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: 9272731Abstract: 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: March 22, 2013Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation Of AmericaInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
-
Publication number: 20130231863Abstract: 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: March 22, 2013Publication date: September 5, 2013Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
-
Publication number: 20120218413Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takashi Yoshida, Atsushi Iisaka, Atsushi Morimura
-
Patent number: 8201199Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 12, 2009Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takashi Yoshida, Atsushi Iisaka, Atsushi Morimura
-
Publication number: 20120069153Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2010Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Ryo Mochizuki, Shusaku Okamoto
-
Patent number: 8111287Abstract: 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: August 28, 2007Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
-
Patent number: 8099427Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 27, 2007Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Toru Tanigawa, Shusaku Okamoto, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka
-
Patent number: 8077202Abstract: 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: August 28, 2007Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
-
Publication number: 20110228980Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2010Publication date: September 22, 2011Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Toru Ichikawa, Shusaku Okamoto
-
Publication number: 20110063444Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2008Publication date: March 17, 2011Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventor: Shusaku Okamoto
-
Patent number: 7714887Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 15, 2004Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kunio Nobori, Masamichi Nakagawa, Hirofumi Ishii, Shusaku Okamoto
-
Patent number: 7595730Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 1, 2006Date of Patent: September 29, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Toru Tanigawa, Shusaku Okamoto, Osamu Yamada, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Tomonobu Naruoka
-
Publication number: 20090174775Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2009Publication date: July 9, 2009Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Misamichi Nakagawa, Takashi Yoshida, Atsushi Iisaka, Atsushi Morimura
-
Patent number: 7545278Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 26, 2007Date of Patent: June 9, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka, Toru Tanigawa
-
Patent number: 7515990Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 21, 2004Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sato, Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Osamu Yamada, Tomonobu Naruoka, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Yasuhiro Morinaka, Katsuji Aoki, Mikiya Nakata
-
Patent number: 7502048Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 15, 2002Date of Patent: March 10, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Masamichi Nakagawa, Atsushi Morimura, Kazufumi Mizusawa, Atsushi Iisaka, Takashi Yoshida
-
Publication number: 20080033606Abstract: 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: February 7, 2008Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Shusaku Okamoto, Hirofumi Ishii, Masamichi Nakagawa, Kunio Nobori, Atsushi Morimura
-
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
-
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
-
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