Patents by Inventor Koji Aoyama
Koji Aoyama 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).
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Publication number: 20120275655Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a flatness detector, a difference calculation section, a noise level detector, and a motion detector. The flatness detector detects a flat region where pixel values of pixels on a first image are flat, based on variances of the pixel values of the pixels constituting the first image inputted. The difference calculation section calculates a difference between the pixel values of the pixels corresponding to the first image and a second image which continues before or after the first image. The noise level detector detects a noise level indicating a statistic noise amount of noise generated in each pixel constituting the first image based on the variances of the difference. The motion detector detects at least one of a still region indicating a region where an object on the first image is still and a motion region indicating a region where the object is moving.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Masaki Uchida, Koji Aoyama
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Publication number: 20120230604Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus, including a noise detection section, a scaling section, an adjustment signal production section, and a correction section. The noise detection section is adapted to detect block noise based on an input image signal in a compression coded form and output noise information indicative of the detected block noise. The scaling section is adapted to carry out a scaling process for carrying out enlargement or reduction of an image indicated by the input image signal for the input image signal and output scaling information indicative of an enlargement ratio or a reduction ratio. The adjustment signal production section is adapted to output an adjustment signal indicative a degree of correction based on the noise information and the scaling information. The correction section is adapted to correct the image signal for which the scaling process is carried out based on the adjustment signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroaki Yamajo, Koji Aoyama, Tetsuji Inada, Tomonori Tsutsumi, Yosuke Yamamoto, Kazuki Yokoyama
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Patent number: 8253763Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device and method, a storage medium, and a program for performing high-quality enlargement processing. Of input image data, a data buffer 32 holds data of target-pixel neighborhood data necessary for the enlargement processing. A data-position swapping unit 33 swaps the data positions of the target-pixel neighborhood data, as needed. A pixel priority determining unit 34 determines background color or foreground color with respect to each pixel of the target-pixel neighborhood data whose data positions were sapped. A data-selection-flag determining unit 36 determines a data selection flag of the target-pixel neighborhood data, the data selection flag being supplied from the pixel priority determining unit 34.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2005Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Koji Aoyama
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Patent number: 8238684Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for performing a filtering process on an input image using a plurality of filters to generate an output image includes the following elements. A region variance value calculating unit calculates a region variance value for a region around a predetermined pixel used as a pixel of interest on the input image. A filter processing unit applies a filtering process to a pixel value of the pixel of interest using the filters. A reflection amount determining unit determines a reflection amount based on the region variance value. A combining unit calculates a pixel value of a pixel of the output image corresponding to the pixel of interest on the basis of respective filter output values obtained by filtering processes applied by a plurality of filter processing units, respective reflection amounts determined with respect to the filter output values, and the pixel value of the pixel of interest.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2009Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroaki Yamajo, Koji Aoyama
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Patent number: 8224124Abstract: An image processing device includes: a rescaling unit configured to obtain an image subjected to scaling, and subject the image to rescaling with the scaling rate of the image; a block border information detecting unit configured to detect a block size and block border position from the image after rescaling; and a detected information correcting unit configured to correct the block size and the block border position detected by the block border information detecting unit based on the scaling rate.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2009Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Koji Aoyama
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Patent number: 8209716Abstract: A setting information database associates setting information used to output a video signal or an audio signal with a corresponding viewing condition. A setting information registration unit registers setting information and a corresponding viewing condition which have been received by a setting information reception unit so as to store them in the setting information database. An adequacy determination unit determines the adequacy of recommended setting information to be stored in the setting information database. A condition extraction unit extracts pieces of setting information stored in the setting information database on the basis of a viewing condition supplied from an extraction condition reception unit. A recommendable setting derivation unit derives recommendable setting information from the extracted pieces of setting information.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Xavier Michel, Kazuhiko Ueda, Masuyoshi Kurokawa, Koji Aoyama
