being subjected to the relative movement, wherein an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming an end group located in the respective opposite end section along the first direction is longer than an arrangement pitch of the ejection openings forming a central group located in the central section along the first direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate white streaks which may generate in a solid printing. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040273 | LIQUID EJECTION HEAD - The present invention provides a print head that ejects ink supplied through an ink supply port so as to prevent the size of satellites from being reduced while inhibiting an increase in resistance to an ink flow. In the print head, ink supply ports are arranged on both sides of a plurality of channels. A predetermined number of ink supply ports are arranged at least one side of the ink channel all over the range of the arrangement of the channels. One side of each of the plurality of channels is connected via the common liquid chamber to the liquid supply port located so as to extend in a direction in which the channels are arranged. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040274 | INK-JET PRINTING APPARATUS AND INK CARTRIDGE THEREFOR - An ink jet type printing apparatus in which an ink supply needle is located near one side in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocated directions of a carriage, a circuit board is mounted on a wall of an ink cartridge in the vicinity of the side on which an ink supply port is formed and plural contacts for connecting to external control means are formed on the exposed surface of the circuit board. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040275 | INK-JET PRINTING APPARATUS AND INK CARTRIDGE THEREFOR - An ink jet type printing apparatus in which an ink supply needle is located near one side in a direction perpendicular to the reciprocated directions of a carriage, a circuit board is mounted on a wall of an ink cartridge in the vicinity of the side on which an ink supply port is formed and plural contacts for connecting to external control means are formed on the exposed surface of the circuit board. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040276 | PRINTHEAD WITH HEATERS OFFSET FROM NOZZLES - A thermal inkjet printhead of the roof shooter type that slightly offsets the nozzle aperture centroid from the heater element centroid to correct drop trajectory misdirection caused by vapor bubble asymmetries. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040277 | INKJET IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An inkjet image forming apparatus includes a simulation driving circuit having the same characteristics as a driving circuit of a heater corresponding to several nozzles in a head-chip. The inkjet image forming apparatus adjusts a driving power-supply signal applied to a pre-driver to drive an nMOSFET connected to the heater using the simulation driving circuit, and acquires information of additional resistance compensating for a heater driving current. The inkjet image forming apparatus performs a printing process using the acquired additional resistance information, resulting in implementation of a superior print quality. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040278 | PRINTHEAD HAVING LOW ENERGY HEATER ELEMENTS - A printhead is provided having a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of heater elements each for heating an ejectable liquid to cause ejection of a drop of the ejectable liquid from a respective one of the nozzles. Each heater element is configured such that the energy required to be applied thereto to cause ejection of the drop is less than the energy required to heat a volume of the ejectable liquid equal to the volume of the drop to a temperature less than 40 degrees Celsius above ambient temperature. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040279 | INKJET PRINTHEAD WITH NON-UNIFORM NOZZLE CHAMBER INLETS - An inkjet printhead with an array of droplet ejectors arranged in adjacent rows, each nozzle having a nozzle, a chamber for containing printing fluid and a corresponding actuator for ejecting the printing fluid through the nozzle. Each of the chambers has a respective inlet to refill the printing fluid ejected by the actuator. A printing fluid supply channel extends parallel to the adjacent rows for supplying printing fluid to the actuator of each droplet ejector in the array via the respective inlets. The inlets for one of the adjacent rows configured for a refill flowrate that is substantially the same as the refill flowrate through the inlets for another of the adjacent rows. The invention configures the nozzle array so that several rows are filled from one side of an ink supply channel. This allows a greater density of nozzles on the printhead surface because the supply channel is not supplying just one row of nozzles along each side. However, the flowrate through the inlets is about the same for each row so that rows further from the supply channel do not tee significantly longer refill times | 2009-02-12 |
20090040280 | LIQUID EJECTING HEAD AND LIQUID EJECTING DEVICE - A liquid ejecting head having at least one heat-energy evolving element constructed in a pattern with at least one bend and that evolves heat energy to eject liquid, conductors connected to the heat evolving element and to the bend and a nozzle through which liquid is ejected associated with each heat-energy evolving element. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040281 | DEVICE FOR REFILLING AN INK CARTRIDGE FOR AN INKJET PRINTER | 2009-02-12 |
20090040282 | LIQUID STORAGE CONTAINER AND LIQUID EJECTION RECORDING APPARATUS HAVING THE CONTAINER MOUNTED THEREON - A reliable ink cartridge that reduce printing nonconformity even during high speed inkjet-recording with multiple nozzles by alleviating rapid external impact applied from the outside of the ink cartridge. Within a casing of an ink cartridge, a flexible bag forming an ink reservoir is accommodated. Between the surface of the flexible bag where a sheet member is bonded and a wall surface of the casing, a stress damping chamber is provided. The stress damping chamber communicates with the atmosphere outside the ink cartridge via an orifice formed on a wall surface of the casing. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040283 | INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS - An inkjet recording apparatus comprises a main body, a print head, and a cable. The main body includes an ink container for storing ink, an ink supply pump for supplying the ink, and an operation control section. The print head includes a nozzle for expelling the ink supplied from the main body as ink particles, charging electrodes for charging the ink particles, deflecting electrodes for deflecting the charged ink particles, and a gutter for collecting ink particles that have not been used for printing. The cable includes an ink supply path through which the ink is supplied from the main body to the print head, an ink collecting path through which the ink particles collected in the gutter are returned to the ink container, signal lines interconnecting the operation control section and the print head. An ink collecting pump for transferring the ink particles collected in the gutter to the ink container is disposed in the print head. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040284 | METHOD FOR INKJET PRINTING WITH LIGHT-CURABLE INK - A method for inscribing a substrate with an inkjet printer using a light-curing ink. The method includes traversing, by the carriage, to the first end position at a first travel speed. The light-curing ink is sprayed-on along an inscription row onto the substrate using the print head during the traversing to the first end position. The sprayed-on ink is irradiated, for curing, using the illumination head during the traversing to the first end position. The carriage is traversed from the first end position to the second end position along the inscription row at a second travel speed, the second travel speed being lower than the first travel speed. The print head is inactive during the traversing to the second end position. The sprayed-on ink is irradiated using the illumination head during the traversing to the second end position. The substrate is then advanced using the transport apparatus. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040285 | IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS - An image recording apparatus includes a sheet feeder, line-type printheads arranged in a sheet feed direction, a drive-data supplier and a feed controller. The feed controller has the sheet feeder initiate feeding a following sheet which is fed next to a preceding sheet, (i) at a first feed timing in order that a distance between the preceding sheet and the following sheet becomes smaller than a dimension of a recording area of the printheads in the sheet feed direction, when the drive-data supplier can supply the drive data to the printheads at a concurrent-recording enabling timing at which it is possible to concurrently record, at the recording area, an image on a trailing end portion of the preceding sheet and an image on a trailing end portion of the preceding sheet and an image on a front end portion of the following sheet, and (ii) at a second feed timing having a longer interval than that of the first feed timing, when the drive-data supplier can not supply the drive data at the concurrent-recording enabling timing. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040286 | PRINT SCHEDULING IN HANDHELD PRINTERS - Methods and apparatus include a handheld printer manipulated by an operator to print an image on a media. A controller correlates a location of a printhead to the image and causes printing or not, including referencing a memory of firing data for fluid firing actuators of the printhead. A position sensor provides input to the controller to assist in navigation. The controller figures an ideal position of a center of an actuator chip, defining the fluid firing actuators, and an actual position during use. Individual fluid firing actuators are known relative to the center by way of a calculated offset. Predicted positions, as well as ascertained velocities and accelerations are other noteworthy aspects. Resolving firing data for actual locations of each actuator is also contemplated. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040287 | VIDEO COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND VIDEO COMMUNICATION METHOD - According to one embodiment, there is provided a video communication device including a first communication unit which conducts communication of management information with an external device through a cable at a first communication speed, a second communication unit which conducts communication of a video signal with the external device through the cable at a second communication speed higher than the first communication speed, a detector which detects an error signal by observing a communication situation with the external device, and a generating unit which generates an image signal indicating the communication situation based on the error signal detected by the detector. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040288 | Video conference system and method - Various embodiments of a video conference system and method are disclosed. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040289 | VIDEO PHONE SYSTEM - A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040290 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING VIDEO INFORMATION IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - Provided are an apparatus and methods for recovering video information when operating in an area that impairs an electromagnetic field of a transmit/receive signal during a video telephony of a portable terminal. A method of which includes determining a number of buffers for storing intra coded (I) frames to be received, transmitting the number of the buffers to a counterpart terminal together with a VFU signal, acquiring video information by storing I frames received from the counterpart terminal, and generating video frames using the acquired video information. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040291 | OMNIVIEW MOTIONLESS CAMERA ORIENTATION SYSTEM - A method and apparatus for capture of a spherical image is disclosed. The present invention includes at least one camera having a lens with at least a 180° field-of-view for capturing a hemispherical image. In a first embodiment, a second hemispherical image is created corresponding to a mirror image of the hemispherical image captured by the camera. In a second embodiment, two back-to-back cameras capture first and second hemispherical images, respectively. In both embodiments, a converter combines the two images along their outside edges to form a single, spherical image. Finally, the converter stores the complete spherical image for later retrieval and perspective corrected viewing. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040292 | DIGITAL CAMERA - A digital camera regards a part of a preceding photograph image as a guide image, and combines the guide image with a through image in shooting a succeeding photograph image. At this time, a transmittance of the guide image is set according to a luminance evaluation value at a time when the preceding photograph image is shot. