Patents by Inventor Nobuhiro Chihara
Nobuhiro Chihara 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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Patent number: 11495026Abstract: A technique facilitates selecting and designating an arbitrary one of a plurality of aerial lines. The aerial line extraction system, includes: an area-of-interest cropping unit that crops a region where an aerial line is assumed to exist as an area of interest by setting a support of the aerial line as a reference from a three-dimensional point cloud data; an element segmenting unit that segments the area of interest into a plurality of subdivided areas, obtains a histogram by counting three-dimensional point clouds existing in each of the subdivided areas, and obtains a segmentation plane of the area of interest on the basis of the histogram; and an element display unit that segments the area of interest into a plurality of segmented areas by the segmentation plane and displays the three-dimensional point clouds included in each of the segmented areas in a distinguishable manner.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2019Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: HITACHI SOLUTIONS, LTD.Inventors: Sadaki Nakano, Nobutaka Kimura, Kishiko Maruyama, Nobuhiro Chihara
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Patent number: 11244159Abstract: A technology capable of dealing with a variation in appropriate recognition parameters due to a change in work environment at a work site at a time of recognizing an article in an image. An article recognition system includes: an input section to which a captured image is input; an output section that presents information to a user; a storage section that stores master data defining features of an object to be recognized; a recognition section that detects the object to be recognized in the image; and a recognition evaluation section that evaluates a recognition content of the recognition section and that presents an alert to the output section on the basis of an evaluation result.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2020Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Nobuhiro Chihara, Takaomi Nishigaito, Nobutaka Kimura, Taiki Yano, Fumiko Beniyama
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Patent number: 11205091Abstract: An object information registration apparatus that registers information of a first object that is a reference object of object recognition holds a first object image that is an image of the first object and recognition method information related to the first object, selects one or more partial regions included in the first object image, sets a recognition method corresponding to each of the one or more partial regions, acquires feature information of each of the one or more partial regions from the first object image based on the set recognition method, and stores the one or more partial regions, the set recognition method, and the acquired feature information in the recognition method information in association with each other.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2020Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.Inventors: Taiki Yano, Nobutaka Kimura, Nobuhiro Chihara, Fumiko Beniyama
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Patent number: 11113543Abstract: A facility inspection system prevents a normal part from being detected as an abnormal part caused by a deviation in an alignment due to a presence/absence of a moving object in detecting the abnormal part in a surrounding environment of a vehicle moving on a track. The system includes a photographing device, storage device, separation unit, an alignment unit, and a extraction unit. The photographing device photographs the surrounding environment of the moving vehicle. The storage device stores a reference alignment point cloud and a reference difference-extraction point cloud for each position on the track. The separation unit separates the alignment point cloud from a three-dimensional point cloud. The alignment unit aligns the reference alignment point cloud and the alignment point cloud and outputs alignment information. The extraction unit extracts a difference between the three-dimensional point cloud deformed based on the alignment information and the reference difference-extraction point cloud.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2017Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH FINE SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuhiro Chihara, Masahiko Honda, Toshihide Kishi, Masashi Shinbo, Kiyotake Horie
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Patent number: 11080535Abstract: A facility inspection system prevents a normal part from being detected as an abnormal part caused by a deviation in an alignment due to a presence/absence of a moving object in detecting the abnormal part in a surrounding environment of a vehicle moving on a track. The system includes a photographing device, storage device, separation unit, an alignment unit, and a extraction unit. The photographing device photographs the surrounding environment of the moving vehicle. The storage device stores a reference alignment point cloud and a reference difference-extraction point cloud for each position on the track. The separation unit separates the alignment point cloud from a three-dimensional point cloud. The alignment unit aligns the reference alignment point cloud and the alignment point cloud and outputs alignment information. The extraction unit extracts a difference between the three-dimensional point cloud deformed based on the alignment information and the reference difference-extraction point cloud.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2017Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH FINE SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuhiro Chihara, Masahiko Honda, Toshihide Kishi, Masashi Shinbo, Kiyotake Horie
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Publication number: 20210142074Abstract: A technique facilitates selecting and designating an arbitrary one of a plurality of aerial lines. The aerial line extraction system, includes: an area-of-interest cropping unit that crops a region where an aerial line is assumed to exist as an area of interest by setting a support of the aerial line as a reference from a three-dimensional point cloud data; an element segmenting unit that segments the area of interest into a plurality of subdivided areas, obtains a histogram by counting three-dimensional point clouds existing in each of the subdivided areas, and obtains a segmentation plane of the area of interest on the basis of the histogram; and an element display unit that segments the area of interest into a plurality of segmented areas by the segmentation plane and displays the three-dimensional point clouds included in each of the segmented areas in a distinguishable manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2019Publication date: May 13, 2021Applicant: HITACHI SOLUTIONS, LTD.Inventors: Sadaki NAKANO, Nobutaka KIMURA, Kishiko MARUYAMA, Nobuhiro CHIHARA
