Patents by Inventor Akio Ohba

Akio Ohba 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).

  • Patent number: 10275021
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a display apparatus of front-of-the-eye mounted type having a camera configured to image portions around the mouth of a user. The display apparatus of front-of-the-eye mounted type includes an around-the-mouth imaging camera arranged at a position where it is practicable to image a mouth movement of a user; and a display control unit configured to display an image based on input information of the user estimated from the mouth movement imaged by the around-the-mouth imaging camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Akio Ohba
  • Patent number: 10275890
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing device including a background model creation section adapted to create a plurality of background models based on statistical distribution of a plurality of image frame sets, the image frame sets differing in length of time, and each of the image frame sets including a plurality of input frames; and a background image creation section adapted to create a background image by referring to the plurality of background models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada, Akio Ohba, Hirofumi Okamoto, Atsushi Kimura, Daisuke Tahara
  • Publication number: 20190114823
    Abstract: There are provided an image generating apparatus, an image generating method, and a program for generating an image that allows each of the users sharing a virtual space to see what the ether users are looking at. A virtual space managing section (126) arranges a fixation point object indicative of a fixation point at a position away from a first viewpoint in a first visual line direction passing through the first viewpoint arranged in a virtual space, the first visual line direction corresponding to the attitude of a first head-mounted display. A frame image generating section (128) generates an image indicating how things look from a second viewpoint in a second visual line direction corresponding to the attitude of a second head-mounted display, the second viewpoint being arranged in the virtual space in which the fixation point object is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Akio OHBA, Taeko SANADA
  • Patent number: 10244238
    Abstract: A tile image sequence obtained by dividing a frame into a predetermined size is further divided into another predetermined size on an image plane to generate a voxel (for example, a voxel. If a redundancy in a space direction or a time direction exists, then data is reduced in the direction, and sequences in the time direction are deployed on a two-dimensional plane. Voxel images are placed on an image plane of a predetermined size to generate one integrated image. In a grouping pattern which exhibits a minimum quantization error, pixels are collectively placed in the region of each voxel image for each group (integrated image). The integrated image after the re-placement is compressed in accordance with a predetermined compression method to generate a compressed image and reference information for determining the position of a needed pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsugo Inada, Akio Ohba, Hiroyuki Segawa
  • Patent number: 10235560
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for: capturing an image of an object, which includes a face of a person wearing an optical display apparatus by which to observe a stereoscopic image that contains a first parallax image and a second parallax image obtained when the object in a three-dimensional (3D) space is viewed from different viewpoints; identifying the optical display apparatus included in the image of the object; and generating an image of the face of the person that does not include the optical display apparatus by excluding the identified optical display apparatus, and instead by adding features of the face of the person to a region in which the identified optical display apparatus is excluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Akio Ohba, Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada
  • Publication number: 20190057537
    Abstract: Regions 150 and 152 on a texture image plane 140 that correspond individually to pixels 146 and 148 representing an image on a texture image mapping target surface 144 in a screen plane 142 on which to define a display image are determined using predetermined transformation equations. The number of sampling points and their distribution are determined for the determined region in accordance with its shape and its size. Texel values in the determined region are then sampled. An average of the sampled values is acquired as the value of each of the original pixels 146 and 148.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventor: Akio OHBA
  • Patent number: 10210629
    Abstract: A detection area is set in a three-dimensional space in which a subject exists. When an actual hand enters the detection area, coordinate points (white and black dots) represented by pixels making up a silhouette of the hand in a depth image enter the detection area. In the detection area, a reference vector is set that shows the direction which the hand should face relative to the shoulder as a reference point. Then, an inner product between two vectors, a vector from the reference point to each of coordinate points and the reference vector, is calculated, followed by comparison between the inner products. Positions of coordinate points whose inner products are ranked high are acquired as the position of tips of the hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Akio Ohba, Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada, Hidehiko Ogasawara, Hirofumi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10175765
