Patents by Inventor Akihiro Maenaka

Akihiro Maenaka 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: 11977036
    Abstract: An inspection device inspects of goods that include plural articles that sometimes overlap each other. An X-ray inspection device irradiates goods containing plural articles having a predetermined shape and inspects the goods on the basis of inspection images obtained from radiation that has passed through the goods or radiation that has reflected off the goods. The X-ray inspection device includes a storage component, a learning component, and an inspection component. The storage component stores, as teaching images, at least the inspection images of the goods that are in a state in which the plural articles overlap each other. The learning component acquires, by machine learning using the teaching images stored in the storage component, features relating to the goods that are in a state in which the plural articles overlap each other. The inspection component inspects the goods using the features that the learning component has acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ISHIDA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Nakatani, Yoshinori Tarumoto, Akihiro Maenaka, Hironori Tsutsumi
  • Publication number: 20230258581
    Abstract: An X-ray inspection apparatus includes an X-ray source configured to irradiate an article with X-rays in a plurality of energy bands, an X-ray detection unit capable of detecting the X-rays by a photon counting method, an image generation unit configured to generate an overall transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in all of the plurality of energy bands and a transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in some of the plurality of energy bands on the basis of a detection result of the X-rays by the X-ray detection unit, and an inspection unit configured to inspect the article on the basis of the overall transmission image and the transmission image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Ken IWAKAWA, Akihiro MAENAKA, Futoshi YURUGI
  • Publication number: 20210063323
    Abstract: An inspection device inspects of goods that include plural articles that sometimes overlap each other. An X-ray inspection device irradiates goods containing plural articles having a predetermined shape and inspects the goods on the basis of inspection images obtained from radiation that has passed through the goods or radiation that has reflected off the goods. The X-ray inspection device includes a storage component, a learning component, and an inspection component. The storage component stores, as teaching images, at least the inspection images of the goods that are in a state in which the plural articles overlap each other. The learning component acquires, by machine learning using the teaching images stored in the storage component, features relating to the goods that are in a state in which the plural articles overlap each other. The inspection component inspects the goods using the features that the learning component has acquired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Makoto NAKATANI, Yoshinori TARUMOTO, Akihiro MAENAKA, Hironori TSUTSUMI
  • Patent number: 8477200
    Abstract: An imaging device (1) includes: an imaging element (33) which outputs a signal expressing an optical image of an imaging object upon an imaging process; a particular object detection unit (14) which successively acquires a frame image based on an output signal of the imaging element and detects the position of the particular object contained in the imaging object on the frame image according to the image signal of the frame image; a cut-out unit (15) which sets in the frame image, a cut-out region smaller than the entire region of the frame image according to the detected position and extracts the image in the cut-out region as a cut-out image; and an image quality compensation unit (16) which improves the resolution of the cut-out image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideto Fujita, Yukio Mori, Haruo Hatanaka, Makoto Yamanaka, Akihiro Maenaka, Shigeyuki Okada, Haruhiko Murata
  • Patent number: 8294812
    Abstract: A super-resolution processing portion has a high-resolution image generation portion that fuses a plurality of first input images together to generate a high-resolution image. The first input images are shot at a shutter speed equal to or faster than the super-resolution limit shutter speed, which is the lower-limit shutter speed that enables super-resolution processing to make the resolution of the output image equal to or higher than that of the input images. According to the amount of exposure, one of the following different methods for super-resolution processing is selected: a first method that yields as the output image the high-resolution image; a second method that yields as the output image a weighted added image resulting from weighted addition of the high-resolution image and an image based on an averaged image; and a third method that yields as the output image a weighted added image resulting from weighted addition of the high-resolution image and an image based on a second input image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji Okada, Akihiro Maenaka, Mitsuaki Kurokawa, Satoru Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20120127330
    Abstract: Provided is an image pickup device that enables distortion compensation with high precision. Exposure and reading are conducted on pixel rows that are discontinuous with respect to a vertical direction of an image pickup element, and multiple low resolution images are obtained. Each of these multiple low resolution images has a lower distortion than an ordinary image obtained by conducting an ordinary continuous exposure and reading. Therefore, output images with reduced distortion can be generated by using the low resolution images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kengo Masaoka, Akihiro Maenaka, Haruo Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 8139123