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Patent number: 8007362Abstract: A terminal apparatus executes different kinds of network games provided by a server group. The user of the terminal apparatus can register other users who become acquainted with the user through network games in a friend list provided for each user. While the terminal device runs different game programs for different kinds of games, the terminal apparatus runs a common friend list program regardless of the game types. When the display of a game image is set to a window mode, the friend list program displays a friend list in a friend list window that is set separate from a game window. When the display of a game image is set to a full-screen mode, the friend list program displays a friend list synthesized with the game image in the form of a semi-transparent image.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2006Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square EnixInventors: Koji Aoyama, Mitsuteru Fukushima
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Patent number: 7936942Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a ridge strength detecting unit for detecting a ridge strength that is the strength of a ridge included in an image. When a pixel value is changed in the form of a pulse in accordance with a positional change in a region that includes a plurality of pixels, the ridge strength is represented by a gradient and height of the pulse.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2007Date of Patent: May 3, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koji Aoyama, Xavier Michel
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Patent number: 7934996Abstract: An online video game controlling server includes an online game information storage database for storing game information on an online video game that includes player information on player characters and area information on a game area of the online video game, and a control section for controlling the progress of the video game on the basis of the game information. A shared area and an unshared area are provided in the game area of the online video game. When one player character moves to the unshared area, the control section creates instance information including area specifying information, character identification information and instance creating necessary object information. In addition, the control section server breaks communication between the one player character and the other belonging player character to update the instance information whenever the progress state of the instance creating necessary object changes due to the action of the one player character.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2007Date of Patent: May 3, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square EnixInventors: Koji Aoyama, Tomoaki Murata
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Patent number: 7817872Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an edge-direction detector that detects an edge direction in an original image; a confidence detector that detects a confidence of the edge direction; a contrast detector that detects a contrast intensity; a texture-contrast-weight setter that sets a texture-contrast weight; an edge-contrast-weight setter that sets an edge-contrast weight; a texture-weight setter that sets a texture weight; an edge-weight setter that sets an edge weight; a texture filter that performs texture filtering to generate a texture-filter image; an edge filter that performs edge filtering to generate an edge-filter image; a texture combiner that combines the original image and the texture-filter image to generate a texture-combination image; and an edge combiner that combines the texture-combination image and the edge-filter image to generate an edge-combination image.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2007Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Xavier Michel, Koji Aoyama
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Patent number: 7817875Abstract: An image processing apparatus including a contrast detector that detects a contrast intensity of a pixel in a first image; a flat-intensity detector that detects a flat intensity of the pixel; an edge-intensity detector that detects an edge intensity of the pixel; a flat-weight setter that sets a flat weight for the pixel; an edge-weight setter that sets an edge weight for the pixel; an attenuator that attenuates components in a predetermined frequency band of the first image to form a second image; a first combiner that combines the first and second images to form a third image using weights based on the flat weight; an edge enhancer that enhances edges in the third image to form a fourth image; and a second combiner that combines the first and fourth images using weights based on the edge weight.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2007Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Xavier Michel, Koji Aoyama
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Publication number: 20100231798Abstract: An image processing device includes: a level difference calculation means for calculating the difference of pixel values between each pixel and a neighborhood pixel as a level difference; a classification means for classifying respective pixels into classes in each range of the level difference; a boundary proportion calculation means for calculating proportion of the number of pixels at a block boundary as a boundary proportion according to the respective classes; and a block noise intensity determination means for determining a level difference of the class in which the boundary proportion is higher than a given threshold as well as the maximum value as block noise intensity in the image.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2010Publication date: September 16, 2010Inventor: Koji AOYAMA
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Patent number: 7783129Abstract: An image processing apparatus, an image processing system and an image processing method can correct the distortion of an image at a low cost and can generate a high quality image in real time. An image processing apparatus is provided which is an image processing apparatus for correcting an original image having distortion.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2008Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koji Aoyama, Tohru Kurata, Atsushi Nose, Kimitaka Wada
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Publication number: 20090324092Abstract: An image processing device includes: a rescaling unit configured to obtain an image subjected to scaling, and subject the image to rescaling with the scaling rate of the image; a block border information detecting unit configured to detect a block size and block border position from the image after rescaling; and a detected information correcting unit configured to correct the block size and the block border position detected by the block border information detecting unit based on the scaling rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2009Publication date: December 31, 2009Inventor: Koji AOYAMA
