Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Hideaki Takamiya

Hitoshi Nishikori

Hiroshi Tajika

Daisaku Ide

Atsuhiko Masuyama

Takeshi Yazawa

Hirokazu Yoshikawa

Akiko Maru

Satoshi Seki

Jiro Moriyama

Hidehiko Kanda

Yuji Konno

Masahiko Umezawa

Koichi Fukuda

Junichi Saito

Kosuke Yamamoto

Yoshito Mizoguchi

Yoshihito Tamaki

Yuki Yoshimura

Koichiro Nakazawa

Fumiko Yano

Takashi Sato

Akihiko Nakatani

Kiichiro Takahashi

Noribumi Koitabashi

Toshiyuki Chikuma

Masao Maeda

Akihiro Nishio

Kanako Soma

Takuei Ishikawa

In a case where an in-focus threshold value is set based on an F number, when a zoom or a focus is changed, the threshold value will change, so that an in-focus indication happens to be switched to an out-of-focus indication. To solve the problem, an image pickup apparatus has an image pickup unit that picks up an optical image formed through an optical system, wherein the optical system has a zoom function and F number thereof varies within a predetermined range according to a plurality of zoom conditions, a determination unit that determines an in-focus condition when a defocus amount of an object is smaller than predetermined first threshold value, wherein the first threshold value is determined by a minimum F number within the predetermined range, and a focus indication unit that indicates a first in-focus indication when the focus condition is in-focus condition.

Image pickup apparatus with focus condition determination

An image pickup apparatus that is capable of obtaining a defocus amount for focus detection with high accuracy at high speed with a simple configuration even in a time of image stabilization. The image pickup apparatus including a memory device that stores a set of instructions, and at least one processor that executes the set of instructions to obtain optical parameters about an image pickup optical system and an image sensor as reference information, correct the reference information based on a relative moving amount of the image sensor with respect to an optical axis of the image pickup optical system, obtain a control parameter corresponding to corrected reference information by referring to an information data set that stores the control parameter used for finding a defocus amount for focus detection in association with the reference information, and find the defocus amount based on the control parameter obtained.

Image pickup apparatus detecting focus with phase difference detection method, control method therefor, and storage medium storing control program therefor

A recording control apparatus for recording a captured image obtains an image to be recorded and analysis information based on a distance to an object in each portion of the image. When causing a recording control unit to execute recording of the image, the recording control apparatus selects, on the basis of a value of each pixel of the image and the analysis information, a dot layout pattern that is used to record each pixel of the image and that indicates a layout of recorded dots included in dots constituting the pixel.

Recording control apparatus and control method thereof, as well as imaging apparatus, information processing apparatus, and recording system

An imaging device includes an acquisition unit acquiring a defocus amount for an optical image which is obtained by an imaging element, a recording unit recording a driving speed of lens with the defocus amount in response to an instruction from a user, wherein the lens is controlled, for adjusting a position at which the optical image is focused, by a lens driving unit, an information generating unit generating lens driving information specifying a relation between the defocus amount and the lens driving speed, and a control unit controlling the lens driving unit so as to move the lens to a position at which the optical image is in-focused to the object at a predetermined speed specified in the lens driving information as a driving speed corresponding to the defocus amount acquired by the acquisition unit.

Imaging device and method of driving imaging device

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging plane phase-difference type first focus detecting unit and a contrast type second focus detecting unit. A saturation detecting unit detects saturation of focus detecting pixels or imaging pixels provided in an imaging element. A brightness detecting unit detects the brightness of an object. If the number of pixels detected by the saturation detecting unit exceeds a predetermined value or the brightness of an object detected by the brightness detecting unit is less than a predetermined value, a CPU controls a focus adjustment operation only using a first detection amount. Alternatively, the CPU controls a focus adjustment operation based on the result obtained by weighting processing of a first detection amount and a second detection amount in response to an increase in the number of pixels of which saturation of the outputs has been detected or a decrease in the brightness of an object.

Imaging apparatus and its control method

Signals of pixels are acquired from an image sensor in which a first pixel, a second pixel, and an imaging pixel are arranged, the first pixel receiving light flux that is restricted to light flux passing through a first portion of a pupil area of an imaging optical system, the second pixel receiving light flux that is restricted to light flux passing through a second portion that is different from the first portion of the pupil area, and the imaging pixel being different from the first and second pixels. Based on the acquired signals, estimated signals at a position at which the first and second pixel is not arranged are estimated. A defocus amount of the imaging optical system is calculated based on evaluation values obtained based on the estimated signals and the signals from the first and second pixels.