    Abstract: An information processing device that detects the position of a subject shot by a camera in a three-dimensional space is provided. The information processing device includes a depth image acquiring section that acquires a depth image in which the distance of a subject in the depth direction from the camera is represented as a pixel value on an image plane, a spatial structure identifying section that identifies the position of a plane forming a predetermined angle with a gravity vector among subject surfaces by detecting a coordinate point collection representing the plane on the basis of the distribution of coordinate points obtained by inverse projection of pixels of the depth image to the three-dimensional space based on the direction of the gravity vector, and a target object extracting section that generates and outputs position information of a predetermined target object on the basis of the position of the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Shinya Wada, Hiroyuki Segawa, Akio Ohba
  • Publication number: 20180322651
    Abstract: [Object] To perform more stable and highly accurate attitude estimation. [Solution] The attitude optimization unit optimizes the articulation position, the angle, the number of articulations, and the like which are attitude parameters of a human body model (tree structure) by a plurality of optimization techniques so as to match a region in which a human body can exist, and switches among a plurality of optimization techniques and uses an optimum technique. Note that optimization techniques include 1. initial value, 2. algorithm, and 3, restriction, and optimization is performed by switching among these three. For example, it is possible to apply the present disclosure to an image processing device that performs image processing of optimizing the articulation position and angle of a human body model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Daisuke Tahara, Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada, Akio Ohba, Hirofumi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10063838
    Abstract: An information processor includes: a similarity data generation portion generating similarity data that represents the calculated similarity to the image in the reference block in association with a position within the search range; a result evaluation portion detecting a position with a maximum similarity value for each piece of the similarity data and screening the detection result by making a given evaluation of the similarity; a depth image generation portion finding a parallax for each of the reference blocks using the detection result validated as a result of screening, calculating a position of a subject in a depth direction on a basis of the parallax, and generating a depth image by associating the position of the subject in the depth direction with an image plane; and an output information generation section performing given information processing on a basis of the subject position in a three-dimensional space using the depth image and outputting the result of information processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Segawa, Akio Ohba, Tetsugo Inada, Hirofumi Okamoto, Atsushi Kimura, Takashi Kohashi, Takashi Itou
  • Patent number: 10055815
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus 12 acquires RAW images 202a and 202b by left and right cameras and performs a demosaicing process for and stepwise reduction of the RAW images 202a and 202b to generate and correct colored image groups 204a and 204b which represent picked up images with a plurality of resolutions (S10 and S12). Image process parameters 206 acquired in the course of the demosaicing process and the correction process are transmitted to a host terminal 20 together with part of colored images and data of a partial image 208 of the RAW image 202a. The host terminal 20 utilizes the image process parameters 206 transmitted from the imaging apparatus 12 to perform a demosaicing process for the partial image 208 to generate and correct a colored image 212 (S16). The host terminal 20 utilizes the colored image transmitted from the imaging apparatus 12 and the colored image 212 generated therein to generate an image 214 to be displayed (S18 and S20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Akio Ohba, Hidehiko Ogasawara, Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada
  • Publication number: 20180139383
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image data production unit which produces data of images of a plurality of resolutions, from an image frame obtained by picking up an image of a target object as a moving picture for each pixel string which configures a row, and an image sending unit which extracts, from the data of the images of the plurality of resolutions, pixel strings of a region requested from a host terminal and connect the extracted pixel strings for each number of pixels determined in accordance with a given rule to produce a stream and then transmit the stream to the host terminal. The image sending unit adjusts a connection pixel number of data of an image of a particular resolution such that, where N is an integer, data for 1/(N+1) frame are transmitted with respect to one frame of data of an image of the other resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Akio OHBA, Hidehiko OGASAWARA
  • Patent number: 9936130
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image data production unit which produces data of images of a plurality of resolutions, from an image frame obtained by picking up an image of a target object as a moving picture for each pixel string which configures a row, and an image sending unit which extracts, from the data of the images of the plurality of resolutions, pixel strings of a region requested from a host terminal and connect the extracted pixel strings for each number of pixels determined in accordance with a given rule to produce a stream and then transmit the stream to the host terminal. The image sending unit adjusts a connection pixel number of data of an image of a particular resolution such that, where N is an integer, data for 1/(N+1) frame are transmitted with respect to one frame of data of an image of the other resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Akio Ohba, Hidehiko Ogasawara
