Patents by Inventor Chieko Onuma

Chieko Onuma 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: 10160383
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring system for a working machine prevents its own vehicle shadow from having an influence on the detection of an object existing around the working machine. The surroundings monitoring system for a working machine includes: a monocular camera picks up an image of the surroundings of the working machine. A characteristic pattern extraction unit extracts characteristic patterns in the picked-up image based on a characteristic amount of the image. A shadow profile extraction unit extracts a profile of a region, which can be regarded as a shadow of the working machine in the image, based on the characteristic amount of the image; and an object detection unit detects an obstacle existing around the working machine based on the remaining characteristic patterns obtained by excluding a shadow profile characteristic patterns positioned on the profile extracted by the shadow profile extraction unit from the characteristic patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Ryo Yumiba, Yoshibumi Fukuda, Yukihiro Kawamata, Yoichi Kowatari, Moritaka Oota
  • Patent number: 9990543
    Abstract: The vehicle exterior moving object detection system includes a surrounding-area image input section for capturing images in areas surrounding its own vehicle and delivering the captured images as surrounding-area images, a combined image constructing section for constructing a combined image including a result output from the detection of a moving object by combining the surrounding-area images, and an output section for presenting the combined image to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshibumi Fukuda, Chieko Onuma, Moritaka Oota, Yukihiro Kawamata, Yoichi Kowatari
  • Publication number: 20170286763
    Abstract: The vehicle exterior moving object detection system includes a surrounding-area image input section for capturing images in areas surrounding its own vehicle and delivering the captured images as surrounding-area images, a combined image constructing section for constructing a combined image including a result output from the detection of a moving object by combining the surrounding-area images, and an output section for presenting the combined image to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Chieko ONUMA, Moritaka OOTA, Yukihiro KAWAMATA, Yoichi KOWATARI
  • Publication number: 20170018070
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring system for a working machine prevents its own vehicle shadow from having an influence on the detection of an object existing around the working machine. The surroundings monitoring system for a working machine includes: a monocular camera picks up an image of the surroundings of the working machine. A characteristic pattern extraction unit extracts characteristic patterns in the picked-up image based on a characteristic amount of the image. A shadow profile extraction unit extracts a profile of a region, which can be regarded as a shadow of the working machine in the image, based on the characteristic amount of the image; and an object detection unit detects an obstacle existing around the working machine based on the remaining characteristic patterns obtained by excluding a shadow profile characteristic patterns positioned on the profile extracted by the shadow profile extraction unit from the characteristic patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Chieko ONUMA, Ryo YUMIBA, Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Yukihiro KAWAMATA, Yoichi KOWATARI, Moritaka OOTA
  • Patent number: 9463741
    Abstract: A vehicle peripheral obstacle notification system, used on a construction machine, detects a moving obstacle, gives composite display of the detected moving obstacle, and notifies a user thereof, the moving obstacle being at a location not appearing in a composite bird's-eye view obtained by onboard cameras acquiring images of the surroundings of the vehicle including an image immediately under the vehicle body. The system has a composite image formation part that extracts composite image formation areas from the surrounding images to compose a composite bird's-eye image. A moving obstacle is detected using the surrounding images and it is decided whether the detected position of the moving obstacle is inside or outside the composite image formation areas. If the detected position is determined to be outside the composite image formation areas, information about the detected position is extracted and an image thereof is output for superimposition onto the composite bird's-eye image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshibumi Fukuda, Chieko Onuma, Hidefumi Ishimoto, Moritaka Oota, Yukihiro Kawamata
  • Publication number: 20150307024
    Abstract: A vehicle peripheral obstacle notification system, used on a construction machine, detects a moving obstacle, gives composite display of the detected moving obstacle, and notifies a user thereof, the moving obstacle being at a location not appearing in a composite bird's-eye view obtained by onboard cameras acquiring images of the surroundings of the vehicle including an image immediately under the vehicle body. The system has a composite image formation part that extracts composite image formation areas from the surrounding images to compose a composite bird's-eye image. A moving obstacle is detected using the surrounding images and it is decided whether the detected position of the moving obstacle is inside or outside the composite image formation areas. If the detected position is determined to be outside the composite image formation areas, information about the detected position is extracted and an image thereof is output for superimposition onto the composite bird's-eye image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshibumi FUKUDA, Chieko ONUMA, Hidefumi ISHIMOTO, Moritaka OOTA, Yukihiro KAWAMATA
