Patents by Inventor Akihiro Ueki

Akihiro Ueki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220215396
    Abstract: An unstaffed store system includes: a store entry checker which acquires, with a first camera, a face image of a user at a time of entry to the store and permits entry of the user to the store based on the face image at the time of entry to the store; a checkout counter which acquires, with a second camera, the face image of the user at a time of payment and allows the user to make payment based on the face image at the time of payment; and a store exit checker which, with a third camera, acquires the face image of the user at a time of exit from the store and confirms exit of the user from the store based on the face image at the time of exit from the store.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro UEKI, Masaki SHIKANAI, Mamoru NOBUE, Hidehiko NAWAI, Kouhei NISHINO, Tomohiro MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20220188796
    Abstract: A cost calculation and payment device includes: a main body provided with a placement portion on which the user places merchandise items; a first camera for capturing an image of the merchandise items placed on the placement portion; a second camera for capturing an image of a face of the user; a controller for performing a process related to cost calculation by recognizing the merchandise items in question based on a merchandise item image acquired by image capture by the first camera and to perform a process related to face authentication based on a face image acquired by image capture by the second camera; and a display for displaying a cost calculation result and a payment result acquired by the controller, wherein the display is disposed in a vicinity of the placement portion, and the second camera captures an image of the face of the user looking at the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro UEKI, Masaki SHIKANAI, Mamoru NOBUE, Kouhei NISHINO, Takashi KOYAMA, Nobuyoshi MURAKAMI, Hideyuki KUWANO
  • Publication number: 20220044221
    Abstract: A cost calculation and payment device includes: a main body provided with a placement portion on which merchandise items are placed; a first camera for capturing an image of the merchandise items placed on the placement portion; a second camera for capturing an image of a face of the user; a controller for performing a process related to cost calculation by recognizing the merchandise items in question based on a merchandise item image acquired by the first camera and to perform a process related to face authentication based on a face image acquired by the second camera; a display for displaying a cost calculation result and a payment result acquired by the controller, and a projector for projecting an image onto the placement portion, wherein the display is disposed in a vicinity of the placement portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro UEKI, Masaki SHIKANAI, Mamoru NOBUE, Kouhei NISHINO, Takashi KOYAMA, So SUZUKI, Megumi YAMAOKA
  • Patent number: 10521668
    Abstract: A display method is for a display apparatus to display an image, and includes: obtaining a captured display image by an image sensor included in a terminal device; obtaining a light ID by visible light communication with a subject; obtaining an AR image and recognition information which are associated with the light ID from a memory included in the terminal device; recognizing a target region within the captured display image using the recognition information; and displaying the captured display image in which the AR image is superimposed on the target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai
  • Patent number: 10389446
    Abstract: A method includes capturing images with an image sensor while switching the shutter speed of the image sensor between a first speed and a second, higher speed. When a captured subject is a barcode, a barcode image is obtained when the shutter speed is the first speed, and barcode information is obtained by decoding the barcode in the image. When a captured subject is a light source, a bright line image including bright lines corresponding to a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor is obtained when the shutter speed is the second speed, and a visible light signal is obtained as visible light information by decoding a pattern of the bright lines in the obtained bright line image. The method also includes displaying an image obtained through capturing performed when the shutter speed is the first speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai
  • Publication number: 20190236369
    Abstract: A display method is for a display apparatus to display an image, and includes: obtaining a captured display image by an image sensor included in a terminal device; obtaining a light ID by visible light communication with a subject; obtaining an AR image and recognition information which are associated with the light ID from a memory included in the terminal device; recognizing a target region within the captured display image using the recognition information; and displaying the captured display image in which the AR image is superimposed on the target region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki AOYAMA, Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Koji NAKANISHI, Toshiyuki MAEDA, Akihiro UEKI, Kengo MIYOSHI, Tsutomu MUKAI
  • Patent number: 10361780
    Abstract: A receiving method includes: setting a first exposure time for at least one exposure line of exposure lines in an image sensor, setting a second exposure time for a remainder of the exposure lines in the image sensor, and causing the image sensor to capture an image of a light transmitter, to obtain a normal image from the at least one exposure line with the first exposure time, and to obtain a bright line image from the remainder of the exposure lines with the second exposure time. The second exposure time is shorter than the first exposure time. The bright line image includes a plurality of bright lines, each of which corresponds to a different one of the remainder of the exposure lines in the image sensor. Information is obtained by decoding a pattern of the plurality of the bright lines included in the obtained bright line image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai
  • Patent number: 10354599
    Abstract: A display method is provided that includes displaying an image included in a video signal on a per frame basis, and representing a tone level of luminance of the image by controlling a light emission period in a frame. The method also includes specifying a light emission period in which light emission is performed for greater than or equal to a time required for transmitting a visible light communication signal, and transmitting the visible light communication signal by superimposing the visible light communication signal onto a portion of the video signal corresponding to the specified light emission period. The method further includes in a case where the specified light emission period is greater than or equal to a time required for transmitting the visible light communication signal, the visible light communication signal is transmitted by luminance changing of the light source in the specified light emission period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Koji Aoto, Akira Shiokawa, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10303945
    Abstract: A display method is for a display apparatus to display an image, and includes: obtaining a captured display image and a decode target image by an image sensor capturing an image of a subject; obtaining a light ID by decoding the decode target image; transmitting the light ID to a server; obtaining, from the server, an AR image and recognition information which are associated with the light ID; recognizing a region according to the recognition information as a target region from the captured display image; and displaying the captured display image in which the AR image is superimposed on the target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai
  • Patent number: 10225014
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a display, an image sensor having a plurality of exposure lines, a processor, and a memory storing a computer program, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations. The operations include displaying a first assist image on the display, and executing a visible light communication mode. In the visible light communication mode, the operations include (i) setting a second exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a plurality of bright lines corresponding to the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appear according to a change in luminance of the subject, (ii) obtaining a bright line image including the plurality of bright lines, and (iii) obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Takashi Suzuki, Akira Shiokawa, Koji Aoto
  • Publication number: 20190052360
    Abstract: A method includes capturing images with an image sensor while switching the shutter speed of the image sensor between a first speed and a second, higher speed. When a captured subject is a barcode, a barcode image is obtained when the shutter speed is the first speed, and barcode information is obtained by decoding the barcode in the image. When a captured subject is a light source, a bright line image including bright lines corresponding to a plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor is obtained when the shutter speed is the second speed, and a visible light signal is obtained as visible light information by decoding a pattern of the bright lines in the obtained bright line image. The method also includes displaying an image obtained through capturing performed when the shutter speed is the first speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki AOYAMA, Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Koji NAKANISHI, Toshiyuki MAEDA, Akihiro UEKI, Kengo MIYOSHI, Tsutomu MUKAI
  • Patent number: 10181296
    Abstract: A display device of the present disclosure is a display device capable of outputting, by a Carousel method, a visible light communication signal including a plurality of signal units. The display device includes a display panel that displays a video signal, a visible light communication processor that encodes the signal units, divides the encoded signal units into a plurality of blocks, generates a plurality of transmission frames by using the plurality of blocks, and uses the generated transmission frames as a backlight control signal, and a backlight that illuminates the display panel from the back surface of the display panel based on the backlight control signal. With regard to the plurality of transmission frames corresponding to one of the signal units generated by the visible light communication processor, an order of the plurality of blocks is different between at least two of the transmission frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Ueki, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akira Shiokawa, Koji Aoto, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Kengo Miyoshi, Mitsuaki Oshima
  • Patent number: 10152946
    Abstract: A display method for appropriately transmitting a visible light communication signal includes: a step of coding a visible light communication signal to generate an image having a striped pattern for visible light communication as a first visible light communication image; a step of displaying the image included in the video signal, in a predetermined frame; and a step of displaying a low-luminance image in the predetermined frame, and sequentially displaying the first visible light communication image, the low-luminance image being an identification image and having uniform luminance lower than average luminance of the image which is to be displayed, wherein in the step, after the image included in the video signal is displayed in the predetermined frame, each of the first identification image and the first visible light communication image is displayed in a same frame as the predetermined frame, for a period shorter than the predetermined frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Takashi Suzuki, Akira Shiokawa, Koji Aoto, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima
  • Patent number: 10142020
    Abstract: In one embodiment, such a method may include receiving a visible light signal by a sensor of a terminal device from a transmitter which transmits the visible light signal by a light source changing in luminance. The terminal device may transmit a request signal for requesting content associated with the visible light signal, from the terminal device to a server, and receive a content from the server. The content may include time points and data to be reproduced at the time points. Thereafter the terminal device may reproduce data included in the content and corresponding to a time point of a clock included in the terminal device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai