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040293 | Camera Array Apparatus and Method for Capturing Wide-Angle Network Video - A camera array apparatus and a method for capturing wide-angle network videos are provided. An objective of the present invention is to provide the webcams used for the common computer system or the like for broadcasting the real-time and wide-angle network video stream in a limited-bandwidth network. Furthermore, software is introduced to join the two or more images retrieved from the cameras and to form the wide-angle or panoramic video. The preferred embodiment of the camera array apparatus comprises a plurality of camera modules that are arranged as an array and are connected to the computer system. In particular, the mentioned images retrieved from the cameras are joined together from the wide-angle or panoramic video using a stitching process. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040294 | Holographic video display system - A holographic video display comprises a monochromatic light source, a video signal generator, guided-wave acousto-optic modulators for diffracting light according to signals received from the video signal generator, a vertical scanning subsystem, and an optical path between the acousto-optic modulator and the vertical scanning subsystem. The optical path preferably comprises a Bravais lens system, first and second Fourier transform lens systems, and at least one holographic optical element or stationary mirror of continuous helical shape. In a method for generating a holographic image, monochromatic light is provided to at least one guided-wave acousto-optic modulator, the received light is diffracted according to a video signal, the guided-wave modulator aperture is scanned to produce a holo-line, the motion of the diffraction pattern is undone to render the holo-line stationary, the guided-wave modulator aperture is demagnified to create a wide field of view, and the holo-lines are tiled vertically to create the image. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040295 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPRODUCING STEREOSCOPIC IMAGE USING DEPTH CONTROL - A method and apparatus for reproducing a stereoscopic image are provided. The method includes generating information about parallax between a left-eye image and a right-eye image of objects included in the stereoscopic image based on a stereo camera parameter of the stereoscopic image, controlling the depth of the objects in the stereoscopic image based on the generated information, and reproducing the stereoscopic image based on the controlled depth. Accordingly, the stereoscopic image can be reproduced while minimizing the eye fatigue of a viewer. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040296 | Head mounted display assembly - A display assembly comprised of a binocular micro-display attached to a head supported structure such as goggles, helmet, eyewear, or a headband and provides the user with an optical projection in the user's upper line of sight while providing an unobstructed horizontal line of sight of the user's external environment. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040297 | Display Apparatus and Display Method - The present invention is an display apparatus including: a display portion | 2009-02-12 |
20090040298 | LIVING BODY OBSERVATION DEVICE - A light source unit, which is connected to a control unit and an endoscope, radiates a pre-determined light quantity of white light based on a signal from the control unit. The light source unit includes a lamp as a white light source, an infrared cut filter, a light quantity limiting filter, being inserted/removed on an optical path, for limiting light quantity in a pre-determined wavelength region of white light, a filter insertion/removal driving unit for inserting/removing the light quantity limiting filter on an optical path, and a condensing lens for outputting white light. For example, when a transmission rate of a blue band is 100%, the light quantity limiting filter limits transmission rates of other bands to 50%. This improves S/N in discrete spectral image generation with illumination light in a visible light region. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040299 | LASER SAFETY SYSTEM WITH BEAM STEERING - A laser safety system providing a system for checking the presence, focus and integrity of a laser beam focusing lens is disclosed. The laser safety system checks the focusing lens properties by capturing an image of a target by viewing the target through the focusing lens from along the laser beam path. An initial, known good, image is compared to an image captured immediately before enablement of the laser beam source to determine if the focusing lens is present, focused and is not damaged. The system may also utilize a mask projected onto the target as well as a low-power visible light laser directed along the path of the processing laser to determine the focusing lens properties. The system can also provide target recognition. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040300 | Removably Mountable, Portable Vision System - A removably mountable, portable vision system, the portable vision system including a portable, auto-focusing camera, which is removably mountable to a surface, for capturing and transmitting video to a portable hand-held receiver where the video is displayed as an aid to the user. The system may be used in a variety of vehicle applications, such as attaching a snow plow or backing up and connecting a trailer hitch. The auto-focusing camera provides for quick installation by eliminating manual focusing of the camera by the user. In addition, the system utilizes a single wireless channel for data transmission, eliminating the need for the user to select a wireless channel before use. Finally, the receiver has normal and reverse image display modes of operation, enabling the system to provide the user with an optimal video image regardless of the mounting location of the camera and the current application of the system. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040301 | DIGITAL PAN, TILT AND ZOOM - Video capture systems, methods and computer program products can be provided and configured to capture video sequences of one or more subjects during an activity. The video capture system can be configured to include a communications module that is provided to receive a set of successive frames of video image data of a defined coverage area in an activity location and to receive tracking information indicating a position of the subject in the activity location. A content selection module can be further provided to determine a location of the subject in the defined coverage area based on the tracking information to thereby determine a subset of the image data in one or more received frames, or in a set of frames, of video image data that contains image data of the subject. