Patents by Inventor Hirohisa Imai
Hirohisa Imai 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).
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Patent number: 11528785Abstract: A heating cooker according to the present disclosure includes a heating chamber, a heating unit, a capturing unit, a control unit, an appearance characteristic analysis unit that analyzes an appearance characteristic of a heated material, an information reading unit that reads heating control information, an information storage unit in which an acceptable range of the heating control information is registered, and an information determination unit that determines whether the heating control information read by the information reading unit is within the acceptable range. When the heating control information read by the information reading unit is within the acceptable range, the control unit executes heating control based on the heating control information read by the information reading unit.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2017Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Shota Nakajima, Hirohisa Imai, Gantetsu Matsui, Hirokazu Kusuura
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Publication number: 20220151037Abstract: A heating cooker includes a heating cavity for accommodating a heating target, an imager for capturing an image of an interior of the heating cavity, and an exposure controller for performing exposure control. The exposure controller is operable to perform the exposure control based on gray level information obtained from the image captured by the imager. As a result, it is possible to acquire an image for recognition after accurately detecting the illuminance of the interior of the heating cavity and performing exposure control.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2019Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: NAOYA TANIGUCHI, HIROHISA IMAI, GANTETSU MATSUI, SHINYA IWADARE
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Patent number: 11229093Abstract: A cooker includes a heating chamber configured to accommodate an object to be heated, a heater configured to heat the object to be heated accommodated in the heating chamber, heating controller (14) configured to control the heater for heating, an image capturing unit configured to capture an image inside the heating chamber, and mark detector (28) configured to detect a specific mark from the image captured by the image capturing unit. Heating controller (14) disallows or allows heating by the heater, based on a result of detection by mark detector (28).Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2017Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hirohisa Imai, Gantetsu Matsui, Hirokazu Kusuura
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Patent number: 11055563Abstract: A heating cooker includes a heating chamber that houses food, a heating unit that heats the food, an imaging unit that acquires image data on the food after the food has been housed in the heating chamber, a setting unit that accepts a user input relating to heating control content defining a heating operation, a storage unit that stores control information in which the image data and the heating control content corresponding to the food specified from the image data are associated with each other, a heating start button that orders the start of the heating operation, and a storage update unit that associates the image data and the heating control content with each other and updates the control information within the storage unit, when the setting unit accepts the user input and then the heating start button orders the start of the heating operation.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2014Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hirohisa Imai, Hiroyoshi Nomura, Koichiro Yamashita
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Patent number: 11051370Abstract: A device for cooking by heating comprises: a heating unit for heating food that is accommodated in a cooking cavity, a setting unit for setting a heating control content of the heating unit, a display unit for displaying the heating control content set by setting unit, and a display controller for controlling display on the display unit. Moreover, the device for cooking by heating comprises: an image capturing unit for capturing the inside of the cooking cavity, and a storage unit for storing an image captured by image capturing unit and the heating control content set by setting unit in a correspondence table in association with each other. The display controller controls display so as to display images stored in the storage unit in a list on the display unit, and the setting unit sets, based on selection of an image from the list, the associated heating control content in the correspondence table in the storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2015Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hirohisa Imai, Koichiro Yamashita
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Patent number: 10986703Abstract: Heating control information recognizing unit recognizes heating control information of an object to be heated from an image of the inside of heating chamber captured by imaging unit, and heating controller controls heating unit based on the heating control information. When it is difficult for heating control information recognizing unit to perform recognition, disposing position guide unit guides the object to be heated to a capturing range of imaging unit. It is thus possible to recognize the heating control information with a simple configuration including a single camera functioning as imaging unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2017Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hirohisa Imai, Gantetsu Matsui, Naoya Taniguchi, Mariko Takenouchi, Saki Takakura
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Patent number: 10939508Abstract: A cooker is configured such that reader (19) reads heating control information attached to food from an image of an interior of heating chamber (12) captured by imaging unit (16), correction calculator (29) performs correction calculation based on the heating control information, and heating controller (14) controls heating unit (13) based on a result of the correction calculation.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2017Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hirohisa Imai, Gantetsu Matsui