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Publication number: 20200342256Abstract: An object information registration apparatus that registers information of a first object that is a reference object of object recognition holds a first object image that is an image of the first object and recognition method information related to the first object, selects one or more partial regions included in the first object image, sets a recognition method corresponding to each of the one or more partial regions, acquires feature information of each of the one or more partial regions from the first object image based on the set recognition method, and stores the one or more partial regions, the set recognition method, and the acquired feature information in the recognition method information in association with each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Taiki YANO, Nobutaka KIMURA, Nobuhiro CHIHARA, Fumiko BENIYAMA
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Publication number: 20200342224Abstract: A technology capable of dealing with a variation in appropriate recognition parameters due to a change in work environment at a work site at a time of recognizing an article in an image. An article recognition system includes: an input section to which a captured image is input; an output section that presents information to a user; a storage section that stores master data defining features of an object to be recognized; a recognition section that detects the object to be recognized in the image; and a recognition evaluation section that evaluates a recognition content of the recognition section and that presents an alert to the output section on the basis of an evaluation result.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Nobuhiro CHIHARA, Takaomi NISHIGAITO, Nobutaka KIMURA, Taiki YANO, Fumiko BENIYAMA
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Patent number: 10521885Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus that can reduce degradation in image quality due to heat haze and the like. An input image memory 110 stores an input image group 200 and an input image 210. A time-series smoothed image memory 112 stores a time-series smoothed image 220 obtained by time series smoothing. A moving body removed image memory 113 stores a moving body removed image 230 that is a background image. A histogram analyzing unit 130 computes a differential of histograms of partial images for the input image 210 and the time-series smoothed image 220 or the moving body removed image 230, and calculates similarity information between the images. On the basis of the similarity information, a region dividing unit 140 divides the input image 210 into a moving body region, and a region other than the moving body region. An image correcting unit 150 performs image synthesis of the input image 210 or the time series-smoothed image 220, for each of the regions.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2013Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.Inventors: Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara, Muneaki Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20190392225Abstract: A facility inspection system prevents a normal part from being detected as an abnormal part caused by a deviation in an alignment due to a presence/absence of a moving object in detecting the abnormal part in a surrounding environment of a vehicle moving on a track. The system includes a photographing device, storage device, separation unit, an alignment unit, and a extraction unit. The photographing device photographs the surrounding environment of the moving vehicle. The storage device stores a reference alignment point cloud and a reference difference-extraction point cloud for each position on the track. The separation unit separates the alignment point cloud from a three-dimensional point cloud. The alignment unit aligns the reference alignment point cloud and the alignment point cloud and outputs alignment information. The extraction unit extracts a difference between the three-dimensional point cloud deformed based on the alignment information and the reference difference-extraction point cloud.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2017Publication date: December 26, 2019Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECH FINE SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuhiro CHIHARA, Masahiko HONDA, Toshihide KISHI, Masashi SHINBO, Kiyotake HORIE
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Publication number: 20190034727Abstract: A picking robot executes an acquisition process for acquiring the latest recognition result from a storage destination of the latest recognition result of a housed area on the basis of the latest imaged image of the housed area, a modification process for accessing the housed area and modifying a location in the housed area by controlling the robot arm on the basis of the latest recognition result acquired in the acquisition process, an imaging process for imaging the housed area after modification in the housed area by the modification process by controlling the imaging device, a recognition process for recognizing residual articles in the housed area on the basis of an image imaged in the imaging process, and a transmission process for transmitting the recognition result in the recognition process to the storage destination.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2018Publication date: January 31, 2019Inventors: Nobuhiro CHIHARA, Nobutaka KIMURA, Yasuki SHIMAZU
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Patent number: 9521417Abstract: An image encoding device that appropriately estimates a prediction vector by avoiding an uncoded macro block (MB) is disclosed. The device determines a start point of searching a motion vector for an encoding target region, from the prediction vector for the target region which is determined with motion vectors for surrounding blocks around the target region and in accordance with a predetermined rule, and starts searching for the motion vector from the search start point. If the size of the encoding target region cannot be acquired during calculation of the prediction vector, the device determines the size of the encoding target region, from the size of an encoded region other than the target region. If at least one of the motion vectors for the surrounding blocks cannot be acquired, the device calculates the prediction vector using alternatively a motion vector of an encoded block outside of the target region.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2012Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC, INC.Inventors: Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara, Muneaki Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 9438907Abstract: Suppression of prediction error accumulating in an intra prediction is described. A motion picture encoding apparatus that performs encoding processing for each pixel block using a motion picture encoding method includes intra prediction processing for generating a prediction image using correlation of pixels therearound, and in the intra prediction processing, the motion picture encoding apparatus has processing for generating a quasi-prediction image from an input image, wherein when a prediction mode is determined, a weight is given to a pixel serving as a reference pixel in the intra prediction processing, and thus, the prediction mode is determined. When the weight is set at one or more, an error of a pixel serving as a reference pixel in a subsequent block is emphasized, and therefore, a prediction mode that is likely to propagate the error to the subsequent block is less likely to be selected.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2011Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC, INC.Inventors: Tadakazu Kadoto, Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara
