Patents by Inventor Satoshi Sato

Satoshi Sato 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: 11138887
    Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayako Maruyama, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
  • Publication number: 20210275991
    Abstract: Provided is a technique of producing isoprene from 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or 1,3-butadiene from 1,3-butanediol by using a single catalyst. A catalyst produces a conjugated diene containing zirconium oxide and calcium oxide in order to produce isoprene by removing two water molecules from one 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol molecule or produce 1,3-butadiene by removing two water molecules from one 1,3-butanediol molecule. Furthermore, a method for producing a conjugated diene includes a step of obtaining a fluid containing a conjugated diene that is isoprene or 1,3-butadiene by bringing a fluid containing 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol or a fluid containing 1,3-butanediol into contact with the catalyst for producing a conjugated diene as a single catalyst so as to cause a dehydration reaction to proceed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Kento KURITA, Yuchao WANG, Satoshi SATO, Atsushi OKITA, Kazunori HONDA
  • Patent number: 11056001
    Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ayako Maruyama, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
  • Publication number: 20210181341
    Abstract: An object recognition apparatus includes a light source, an image sensor, a control circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The control circuit causes the light source to emit first light toward a scene and subsequently emit second light toward the scene, the first light having a first spatial distribution, the second light having a second spatial distribution. The control circuit causes the image sensor to detect first reflected light and second reflected light in the same exposure period, the first reflected light being caused by reflection of the first light from the scene, the second reflected light being caused by reflection of the second light from the scene. The signal processing circuit recognizes an object included in a scene based on photodetection data output from the image sensor, and based on an object recognition model pre-trained by a machine learning algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: YUMIKO KATO, SATOSHI SATO, YOSHIHIDE SAWADA
  • Publication number: 20210174143
    Abstract: An information processing method is executed by a computer, and includes: obtaining a first image generated by a multi-pinhole camera; extracting at least one point spread function (PSF) in each of a plurality of regions in the first image; obtaining a second image different from the first image, and reference data used in machine learning for the second image; generating a third image, by convolving each of a plurality of regions in the second image with at least one PSF extracted in a corresponding region of the plurality of regions in the first image; and outputting a pair of the reference data and the third image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Yasunori ISHII, Ryota FUJIMURA, Pongsak LASANG, Changxin ZHOU
  • Publication number: 20210165096
    Abstract: A range-information acquiring apparatus includes a light source, an image sensor, a control circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The control circuit causes the light source to emit first light toward a scene and subsequently emit second light toward the scene, the first light having a first spatial distribution, the second light having a second spatial distribution. The control circuit causes at least a portion of plural photodetector elements of the photodetector device to detect first reflected light and second reflected light in the same exposure period, the first reflected light being caused by reflection of the first light from the scene, the second reflected light being caused by reflection of the second light from the scene. The signal processing circuit generates range data based on photodetection data output from the photodetector elements of the photodetector device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: YUMIKO KATO, SATOSHI SATO, YASUHISA INADA, YOSHIHIDE SAWADA
  • Publication number: 20210156753
    Abstract: A switch according to the present invention includes a base including a recessed portion on one surface of the base; a click spring having a dome shape, the click spring being provided at the recessed portion such that the bottom of the recessed portion is contacted at a dome-shaped opening side of the click spring; a cover provided to cover the recessed portion and to house the click spring at the recessed portion; and a strain detecting element attached to another surface of the base. The strain detecting element is configured to detect strain of the base, the strain occurring in accordance with a depression amount of the click spring that is depressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi KAWAMURA, Yoichi YASUNAGA, Takeshi HIGAKI, Toshihiko TERASHITA, Shintaro OGURA, Shigenori INAMOTO, Yuki TAKAHASHI, Kotaro EGUCHI, Kui LI, Satoshi SATO
  • Publication number: 20210150742
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs: acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring, from the memory, an infrared light image generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging a substantially same scene as the scene of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint as a viewpoint of imaging the infrared light image at a substantially same time as a time of imaging the infrared light image; detecting a flare region from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the flare region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the flare region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210144314
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes memory and processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light emitted from a light source and measured by imaging with the infrared light reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating a distance to the subject as a depth for each pixel based on an intensity received by the pixel; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, a substantially same scene with a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same timing as those of imaging the infrared light image; detecting, from the visible light image, an edge region including an edge along a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the visible light image; and correcting, in the depth image, a depth of a target region corresponding to the edge region in the depth image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210142496
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs; acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring an infrared light image stored in the memory, the infrared light image being generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring a visible light image stored in the memory, the visible light image being generated by imaging a substantially same scene as that of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same imaging time of those of the infrared light image; detecting a dust region showing dust from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the dust region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the dust region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210142500
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light measured by imaging with infrared light emitted from a light source and reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating the distance for each pixel based on the intensities; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, the substantially same scene from the substantially same viewpoint at the substantially same timing as those of the infrared light image; detecting a lower reflection region showing an object having a lower reflectivity from the infrared light image in accordance with the infrared light image and the visible light image; correcting a corresponding lower reflection region in the depth image in accordance with the visible light image; and outputting the depth image with the corrected lower reflection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210120165
