Patents by Inventor Yasuhiro Sutou

Yasuhiro Sutou 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: 11719788
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus including a first position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of a target on a first coordinate system from a stereo image captured by a stereo camera, a second position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of the target on a second coordinate system from a sensor signal of a sensor capable of obtaining position information of at least one of a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction and position information of a depth direction, a correspondence detection unit that detects a correspondence relationship between the target on the first coordinate system and the target on the second coordinate system, and a positional relationship information estimating unit that estimates positional relationship information of the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system on the basis of the detected correspondence relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto Motoyama, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki, Hideki Oyaizu, Kenichi Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20230140518
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing system capable of achieving simpler camera calibration. A control unit generates, in a case where calibration is required for a camera of a mobile unit, a first trigger for displaying a pattern imaged by the camera on a mobile terminal, and generates a second trigger for presenting feedback to a user according to whether or not appropriate imaging of the pattern by the camera is possible. The technology according to the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a mobile unit such as a drone or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Sony Group Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SUTOU, Toshio YAMAZAKI, Seungha YANG, Ryo HIRONO
  • Patent number: 11543513
    Abstract: A likelihood calculation unit calculates, from information obtained by each of movement detection methods including a movement detection method for detecting a movement amount of an object using an image and one or more different movement detection methods, movement amount likelihoods with regard to which the movement amount of an object is each of a plurality of movement amounts. An integration unit integrates the movement amount likelihoods according to the plurality of movement detection methods to determine integration likelihoods individually of the plurality of movement amounts. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a case in which a movement amount of an object is determined and a driver who drives an automobile is supported using the movement amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hideki Oyaizu, Takuto Motoyama, Toshio Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11427218
    Abstract: A laser range finder projects light while changing a direction in a horizontal direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a vertical direction to also receive reflected light of the light, and detects a direction and a distance in which the light is reflected from an obstacle or the like, according to a difference time between a time of light projection and a time of light reception. A normal direction of a flat plane forming a road surface is detected on the basis of a polarized image. The laser range finder projects light such that the light has a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction so as to be orthogonal to the normal direction of the flat plane forming the road surface. The laser range finder can be applied to in-vehicle systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuto Motoyama, Hideki Oyaizu, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki, Kentaro Doba
  • Patent number: 11373418
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus capable of detecting a plane constituting a movement-enabling region. A normal direction of a plane constituting a road surface is detected on the basis of polarized images in multiple polarizing directions acquired by a polarization camera. A laser ranging sensor measures a distance to a point on the road surface so as to measure a position of the point. The plane constituting the road surface is identified on the basis of information regarding the normal direction of the plane constituting the road surface and information regarding the position of the point on the road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuto Motoyama, Hideki Oyaizu, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki, Kentaro Doba
  • Patent number: 11328444
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a signal processing apparatus and system. In calibration, a sensor section is used to acquire a time of day when a stereo camera image capturing a target is acquired and a time of day when a radar image capturing the target is acquired. The target has a radar reflector and a marker. The image acquisition times of day are acquired while at the same time changing a distance between the sensor section and the target so as to find an amount of time-of-day discrepancy, a difference in time of day between the stereo camera image and the radar image at the same distance. At the time of object detection, the radar image acquired first is buffered and then output together with the stereo camera image acquired by the time-of-day discrepancy later, thus combining the stereo camera image and the radar image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshio Yamazaki, Takuto Motoyama, Kentaro Doba, Yasuhiro Sutou
  • Patent number: 11047976
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program that make it possible to determine a distance to an object with high accuracy. A likelihood calculation unit calculates, from information obtained by each of a plurality of distance measurement methods, distance likelihoods with regard to which the distance to an object is each of a plurality of distances. An integration unit integrates the distance likelihoods according to the plurality of distance measurement methods to determine integration likelihoods each of the plurality of distances. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a case in which a distance to an obstacle is determined and a driver who drives an automobile or the like is supported using the distance or to a like case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hideki Oyaizu, Takuto Motoyama, Toshio Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20210124013
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus including a first position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of a target on a first coordinate system from a stereo image captured by a stereo camera, a second position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of the target on a second coordinate system from a sensor signal of a sensor capable of obtaining position information of at least one of a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction and position information of a depth direction, a correspondence detection unit that detects a correspondence relationship between the target on the first coordinate system and the target on the second coordinate system, and a positional relationship information estimating unit that estimates positional relationship information of the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system on the basis of the detected correspondence relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto Motoyama, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki, Hideki Oyaizu, Kenichi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 10908257
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus including a first position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of a target on a first coordinate system from a stereo image captured by a stereo camera, a second position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of the target on a second coordinate system from a sensor signal of a sensor capable of obtaining position information of at least one of a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction and position information of a depth direction, a correspondence detection unit that detects a correspondence relationship between the target on the first coordinate system and the target on the second coordinate system, and a positional relationship information estimating unit that estimates positional relationship information of the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system on the basis of the detected correspondence relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto Motoyama, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki, Hideki Oyaizu, Kenichi Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20200357284
    Abstract: An object detection section detects an object that is present in surroundings. A transmission section broadcasts a request signal requesting information regarding an object that has not been detected by the object detection section. A reception section receives a response signal in response to transmission of the request signal, the response signal including the information regarding the object that has not been detected by the object detection section. For example, a display control section controls display of a surrounding environment on the basis of information regarding positions and attributes of a predetermined number of objects detected by the object detection section and controls update of the display of the surrounding environment on the basis of information regarding a position and an attribute of the object that is included in the response signal and that has not been detected by the object detection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SUTOU, Toshio YAMAZAKI, Kentaro DOBA, Takuto MOTOYAMA, Seungha YANG