  • Publication number: 20180336848
    Abstract: A display device includes: a display panel including a display screen; a backlight having a light emission surface that illuminates the display screen of the display panel from behind; a second processor that superimposes the visible light communication signals on backlight control signals generated based on the image signal; and a second controller that divides the light emission surface of the backlight into regions and establishes a period during which control of light emission in each of the regions and control for turning off the backlight in each of the regions a different time are performed based on the backlight control signals outputted by the second processor. When superimposing the visible light communication signals on the backlight control signals, the second processor does not superimpose a visible light communication signal in a period indicating an OFF state of the backlight in the backlight control signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Takashi SUZUKI, Toshiyuki MAEDA, Akihiro UEKI, Akira SHIOKAWA, Koji AOTO, Koji NAKANISHI, Hideki AOYAMA, Mitsuaki OSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20180277036
    Abstract: A control method includes: obtaining picture signals and visible light signals; deciding a luminance change pattern by modulating the visible light signals; transmitting the visible light signals by performing luminance change of LEDs included in a panel in accordance with the luminance change pattern, in a first period that is a partial period of a frame display period; correcting a second gradient indicated by the picture signals, in accordance with a first gradient that is a gradient of the luminance change pattern of the first period, in a second period that follows the first period; and lighting the LEDs at the corrected second gradient in the second period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventors: TOSHIYUKI MAEDA, KEITA YAMAMOTO, MITSUAKI OSHIMA, HIDEKI AOYAMA, TSUTOMU SEKIBE, AKIHIRO UEKI, TETSUYA FUKUDOME, KENSUKE MAEZONO
  • Patent number: 10068532
    Abstract: A display device includes: a display panel including a display screen; a backlight having a light emission surface that illuminates the display screen of the display panel from behind; a second processor that superimposes the visible light communication signals on backlight control signals generated based on the image signal; and a second controller that divides the light emission surface of the backlight into regions and establishes a period during which control of light emission in each of the regions and control for turning off the backlight in each of the regions a different time are performed based on the backlight control signals outputted by the second processor. When superimposing the visible light communication signals on the backlight control signals, the second processor does not superimpose a visible light communication signal in a period indicating an OFF state of the backlight in the backlight control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Akira Shiokawa, Koji Aoto, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima
  • Patent number: 9998220
    Abstract: A visible light signal transmitting method includes: determining a luminance change pattern to transmit the visible light signal; switching a common switch according to the luminance change pattern, the common switch being for turning ON a plurality of light sources in common; and turning ON a first pixel switch, to cause the first light source to be ON for a period in which the common switch is ON and the first pixel switch is ON, to transmit the visible light signal, the first light source being one of the plurality of light sources. In the turning ON of a first pixel switch, when the image is displayed on the display, the first pixel switch is switched to increase a lighting period that corresponds to the first light source, to compensate a period in which the first light source is OFF for transmission of the visible light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai
  • Publication number: 20180076893
    Abstract: A receiving method includes: setting a first exposure time for at least one exposure line of exposure lines in an image sensor, setting a second exposure time for a remainder of the exposure lines in the image sensor, and causing the image sensor to capture an image of a light transmitter, to obtain a normal image from the at least one exposure line with the first exposure time, and to obtain a bright line image from the remainder of the exposure lines with the second exposure time. The second exposure time is shorter than the first exposure time. The bright line image includes a plurality of bright lines, each of which corresponds to a different one of the remainder of the exposure lines in the image sensor. Information is obtained by decoding a pattern of the plurality of the bright lines included in the obtained bright line image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki AOYAMA, Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Koji NAKANISHI, Toshiyuki MAEDA, Akihiro UEKI, Kengo MIYOSHI, Tsutomu MUKAI
  • Patent number: 9871587
    Abstract: An information processing program causes a computer to execute: encoding information to be transmitted, to determine a luminance change frequency; and outputting a signal of the determined luminance change frequency to cause a light emitter to change in luminance according to the determined luminance change frequency to transmit the information. In the encoding, each of a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency is determined as the luminance change frequency. In the outputting, each of a signal of the first frequency and a signal of the second frequency is output as the signal of the determined luminance change frequency, to cause the light emitter to change in luminance according to the first frequency during a first time and change in luminance according to the second frequency during a second time different from the first time after the first time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Hideki Aoyama, Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Kengo Miyoshi, Tsutomu Mukai