    Abstract: An image generation device includes: a voltage generator that generates a plurality of voltages each having a different voltage value; an image capturer that includes an organic photoconductive film, and performs imaging every time each of the plurality of voltages is applied; a luminance data obtainer that obtains a plurality of luminance data items corresponding to the plurality of voltages applied, each of the plurality of luminance data items being obtained from the imaging performed by the image capturer; and a color image generator that generates a color image based on the plurality of luminance data items.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Kunio NOBORI, Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Mitsuru HARADA, Shinichi MACHIDA, Masumi IZUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210118179
    Abstract: A crossing point detector includes memory and a crossing point detection unit that reads out a square image from a captured image in the memory, and detects a crossing point of two boundary lines in a checker pattern depicted in the square image. The crossing point detection unit decides multiple parameters of a function model treating two-dimensional image coordinates as variables, the parameters optimizing an evaluation value based on a difference between corresponding pixel values represented by the function model and the square image, respectively, and computes the position of a crossing point of two straight lines expressed by the decided multiple parameters to thereby detect the crossing point with subpixel precision. The function model uses a curved surface that is at least first-order differentiable to express pixel values at respective positions in a two-dimensional coordinate system at the boundary between black and white regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Nobuhiko WAKAI, Takeo AZUMA, Kunio NOBORI, Satoshi SATO, Ayako MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 10984287
    Abstract: A learning device includes a memory and a processing circuit. The processing circuit: (a) obtains, from the memory, a first computational imaging image which includes an object, the first computational imaging image including a plurality of first pixels; (b) obtains, from the memory, a captured image which includes the object, the captured image including a plurality of second pixels; (c) obtains an identification result of identifying the object included in the captured image; (d) generates, with reference to correspondences between the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels, an identification model for identifying the first computational imaging image based on the identification result of identifying the object included in the captured image; and (e) outputs the identification model to an image identification device which identifies a second computational imaging image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Kunio Nobori, Nobuhiko Wakai
  • Publication number: 20210106978
    Abstract: Provided is a technology for efficiently manufacturing 1,3-butadiene from 1,4-butanediol or 3-buten-1-ol in a reaction condition with a high conversion rate. A catalyst for manufacturing 1,3-butadiene, contains: ytterbium oxide as an active component for generating 1,3-butadiene from 1,4-butanediol or 3-buten-1-ol. In addition, a manufacturing method of 1,3-butadiene, includes: a step of obtaining a fluid containing 1,3-butadiene by bringing at least one of 1,4-butanediol and 3-buten-1-ol into contact with the catalyst for manufacturing 1,3-butadiene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Yuchong WANG, Kazunori HONDA
  • Publication number: 20210063258
    Abstract: The present strain gauge includes a substrate having flexibility; a resistor formed from a material containing at least one of chromium and nickel, on the substrate; a pair of wiring patterns formed on the substrate and electrically connected to both ends of the resistor; and a pair of electrodes formed on the substrate and electrically connected to the pair of wiring patterns, respectively. The wiring patterns include a first layer extending from the resistor, and a second layer having a lower resistance than the first layer and layered on the first layer. On the substrate, an electronic component mounting area is demarcated, on which an electronic component electrically connected to the electrodes is mounted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Shigeyuki ADACHI, Eiji MISAIZU, Atsushi KITAMURA, Toshiaki ASAKAWA, Hirotsugu IIJIMA, Yoichi KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20210064873
    Abstract: There is provided an image capturing apparatus that captures a plurality of images, calculates a three-dimensional position from the plurality of images, and outputs the plurality of images and information about the three-dimensional position. The image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a camera parameter storage unit, a position calculation unit, a position selection unit, and an image complementing unit. The image capturing unit outputs the plurality of images using at least three cameras. The camera parameter storage unit stores in advance camera parameters including occlusion information. The position calculation unit calculates three dimensional positions of a plurality of points. The position selection unit selects a piece of position information relating to a subject area that does not have an occlusion, and outputs selected position information. The image complementing unit generates a complementary image, and outputs the complementary image and the selected position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Kunio NOBORI, Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA
  • Patent number: 10885668
    Abstract: A crossing point detector includes memory and a crossing point detection unit that reads out a square image from a captured image in the memory, and detects a crossing point of two boundary lines in a checker pattern depicted in the square image. The crossing point detection unit decides multiple parameters of a function model treating two-dimensional image coordinates as variables, the parameters optimizing an evaluation value based on a difference between corresponding pixel values represented by the function model and the square image, respectively, and computes the position of a crossing point of two straight lines expressed by the decided multiple parameters to thereby detect the crossing point with subpixel precision. The function model uses a curved surface that is at least first-order differentiable to express pixel values at respective positions in a two-dimensional coordinate system at the boundary between black and white regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Wakai, Takeo Azuma, Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Ayako Maruyama
  • Patent number: 10872432
    Abstract: A disparity estimation device calculates, for each of first pixels of a first image and each of second pixels of a second image, a first census feature amount and a second census feature amount, calculates, for each of the first pixels, a first disparity value of the first pixel with integer accuracy, extracts, for each of the first pixels, reference pixels located in positions corresponding to the first disparity value and a near disparity value close to the first disparity value from the second pixels, calculates sub-pixel evaluation values based on the relationship between the pixel values of the first pixel and the neighboring pixel and the pixel values of each of the reference pixels and the neighboring pixel, and estimates a second disparity value of the first pixel with sub-pixel accuracy by equiangular fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeo Azuma, Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
  • Publication number: 20200388838
    Abstract: An alkaline battery includes a negative electrode mixture including a powder of negative electrode active material particles. The negative electrode active material particles includes zinc or a zinc alloy. Indium is presented on the surfaces of the negative electrode active material particles. The average ratio (A/B) of the content A [% by mass] of indium on the surfaces of the negative electrode active material particles to the content B [% by mass] of zinc on the surfaces of the negative electrode active material particles is from 1.2 to 12.2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Masato YAMADA, Kohei SAKANO, Satoshi SATO