Patents by Inventor Shoji Muramatsu
Shoji Muramatsu 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: 8422830Abstract: An image processing system includes a first image processor that reads out a first image written in a main memory to apply a first process to the first image and write in the main memory as a second image, a second image processor that reads out a second image written in the main memory to apply a second process to the second image and write in the main memory as a second image, and an address snooping apparatus that snoops an address of the image written in the main memory to start the first process when the address is indicated to a previously set first value and start the second process when the address is indicated to a previously set second value, effectively enabling synchronization between a process by a CPU or a special purpose processor and a data delivery/receipt process between pipeline stages.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2008Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Tetsuaki Nakamikawa, Shoji Muramatsu
-
Patent number: 8384781Abstract: A stereo camera device includes: plural picture image taking sections, an image correction section which makes correction of picture images taken, a parallax calculating section which calculates parallax, an amount of dislocation between the left and right images, and an image recognition section which carries out image recognition processing using both the image taken and the calculated parallax, or either of them. The stereo camera device further includes: a processing area setting up section which sets up the image area to be processed and reduction ratio differently depending on the driving environment of the vehicle on which the stereo camera device is mounted, wherein, by using the image area and the reduction ratio set up by the processing area setting up section, the image correction section makes correction to the picture image, the parallax calculating section calculates parallax, and the image recognition section carries out processing of image recognition.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Shoji Muramatsu, Soichiro Yokota, Tatsuhiko Monji
-
Publication number: 20130027511Abstract: To provide an onboard environment recognition system capable of preventing, with a reduced processing load, erroneous recognition caused by light from a headlight of a vehicle in the surroundings.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2012Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki TAKEMURA, Shoji Muramatsu, Takeshi Shima, Masao Sakata
-
Publication number: 20130018547Abstract: An environment recognizing device for a vehicle is provided that can correctly detect a preceding vehicle in a scene, such as for instance the dusk, which is under an illumination condition different from that in the daytime. The device detects a vehicle external shape while detecting vehicle taillights, and determines a region in which the vehicle external shape and the vehicle taillights move in synchronization, as a vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2012Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: CLARION CO., LTD.Inventors: Takehito Ogata, Shoji Muramatsu, Takashi Tsutsui, Katsuyuki Nakamura, Mitsutoshi Morinaga
-
Vehicle-Mounted Environment Recognition Apparatus and Vehicle-Mounted Environment Recognition System
Publication number: 20120327188Abstract: A vehicle-mounted environment recognition apparatus including a simple pattern matching unit which extracts an object candidate from an image acquired from a vehicle-mounted image capturing apparatus by using a pattern shape stored in advance and outputs a position of the object candidate, an area change amount prediction unit which calculates a change amount prediction of the extracted object candidate on the basis of an object change amount prediction calculation method set differently for each area of a plurality of areas obtained by dividing the acquired image, detected vehicle behavior information, and an inputted position of the object candidate, and outputs a predicted position of an object, and a tracking unit which tracks the object on the basis of an inputted predicted position of the object.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2010Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Shoji Muramatsu, Isao Furusawa, Shinya Ohtsuji, Takeshi Shima, Yuji Otsuka, Tatsuhiko Monji -
Publication number: 20120327189Abstract: A stereo camera apparatus which carries out distance measuring stably and with high accuracy by making measuring distance resolution variable according to a distance to an object is provided. A stereo camera apparatus 1 takes in two images, changes resolution of a partial area of each image that is taken in, and calculates a distance from a vehicle to an object that is imaged in the partial area, based on disparity of the partial area of each image in which resolution is changed. Thus, even when the object exists at a long distance and is small in size, distance measuring processing can be carried out stably.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2010Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Mirai Higuchi, Tatsuhiko Monji, Soichiro Yokota, Morihiko Sakano, Takeshi Shima
-
