Patents by Inventor Ken Mashitani

Ken Mashitani 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: 8878914
    Abstract: An image display unit, such as a projection-type image display apparatus, displays a first image and a second image, having a predetermined parallax relative to the first image, onto a predetermined display region by dividing the first image and the second image temporally or spatially. First eyeglasses are to be worn by a first viewer to see the first image and the second image displayed on the display region. Second eyeglasses are to be worn by a second viewer to see the first image and the second image displayed on the display region, and the second viewer faces the first viewer in a direction parallel to the plane of display. The first eyeglasses perform a function of having the right eye of the first viewer see the first image and having the left eye of the first viewer see the second image. The second eyeglasses perform a function of having the right eye of the second viewer see the second image and having the left eye of the second viewer see the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Vision3D Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Takashi Ikeda, Azusa Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20140313298
    Abstract: A video display device (10) comprises a display unit (13) that includes a display surface emitting video light for displaying a composite image of a first image and a second image different from the first image, a parallax barrier (11) that separates the video light into first video light representing the first image and second video light representing the second image, a detection unit (12) that detects a position of an observer looking at the composite image, and a control unit (15) that controls a direction of the composite image in accordance with the position of the observer detected by the detection unit (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: October 23, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Tohru Usukura, Tatsumi Watanabe, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20140293247
    Abstract: A projection display apparatus includes an optical system configured to project an image, an optical path changing unit configured to change an optical path of the image to change projected positions, on a projection plane, of pixels composing the image, a driver configured to shift the optical path changing unit, and a drive controller configured to control the driver. The drive controller controls the driver with a first constant voltage in a first constant voltage section, with a second constant voltage larger than the first constant voltage in a second constant voltage section, and with a first transition voltage continuously changing from the first constant voltage to the second constant voltage in a first transition section between the first constant voltage section and the second constant voltage section. The first transition voltage is a voltage that a waveform obtained by differentiating the first transition voltage is a continuous waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takaaki ABE, Ken MASHITANI, Kazuma TANI, Masutaka INOUE, Nobuyuki KONDO
  • Publication number: 20140152927
    Abstract: Many pixels (11) are laid out in horizontal and vertical directions on liquid crystal panel (10). There is black matrix (12) between them not to display images. Lenticular lenses (20) are set so that lenticular lenses are inclined at a predetermined angle to vertical direction of liquid crystal panel. Observer observes linear observation region (21) indicated by dotted line through lenticular lenses from predetermined viewpoint. Pixels of liquid crystal panel are parallelograms. Straight line connecting lower right vertex of target pixel to lower left vertex of immediately right pixel is angularly coincide with the observation region. In this way, straight line connecting lower right vertex of target pixel to lower left vertex of immediately right pixel angularly coincides with the lenticular lenses. Consequently, brightness on a screen visible through lenticular lenses becomes constant irrespective of position of observer, which results in reduced moire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsumi Watanabe, Ken Mashitani, Nobuyuki Kunieda
  • Patent number: 8743175
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus has two binocular stereoscopic modes. In two-take photography mode, a 3D image file is generated from left and right monocular images acquired by performing monocular photographing twice, and the 3D image file thus generated is recorded. In one-take photography mode, a 3D image file is generated from left and right monocular images acquired by performing binocular photographing once, and the 3D image file thus generated is recorded. When the 3D image file is recorded, a homogeneity tag is recorded in 3D metadata, as tag information of the header data portion of the 3D image file. The homogeneity tag is information about the homogeneity of the two monocular images and describes whether the two monocular images have been acquired in the one-take photography mode in which monocular images highly homogeneous are provided, or in the two-take photography mode in which monocular images not so homogeneous are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Olympus Imaging Corp., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Yoshida, Ken Mashitani, Toshio Nomura, Tadashi Uchiumi, Hidehiko Sekizawa
  • Publication number: 20140132850
    Abstract: Provided is a projection image display apparatus that can restrict crosstalk between a left eye image and a right eye image. The projection image display apparatus includes a liquid crystal element that switches polarization of the light emitted from the optical modulation element between a first polarization and a second polarization, and a waveplate that is provided between the liquid crystal element and the projection surface. The waveplate includes a plurality of areas having different slow axes or fast axes from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: COLORLINK JAPAN, LTD.