Focus detection apparatus, control method for the same, and image capture apparatus

A control apparatus includes a first calculation unit configured to calculate a first defocus amount by a phase-difference detection method using a first signal and a second signal, a second calculation unit configured to calculate a second defocus amount based on a contrast evaluation value of a synthesized signal, an instruction unit configured to give an instruction of focus control, and a control unit configured to perform the focus control in response to the instruction of the focus control by the instruction unit, the synthesized signal is a signal obtained by relatively shifting phases of the first and second signals and synthesizing the first and second signals, and the control unit refers to the second defocus amount prior to the first defocus amount in the focus control.

Control apparatus and control method

A recording apparatus includes a processing unit configured to convert acquired image information into dot data, and an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium based on the image information converted into dot data by the processing unit, wherein the processing unit enlarges an image of the acquired image information to a size protruding into margins formed at both side ends of the recording medium, then converts the image information into dot data, and then, based on side end position information of the recording medium detected by the detection unit, processes the image information converted into dot data so that image formation is not performed on portions of the enlarged image protruding into the margins.

Ink jet recording apparatus and recording method

An object of the present invention is to appropriately dispense treatment fluid to wipers, and to always wipe ejection-orifice formation surfaces in a favorable state regardless of an environmental change and the like. To this end, in the present invention, a treatment-fluid holding portion holds treatment fluid used in a wiping operation of wipers. When the wipers contact the treatment-fluid holding portion, the treatment fluid is transferred to the wipers. In an environment where the treatment fluid is thickened, the wipers with ink dispensed thereto are brought into contact with the treatment-fluid holding portion to supply ink to the treatment-fluid holding portion. Thus, the viscosity of the treatment fluid near a contact portion between the treatment-fluid holding portion and the wipers decreases, and the treatment fluid is sufficiently transferred to the wipers.

Inkjet printing apparatus and method of recovering printing head

Each of four areas of 2&#xd7;2 in one pixel has four sub areas and the four sub areas correspond to four nozzle arrays A to D. In the sub area of each area, information showing what nozzle array is used for a print of the area is defined. The sub area filled in black shows performing therein a print of a dot using nozzles in the nozzle array corresponding to the sub area. In this way, the dot arrangement pattern has information showing the nozzle array to which nozzles used for printing an area belong, for each area. Therefore, without executing the particular data allocation processing such as mask processing, the allocation of the dot data to the plurality of nozzle arrays can be carried out with a simple arrangement.

Printing apparatus and printing method

This invention reduces an unprinted stripe occurred by edge deviation of a printhead. An inkjet printing apparatus according to this invention can execute a first printing mode in which an image is printed by scanning the printhead in a first region on the printing medium N times and scanning the printhead in a second region adjacent to the first region (N+1) times, and a second mode in which an image is printed by scanning the printhead in the first region M times and scanning the printhead in the second region (M+1) times. The width, in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, of the second region printed in the second printing mode is narrower than the width, in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, of the second region printed in the first printing mode.

Inkjet printing apparatus and inkjet printing method

To achieve high-quality printing by controlling an ink-travelling direction by an electrostatic force so that the ink can be accurately applied on a printing medium, the ink is landed on a desired position of the printing medium effectively without disturbing the ink ejection, independent of a difference in the thickness of the printing medium. An electric field between a printing head and the printing medium is generated by applying a voltage to a platen of conductive material positioned immediately below the printing medium. At this point, the voltage applied to the platen is adjusted so that the electric field of a preferable intensity can be generated on a face of the printing head where ejection openings are formed irrespective of the thickness of the printing medium.

Inkjet printing apparatus

An object of this invention is to prevent prolongation of the time taken for a suction recovery operation while suppressing wasteful consumption of ink in the suction recovery operation. An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a plurality of caps which, when a plurality of nozzles of an ink-jet head are divided into a plurality of nozzle groups, are arranged one by one for the respective nozzle groups, and cap the respective nozzle groups, a suction pump which generates a negative pressure in the plurality of caps to suck ink from the plurality of nozzles, and is arranged commonly for the plurality of caps, and a control unit which controls the suction pump so as to make the negative pressure by the suction pump act on all the caps when a common negative pressure is generated in the plurality of caps, and make different negative pressures by the suction pump act sequentially on the plurality of caps when different negative pressures are generated in the respective caps.

Ink-jet printing apparatus, control method therefor, program, and storage medium

The invention provides a configuration capable of judging whether an ink jet head is exchanged or whether it is replaced, and changing an amount of recovery operation when the ink jet head is exchanged or replaced. Thus a recording apparatus capable of avoiding a defective ink supply in case the ink jet head is exchanged or replaced, and not wasting the ink by unnecessarily excessive recovery operation, can be provided.

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Yokohama, Japan

Hideaki Takamiya