Patents by Inventor Masamichi Nakagawa
Masamichi Nakagawa 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: 20070299572Abstract: A vehicle-operation assist includes a circumferential-state imager for imaging a circumferential state of a vehicle with a camera and generating a circumferential-state image; a synthetic-image generator for generating a synthetic image by superimposing on the circumferential-state image, an assumed-movement pattern of the vehicle performing a predetermined series of driving operations; and a display for displaying the synthetic image. The circumferential-state imager has at least one camera and a camera parameter table for storing characteristics of the camera and generating the circumferential-state image on the basis of the camera characteristics.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2007Publication date: December 27, 2007Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Shusaku OKAMOTO, Hirofumi ISHII, Masamichi NAKAGAWA, Kunio NOBORI, Atsushi MORIMURA
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Publication number: 20070299584Abstract: A vehicle-operation assist includes a circumferential-state imager for imaging a circumferential state of a vehicle with a camera and generating a circumferential-state image; a synthetic-image generator for generating a synthetic image by superimposing on the circumferential-state image, an assumed-movement pattern of the vehicle performing a predetermined series of driving operations; and a display for displaying the synthetic image. The circumferential-state imager has at least one camera and a camera parameter table for storing characteristics of the camera and generating the circumferential-state image on the basis of the camera characteristics.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2007Publication date: December 27, 2007Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Shusaku OKAMOTO, Hirofumi ISHII, Masamichi NAKAGAWA, Kunio NOBORI, Atsushi MORIMURA
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Patent number: 7307655Abstract: An image generating apparatus comprising: a camera or a plurality of cameras; space reconstructing means for mapping the input image from said camera, into a predetermined space model of a predetermined three-dimensional space; point-of-view converting means of synthesizing an image viewed from an arbitrary virtual point of view in said predetermined three-dimensional space by referencing to said space data mapped by said space reconstructing means; and displaying means of displaying the image converted by said point-of-view converting means.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1999Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
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Publication number: 20070239315Abstract: An article holding system includes a recognizing device for recognizing the state of the holding object, a holding method specifying means for specifying the holding method according to the state recognized by the recognizing device, and a holding device for holding the holding object according to the holding method specified by the holding method specifying means.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2007Publication date: October 11, 2007Applicant: Matsushta Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Mikiya Nakata, Kenji Kondo
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Patent number: 7277123Abstract: A vehicle-operation assist includes a circumferential-state imager for imaging a circumferential state of a vehicle with a camera and generating a circumferential-state image; a synthetic-image generator for generating a synthetic image by superimposing on the circumferential-state image, an assumed-movement pattern of the vehicle performing a predetermined series of driving operations; and a display for displaying the synthetic image. The circumferential-state imager has at least one camera and a camera parameter table for storing characteristics of the camera and generating the circumferential-state image on the basis of the camera characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 1999Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
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Patent number: 7266219Abstract: For supporting a complicated driving operation, a synthesized image is presented to the driver. The driver can view this image and thus drive with a sense of security. The synthesized image may include an image of at least one tire and may have an enlargement/reduction ratio that is relatively higher in a nearby area of the vehicle, including a grounding portion of at least one tire of the vehicle, as compared with a peripheral area of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2001Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura, Nobuhiko Yasui, Akira Ishida, Atsushi Iisaka, Takashi Yoshida
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Patent number: 7266220Abstract: In a monitoring device for vehicles, an optical flow detection section determines an optical flow from an image taken with a camera. A background flow estimation section determines a background flow, which is a flow for the camera image under the assumption that the image is a background, based on the motion of the vehicle. An approaching object detection section detects motion of an object in the surroundings of the vehicle by comparing the optical flow with the background flow.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2003Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori
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Patent number: 7180050Abstract: A tag communication section (12) receives tag information transmitted from an information tag (11) attached to a person (P) to be detected. An attribute lookup section (15) looks up an attribute storage section (16) using ID included in the tag information to obtain attribute information such as the height of the person (P). A target detection section (14) specifies the position, posture and the like of the person (P) in an image obtained from an imaging section (13) using the attribute information.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2003Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takeo Azuma, Shusaku Okamoto
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Patent number: 7176959Abstract: In the vehicle surroundings display device of the invention, an image processor generates an image showing the situation around a vehicle. When an obstacle is detected by an obstacle detection means, the image processor determines an image missing region using the position of the border of the obstacle on the vehicle side detected by an obstacle position detection means and fills the image missing region with substitute image data. This eliminates unnaturalness of a display image the user may feel and enables the user to accurately recognize the position of a neighboring obstacle that is important in driving operation.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2002Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Masamichi Nakagawa, Shusaku Okamoto, Atsushi Morimura, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Kunio Nobori
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Patent number: 7161616Abstract: A synthetic image viewed from a virtual point of view above a vehicle is generated, using images captured by a plurality of cameras shooting surroundings of the vehicle. In the synthetic image, an illustration image or an actual image of the vehicle is displayed in a vehicle region in which the vehicle is present. The area around the vehicle that is not shot by any of the cameras is displayed as a blind spot region.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2000Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
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Patent number: 7110021Abstract: A synthesized image showing the situation around a vehicle is produced from images taken with cameras capturing the surroundings of the vehicle and presented to a display. A position computation section computes position information and the reliability of the position information, for a plurality of points in the camera images. An image variable-synthesis section produces a first synthesized image from the camera images using the position information. An image fixed-synthesis section produces a second synthesized image by road surface projection, for example, without use of the position information. A synthesis scheme selection section selects either one of the first and second synthesized images according to the reliability as the synthesized image to be presented.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2003Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Masamichi Nakagawa, Satoshi Sato, Mikiya Nakata