    Inventors: Sosuke OTANI, Ken MASHITANI, Takaaki ABE, Makoto MAEDA, Yoshitaka SATO
  • Patent number: 8724886
    Abstract: A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Goro Hamagishi, Satoshi Takemoto
  • Patent number: 8700309
    Abstract: In a vehicle-mounted navigation system, an operating unit that operates the driver's seat side image and an operating unit that operates the passenger's seat side image had to be provided separately, which increased the number of operation buttons and the size of the navigation system device. In a vehicle-mounted navigation system that displays images in multiple directions, an operating direction detector detects which direction an operation was performed from, and a controller controls the vehicle-mounted navigation system based on a detection result of the operating direction detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Vision3D Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Hideyuki Kanayama
  • Publication number: 20140098205
    Abstract: An image display device displays a plurality of image elements of a left-view image and a plurality of image elements of a right-view image on a display in alternation in a horizontal direction, and displays an image element of a black image between each adjacent pairing of an image element of the left-view image and an image element of the right-view image. The image display device uses a parallax barrier to ensure that a left eye of a viewer only views the left-view image and that a right eye of the viewer only views the right-view image. Through the above configuration the image display device reduces occurrence of cross-talk regardless of position of the viewer or shape of the parallax barrier, and improves image quality of a stereoscopic image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Inventors: Tohru Usukura, Ken Mashitani
  • Patent number: 8684531
    Abstract: An image signal storing unit stores an image signal provided from the outside. An image processing unit appropriately processes the image signal stored in the image signal storing unit in accordance with the instruction from an adjusting unit. A projecting unit projects, onto a display area, light corresponding to an image created by the image processing unit. A display size determination unit computes the display size of the picture plane displayed on a screen based on an image captured by the camera provided adjacent to the projection-type video-image display device. The display size determination unit then determines whether or not the display size of the picture plane is equal to or larger than a predetermined upper-limit size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Vision3D Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Masutaka Inoue, Hideyuki Kanayama, Takashi Ikeda, Takahisa Ando, Kazuhiro Arai, Ryuhei Amano
  • Publication number: 20140078268
    Abstract: An image display device includes: an image display unit (100) that displays a plurality of parallax images corresponding to the number of view points for stereoscopic viewing on a screen of a display panel (100a); a parallax barrier (101) that is arranged facing the screen, and performs optical separation of the displayed parallax images; and an adaptive pitch adjustment unit (103) that adjusts, for each of regions of the display panel (100a), perform adjustment on a pitch of the parallax barrier (101) corresponding to the region in accordance with an amount of distortion of the display panel (100a) in the region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsumi Watanabe, Nobuyuki Kuneda, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20140063209
    Abstract: An image display device includes an image display, an image separator and a controller. The image display displays a plurality of parallax images. The image separator performs optical separation such that the plurality of parallax images which are displayed are viewed as a stereoscopic image. The image separator includes a light-transmitting region (region 0), a light-masking region (region 1) and an intermediate region (region 2) which is located between the light-transmitting region (region 0) and the light-masking region (region 1). The controller controls light-transmittance of the intermediate region (region 2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsumi Watanabe, Nobuyuki Kunieda, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20140036239
    Abstract: An image projecting device of the present invention includes an image display section for displaying an image, a projecting optical system for outputting the image along an optical path and projecting the image onto a projection surface, and a lens unit provided on any position on the optical path. The lens unit includes a lens section having a lens movable along at least two or more directions in a plane vertical to an optical axis of the projecting optical system, and a driving section having an actuator section for moving the lens section, and the actuator section is disposed so that a thrust line passes through a centroid of the lens section. The driving section moves the lens so as to tilt an optical axis of light emitted from the image display section, and move a display position of pixels on the projection surface composing the image displayed by the image display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Ken MASHITANI
  • Publication number: 20140036047
    Abstract: A video processing device is provided, in which the cross-talk is prevented from increasing while the Moiré pattern is diminished. A video display device displays multiple-parallax video using a parallax barrier method, the video display device comprising: a display unit displaying pixel columns of a given image and pixel columns of one or more parallax images corresponding to the given image, all of the pixel columns being arranged in predetermined order; and a parallax barrier arranged at a predetermined distance from an image display face of the display unit, and having a plurality of elongated passing regions passing light rays from the display unit, wherein at least one of the passing regions has a waveform formed at a longitudinal edge thereof, and at least one waveform includes two wave units that differ in terms of wave height or wave width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsumi Watanabe, Nobuyuki Kunieda, Ken Mashitani
  • Patent number: 8638497
    Abstract: A light source for a stereoscopic display device that includes a plurality of lights arranged in parallel, each light corresponding to a pair of displays including at least a first display of a first image, and a second display of a second image, wherein the lights form a row in a horizontal direction arranged essentially in the same interval spacing and parallel to each other, with the lights in each row arranged with vertical stacked pitch patterns that differ by at least between the upper and lower positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Vision3D Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20140009463
    Abstract: A parallax composite image displayed by image display means is separated by image separating means so that parallax images are observed at a predetermined position. Parallax images are alternately arranged for each of image rows in the parallax composite image. If the separating means has an inclination angle between 10 and 15 degrees and if a center of the separating means and a center of a pixel exist at a predetermined interval, crosstalk may be suppressed and a proper viewing distance may be shortened. By providing the image separating means with a notched structure of which aperture width periodically varies, adding irregularities to an aperture edge, and controlling an amount of blur of pixels observed through the aperture or alike, moiré reduction may be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsumi WATANABE, Ken MASHITANI, Nobuyuki KUNIEDA
  • Publication number: 20130314512
    Abstract: A parallax composite image displayed by image display means may be observed as predetermined parallax image at predetermined position by reflecting and guiding light from light source means and by using a diffusion pattern in which diffusion patterns are engraved at predetermined intervals to diffuse and transmit incident light on the diffusion pattern to the image display means. A fine notched structure is provided to cyclically and symmetrically vary the diffusion patterns in the horizontal direction. A structure is provided to control an amount and range of blur of pixels visible through light diffused toward the image display means by the diffusion pattern to which recesses and protrusions are added. By evaluating and adjusting a cycle of the notched structure so as to be appropriate, resultant adverse effects from the notched structure itself may be suppressed. Bright-dark patterns having a relatively long cycle may be reduced without increasing crosstalk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsumi WATANABE, Ken MASHITANI, Nobuyuki KUNIEDA
  • Patent number: 8577127
    Abstract: A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Goro Hamagishi, Satoshi Takemoto
  • Patent number: 8577128
    Abstract: A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Goro Hamagishi, Satoshi Takemoto
  • Patent number: 8559703
    Abstract: A three-dimensional sense adjusting unit displays three-dimensional images to a user. If a displayed reaches a limit of parallax, the user responds to the three-dimensional sense adjusting unit. According to acquired appropriate parallax information, a parallax control unit generates parallax images to realize the appropriate parallax in the subsequent stereo display. The control of parallaxes is realized by optimally setting camera parameters by going back to three-dimensional data. Functions to realize the appropriate parallax are made into and presented by a library.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Goro Hamagishi, Satoshi Takemoto