Publication number: 20120327236Abstract: With a simple configuration, a vehicle periphery monitoring system that easily detects pedestrian that has a possibility to collide with a vehicle to which the monitoring system is installed. Based on a change rate in the size of the image of the observation object captured at a preset time interval by an onboard camera 111 and the presence or absence of the deformation of the observation object image between the captured images, it is determined whether the observation object is a pedestrian relatively approaching the vehicle to which the monitoring system is installed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2012Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro KIYOHARA, Shoji Muramatsu, Kota Irie, Yoshitaka Uchida
-
Patent number: 8320626Abstract: An image processing accuracy estimation unit estimates an image processing accuracy by calculating a size of an object by which the accuracy of measurement of the distance of the object photographed by an on-vehicle camera becomes a permissible value or less. An image post-processing area determination unit determines, in accordance with the estimated image processing accuracy, a partial area inside a detection area of the object as an image post-processing area for which an image post-processing is carried out and lattices the determined image post-processing area to cells. An image processing unit processes the image photographed by the on-vehicle camera to detect a candidate for object and calculates a three-dimensional position of the detected object candidate. An image post-processing unit calculates, in each the individual cell inside the determined area the probability as to whether the detected object is present and determines the presence/absence of the object.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2009Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Shoji Muramatsu, Soichiro Yokota, Tatsuhiko Monji
-
Publication number: 20120288154Abstract: Disclosed is a road-shoulder detecting device including a distance-information calculating portion for calculating the presence of a physical object and the distance from the subject vehicle to the object from input three-dimensional image information relating to an environment around the vehicle, a vehicular road surface detecting portion for detecting a vehicular road surface with the subject vehicle from a distance image, a height difference calculating portion for measuring height difference between the detected vehicular road and an off-road region, and a road shoulder decision portion for deciding height difference as to whether the road shoulder is boundary between the surface and the region in a case where there is an off-road region lower than the vehicular road surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2010Publication date: November 15, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Takeshi Shima, Mirai Higuchi, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji, Takuya Naka
-
Publication number: 20120269382Abstract: An object recognition device includes; an image-capturing unit mounted to a mobile body; an image generation unit that converts images captured by the image-capturing unit at different time points to corresponding synthesized images as seen vertically downwards from above; a detection unit that compares together a plurality of the synthesized images and detects corresponding regions; and a recognition unit that recognizes an object present upon the road surface from a difference between the corresponding regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2009Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Kota Irie, Naoki Kourogi, Tatsuhiko Monji, Yoshitaka Takahashi, Shoji Muramatsu
-
Publication number: 20120224747Abstract: An in-vehicle running-environment recognition apparatus including an input unit for inputting an image signal from in-vehicle imaging devices for photographing external environment of a vehicle, an image processing unit for detecting a first image area by processing the image signal, the first image area having a factor which prevents recognition of the external environment, an image determination unit for determining a second image area based on at least any one of size of the first image area, position thereof, and set-up positions of the in-vehicle imaging devices having the first image area, an environment recognition processing being performed in the second image area, the first image area being detected by the image processing unit, and an environment recognition unit for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle based on the second image area.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mirai HIGUCHI, Yuji Otsuka, Takeshi Shima, Kimiyoshi Machii, Shoji Muramatsu, Kota Irie, Tatsuhiko Monji
-
Publication number: 20120215377Abstract: A vehicle controller is provided capable of expanding an application range of departure prevention control while suppressing erroneous control. The vehicle controller includes: a vehicle-mounted camera 600 that captures an image in front of a vehicle; and an ECU 610 that decides one vehicle control method from a plurality of vehicle control methods and controls an actuator with the decided vehicle control method. The vehicle-mounted camera includes an area-specific confidence calculation section 400 that divides the image captured into a plurality of areas on a basis of an acquired image by the capturing and a recognized lane, calculates confidence for each divided area and outputs area-specific confidence information, and the ECU decides a vehicle control method in accordance with the area-specific confidence information.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2010Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Shoji Muramatsu, Isao Furusawa, Shinya Ohtsuji, Takeshi Shima