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device comprising means for binning by adding up and reading out pixel signals from a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction of a pixel arrangement of an imaging element. The imaging device is provided with first means for changing a combination pattern of added pixel signals on a per-frame basis, and second means for generating image signals for one frame based on added signals from plural frames having different combination patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu Tsunekawa, Seiji Okada, Akihiro Maenaka
  • Patent number: 7929611
    Abstract: A frame rate converting apparatus includes a pan/tilt determining unit which determines whether an image is in a pan/tilt state on the basis of information related to motion of the image detected by a motion detecting unit for each frame of a moving image, a moving distance setting unit which sets 0 as a moving distance of an image with respect to a frame the image of which is not determined as an image in a pan/tilt state by the pan/tilt determining unit, which calculates a moving distance of an image from the information related to the motion of the image detected by the motion detecting unit with respect to a frame the image of which is determined as an image in a pan/tilt state, and which sets the obtained moving distance as a moving distance of the image, and a prediction image generating unit which generates a prediction image necessary for frame rate conversion on the basis of the moving distance of the image set for each frame by the moving distance setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu Tsunekawa, Akihiro Maenaka, Yukio Mori
  • Publication number: 20110080503
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor constituted of a light receiving pixel group which performs photoelectric conversion of an optical image of a subject, and a read control unit which performs switching between skip reading for thinning a part of the light receiving pixel group while reading an output signal of the light receiving pixel group, and addition reading for adding output signals of a plurality of light receiving pixels included in the light receiving pixel group while reading the same, for taking an image. The read control unit performs the switching between the skip reading and the addition reading while one moving image is being taken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji OKADA, You TOSHIMITSU, Akihiro MAENAKA
  • Publication number: 20110063473
    Abstract: A color interpolation process unit (51) successively acquires from an AFE (12), a plurality of original images in which the pixel positions having pixel signals are different and executes a color interpolation process on the original images to generate a color-interpolated image. An image synthesis unit (54) combines the color-interpolated image (current frame) to be generated and a synthesis image (previous frame) outputted previously so as to generate a synthesis image. The synthesis image is inputted to a color synchronization process unit (55) to output a video signal and stored in a frame memory (52) so as to be used for synthesis of the next frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norikazu Tsunekawa, Seiji Okada, Akihiro Maenaka
  • Publication number: 20110007175
    Abstract: An imaging device (1) includes: an imaging element (33) which outputs a signal expressing an optical image of an imaging object upon an imaging process; a particular object detection unit (14) which successively acquires a frame image based on an output signal of the imaging element and detects the position of the particular object contained in the imaging object on the frame image according to the image signal of the frame image; a cut-out unit (15) which sets in the frame image, a cut-out region smaller than the entire region of the frame image according to the detected position and extracts the image in the cut-out region as a cut-out image; and an image quality compensation unit (16) which improves the resolution of the cut-out image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideto Fujita, Yukio Mori, Haruo Hatanaka, Makoto Yamanaka, Akihiro Maenaka, Shigeyuki Okada, Haruhiko Murata
  • Publication number: 20100141823
    Abstract: An output-image processing portion outputs an output image for display that contains a super-resolution-effect image indicating super-resolution effect—effect obtained when super-resolution processing is applied to an input image. Thus, having checked the output image for display, the user can recognize the degree of super-resolution effect. Accordingly, it is possible to easily judge whether or not the super-resolution processing is required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norikazu TSUNEKAWA, Seiji OKADA, Akihiro MAENAKA
  • Publication number: 20100053356
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device comprising means for binning by adding up and reading out pixel signals from a plurality of pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction of a pixel arrangement of an imaging element. The imaging device is provided with first means for changing a combination pattern of added pixel signals on a per-frame basis, and second means for generating image signals for one frame based on added signals from plural frames having different combination patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Norikazu Tsunekawa, Seiji Okada, Akihiro Maenaka
  • Publication number: 20100033602
    Abstract: A super-resolution processing portion has a high-resolution image generation portion that fuses a plurality of first input images together to generate a high-resolution image. The first input images are shot at a shutter speed equal to or faster than the super-resolution limit shutter speed, which is the lower-limit shutter speed that enables super-resolution processing to make the resolution of the output image equal to or higher than that of the input images. According to the amount of exposure, one of the following different methods for super-resolution processing is selected: a first method that yields as the output image the high-resolution image; a second method that yields as the output image a weighted added image resulting from weighted addition of the high-resolution image and an image based on an averaged image; and a third method that yields as the output image a weighted added image resulting from weighted addition of the high-resolution image and an image based on a second input image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiji OKADA, Akihiro MAENAKA, Mitsuaki KUROKAWA, Satoru TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20100020210
