Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Hirofumi Suda

Kunihiko Yamada

Akihiro Fujiwara

Masamichi Toyama

Kitahiro Kaneda

Katsuji Yoshimura

Masahide Hirasawa

Naoya Kaneda

Hideyuki Arai

Hiroyuki Wada

Hideo Homma

Hiroto Ohkawara

Ryunosuke Iijima

Kunio Imai

Kouichi Ueda

Susumu Kozuki

Kazuhiro Takahashi

Hiroo Edakubo

Yasutomo Suzuki

Youichi Iwasaki

Osamu Ueda

Kuniniko Yamada

Seiya Ota

In an imaging apparatus, when a pan/tilt head is located at a predetermined position, a photographed image acquired by an imaging unit is stored as a registered image. A photographed image, which is newly acquired by the imaging unit, is compared with the registered image when the pan/tilt head is not driven from the predetermined position after the registered image is stored. The pan/tilt head is driven to an initial position if, as a result of comparison between the photographed image and the registered image, it is determined that a degree of matching between the photographed image and the registered image satisfies a predetermined condition.

Imaging apparatus and pan/tilt head control method

A focus control apparatus includes a signal generator for generating a first signal in accordance with a predetermined frequency component of an image signal obtained by photoelectrically converting an image of a subject formed by an image-taking optical system, a detector for detecting a second signal different from the first signal, and a controller for detecting a movement of the subject based on the second signal and for switching driving of the image-taking optical system based on the detection, wherein the controller controls driving of the image-taking optical system based on the first signal.

Focus control apparatus and optical apparatus

An apparatus suitably detects a recording trigger even in a low-brightness or low-light-intensity environment, and acquires, from a recorded image, a high-quality image from which a person or the like can be easily recognized. When a recording trigger is to be detected, this apparatus disables an infrared reduction filter, so a recording trigger can be suitably detected even in an environment in which the brightness or light intensity is low. When an image is to be recorded, this apparatus records a color image by enabling the infrared reduction filter.

Imaging apparatus and imaging method

This invention allows focus detection devices to be smoothly and quickly switched even if different image capturing frame counts or image capturing field counts are set in accordance with image capturing purposes. An AF system selection unit switches focus detection methods based on a direct distance measurement AF unit and captured signal AF detection unit in accordance with the frame count or field count of a captured signal.

Image capturing apparatus having a plurality of focus detention devices and control method therefor

An apparatus suitably detects a recording trigger even in a low-brightness or low-light-intensity environment, and acquires, from a recorded image, a high-quality image from which a person or the like can be easily recongized. When a recording trigger is to be detected, this apparatus disables an infrared reduction filter, so a recording trigger can be suitably detected even in an environment in which the brightness or light inensity is low. When an image is to be recorded, this apparatus records a color image by enabling the infrared reduction filter.

An image-taking apparatus is disclosed which is capable of performing accurate focusing even when a shake occurs. The image-taking apparatus comprises an image-pickup element which photoelectrically converts an optical image formed by an image-taking optical system; a controller which performs a first focusing control based on a phase difference of plural optical images formed of luminous fluxes not passing through the image-taking optical system, which plural optical images are detected by a light receiving sensor that photoelectrically converts the plural optical images, and a second focusing control based on an image signal generated by an output from the image-pickup element; and a shake detector which generates information on a shake. The controller preferentially performs one of the first focusing control and the second focusing control in accordance with the information on the shake.

Image-taking apparatus and focusing method

In an image sensing apparatus which has a camera shake correction function of performing a camera shake correction on a plurality of images sensed by an image sensing unit by extracting a partial image from each of the sensed images on the basis of correlation between the sensed images, the image sensing unit is exposed, and image signals are read out at predetermined periods. The image sensing apparatus selectively outputs either each of the image signal read out at the predetermined period as one image, or each of image signals obtained by adding image signals for latest n (n is a natural number not less than 2) periods while performing a camera shake correction on the image signals read out at the predetermined period, and the sum image signal as one image.

Image sensing apparatus with camera shake correction function

In an image sensing apparatus which has a camera shake correction function of performing a camera shake correction on a plurality of images sensed by an image sensing unit by extracting a partial image from each of the sensed images on the basis of correlation between the sensed images, a camera shake amount of said image sensing apparatus is detected, and said image sensing unit is exposed for a first exposure time period when the camera shake amount is equal to or less than a predetermined amount. When the camera shake amount is greater than the predetermined amount, said image sensing unit is exposed for a second exposure time period which is shorter than the first exposure time period, image signals of a plurality of images which undergo the camera shake correction are added, and the added image signals is output as one image.

An image pickup apparatus having: an image pickup unit for picking up an image of an object; an information detection unit for detecting, in a contactless manner, object information regarding the object stored in a contactless ID tag; a recording unit for recording the object information detected by the information detection unit onto a recording medium together with image data of the object picked up by the image pickup unit; and a control unit for setting detecting conditions in the information detection unit in accordance with an image pickup condition in the image pickup unit.

Image pickup apparatus capable of recording object information

A communication apparatus includes a wireless communication unit which receives first encoded video data encoded by a first video encoding system from the first apparatus through a wireless network; a decoding unit which decodes the first encoded video data to provide decoded video data; an encoding unit which encodes the decoded video data into second encoded video data using a second video encoding system; and a wired communication unit which transmits the second encoded video data to the second apparatus through a wired network. The first video encoding system is suitable for a first communication protocol used between the first apparatus and the communication apparatus. The second video encoding system is suitable for a second communication protocol used between the second apparatus and the communication apparatus. The first video encoding system uses a video encoding different from MPEG encoding. The second video encoding system uses MPEG encoding.

Data communication apparatus, data communication system, data communication method and storage medium

In an interchangeable lens assembly video camera system including an interchangeable lens assembly and a camera, a filter of an AF signal processing circuit () of the camera extracts a focus evaluation value signal from an image sensing signal corresponding to one or a plurality of focus detection areas in an image sensing surface, and on the basis of the transmitted focus evaluation value signal from the camera and data stored in a ROM (), the microcomputer () performs a zooming operation of a zoom lens () while maintaining an in-focus state of a focus lens ().

Interchangeable lens video camera system

A recording apparatus, which is designed to generate play list data according to a recording operation of a moving image signal, the play list data being used for controlling a reproducing process of one moving image stream including a moving image signal so as to inhibit reproducing of moving image signals of a first predetermined period from a head of the moving image stream and a second predetermined period immediately before an end of the moving image stream, and reproduce a moving image signal of a period other than the first and second predetermined periods, and record the play list data together with the moving image signal on a recording medium.

Image signal recording apparatus with controlled recording of main, preceding and succeeding moving image signals

An image recording apparatus which can re-allocate image data by removing vacant areas formed as a result of deletion when an image file is deleted from a recording medium of an image recording apparatus of a camera. The image data to be re-allocated are not limited to those in a new image file to be recorded, but include those in already recorded image files. Upon re-allocation, image data are re-allocated so that the track numbers of image files to be re-allocated on the disk sequentially increase.

Image recording apparatus having computer readable recording medium for recording image data

An interchangeable lens video camera system which can stably focus on a main target object under any conditions of the object or the environment. The camera system includes a lens assembly detachably attached to a camera for photoelectrically converting incident light to sense an image and output an image signal. The camera system further includes a zoom lens and a focus lens controlled on the basis of an automatic focus evaluation value and data associated with exposure which are received from the camera while referring to a lens cam data unit which stores locus information of the zoom lens and the focus lens in advance. The interchangeable lens video camera system allows for the reduction of blurring and degradation of image quality.

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Yokohama, Japan

Hirofumi Suda