  • Patent number: 9113047
    Abstract: This invention includes: an obstacle detection unit 400 that detects obstacles present around the working machine, by use of an image acquired by a camera 13; a position calculating unit 500 that calculates positions of each of the detected obstacles; a hazard zone calculating unit 700 that calculates a hazard zone based upon an attitude and motion of the working machine; a determining unit 800 that determines whether further obstacles are present in the calculated hazard zone; a risk level setting unit 2000 that sets a contact risk level for each of any obstacles present in the hazard zone; an image generating unit 600 that converts the camera image into a bird's-eye image centering upon the working machine, and then generates an image inclusive of all elements of the working machine and hazard zone on the bird's-eye image by further imaging the bird's-eye image diagonally from above an obstacle for which the highest contact risk level has been set by the risk level setting unit; and a display device 1300 th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Ryo Yumiba, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20130222573
    Abstract: This invention includes: an obstacle detection unit 400 that detects obstacles present around the working machine, by use of an image acquired by a camera 13; a position calculating unit 500 that calculates positions of each of the detected obstacles; a hazard zone calculating unit 700 that calculates a hazard zone based upon an attitude and motion of the working machine; a determining unit 800 that determines whether further obstacles are present in the calculated hazard zone; a risk level setting unit 2000 that sets a contact risk level for each of any obstacles present in the hazard zone; an image generating unit 600 that converts the camera image into a bird's-eye image centering upon the working machine, and then generates an image inclusive of all elements of the working machine and hazard zone on the bird's-eye image by further imaging the bird's-eye image diagonally from above an obstacle for which the highest contact risk level has been set by the risk level setting unit; and a display device 1300 th
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Ryo Yumiba, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 7999846
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus connected to a monitoring camera and a display for processing an image input from the monitoring camera includes an image storage storing an image input from the monitoring camera, a characteristic parameter storage storing a characteristic parameter characterizing a specific image, a specific image extraction unit, wherein the specific image extraction unit cuts out images having a plurality of predetermined sizes from all parts of the input image stored in the image storage, executes character evaluation processing for checking whether or not cut out images have an identical character to the specific image for each cut out image, and extracts the cut out images which has an identical character to the specific image by the character evaluation processing, and a display image generation unit for generating a display image for displaying a whole image of the input image and the extraction specific image on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Kazunori Takahashi, Chieko Onuma, Wataru Ito
  • Publication number: 20070126868
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus connected to a monitoring camera and a display for processing an image input from the monitoring camera includes an image storage storing an image input from the monitoring camera, a characteristic parameter storage storing a characteristic parameter characterizing a specific image, a specific image extraction unit, wherein the specific image extraction unit cuts out images having a plurality of predetermined sizes from all parts of the input image stored in the image storage, executes character evaluation processing for checking whether or not cut out images have an identical character to the specific image for each cut out image, and extracts the cut out images which has an identical character to the specific image by the character evaluation processing, and a display image generation unit for generating a display image for displaying a whole image of the input image and the extraction specific image on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Kazunori Takahashi, Chieko Onuma, Wataru Ito
  • Publication number: 20060013441
    Abstract: In order to precisely detect abnormal objects by use of a low-cost arrangement at high speeds while avoiding unwanted influence of variations of a light source and/or regularly vibrating objects in the environment concerned, there are provided a means 4200 for subdividing an image being input from a camera into blocks, an object candidate extraction unit 4700 which is operable to compare image data of a frame to be processed and image data of its immediately preceding frame in units of blocks to thereby extract an abnormal object candidate in accordance with the presence or absence of edges and a longitude-to-lateral edge radio change rate, and an object judging unit 4800 for determining or “judging” whether the abnormal object candidate is a true abnormal object or not, wherein the object judging unit 4800 regards it as an abnormal object in cases where movement of the abnormal object candidate was traceable for a prespecified length of time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Yoshiki Kobayashi, Hisao Oodawa, Hiroshi Shojima
  • Patent number: 6961447
