Patents by Inventor Shusaku Okamoto

Shusaku Okamoto 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: 9272731
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation Of America
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
  • Publication number: 20130231863
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
  • Publication number: 20120218413
    Abstract: A camera for taking a state behind a vehicle is installed in a position laterally shifted from the rear center of the vehicle. An image processing unit generates a rear image from a camera image by shifting merely a rectangular area of the camera image so that a vertical center line thereof can substantially accord with the center line along the lengthwise direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, processing for correcting lens distortion may be performed. As a result, when the vehicle is moved straight backward, an object present on the center line of the vehicle moves vertically in substantially the center of the screen, so that a user can be prevented from having an odd feeling to see the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takashi Yoshida, Atsushi Iisaka, Atsushi Morimura
  • Patent number: 8201199
    Abstract: A camera for taking a state behind a vehicle is installed in a position laterally shifted from the rear center of the vehicle. An image processing unit generates a rear image from a camera image by shifting merely a rectangular area of the camera image so that a vertical center line thereof can substantially accord with the center line along the lengthwise direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, processing for correcting lens distortion may be performed. As a result, when the vehicle is moved straight backward, an object present on the center line of the vehicle moves vertically in substantially the center of the screen, so that a user can be prevented from having an odd feeling to see the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takashi Yoshida, Atsushi Iisaka, Atsushi Morimura
  • Publication number: 20120069153
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for monitoring the area around a vehicle wherein, when a monitor output image is acquired by synthesizing bird's-eye-view images based on the captured images of a plurality of cameras, the skewness of a three-dimensional object that appears in the synthesized images can be alleviated. The device for monitoring the area around the vehicle is used together with the plurality of cameras (11) that capture images of the area around the vehicle. An image processing unit (2) acquires the output image by acquiring data indicating a plurality of the images captured by the plurality of cameras (11), and synthesizing a plurality of the bird's-eye-view images generated on the basis of the acquired data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Mochizuki, Shusaku Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8111287
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
  • Patent number: 8099427
    Abstract: A search article estimation apparatus is provided that is capable of estimating an article that a user is trying to search for, even when the user cannot accurately provide information on the article that the user wants to search for. The state of access to a storage equipment by the user and a change in articles in the storage equipment during the access are checked by a sensing apparatus. If there is no change in articles, then a search state detection means determines that the user has performed an article search but has been unable to find the article. Furthermore, a search article estimation means refers to a storage location database and estimates an article that should originally be stored in the storage equipment, to be the article that the user is searching for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Tanigawa, Shusaku Okamoto, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka
  • Patent number: 8077202
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
  • Publication number: 20110228980
    Abstract: A control apparatus that improves the usability of a vehicle surrounding monitoring apparatus without confusing the monitoring party while monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle. A detection area setting section (2) sets a detection area subject to obstacle detection, in the photographing range of an imaging section (1) installed in the vehicle. An obstacle detection section (4) detects an obstacle from the detection area set in an image photographed by the imaging section (1). A synthesized data generating section (5) performs image processing such that information for distinguishing between the inside and outside of the set detection area is displayed superimposed on the image photographed by the imaging section (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Ichikawa, Shusaku Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20110063444
    Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring device can simultaneously display with high visibility a bird's-eye view image, an auxiliary image, and the direction of the auxiliary image. The vehicle surroundings monitoring device (100) has a display control section (140) for displaying on a single display screen both a bird's-eye view image that is an image of view from above the vehicle, viewing the surroundings of the vehicle, and an auxiliary image that is an image of the surroundings of the vehicle, viewed from the vehicle; a frame line overlay section (143) for causing a frame line surrounding an image region corresponding to the auxiliary image to be displayed overlaid on the bird's-eye view image; and first to fourth cameras (110-1 to 110-4) attached to the vehicle and imaging the surroundings of the vehicle. The display control section (140) composes a bird's-eye view image by using images captured by the first to fourth cameras (110-1 to 110-4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shusaku Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7714887
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Masamichi Nakagawa, Hirofumi Ishii, Shusaku Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7595730
    Abstract: A state recognition tag is configured to include a tag main body, and a tag fragment separable from the tag main body, and each of the tag main body and the tag fragment is provided with an information holding unit storing therein information to be transmitted, a separation-state recognizing unit which recognizes a separation state between the tag main body and the tag fragment, a control unit which exercises transmission control for transmitting the information from the information holding unit based on the separation state, and an electric power supplying unit which supplies electric power to the information holding unit, the separation-state recognizing unit, and the control unit. Regardless of whether the tag main body and the tag fragment are connected to each other or separated from each other, both the tag main body and the tag fragment can function as tags as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Tanigawa, Shusaku Okamoto, Osamu Yamada, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Tomonobu Naruoka
  • Publication number: 20090174775
    Abstract: A camera for taking a state behind a vehicle is installed in a position laterally shifted from the rear center of the vehicle. An image processing unit generates a rear image from a camera image by shifting merely a rectangular area of the camera image so that a vertical center line thereof can substantially accord with the center line along the lengthwise direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, processing for correcting lens distortion may be performed. As a result, when the vehicle is moved straight backward, an object present on the center line of the vehicle moves vertically in substantially the center of the screen, so that a user can be prevented from having an odd feeling to see the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Misamichi Nakagawa, Takashi Yoshida, Atsushi Iisaka, Atsushi Morimura
  • Patent number: 7545278
    Abstract: An article present region estimating means references information on location and time of an article detected in an article detecting device and stored in an article management database and information on location and time of a person detected in a person detecting device and stored in a person management database to estimate a location where the article is most likely to be present. An article position candidate weighting means may be perform weighting based on information such as movement of the person, location where the article is normally placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka, Toru Tanigawa
  • Patent number: 7515990
    Abstract: The system includes a sensor for detecting a state of a space; a robot for executing a handling job for an article; an article identifying part for identifying, when an article is handled by a movable body, the article in response to a detection result obtained by the sensor; and an article handling subject identifying part for identifying an article handling subject that handles the article. When the movable body that handles the article is the robot, the article handling subject identifying part identifies a subject having issued a job instruction to the robot as the article handling subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Yasuhiro Morinaka, Katsuji Aoki, Mikiya Nakata
  • Patent number: 7502048
    Abstract: The invention provides a vehicle surroundings monitoring system for synthesizing and displaying images captured by a plurality of cameras to provide images that, near the border between partial images, are more accurate and more readily understood by the user than has been the case conventionally. In the synthesized image, a partial image captured by a first camera and a partial image captured by a second camera are adjacent to one another at their border. Near this border, the capturing directions of the first and the second cameras both substantially match the direction of the border. Consequently, images of objects near the border extend along the border, and thus do not disappear on the synthesized image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Atsushi Morimura, Kazufumi Mizusawa, Atsushi Iisaka, Takashi Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20080033606
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
  • Publication number: 20070299584
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shusaku OKAMOTO, Hirofumi ISHII, Masamichi NAKAGAWA, Kunio NOBORI, Atsushi MORIMURA
  • Publication number: 20070299572
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shusaku OKAMOTO, Hirofumi ISHII, Masamichi NAKAGAWA, Kunio NOBORI, Atsushi MORIMURA
  • Patent number: 7307655
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura