Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Masayoshi Okamoto

Shigeaki Yamamoto

Kazuhiro Ieda

Hiroshi Horii

Nobuhide Dotsubo

Takatoshi Yoshikawa

Jun Kiyama

Masami Yasuda

An electronic camera includes an imager. An imager repeatedly outputs a scene image generated on an imaging surface capturing a scene. A searcher repeatedly executes a process of searching for a specific object image from the scene image outputted from the imager by using a plurality of reference-use specific object images each of which has a posture different from others. A detector detects the number of specific objects existing in the object scene based on a searched result of the searcher. A determiner repeatedly determines based on the searched result of the searcher whether or not all of the specific objects equivalent to the number detected by the detector satisfy a posture condition. A recorder records the scene image outputted from the imager when a determined result of the determiner is updated from a negative result to a positive result.

Electronic camera for searching a specific object image

An image processing apparatus includes a fetcher. A fetcher fetches an object scene image. A first adjuster adjusts a tonality of the object scene image fetched by the fetcher, corresponding to a property of a display device. An object scene image outputter outputs the object scene image having the tonality adjusted by the first adjuster, toward the display device. A second adjuster adjusts the tonality of the object scene image fetched by the fetcher, in parallel with the adjusting process of the first adjuster. A first searcher searches for an object image that coincides with a registered object image from the object scene image having the tonality adjusted by the second adjuster.

Image processing apparatus

An electronic camera includes an imager, having an imaging surface capturing a scene, which repeatedly outputs a scene image. An extractor extracts a specific reference image coincident with a partial image outputted from the imager corresponding to a predetermined area allocated to the imaging surface, from among a plurality of reference images. An adjuster executes a process of adjusting an exposure amount by emphasizing the predetermined area in parallel with the extraction process. An identifier identifies a color of an object equivalent to the partial image, corresponding to extracting the specific reference image. A corrector executes a process of correcting a tonality of the scene image with reference to the identified result, in place of the extraction process. A searcher searches for a partial image coincident with the specific reference image from the scene image having the corrected tonality.

Electronic camera

An electronic camera includes an imaging device. The imaging device has an imaging surface capturing an object scene and repeatedly outputs an object scene image. An orientation of the imaging surface is repeatedly changed by a CPU corresponding to a group photograph mode under which a group of a plurality of faces is captured. The CPU detects a face image from the object scene image outputted from the imaging device in association with a changing process of the orientation of the imaging surface. Furthermore, the CPU decides an angle range within which the group of a plurality of faces is contained based on a detection result of the face image. In addition, the CPU combines the plurality of object scene images outputted from the imaging device so as to create a combined image corresponding to the decided angle range. The created combined image is recorded in a recording medium.

Electronic camera capturing a group of a plurality of specific objects

A content recording apparatus () includes an image sensor (). When a shutter operation is performed, an image imaged by the image sensor is captured in an SDRAM (), and the captured image is recorded in a memory card (). The recorded image is transmitted to a recorder () being host equipment through a USB controller () when a USB transfer mode is selected, and an imaging transfer mode as a subordinate mode is turned off. That is, the CPU prohibits a capturing operation, and registers all the attribute information of the recorded image in a management table (), and the recorder performs an image acquiring operation referring to the management table. When the imaging transfer mode is turned on, the CPU skips registration of all the attribute information to allow a capturing operation. When the image is captured, the CPU registers only the attribute information of the image in the management table and sends an image acquiring request to the recorder.

Content recording apparatus in which attribute information is suppressed according to operation mode

An electronic camera includes an image sensor. The image sensor has an imaging surface for capturing an object scene, and repeatedly generates an object scene image. A CPU assigns a search area on the imaging surface, and repeatedly executes search processing for searching a facial image on the search area in parallel with executing object scene image generating processing of the image sensor. A character representative of a position of a facial image detected by the search processing is superposed on a through-image on an LCD monitor. The size of the search area assigned on the imaging surface is reduced as a panning and/or tilting speed of the imaging surface is increased.

Electronic camera and method which adjust the size or position of a feature search area of an imaging surface in response to panning or tilting of the imaging surface

An image recording apparatus includes a CPU. An image file created by the CPU is stored in a directory which is created on a hard disk and a circularly successive directory number is assigned to. When the number of image files accumulated in a latest directory reaches '450', the CPU determines a total number of the directories, and if the total number reaches '50', the CPU erases an oldest directory. Furthermore, when the number of the image files accumulated in the latest directory reaches &#x201c;900&#x201d;, the CPU creates a new directory to which the directory number succeeding to that of the latest directory is assigned. In addition, when an arbitrary directory is erased by an operation of an erasing key, the CPU assigns the successive directory number to a remaining directory in order of a creation time.