  • Publication number: 20200272834
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus capable of detecting a plane constituting a movement-enabling region, as well as to an information processing method, a program, and a mobile object. A normal direction of a plane constituting a road surface is detected on the basis of polarized images in multiple polarizing directions acquired by a polarization camera. A laser ranging sensor measures a distance to a point on the road surface so as to measure a position of the point. The plane constituting the road surface is identified on the basis of information regarding the normal direction of the plane constituting the road surface and information regarding the position of the point on the road surface. This disclosure may be applied to vehicle-mounted systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto MOTOYAMA, Hideki OYAIZU, Yasuhiro SUTOU, Toshio YAMAZAKI, Kentaro DOBA
  • Publication number: 20200231176
    Abstract: A laser range finder projects light while changing a direction in a horizontal direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a vertical direction to also receive reflected light of the light, and detects a direction and a distance in which the light is reflected from an obstacle or the like, according to a difference time between a time of light projection and a time of light reception. A normal direction of a flat plane forming a road surface is detected on the basis of a polarized image. The laser range finder projects light such that the light has a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction so as to be orthogonal to the normal direction of the flat plane forming the road surface. The laser range finder can be applied to in-vehicle systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto MOTOYAMA, Hideki OYAIZU, Yasuhiro SUTOU, Toshio YAMAZAKI, Kentaro DOBA
  • Publication number: 20200211219
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a signal processing apparatus and system. In calibration, a sensor section is used to acquire a time of day when a stereo camera image capturing a target is acquired and a time of day when a radar image capturing the target is acquired. The target has a radar reflector and a marker. The image acquisition times of day are acquired while at the same time changing a distance between the sensor section and the target so as to find an amount of time-of-day discrepancy, a difference in time of day between the stereo camera image and the radar image at the same distance. At the time of object detection, the radar image acquired first is buffered and then output together with the stereo camera image acquired by the time-of-day discrepancy later, thus combining the stereo camera image and the radar image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio YAMAZAKI, Takuto MOTOYAMA, Kentaro DOBA, Yasuhiro SUTOU
  • Patent number: 10591594
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for suppressing the occurrence of false recognition. A road surface region estimating section estimates a road surface region in a first image captured of a predetermined imaging range. A non-polarized region extracting section extracts a non-polarized region from a second image captured of the imaging range. A low-confidence level region estimating section estimates a low-confidence level region for an object with a low first confidence level obtained by a first sensor within a measurement range of the first sensor in the imaging range on the basis of information indicating the road surface region and the non-polarized region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Oyaizu, Takuto Motoyama, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20190004178
    Abstract: This technology relates to a signal processing apparatus and a signal processing method for obtaining the relative positional relations between sensors with higher accuracy. A positional relation estimating part of the signal processing apparatus estimates positional relations between a first coordinate system and a second coordinate system, on the basis of corresponding relations between multiple planes in the first coordinate system obtained by a first sensor on the one hand and multiple planes in the second coordinate system obtained by a second sensor on the other hand. This technology may be applied, for example, to the signal processing apparatus that estimates the positional relations between the first and the second sensors having significantly different levels of spatial resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuto MOTOYAMA, Yasuhiro SUTOU
  • Patent number: 10110817
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing device including an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on an imaging position and an imaging direction in units of frame images that constitute a moving image obtained through capturing by an imaging unit, a converted image generation unit configured to generate converted images having different imaging directions for each frame image that constitutes the moving image based on the frame image itself and preceding and succeeding frame images of the frame image, an evaluation value calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value for each converted moving image constituted by combining the converted image and the original frame image, the evaluation value being used to evaluate a blur between the converted images or between the original frame images, and a selection unit configured to select a converted moving image with less blur based on an evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hideki Shimomura, Atsushi Okubo, Kazumi Aoyama, Akichika Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20180284256
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program that make it possible to determine a distance to an object with high accuracy. A likelihood calculation unit calculates, from information obtained by each of a plurality of distance measurement methods, distance likelihoods with regard to which the distance to an object is each of a plurality of distances. An integration unit integrates the distance likelihoods according to the plurality of distance measurement methods to determine integration likelihoods each of the plurality of distances. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a case in which a distance to an obstacle is determined and a driver who drives an automobile or the like is supported using the distance or to a like case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hideki Oyaizu, Takuto Motoyama, Toshio Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20180284260
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for suppressing the occurrence of false recognition. A road surface region estimating section estimates a road surface region in a first image captured of a predetermined imaging range. A non-polarized region extracting section extracts a non-polarized region from a second image captured of the imaging range. A low-confidence level region estimating section estimates a low-confidence level region for an object with a low first confidence level obtained by a first sensor within a measurement range of the first sensor in the imaging range on the basis of information indicating the road surface region and the non-polarized region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Oyaizu, Takuto Motoyama, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20180284257
    Abstract: The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a program that make it possible to determine a movement amount of an object with high accuracy. A likelihood calculation unit calculates, from information obtained by each of movement detection methods including a movement detection method for detecting a movement amount of an object using an image and one or more different movement detection methods, movement amount likelihoods with regard to which the movement amount of an object is each of a plurality of movement amounts. An integration unit integrates the movement amount likelihoods according to the plurality of movement detection methods to determine integration likelihoods individually of the plurality of movement amounts. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a case in which a movement amount of an object is determined and a driver who drives an automobile or the like is supported using the movement amount or to a like case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hideki Oyaizu, Takuto Motoyama, Toshio Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20180267142
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing apparatus, a signal processing method, and a program that enable calibration with high precision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takuto Motoyama, Yasuhiro Sutou, Toshio Yamazaki, Hideki Oyaizu, Kenichi Kawasaki