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Patent number: 7630584Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an zoom position acquiring section for acquiring a zoom position representing a lens position condition of the optical zoom mechanism on taking the inputted image, a zooming-direction decoding section for decompressing correction parameter associated with the zoom position, which is acquired by the zoom position acquiring section, according to a zoom compression parameter, into which a correction parameter for distortion correction corresponding to each lens position condition is compressed by utilizing zoom partitioning points at which lens position conditions of the optical zoom mechanism are sequentially partitioned into plural levels that are set between a wide-end and a tele-end and that include both ends, and an image correction section for correcting distortion of the inputted image according to the correction parameter decompressed by the zooming-direction decoding section.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2008Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Atsushi Nose, Koji Aoyama, Tohru Kurata, Kimitaka Wada
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Publication number: 20090245675Abstract: An information processing device includes: a block level information obtaining unit to detect a block level from the difference in pixel values between each pixel of an image and nearby pixels and to obtain distribution information wherein the block levels are accumulated for each position in a predetermined direction; a short cycle measuring unit to measure short cycle information which is the distribution information for each phase in a plurality of predetermined short cycles corresponding to a plurality of block sizes from the distribution information; and a determining unit to determine the block size corresponding to the short cycle information wherein the phase distribution takes a maximum value, of the short cycle information of the plurality of predetermined short cycles corresponding to the plurality of block sizes, as the block size in the image.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2009Publication date: October 1, 2009Inventors: Koji AOYAMA, Hideki Watanabe, Hiroaki Yamajo
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Publication number: 20090247108Abstract: Provided is a signal processing device performing filter processing operations on an input signal using a plurality of filters to generate an output signal, including a filter processing unit configured to perform a filter processing operation on the input signal using a filter and a generating unit configured to generate the output signal by adding a correction value determined on the basis of each sign and each absolute value of each difference between each of filtered output signals obtained by the filter processing operations performed using a plurality of the above mentioned filter processing units and the input signal, to the input signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2009Publication date: October 1, 2009Inventors: Hiroaki Yamajo, Koji Aoyama
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Patent number: 7596286Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an zoom position acquiring section for acquiring a zoom position representing a lens position condition of the optical zoom mechanism on taking the inputted image, a zooming-direction decoding section for decompressing correction parameter associated with the zoom position, which is acquired by the zoom position acquiring section, according to a zoom compression parameter, into which a correction parameter for distortion correction corresponding to each lens position condition is compressed by utilizing zoom partitioning points at which lens position conditions of the optical zoom mechanism are sequentially partitioned into plural levels that are set between a wide-end and a tele-end and that include both ends, and an image correction section for correcting distortion of the inputted image according to the correction parameter decompressed by the zooming-direction decoding section.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2004Date of Patent: September 29, 2009Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Atsushi Nose, Koji Aoyama, Tohru Kurata, Kimitaka Wada
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Publication number: 20090232407Abstract: An image processing device includes: a step calculator configured to calculate, as a step, a difference in pixel values of pixels in a neighborhood with respect to each pixel in an image; a classifier configured to classify the pixels into classes for areas of the steps; a boundary ratio calculator configured to calculate, as a boundary ratio, a ratio of the number of pixels at a block boundary for each of the classes; and a block noise strength determinator configured to determine, as a block noise strength of the image, the step that is larger than a predetermined threshold and that is at a class having a largest value.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2009Publication date: September 17, 2009Inventors: Koji Aoyama, Hideki Watanabe, Hiroaki Yamajo, Masuyoshi Kurokawa
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Publication number: 20090220168Abstract: A signal processing apparatus for performing a filtering process on an input image using a plurality of filters to generate an output image includes the following elements. A region variance value calculating unit calculates a region variance value for a region around a predetermined pixel used as a pixel of interest on the input image. A filter processing unit applies a filtering process to a pixel value of the pixel of interest using the filters. A reflection amount determining unit determines a reflection amount based on the region variance value. A combining unit calculates a pixel value of a pixel of the output image corresponding to the pixel of interest on the basis of respective filter output values obtained by filtering processes applied by a plurality of filter processing units, respective reflection amounts determined with respect to the filter output values, and the pixel value of the pixel of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2009Publication date: September 3, 2009Inventors: Hiroaki YAMAJO, Koji Aoyama