Image recording apparatus

A data transfer control system includes a PC and a camera, and these are connected by a USB cable in a manner capable of making a communication with each other. Prior to a data transfer, the PC instructs the camera that it is impossible to cut-off, that is, to prohibit a connected state (connection state) from being released. In receipt thereof, the camera turns-on a cut-off-impossible lamp. Upon completion of the data transfer and a transfer of FAT data, the PC instructs the camera that it is allowed to cut-off, that is, to allow to release the connection state. In receipt thereof, the camera turns-off the cut-off-impossible lamp.

Data transfer control system

A monitoring camera device adds image capturing time data to image data which is successive with respect to time, and stores the image data on a recording medium. A plurality of directories are prepared on the recording medium for containing a predetermined number of items of image data, and are each named according to a directory naming rule, such that a portion of the name is made different when the directory is prepared during the period of standard time and when the directory is prepared during the period of daylight saving time. The directory also has attached thereto directory preparing time data indicating the time when the directory is prepared. The camera device judges whether each of the directories is prepared during the period of the standard time or during the period of daylight saving time with reference to the name of the directory, and judges the order of directory preparing times using the time indicated by the directory preparing data of the directory when the directory is found to have been prepared during the period of the standard time, or using a value obtained by subtracting a time correction value from the time indicated by the directory preparing data of the directory when the directory is found to have been prepared during the period of daylight saving time.

Monitoring camera device capable of adjusting the changeover between standard time and day light saving time

An image signal processing apparatus includes a hard disk. The hard disk is as necessary created with a directory to which time information according to a time counter is assigned. An image file is stored in a latest directory having the latest creation time among a plurality of directories thus created. When a time indicated by the time counter is modified retroactive to the past, a marker is added to a directory having the time information according to the time counter before being modified. The latest directory is detected on the basis of the marker and the time information.

Image signal processing apparatus

An electronic device used to identify loci containing more than one stroke. This electronic device utilizes a ball rotation sensor to detect the position and movement while it is in contact with a surface and an acceleration sensor when the device is not in contact with the surface. Further, this device is able to correct for inaccuracies in the acceleration sensor utilizing data received from the ball rotation sensor. This correction is based on a calculated detection error determined while the ball rotation sensor is active. The correction occurs when the device is again no longer in contact with the surface and again utilizing the acceleration sensor to determine position.

Electronic pen device and character recognition method employing the same

In accordance with the present character recognition method, an imaginary stroke is used to link from the ending point of each actual stroke of an input handwritten character to the starting point of the subsequent actual stroke thereof to form a single line. Then a feature level is detected for specifying the position of a turn of the single line and the direction and angle of the turn at the position. According to the detected position of the turn, the detected feature level is patterned on input mesh memories which are in turn compared with a previously formed dictionary mesh memory to calculate the resemblance of the input handwritten character to each handwritten character in a dictionary database. The handwritten character in the dictionary database that has the closest, calculated resemblance is recognized as the input handwritten character. According to the present method, an imaginary stroke added to an input handwritten character also allows correct recognition of a character with each stroke written cursively.

Method and system of handwritten-character recognition

In a telephone note-taking device, if a telephone icon,is designated on a screen,by a handwrite-input pen,, a main control device,makes a party designating area,and a note-taking area,displayed on the screen,and start operating at the same time. If a party is inputted into the party designating area,, a party designation control device,autodials the party.

Telephone note-taking device

Based on handwriting coordinate data input by a pen at an arbitrary position on a screen, a handwriting display portion displays a handwriting at the writing position. A recognition portion recognizes a written character or an editing symbol. A handwriting erase portion erases the handwriting, and returns the screen to a state before writing. A recognition result output portion supplies the recognition result to an application program having a keyboard focus in the same form as that of keyboard input. As a result, a character or the like can be directly written at an arbitrary position on a window displayed by the application program or on the screen, and input or editing can be carried out.

Handwritten character input device allowing input of handwritten

On a liquid crystal display panel of the handwritten character input system, a data input frame is displayed, and in the data input frame, a plurality of character writing frames are displayed. Each of the character writing frames defines an area to which a handwritten character can be input. In a frame number changing mode, when the size of the data input frame is changed, the number of character writing frames is changed in accordance with the change size. In a frame size changing mode, when the size of the data input frame is changed, the size of the character writing frame is changed in accordance with the changed size. Further, when the size of the character writing frame is changed, the character font to be displayed is also changed in accordance with the changed size.

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Daito, Japan

Masayoshi Okamoto