    Abstract: There is provided an image sensing device including: an image acquisition portion that switches between a plurality of reading methods in which pixel signals of a group of light receiving pixels arranged in an image sensor are read and that thereby acquires, from the image sensor, a first image sequence formed such that a plurality of first images having a first resolution are arranged chronologically and a second image sequence formed such that a plurality of second images having a second resolution higher than the first resolution are arranged chronologically; and an output image sequence generation portion that generates, based on the first and second image sequences, an output image sequence formed such that a plurality of output images having the second resolution are arranged chronologically, in which a time interval between sequentially adjacent two output images among the plurality of output images is shorter than a time interval between sequentially adjacent two second images among the plurality of s
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu TSUNEKAWA, Seiji OKADA, Akihiro MAENAKA
  • Publication number: 20090033792
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a high resolution processing portion for generating a high-resolution image from a first low-resolution image to be a datum frame and M (M is an integer of one or larger) second low-resolution images, the high-resolution image having a higher resolution than the low-resolution images, and a region cutting out portion for setting a first target region in an image region of the first low-resolution image and for setting a second target region in an image region of the second low-resolution image. The high resolution processing portion calculates a pixel value of a region corresponding to the first target region in an image region of the high-resolution image based on pixel values of the first and the second target regions set by the region cutting out portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi KANO, Akihiro MAENAKA, Norikazu TSUNEKAWA
  • Publication number: 20070076127
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to offer an image processing apparatus, or an image processing program which can generate natural images. In the invention, a chroma saturation correction coefficient is determined according to the chroma saturation distribution properties of an input image, and the chroma saturation correction is executed based on the determined coefficient. Therefore, a suitable chroma saturation correction can be performed to various input images. To achieve above objective, in the image processor 100, the chroma saturation distribution properties calculator 101 calculates chroma saturation distribution properties from an input image signal. The chroma saturation correcting gain calculator 102 calculates the standard chroma saturation correcting gain, which is a coefficient used as a standard for calculating the chroma saturation correction quantity based on the properties of the input image signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: April 5, 2007
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki Abe, Akihiro Maenaka, Norikazu Tsunekawa
  • Patent number: 7123781
    Abstract: Assuming that an original pixel adjacent to a first original pixel and opposite to a second original pixel is a third original pixel, and an original pixel adjacent to the second original pixel and opposite to the first original pixel is a fourth original pixel, and letting d1 be pixel data on the first original pixel, d2 be pixel data on the second original pixel, d3 be pixel data on the third original pixel, and d4 be pixel data on the fourth original pixel, a first edge component E is calculated on the basis of an equation for operation E=?d3+d1+d2?d4 in the first step, and a second edge component Es is calculated on the basis of an equation for operation Es=|d3+d1?d2?d4|.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Maenaka, Ryuhei Amano
  • Publication number: 20060215037
    Abstract: A frame rate converting apparatus includes a pan/tilt determining unit which determines whether an image is in a pan/tilt state on the basis of information related to motion of the image detected by a motion detecting unit for each frame of a moving image, a moving distance setting unit which sets 0 as a moving distance of an image with respect to a frame the image of which is not determined as an image in a pan/tilt state by the pan/tilt determining unit, which calculates a moving distance of an image from the information related to the motion of the image detected by the motion detecting unit with respect to a frame the image of which is determined as an image in a pan/tilt state, and which sets the obtained moving distance as a moving distance of the image, and a prediction image generating unit which generates a prediction image necessary for frame rate conversion on the basis of the moving distance of the image set for each frame by the moving distance setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Norikazu Tsunekawa, Akihiro Maenaka, Yukio Mori
  • Patent number: 7113544
    Abstract: In a motion detecting device, with respect to a target pixel for which detection of motion is going to be performed, the threshold value to be used by comparator circuits 9 and 10 is varied based on the difference of image data between two pixels vertically adjacent to the target pixel. The comparator circuit 9 compares the difference, between two fields, of the image data of the target pixel with the threshold value, and the comparator circuit 10 compares the differences, between two fields, of the image data of the two pixels vertically adjacent to the target pixel with the threshold value. An adder circuit 12 adds together the comparison results with weights assigned thereto, and the detection of motion is performed based on the resulting sum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Tanase, Akihiro Maenaka