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Publication number: 20060203092Abstract: The image processor of the present invention generates a more natural synthesized image from camera images taken with a plurality of cameras capturing the surroundings of a vehicle. A parameter storage section stores a plurality of image synthesis parameter groups representing the correspondence between the camera images and the synthesized image and having different spatial or temporal resolution relations. A parameter selection section selects the image synthesis parameter group according to the output of a vehicle motion detection section for detecting the motion of the vehicle such as the driving speed and direction. An image synthesis section generates the synthesized image from the camera images according to the selected image synthesis parameter group.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2006Publication date: September 14, 2006Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Masamichi Nakagawa, Hirofumi Ishii, Shusaku Okamoto
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Publication number: 20060195226Abstract: A living assistance system is provided with an information presentation device capable of directly displaying information relating to an article onto actual environment, a moving area generation unit (for generating a moving area of the robot, a grabbing feasible area generation unit for generating a grabbing feasible area of the robot, and a guide information generation unit for calculating guide information from an user to the article. The living assistance system displays information obtained by the moving area generation unit, the grabbing feasible area generation unit, and the guide information generation unit by using the information presentation device. Thus, there is provided the living assistance system that manages articles and the like in a house or the like, and can more intuitionally present attribute information to the article or information to be used for smoothly transferring the article to the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2006Publication date: August 31, 2006Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Shusaku Okamoto
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Patent number: 7027616Abstract: In transmitting image data from multiple cameras to an image processing section to produce a synthesized image from respective camera images, the amount of data transmitted through a transmission path can be cut down without sacrificing the quality of the synthesized image. In accordance with a correspondence between the synthesized and camera images as described on a mapping table, a resolution specifier specifies resolutions, which should be necessary for image synthesis, for respective areas of each camera image. A compressor, provided for each of the cameras, compresses the associated camera image data according to the resolutions specified. In this manner, the image data, which has been compressed in accordance with the correspondence between the synthesized and camera images, is transmitted through the transmission path.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2001Date of Patent: April 11, 2006Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirofumi Ishii, Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
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Patent number: 7012548Abstract: In a driving operation assisting technique, the burden on a user is reduced. The user is allowed to specify, on an image representing the surrounding conditions around a vehicle, the end position of the vehicle at the end of a predetermined driving operation by using, for example, a pointer. A driving operation assisting system obtains the start position of the driving operation based on a prescribed movement pattern representing the movement of the vehicle in the driving operation, and superimposes the end position on the display image.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2001Date of Patent: March 14, 2006Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirofumi Ishii, Shusaku Okamoto, Kunio Nobori, Masamichi Nakagawa
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Publication number: 20060047361Abstract: The system includes sensing means 120 for detecting a state of a space; a robot 102 for executing a handling job for an article; an article identifying part 32 for identifying, when an article is handled by a movable body, the article in response to a detection result obtained by the sensing means 120; and an article handling subject identifying part 33 for identifying an article handling subject that handles the article. When the movable body that handles the article is the robot 102, the article handling subject identifying part 33 identifies a subject having issued a job instruction to the robot 102 as the article handling subject.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2004Publication date: March 2, 2006Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTDInventors: Satoshi Sato, Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Yasuhiro Morinaka, Katsuji Aoki, Mikiya Nakata
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Patent number: 6993159Abstract: A driving support system for enabling a driver to appropriately confirm environmental conditions of a moving body is provided. A plurality of imaging means for taking an image of the rear of the moving body is installed on the moving body. The plurality of imaging means have an area (OL) where their imaging areas overlap with each other, and the overlap area (OL) includes an area in the vicinity of a vanishing point (VP). Detection means obtains a stereo parallax (VD) between one imaging means and another imaging means in the overlap area (OL), and obtains a distance to an object based on the stereo parallax (VD).Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2000Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirofumi Ishii, Atsushi Morimura, Masamichi Nakagawa, Shusaku Okamoto
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Patent number: 6911997Abstract: To monitor both the surrounding of a vehicle and a place distant therefrom, there is mounted on the vehicle a twin-camera (23) composed of cameras (23L, 23R) forming a pair. To properly set the postures of the cameras (23L, 23R), their tilts, pans and twists around the optical axes are adjusted using, as indexes, the lengths of the portions, as captured by the cameras (23L, 23R), of the vehicle center line (BCL), the lengths of the portions, as captured by the cameras (23L, 23R), of the vehicle rear-end line (BEL), and the areas of the blind zones (S) in the capturing directions.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2000Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Atsushi Morimura
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Patent number: 6912001Abstract: In an image processor for synthesizing images that have been taken by multiple cameras mounted on a vehicle, even if any movable part of the vehicle has changed its state, the synthesized image will have no unnatural part. A pixel synthesizer receives the images that have been captured by the cameras included in an imaging section and generates the synthesized image by reference to a mapping table. Receiving a signal indicative of the state of a movable part such as the door or hood of the vehicle, a display mode changer disables at least one of the cameras that is taking an image to be affected by any change in the state of the movable part. For that purpose, the changer rewrites mapping data stored on the mapping table and thereby eliminates the image in question from the synthesized image.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Hirofumi Ishii, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
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Publication number: 20040211883Abstract: A tag communication section (12) receives tag information transmitted from an information tag (11) attached to a person (P) to be detected. An attribute lookup section (15) looks up an attribute storage section (16) using ID included in the tag information to obtain attribute information such as the height of the person (P). A target detection section (14) specifies the position, posture and the like of the person (P) in an image obtained from an imaging section (13) using the attribute information.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2004Publication date: October 28, 2004Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takeo Azuma, Shusaku Okamoto