Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Shigeki Okauchi

Masayoshi Sekine

Tatsushi Katayama

Sunao Kurahashi

Katsumi Iijima

Hitoshi Nabetani

Kotaro Yano

Katsuhiko Mori

Motohiro Ishikawa

Masakazu Matsugu

Nobuo Fukushima

Yuji Koide

Gaku Watanabe

Tsukasa Uehara

Masaya Maeda

Taro Murakami

Tsunefumi Tanaka

Makoto Sekita

Hiroaki Hoshi

Tomotaka Muramoto

Shigeo Ogura

Jun Tokumitsu

Takeo Sakimura

Satoshi Tonosaki

Atsushi Namba

An electronic system comprising an image pickup unit, a computer, and communication terminals for connecting the unit and the computer, such as infrared communication ports, a card slot, and serial communication terminalswherein the necessary image data is allowed to be produced from the unitand transmitted to the computer through the communication terminals. The computer communicates with the image pick up unit by examining the port of each communication means in order to recognize whether a connected unit is the image pickup unit or a foreign unit and to determine and store the communication speed for each communication port. The image data and memory space information is then automatically transmitted to the computer and displayed on a device connected to said computer.

Electronic apparatus

An electronic system comprising an image pickup unita computerand communication terminals for connecting the unit and the computer, such as infrared communication portsa card slotand serial communication terminalswherein the necessary image data is allowed to be produced from the unitand transmitted to the computer through the communication terminals. The computer communicates with the image pick up unit by examining the port of each communication means in order to recognize whether a connected unit is the image pickup unit or a foreign unit and to determine and store the communication speed for each communication port. The image data and memory space information is then automatically transmitted to the computer and displayed on a device connected to said computer.

Images sensed through object lensesR andL, having zoom lenses, with image sensorsR andL are processed by image signal processorsR andL, and an image of an object in each of the sensed images is separated from a background image on the basis of the processed image signals. The separated image signals representing the image of the object enter the image processor, where a three-dimensional shape of the object is extracted on the basis of parameters used upon sensing the images. The parameters are automatically adjusted so that images of the object fall within the both image sensing areas of the image sensorsR andL and that they fall within the both focal depths of the image sensorsR andL.

Image sensing and image processing apparatuses

A three-dimensional information processing apparatus for obtaining three-dimensional information from an object having a three-dimensional shape, and performing predetermined information processing, comprises: a camera for sensing images of the object from a plurality of coordinate positions using an image sensing system having one or a plurality of optical systems. A plurality of depth information are extracted from image sensing related information sensed by the camera at the plurality of coordinate positions, and the plurality of extracted depth information are converted and unified into depth information expressed by a unified coordinate system.

Three-dimensional information processing apparatus and method

An electronic system comprising an image pickup unit , a computer , and communication terminals for connecting the unit and the computer, such as infrared communication ports , a card slot , and serial communication terminals wherein the necessary image data is allowed to be produced from the unit 1 and transmitted to the computer through the communication terminals. The computer communicates with the image pick up unit by examining the port of each communication means in order to recognize whether a connected unit is the image pickup unit or a foreign unit and to determine and store the communication speed for each communication port. The image data and memory space information is then automatically transmitted to the computer and displayed on a device connected to said computer.

Electronic apparatus for obtaining pickup data

Images sensed through object lenses R and L, having zoom lenses, with image sensors R and L are processed by image signal processors R and L, and an image of an object in each of the sensed images is separated from a background image on the basis of the processed image signals. The separated image signals representing the image of the object enter the image processor , where a three-dimensional shape of the object is extracted on the basis of parameters used upon sensing the images. The parameters are automatically adjusted so that images of the object fall within the both image sensing areas of the image sensors R and L and that they fall within the both focal depths of the image sensors R and L.

A display apparatus includes a plurality of adjustment units for performing diopter adjustment, base length adjustment, and vergence angle adjustment in accordance with the characteristics of users, and a storage unit for storing pieces of operation condition information of the users of the display apparatus. With this arrangement, when the display apparatus is to be used, the respective adjustment units can be adjusted in accordance with the operation condition information stored in the storage unit, thereby reducing troubles with adjusting operations and simplifying the adjusting operations of the respective adjustment units. In addition, the operability of the apparatus in consideration of a plurality of users is greatly improved.

Display apparatus and control method therefor

Convergence angle information and image information of video cameras is transmitted from a multi-eye image-taking apparatus having two video cameras through a recording medium to a displaying apparatus. A convergence angle of display units in the displaying apparatus is controlled in accordance with the convergence angle information of the video cameras, permitting an observer to observe natural images. Since the convergence angle information is made ahead of the image information, the convergence angle of the display units can be changed with a natural feeling.

Image display system

A card-type image sensor used upon being inserted into the card slot of an external device such as a computer includes an image sensor head having image sensing device such as a CCD. A control panel having a zoom switch and a focus switch is provided on the image sensor head, which is rotatably attached to the rotary support portion of a card body having a main board. The control panel is disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the image sensor head so that no portion of the image sensor head will project from below the lower side of the card body when the image sensor head is turned. In addition, a desk or the like will not interfere with the image sensor head when the head is turned. The results is improved operability. Further, the card body is provided with a finger catch used when the image sensor is detached from the external device. A frame wall, a frame portion and upper and lower covers are provided so as cover a main board, and a rib is provided between frame wall and the frame portion. There is less likelihood that image sensor will malfunction even if the image sensor head is detached by pulling it out of the external device without pressing an eject button.

Image sensor

An image sensor head having a CCD is rotatably attached to a card body having a computer interface. A DC/DC converter for supplying the image sensor head with electric power is provided so as to be situated outside and external device, such as a computer, when the card body is loaded in the external device. This facilitates the radiation of heat. A shielding case is provided to cover and shield the DC/DC converter. When the card body experiences deformation, the shielding case contacts a metal cover which covers a main board within the card body, thereby preventing excessive bending and assuring electrical safety. Thus, in a card-type image sensor of the type which introduces an image to a computer or the like, the power supply for image sensing purposes radiates heat more effectively and is provided with improved shielding.

Card-type image sensor

A compound eye image pickup apparatus with reduced parallax having two optical image pickup systems wherein the cross points between entrance pupils and optical axes of the two optical image pickup systems are generally coincident.

Image pickup apparatus

An image pickup apparatus comprises image pickup means for converting an object image formed on an image pickup surface to an image signal and object information detection means for detecting information associated with the object. Control means for determines a dividing number of areas into which the object image to be picked up by the image pickup means is to be divided on the basis of the information from the object information detection means and controls the image pickup means to perform the image pickup operation of the object image by executing image pickup operations a number of times, the number of times being equal to the dividing number. Preferably, the information detection means detects at least one of a size and a density of the object.

Determining a dividing number of areas into which an object image is to

For providing a compact, light, and cheap image pickup apparatus capable of attaining both a stereoscopic image and a high-definition plane image by itself, a changeover optical unit is provided with both a function to attain a stereoscopic image by guiding beams captured through objective lenses to respective CCDs and a function to attain a plane image by splitting the beam captured through the objective lens into two beams and guiding the two beams to the CCDs whereby the stereoscopic image and the high-definition plane image can be attained by proper changeover between these functions.

Growing community of inventors

Kodaira, Japan

Shigeki Okauchi