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040302 | Automated surveillance system - An automated intelligent surveillance system comprises one or more fixed reference cameras to spatially map and observe a panoramic field of view, together with a movable narrow-field high resolution camera which is controlled in pan tilt & zoom, and a computing device. The computing device is capable of analysing the reference images received from anywhere within the panoramic field of view, and identifying the presence of specific types of object or specific behaviours of objects. The computing device uses the outcome of this analysis to direct the movable camera to the appropriate area of the spatial map to cause it to zoom in to gather close-up images of one or more of the selected objects or events of interest. These images are recorded synchronously with the related wide angle reference images, in a high speed random access store within the computing device. The parameters defining an object or event as being of interest may be pre-set, user selected, or adaptively learned by the computing device. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040303 | Automatic video quality monitoring for surveillance cameras - A system for automatically determining video quality receives video input from one or more surveillance cameras ( | 2009-02-12 |
20090040304 | OPTICAL FIBER SECURITY SYSTEM - An optical fiber security system is described. The optical fiber security system includes an optical fiber, an optoelectronic modulator and an optoelectronic demodulator. The optoelectronic modulator and the optoelectronic demodulator are both directly connected to the optical fiber. The optoelectronic modulator converts video signals to cable television video signals and subsequently converts to optical signals. The optical signals are transmitted to the optoelectronic demodulator through the optical fiber. The optoelectronic demodulator further reverses the optical signals back to the video signals to remotely monitor the environment. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040305 | Video With Map Overlay - A system and method for placing reference locators on a streaming video image taken from a camera mounted on a vehicle. Sensors monitoring the camera field of view and direction of the optical axis along with sensors monitoring the vehicle's position are use(l to generate a video overlay having various indicia. The calculated positions of the indicia may be compared to the position of landmarks taken from the video image to compensate for any inaccuracies in the calculated position taken from the various sensors. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040306 | VEHICLE MIRROR ASSEMBLY WITH WIDE ANGLE ELEMENT - A mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes a reflective element, a back plate disposed at a rear surface of the reflective element, a wide angle reflector element received in a receiving portion of the back plate. The reflective element has a first reflective coating disposed thereat and the wide angle reflector element has a curved rear surface with a second reflective coating disposed at the curved rear surface. An optical element or optical adhesive may be disposed between a front surface of the wide angle reflector element and the rear surface of the reflective element. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040307 | Surveillance System and Method for Detecting Forbidden Movement along a Predetermined Path - The present invention relates to a surveillance system for detecting forbidden movement in any direction at one or more locations along a road. The system comprises cameras that are in data communication with a control station for detecting the forbidden movement; mobile platforms that are movable along a desired path along the road; mechanical connectors for connecting the cameras to the mobile platforms, that create an adjustable projection of the spatial distance between the camera and the mobile platform; and a control station for receiving and processing data from and transferring data the cameras. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040308 | IMAGE ORIENTATION CORRECTION METHOD AND SYSTEM - A system for correcting the rotational orientation of a targeting area provided by a weapon-mounted image sensor and an orientation sensor that detects the rotational orientation of the weapon. Measurements from the orientation sensor are used to transform the image data obtained from the image sensor into a desired rotational orientation. The transformed image data can then be displayed on a display in an orientation where objects having a vertical extent are displayed generally vertically. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040309 | Monitoring Device - It is provided to a monitoring apparatus in which a supervisor can monitor intuitively and operate when the supervisor monitors a trespasser or the like in a building. The monitoring apparatus includes a plurality of cameras | 2009-02-12 |
20090040310 | SOLIDSTATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND RADIATION IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device according to the present invention has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a plurality of switching elements. The photoelectric conversion element is formed above at least one switching element, and a shielding electrode layer is disposed between the switching elements and the photoelectric conversion elements. Further, a radiation image pickup device according to the present invention has a radiation conversion layer for directly converting radiation into electric charges, and a plurality of switching elements, and has the radiation conversion layer formed above one or more switching elements, and a shielding electrode layer disposed between the switching elements and the radiation conversion layer. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040311 | Video matching device, method, and program - A matched state detection unit ( | 2009-02-12 |