-
Publication number: 20120216208Abstract: An in-car-use multi-application execution device is provided that ensures safety while maintaining convenience by securing operation of a plurality of applications and suppressing occurrence of a termination process within a limited processing capacity without degrading a real-time feature. The in-car-use multi-application execution device dynamically predicts a processing time for each application, and schedules each application on the basis of the predicted processing time. If it is determined that an application failing to complete a process in a prescribed cycle exists as a result of the scheduling, a process is executed that terminates the application or degrades the function of the application on the basis of a preset priority order.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2010Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Shoji Muramatsu, Isao Furusawa, Shinya Ohtsuji, Takeshi Shima
-
Publication number: 20120185167Abstract: A road shape recognition device capable of accurately recognizing the road shape of a road that lies ahead in the travel direction of a vehicle is provided. A road shape recognition device 1 detects a road region of the road based on an image capturing a scene ahead in the travel direction of the vehicle, and estimates the shape of the road based on that road region. Thus, it is possible to accurately recognize road shapes over distances ranging from short to long.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2010Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems LtdInventors: Mirai Higuchi, Morihiko Sakano, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji
-
Patent number: 8212878Abstract: An on-vehicle camera calibration apparatus includes: an on-vehicle camera; a camera parameter calculation unit configured to calculate camera parameters from a characteristic amount of a road surface sign photographed by the on-vehicle camera and recognized by an image processing and to output the camera parameters, wherein the camera parameters include an installation height and installation angle of the on-vehicle camera in photographing; and a camera parameter calibration unit configured to perform optical axis calibration control of the on-vehicle camera by the camera parameters output from the camera parameter calculation unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2007Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu, Yuji Otsuka, Tatsuhiko Monji, Kota Irie
-
Patent number: 8207834Abstract: A virtual vehicle which approaches to a monitor-side vehicle and a virtual background are defined in a camera image, and a region in which a virtual vehicle moves fast with respect to a virtual background is defined as a first region F1, and a region in which a virtual vehicle moves slowly with respect to a virtual background is defined as a second region F2. Then, the first region F1 and the second region F2 combined with an actual camera image. In the first region F1, in which the virtual vehicle moves fast, a monitored vehicle is detected by a movement aspect of feature portions in the region, and in the second region F2, in which the virtual vehicle moves slowly, a monitored vehicle is detected by pattern recognition.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2009Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji, Yuji Otsuka
-
Patent number: 8204276Abstract: An in-vehicle running-environment recognition apparatus including an input unit for inputting an image signal from in-vehicle imaging devices for photographing external environment of a vehicle, an image processing unit for detecting a first image area by processing the image signal, the first image area having a factor which prevents recognition of the external environment, an image determination unit for determining a second image area based on at least any one of size of the first image area, position thereof, and set-up positions of the in-vehicle imaging devices having the first image area, an environment recognition processing being performed in the second image area, the first image area being detected by the image processing unit, and an environment recognition unit for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle based on the second image area.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2008Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Yuji Otsuka, Takeshi Shima, Kimiyoshi Machii, Shoji Muramatsu, Kota Irie, Tatsuhiko Monji
-
Patent number: 8199976Abstract: An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2011Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Yuuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Tatsuhiko Monji, Jiro Takezaki, Isao Furusawa
-
Publication number: 20120133767Abstract: An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2012Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shoji MURAMATSU, Yuuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Tatsuhiko Monji, Jiro Takezaki, Isao Furusawa
-
Publication number: 20120128209Abstract: Problem to be Solved: To cut down individual development and reduce a design load in image analysis functions with different objects and information to be recognized.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2009Publication date: May 24, 2012Inventors: Shigetoshi Sakimura, Hiroto Morizane, Keisuke Nakashima, Shoji Muramatsu