  • Publication number: 20180075615
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a filter, imaging elements, and an image processing section. The filter has a plurality of regions transmitting different light components. The imaging elements detect a luminance distribution of polarization components in a plurality of directions of light transmitted by the filter. The image processing section analyzes the detected luminance distribution based on correlation between the components, thereby generating a plurality of items of information about a subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro MYOKAN, Akio OHBA, Hidehiko OGASAWARA, Shinya WADA, Akihiko SUGAWARA, Hiroyuki SEGAWA
  • Patent number: 9916012
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including a hand shape recognition unit that performs hand shape recognition on an input image to detect a position and a size of a hand with a specific shape in the input image, a determination region setting unit that sets a region in a vicinity of the hand on the input image as a determination region used to recognize a gesture performed using the hand, based on the position and the size of the hand, and a gesture recognition unit that recognizes the gesture by monitoring movement of the hand to the determination region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Jun Kimura, Akio Ohba
  • Publication number: 20180027222
    Abstract: An image of a block or the like entering a space above a play mat is picked up by an image pickup apparatus, and an information processing apparatus detects and recognizes the block on the basis of a picture of the block in a picked up image and performs information processing. The play mat includes a play field that defines a detection space for the block, and a calibration chart including at least a plurality of regions of colors of different luminances. The image pickup apparatus adjusts an exposure time period, a gain value for each color component and a correction rule upon gamma correction on the basis of the picture of the calibration chart in the picked up image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hidehiko Ogasawara, Norio Nagatsuka, Naoki Numaguchi, Hiroyuki Segawa, Akio Ohba
  • Publication number: 20180012064
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for: capturing an image of an object, which includes a face of a person wearing an optical display apparatus by which to observe a stereoscopic image that contains a first parallax image and a second parallax image obtained when the object in a three-dimensional (3D) space is viewed from different viewpoints; identifying the optical display apparatus included in the image of the object; and generating an image of the face of the person that does not include the optical display apparatus by excluding the identified optical display apparatus, and instead by adding features of the face of the person to a region in which the identified optical display apparatus is excluded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Akio Ohba, Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada
  • Patent number: 9866818
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a plurality of imaging units included in a stereo camera, the plurality of imaging units being configured to image a first chart pattern including a pattern that is a plurality of feature points and a mirror surface, and a correction parameter calculation unit configured to calculate a correction parameter that corrects a gap of the plurality of imaging units, based on the pattern included in the first chart pattern imaged by the plurality of imaging units and a pattern mirrored in the mirror surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Myokan, Hideki Oyaizu, Nodoka Tokunaga, Akio Ohba, Hiroyuki Segawa
  • Publication number: 20170324899
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image pickup apparatus adapted to pick up an image to be used for generation of a display image at a predetermined rate, the image pickup apparatus including: a first camera configured to pick up an image of an image pickup object space; a second camera configured to pick up an image of the image pickup object space with a wider field of view and a lower resolution than those of the first camera; and an outputting unit configured to successively output data of the images picked up by the first camera and the second camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Akio OHBA
  • Patent number: 9798920
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, an image pickup unit takes images of an object including the face of a person wearing the glasses by which to observe a stereoscopic image that contains a first parallax image and a second parallax image obtained when the object in a three-dimensional (3D) space is viewed from different viewpoints. A glasses identifying unit identifies the glasses included in the image of the object taken by the image pickup unit. A face detector detects a facial region the face of the person included in the image of the object taken by the image pickup unit, based on the glasses identified by the glasses identifying unit. An augmented-reality special rendering unit adds a virtual feature to the facial region of the face of the person detected by the face detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Akio Ohba, Hiroyuki Segawa, Tetsugo Inada