20090040312 | CALIBRATION APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF - A device includes a monitor arranged in a field of view of a camera whose three-dimensional position in the three-dimensional reference coordination system is fixed, and a calculating unit provided in the monitor and configured to display a camera image shot by a camera on a screen of the monitor in a recursive structure by shooting a basic square whose three-dimensional position in the three-dimensional reference coordination system is fixed and a monitor screen including the basic square by the camera and obtain a posture matrix of the camera on the basis of the three-dimensional position of the basic square, the two-dimensional image positions of the basic square in the camera image displayed on the monitor in the recursive structure and the focal distance of the camera. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040313 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device comprises an interface for connecting an external recording device, a control circuit for controlling data communication with the external recording device connected to the interface, and an information storage. The control circuit comprises a connection establisher for realizing a connection established status with the external recording device, an information supplier for supplying the data management information stored in the information storage to the external recording device, and a connection canceller for canceling the connection established status before or at the time of setting the device main body to the electric power saving mode, after making the information supplier execute the data management information supply operation or after completion of the data management information supply operation by the information supplier. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040314 | METHOD FOR RECORDING IMAGES IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A method for recording images in an electronic device is disclosed. The method includes the following steps. A scheduled time is set, and auto-login information is written into a registry of the electronic device. The electronic device enters a sleep state or a shutdown state. The state of the electronic device is switched to an operation state from the sleep state or the shutdown state, and the electronic device executes an auto-login according to the registry. Then, images are recorded at the scheduled time. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040315 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP METHOD - Disclosed is a technique for allowing proper classification information to be provided to an edited image. When it is determined that the editing is cropping, a system controller cuts a decompressed image down to a desired size using an image processor and performs face detection on a crop image. The system controller generates a header for image data of an edited image. When the setting of automatically providing classification information is “ON”, classification information is automatically provided based on the detected face information. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040316 | Electronic Camera - An electronic camera comprises an image processing unit that performs image processing using a plurality of adjustment parameters and a parameter setting unit that sets each of the plurality of parameters for the image processing unit according to a single change command. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040317 | CAMERA MODULE HAVING IMAGE SENSOR - A camera module having an image sensor, which forms a low-pixel image sensor integrated with an image signal processing unit such as Image Signal Processor (ISP)/Analog Front End (AFE) includes: an image sensor unit for converting light being incident after passing through a prism into image data and applying image data, which is hand shake-corrected by movements between a plurality of positions, to a multimedia processor of a product, a drive controller for receiving and calculating hand-shake information acquired by a plurality of gyrosensors and calculating an amount of correction to control driving of a sensor driver, a motor, and lenses, and the sensor driver for moving the image sensor unit to correct a hand shake under control of the drive controller. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040318 | IMAGE STABILIZATION WITH USER FEEDBACK - An apparatus to facilitate image stabilization with user feedback is described. An embodiment of the apparatus includes an image sensor, a movement detector, and a digital processor. The image sensor acquires an image of a scene over an exposure period. The movement detector is coupled to the image sensor. The movement detector computes a movement measurement of the image sensor during the exposure period. The digital processor is coupled to the movement detector. The digital processor provides feedback to a user during the exposure period. The feedback is based on the movement measurement. Embodiments of the apparatus provide a simpler and less costly implementation for image stabilization. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040319 | Digital still camera and image blur correction apparatus - Prior to a photographing operation, an image blur quantity indicating the extent to which the image becomes blurred during the photographing operation is calculated based upon an image-capturing sensitivity having been set, and a decision is made as to whether or not the image-capturing sensitivity needs to be adjusted based upon the calculated image blur quantity. If it is decided that the sensitivity level needs to be adjusted, the image-capturing sensitivity is adjusted and the photographing operation is executed at the shutter speed calculated based upon the adjusted image-capturing sensitivity. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040320 | IMAGE STABILIZATION CONTROL CIRCUIT - An image stabilization control circuit controls an optical element driving element that moves an optical element provided in an imaging apparatus based on an output signal of a vibration detection element provided in the imaging apparatus. The image stabilization control circuit includes a high-pass filter that removes a low-frequency component from an output signal of the vibration detection element. A movement amount calculation circuit calculates a movement amount of the imaging apparatus based on an output signal of the high-pass filter. A servo circuit generates a correction signal for correcting the position of the optical element based on an output signal of the movement amount calculation circuit and outputs the correction signal to the optical element driving element. The movement amount calculation circuit includes a digital filter circuit and a register. The digital filter circuit performs filter processing based on a filter coefficient stored in the register. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040321 | DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM - The present invention provides a technique capable of generating an image having a portrait effect without complicating a configuration of a digital camera system. An image capturing apparatus has an optical system including a zoom lens, a correction lens, and a focus lens; and an image sensor for converting subject light which is incident via the optical system into an electric signal. The image capturing apparatus captures a blurred image in which a blurring is generally caused intentionally by changing a relative positional relation between any one of the zoom lens, the correction lens, and the focus lens and the image sensor, and also captures a normal image in which a blurring is not caused intentionally. An image processing apparatus combines the normal image and the blurred image, thereby generating a composite image having a no-blurring area in which a blurring is not intentionally caused and a blurred area in which a blurring is intentionally caused. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040322 | ENHANCING DIGITAL IMAGES USING SECONDARY OPTICAL SYSTEMS - Apparatuses and methods for enhancing a “primary” large format, digital, macro-image with “secondary” image data are provided. The secondary image data is collected utilizing one or more secondary optical systems having at least one electro-optical detector array (e.g., a CCD array) and a specific set of optical mirrors or optical prisms, arranged in such a way that the secondary optical systems extend the angular angle-of-view of the primary optical system and the resultant digital image in at least two opposing directions, for instance, in the left and right and/or fore and aft directions. The primary image data and the secondary image data may be distinct and/or may include portions that overlap with one another. Further, the primary image data and the secondary image data may be collected at the same or different resolutions. The collected primary image data and secondary image data are utilized to generate a single output image. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040323 | ENHANCING DIGITAL IMAGES USING SECONDARY OPTICAL SYSTEMS - Apparatuses and methods for enhancing a “primary” large format, digital, macro-image with “secondary” image data are provided. The secondary image data is collected utilizing one or more secondary optical systems having at least one electro-optical detector array (e.g., a CCD array) and a specific set of optical mirrors or optical prisms, arranged in such a way that the secondary optical systems extend the angular field-of-view of the primary optical system and the resultant digital image in at least two opposing directions, for instance, in the left and right and/or fore and aft directions. The primary image data and the secondary image data may be distinct and/or may include portions that overlap with one another. Further, the primary image data and the secondary image data may be collected at the same or different resolutions. The collected primary image data and secondary image data are utilized to generate a single output image. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040324 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING SYSTEM, AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging section converting an image into image data, an image classifying section classifying the image data, and a display section for displaying information regarding a recommended image as a shooting object based on a classification result by the image classifying section. Further, a server having a shooting assist function receives image data from an imaging apparatus that has an imaging section converting an image into the image data and includes a scene determining section classifying the received image data and determining whether a typical image has been taken repeatedly, a guide information section outputting information regarding a recommended image as a shooting object based on a determination result by the scene determining section, and a communication section outputting the information to the imaging apparatus. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040325 | Methods for remote imaging and systems thereof - Methods and systems for remote imaging include providing in substantially real time one or more images of an object captured with an imaging system to one or more client systems at one or more locations remote from the imaging system. In substantially real time, one or more instructions to interact with the imaging system are received from at least one of the client systems. In response to the instructions, one or more operations are executed at the imaging system and one or more updated images are provided to the client systems in response to the execution of the operations. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040326 | Methods and apparatuses for supplying current using a digital sequence - Methods and apparatuses for supplying current to an electronic device include incrementally changing an output current supplied to the device according to a digital sequence. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040327 | Image-Taking Device - An object of the present invention is to provide an image-taking device capable of preventing “howling.” | 2009-02-12 |
20090040328 | IMAGE-PICKUP APPARATUS - An image-pickup apparatus configured to perform vertical-dark-shading correction with increased precision independently of photographing conditions and/or a photographing environment is provided. The image-pickup apparatus includes an image-pickup element having an effective-pixel part including plural pixel parts which are not shielded from light and a light-shielding-pixel part including plural pixel parts shielded from light, a signal-processing unit configured to set the reference level of output signals transmitted from the effective-pixel part, and a control unit configured to switch between plural areas used to set the reference level, the areas being provided in the light-shielding-pixel part, based on the photographing conditions and/or environmental conditions. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040329 | PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - A photographic apparatus comprises an imaging sensor, an image-processing unit, and a display unit. The imaging sensor obtains image data. The image-processing unit performs an image-processing operation on the image data. The display unit displays an image-processing setting picture having a setting-status indication area and a color status indication area. The setting-status indication area shows a setting status of the image-processing operation. The color status indication area displays a diagrammatic representation of a color status in the image-processing operation corresponding to the setting status. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040330 | End-to-End Design of Electro-Optic Imaging Systems - A unified design strategy takes into account different subsystems within an overall electro-optic imaging system. In one implementation, the design methodology predicts end-to-end imaging performance using a spatial model for the source and models for the optical subsystem, the detector subsystem and the digital image processing subsystem. The optical subsystem and digital image processing subsystems are jointly designed taking into account the entire system. The intermediate image produced by the optical subsystem is not required to be high quality since, for example, the quality may be corrected by the digital image processing subsystem. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040331 | COMMUNICATION CONTROL APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An adapter connected to a device and also connected to a client terminal via a network displays an operation window corresponding to the process mode of the device on the client terminal and remote-controls the operation of the device based on an operation signal for the operation window. When the process mode is a remote control mode that allows the client terminal to read out data accumulated in the device, the client terminal displays an image for which open setting is done by the device. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040332 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image pickup apparatus includes a display unit configured to display a setting item screen for displaying setting items regarding a photographic condition, and a setting value screen configured to display setting values regarding the setting item selected on the setting item screen; an operation unit configured to select one of the setting items on the setting item screen and to select one of the setting values on the setting value screen; and a control unit configured to set a setting item regarding the photographic condition according to the setting value selected on the setting value screen, wherein if a state of the image pickup apparatus is changed from a state in which the selected setting item is active to non-active, the display unit continuously displays information indicating that the selected setting item is currently selected even when the selected setting item is non-active. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040333 | MEDICAL IMAGING APPARATUS - When a safety switch is ON in step S | 2009-02-12 |
20090040334 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, WHITE BALANCE CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image pickup apparatus capable of, when adjusting the white balance in development processing, eliminating the need for performing integration processing and calculation processing for white balance adjustment even when white balance is set to an arbitrary mode, thereby significantly reducing the processing time. In the image pickup apparatus, a calculation unit is adapted to, in a case where an integration parameter to be set in an integration unit is identical with or close to an integration parameter stored in a storage unit, calculate a white balance control value using a white balance integration value read out from the storage unit, without performing calculation processing using a white balance integration value acquired by an integration unit. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040335 | WHITE BALANCE ADJUSTMENT DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE, WHITE BALANCE ADJUSTMENT METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A natural white balance is achieved in images that are captured while emitting a flash. A WB adjustment portion is provided with a mixture ratio calculation portion that estimates a mixture ratio of an external light component and a flashed light component that are present in an image that is captured with emitting a flash, from the image obtained that is captured while emitting a flash and an image signal that is obtained without emitting a flash, an external light WB coefficient determination portion that determines an WB coefficient for the external light, a flashed light WB coefficient setting portion that sets a WB coefficient for the flashed light, and a WB processing portion that continuously performs WB processing on the image captured while emitting a flash by using the mixture ratio as an interpolation ratio. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040336 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND METHOD - A digital still camera has a CCD image sensor, which includes an active pixel area for image pickup of an image to produce image data. A black pixel area is disposed outside the active pixel area, and produces black pixel data. The image pickup apparatus includes an amplifier for adjusting white balance of the image data. A smear detection unit detects a smeared portion of a smear phenomenon in the image according to the black pixel data. A tone correction unit reduces chroma of the image in a predetermined hue area according to a smear level of the smear phenomenon determined from the black pixel data, to carry out color correction of the smeared portion for the image data after adjusting the white balance. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040337 | ENHANCED WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE IN IMAGING - A method for enhancing wide dynamic range in images is disclosed. The method comprises acquiring at least two images of a scene to be imaged, the images acquired using different exposure times. For a first image an illumination mask is constructed corresponding to the illumination in the scene, comprising a set of continuous weight values distinctively identifying respective areas of pixels of high or low illumination, over-exposed or underexposed with respect to a predetermined threshold illumination value, assigning one of the weight values to each pixels, whereas other weight value is assigned to other pixels of the other images. A spatial low-pass filter is used to smooth border zones on the illumination mask, thus assigning pixels in the border zones new continuous weight values in a range between the weight values. A combined image is constructed using combined weight values with image data of pixels assigned with one weight value of the first image and image data of pixels assigned with other weight value of the other images and in pixels corresponding to the border zones using image data from the images proportional to the new weight values. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040338 | Imaging apparatus - An imaging apparatus includes a selecting part selecting a first mode where correction of dark area gradation is not performed or a second mode where the correction is performed, and a correcting part performing the correction of improving lightness of dark area gradation of an image data when the second mode is selected; wherein an exposure calculating part calculates a brightness value for exposure control by calculating at least one of the maximum brightness value, the average brightness value, and a central part brightness value based on an output of a photometry part and by adding results by weighting addition; and determines a correction value by adding the results by weighting addition and corrects the brightness value for exposure control based on the correction value if the second mode is selected. Therefore, optimum exposure adjustment that depends on the correction can be performed. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040339 | Digital signal processor and digital image processing apparatus adopting the same - A digital signal processor and a digital image processing apparatus adopting the same. The digital signal processor comprises a data converter, which converts digital image data in red, green, and blue form to digital image data in luminance and chrominance form, such that when photograph-image data is captured by photographing, the data converter processes the photograph-image data during each period of time from the time when processing of one frame data of live-view is completed to the time when processing of next frame data begins. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040340 | IMAGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, IMAGE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM RECORDING PROGRAM - An image management apparatus includes: a narrowing-down reproduction unit for reproducing an image having particular attribute information; an attribute modification unit for modifying attribute information of the image under narrowing-down reproduction; an attribute modified image information storing unit configured to store information indicating the image which no longer contains the particular attribute information because of the modification performed on the attribute information by the attribute modification unit; and a control unit for performing control so as to regard the image indicated with the information stored in the attribute modified image information storing unit as a narrowing-down reproduction target image during the same narrowing-down reproduction as that at the time of modifying the attributes by said attribute modification unit, thereby enabling browsing of images including an image of which the attributes have been modified in a narrowing-down state, using a smaller storage area. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040341 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image pickup apparatus which is capable of being downsized and being power-saved, and is capable of following the focal plane and controlling the exposure during the variably-magnifying operation. There is stored information on a position of a focus lens corresponding to a position of a zoom lens, which is dependent on an object distance. The focus lens is moved based on the stored information when the zoom lens is moved. When a moving direction of the zoom lens is switched, the focus lens is stopped, and then the moving direction of the zoom lens is switched. The focus lens is moved based on the stored information after the switching. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040342 | Image Blurring - A method of blurring an image includes acquiring two images of nominally a same scene taken at a different light exposure levels. At least one region of one of the images includes pixels having saturated intensity values. For at least one of the saturated pixels, values are extrapolated from the other image. At least a portion of a third image is blurred and re-scaled including pixels having the extrapolated values. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040343 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DEFECTIVE PIXEL DETECTION AND CORRECTION - An apparatus for defective pixel detection and correction is provided. The apparatus comprises a defective pixel detection unit and a defective pixel correction unit. The defective pixel detection unit acquires a detection pixel and a plurality of neighboring pixels, and determines that the detection pixel is a defective pixel when a first condition and a second condition are satisfied, wherein the defective pixel is located in the center of a n×n block comprising the detection and neighboring pixels, the first condition describes that at most one neighboring pixel whose value differs from the value of the detection pixel within a predefined threshold is detected, and the second condition describes that all the neighboring pixels other than the detected neighboring pixel is smaller or larger than the value of the detection pixel. The defective pixel correction unit corrects a value of the defective pixel determined by the defective pixel detection unit. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040344 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An imaging apparatus includes a first output unit configured to perform first gain processing on an analog signal corresponding to an electric charge stored in a photoelectric conversion element in a first region and output the processed signal, a second output unit configured to perform second gain processing on an analog signal corresponding to an electric charge stored in a photoelectric conversion element in a second region and output the processed signal, an instruction unit configured to instruct a gain of each gain processing in the first and second output units, a first control unit configured to control a display of an image based on an output signal from the first output unit, and a second control unit configured to control an imaging condition based on an output signal from the second output unit. The second gain processing is different from the first gain processing. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040345 | Color imaging device and color imaging device manufacturing method - A color imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of photoelectric transducers, and a color filter including a plurality of coloring layers provided to associate with the photoelectric transducers of the semiconductor substrate. Each of the coloring layers of the color filter including a side surface that is erected with respect to a surface of the semiconductor substrate, and an inclined surface that is continuous from an end of the side surface located in the opposite side of the semiconductor substrate toward an end portion of the coloring layer located in the opposite side of the semiconductor substrate. The coloring layers are arranged with their side surfaces being in contact with each other without a gap therebetween, and the end portion of the coloring layer has a curved surface shape protruding toward the opposite side of the corresponding photoelectric transducer. | 2009-02-12 |
20090040346 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD FOR THE SAME - A solid-state imaging device includes first-group pixels | 2009-02-12 |