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Patent number: 9277213Abstract: Provided is a video encoding device having an AFF-mode-determining unit (140) for determining the AFF mode when an input image is an interlaced image, and a video encoding unit (110) for encoding the input image depending on a result of the mode determination obtained from the AFF-mode-determining unit (140). The AFF-mode-determining unit (140) makes a determination combining: a mode determination result based on each of a texture value when an image is treated as a field and a frame, or based on an equivalent object; and a mode determination result based on the ease of predicting a motion vector in both encodings estimated with reference to a previously obtained movement vector, or based on the cost.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.Inventors: Nobuhiro Chihara, Masashi Takahashi, Muneaki Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20160048945Abstract: In a method of generating a mosaic image from consecutive images taken by a moving or rotating camera, to provide means for generating a highly fine mosaic image having little distortion at high speed, plural taken images consecutive in time series are inputted from a camera, a key image is set at an image pair selecting unit, necessary minimum image pairs for reducing distortion of a mosaic image are selected based on sensor information mounted on a camera at image taking time points stringed to the key image and the respective images, corresponding points in the respective image pairs are detected by a corresponding point searching unit, and positions of the respective images on the mosaic image are adjusted based on the corresponding points at an image position adjusting unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2015Publication date: February 18, 2016Inventors: Nobuhiro CHIHARA, Takashi WATANABE
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Patent number: 9210435Abstract: A video encoding apparatus includes a frequency transform unit for executing an orthogonal transform on a prediction difference or an original image; a quantizing unit for quantizing transform coefficients outputted by the frequency transform unit; a variable-length coder for executing variable-length encoding on a bit string generated from the quantized transform coefficients; a rate controller for performing a rate control to control a code bit stream outputted by the variable-length coder to be maintained at a bit rate; and a code amount estimating unit for estimating a code amount to be generated by the variable-length coder based on a length of the bit string and an occurrence frequency of symbol in the bit string. The rate controller executes the rate control based on the estimated code amount.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2012Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.Inventors: Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara, Muneaki Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20150161773Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus that can reduce degradation in image quality due to heat haze and the like. An input image memory 110 stores an input image group 200 and an input image 210. A time-series smoothed image memory 112 stores a time-series smoothed image 220 obtained by time series smoothing. A moving body removed image memory 113 stores a moving body removed image 230 that is a background image. A histogram analyzing unit 130 computes a differential of histograms of partial images for the input image 210 and the time-series smoothed image 220 or the moving body removed image 230, and calculates similarity information between the images. On the basis of the similarity information, a region dividing unit 140 divides the input image 210 into a moving body region, and a region other than the moving body region. An image correcting unit 150 performs image synthesis of the input image 210 or the time series-smoothed image 220, for each of the regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2013Publication date: June 11, 2015Applicant: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.Inventors: Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara, Muneaki Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20140341294Abstract: An image encoding device that appropriately estimates a prediction vector by avoiding an uncoded macro block (MB) is disclosed. The device determines a start point of searching a motion vector for an encoding target region, from the prediction vector for the target region which is determined with motion vectors for surrounding blocks around the target region and in accordance with a predetermined rule, and starts searching for the motion vector from the search start point. If the size of the encoding target region cannot be acquired during calculation of the prediction vector, the device determines the size of the encoding target region, from the size of an encoded region other than the target region. If at least one of the motion vectors for the surrounding blocks cannot be acquired, the device calculates the prediction vector using alternatively a motion vector of an encoded block outside of the target region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2012Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicant: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.Inventors: Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara, Muneaki Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20140119431Abstract: Provided is a video encoding device having an AFF-mode-determining unit (140) for determining the AFF mode when an input image is an interlaced image, and a video encoding unit (110) for encoding the input image depending on a result of the mode determination obtained from the AFF-mode-determining unit (140). The AFF-mode-determining unit (140) makes a determination combining: a mode determination result based on each of a texture value when an image is treated as a field and a frame, or based on an equivalent object; and a mode determination result based on the ease of predicting a motion vector in both encodings estimated with reference to a previously obtained movement vector, or based on the cost.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2012Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.Inventors: Nobuhiro Chihara, Masashi Takahashi, Muneaki Yhamaguch
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Publication number: 20130308702Abstract: Suppression of prediction error accumulating in an intra prediction is described. A motion picture encoding apparatus that performs encoding processing for each pixel block using a motion picture encoding method includes intra prediction processing for generating a prediction image using correlation of pixels therearound, and in the intra prediction processing, the motion picture encoding apparatus has processing for generating a quasi-prediction image from an input image, wherein when a prediction mode is determined, a weight is given to a pixel serving as a reference pixel in the intra prediction processing, and thus, the prediction mode is determined. When the weight is set at one or more, an error of a pixel serving as a reference pixel in a subsequent block is emphasized, and therefore, a prediction mode that is likely to propagate the error to the subsequent block is less likely to be selected.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2011Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.Inventors: Tadakazu Kadoto, Masashi Takahashi, Nobuhiro Chihara