    Abstract: In order to detect abnormal objects with a low-cost arrangement at high speeds while avoiding unwanted influence of variations of a light source and/or regularly vibrating objects in the environment concerned, there is provided a block data calculation unit 4200 inputted from a camera into blocks, an object candidate extraction unit 4700 which compares image data of a frame to be processed and the immediately preceding frame in units of blocks to thereby extract an abnormal object candidate in accordance with the presence or absence of edges and a longitude-to-lateral edge ratio change rate, and an object judging unit 4800 for determining or “judging” whether the abnormal object candidate is a true abnormal object, wherein it is an abnormal object where movement of the abnormal object candidate is traceable for a prespecified length of time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Yoshiki Kobayashi, Hisao Oodawa, Hiroshi Shojima
  • Publication number: 20050219523
    Abstract: A foreign matter detecting system which can acquire a clear image and detect a foreign matter with high accuracy based on the acquired image regardless of whether a subject is located far or near from an image capturing device in spite of a depth variation or a level difference. An image capturing unit having an externally controllable focus position is disposed above or below a liquid surface, and a ray of light from an LED is illuminated toward the liquid surface from above or the side at least at a focus position of the image capturing unit so that a foreign matter on the liquid surface causes mirror reflection. The focus position of the image capturing unit is changed over the range from the top of a container containing a liquid to the bottom thereof. At each focus position, an input image from the image capturing unit is taken into an image input unit of an image processing section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Mitsuji Ikeda, Noriko Ilzumi, Jun Maeda, Takashi Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20030222809
    Abstract: The invention provides a millimeter wave radar monitoring system, which can reduce the installation cost and can improve reliability with less probability of false alarms. A millimeter wave radar unit includes a millimeter wave radar having a transmitting antenna for radiating a radio wave and a receiving antenna for receiving a wave reflected by a target having received the radio wave radiated from the transmitting antenna, and includes a signal processing unit for the received radio wave. A target tracking and monitoring circuit section in a monitoring unit collates position information of the target detected by the millimeter wave radar unit with monitoring area layout information held in a monitoring area layout signal section, thereby tracking a motion of the target. The target is displayed on a display along with the monitoring area layout information. When it is determined that the target is a suspicious invader, a warning device issues an alarm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Terumi Nakazawa, Kenichi Mizuishi, Sanshirou Oabara, Chieko Onuma, Yoshiki Kobayashi, Jie Bai
  • Publication number: 20020154791
    Abstract: In order to precisely detect abnormal objects by use of a low-cost arrangement at high speeds while avoiding unwanted influence of variations of a light source and/or regularly vibrating objects in the environment concerned, there are provided a means 4200 for subdividing an image being input from a camera into blocks, an object candidate extraction unit 4700 which is operable to compare image data of a frame to be processed and image data of its immediately preceding frame in units of blocks to thereby extract an abnormal object candidate in accordance with the presence or absence of edges and a longitude-to-lateral edge radio change rate, and an object judging unit 4800 for determining or “judging” whether the abnormal object candidate is a true abnormal object or not, wherein the object judging unit 4800 regards it as an abnormal object in cases where movement of the abnormal object candidate was traceable for a prespecified length of time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Chieko Onuma, Yoshiki Kobayashi, Hisao Oodawa, Hiroshi Shojima
  • Patent number: 5095365
    Abstract: An abnormality monitoring system comprises controller for changing monitoring frequency according to the operating state of devices to be monitored and the degree of monitoring importance and controller for correcting an inputted monitor picture by computing a positional shift of the monitor picture to a reference picture using a mark position of the monitor picture and a mark position of the reference picture, wherein, when abnormality is detected, the contents of the abnormality and the contents of processing against the abnormality are displayed as a guidance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1992
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Takatoo, Chieko Onuma, Junzo Kawakami, Masayuki Fukai, Tadaaki Kitamura, Seiitsu Nigawara
  • Patent number: 5003616
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus having a character extraction unit for extracting an area whose density distribution characteristic meets a predetermined condition such as a binarization threshold and a size and a type of local filtering, from an input image of multiple gray levels, and extracts an object area as an output image from the input image by using the characteristic extraction unit. An area designation means designates an area having a uniform density distribution and containing the object area, to the input image. Condition determination means determines the condition for the characteristic extraction unit based on the density distribution characteristic of the input image in the designated area. In an image processing expert system, the image characteristics of the object image and the background in the area designated by the area designation means are evaluated and analyzed and the inquiry in the form of message is effected to quantize the evaluation of the image characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Miyahiko Orita, Morio Kanasaki, Yuji Toda, Tadaaki Mishima, Masato Suzuki, Chieko Onuma, Masao Takatoo