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Patent number: 10716174Abstract: A heating cooker includes shooting section (201) for shooting an image inside a heating chamber that accommodates a heat-target object, and controller (200) that sets a shooting condition for shooting the image of an interior of the heating chamber and carries out an image recognition to the image. Controller (200) analyzes the image of the interior of the heating chamber, thereby recognizing a state inside the heating chamber, and then changes the shooting condition in response to the state inside the heating chamber for shooting the image. The structure discussed above allows this heating cooker (100a), which carries out the image recognition to the image of the interior of the heating chamber, to achieve a greater accuracy in the image recognition.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2016Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Gantetsu Matsui, Hirohisa Imai
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Patent number: 10674568Abstract: Provided are a heating unit, an imaging unit that captures an image of an interior of a heating chamber, a setting unit that sets heating control details, and a storage that registers the captured image and the set heating control details in association with each other. Further provided area plural-article determination unit that determines whether a plurality of types of foods are present, a similarity determination unit that determines a degree of similarity of a plurality of images, a control detail identification unit that identifies heating control details corresponding to a food included in a captured image in accordance with a determination result obtained by the similarity determination unit, and a controller. The controller presents heating control details indicating each food on a display unit in accordance with a number of the foods. This configuration can provide a heating cooker capable of facilitating heating control setting.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2016Date of Patent: June 2, 2020Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Keiko Noda, Hirohisa Imai
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Patent number: 10616962Abstract: A heating cooker includes a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a heating unit heating the object to be heated stored in the heating chamber, an imaging unit imaging an inside of the heating chamber, and a reading unit extracting a character of heating control information from an attachment attached to the object to be heated and reading that character. The heating cooker further includes a heating control unit controlling the heating unit based on the heating control information read by the reading unit. In this manner, heating time can be automatically set without a clerk having to input a product heating time or select a button corresponding to a product and a hassle attributable to registration of a relationship between a product code and the heating time can be avoided.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2016Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hirohisa Imai
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Publication number: 20190261469Abstract: A cooker includes a heating chamber configured to accommodate an object to be heated, a heater configured to heat the object to be heated accommodated in the heating chamber, heating controller (14) configured to control the heater for heating, an image capturing unit configured to capture an image inside the heating chamber, and mark detector (28) configured to detect a specific mark from the image captured by the image capturing unit. Heating controller (14) disallows or allows heating by the heater, based on a result of detection by mark detector (28).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2017Publication date: August 22, 2019Inventors: HIROHISA IMAI, GANTETSU MATSUI, HIROKAZU KUSUURA
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Publication number: 20190141797Abstract: Heating control information recognizing unit recognizes heating control information of an object to be heated from an image of the inside of heating chamber captured by imaging unit, and heating controller controls heating unit based on the heating control information. When it is difficult for heating control information recognizing unit to perform recognition, disposing position guide unit guides the object to be heated to a capturing range of imaging unit. It is thus possible to recognize the heating control information with a simple configuration including a single camera functioning as imaging unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2017Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventors: HIROHISA IMAI, GANTETSU MATSUI, NAOYA TANIGUCHI, MARIKO TAKENOUCHI, SAKI TAKAKURA
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Publication number: 20190098708Abstract: A heating cooker according to the present disclosure includes a heating chamber, a heating unit, a capturing unit, a control unit, an appearance characteristic analysis unit that analyzes an appearance characteristic of a heated material, an information reading unit that reads heating control information, an information storage unit in which an acceptable range of the heating control information is registered, and an information determination unit that determines whether the heating control information read by the information reading unit is within the acceptable range. When the heating control information read by the information reading unit is within the acceptable range, the control unit executes heating control based on the heating control information read by the information reading unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2017Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: SHOTA NAKAJIMA, HIROHISA IMAI, GANTETSU MATSUI, HIROKAZU KUSUURA
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Publication number: 20190053336Abstract: A cooker is configured such that reader (19) reads heating control information attached to food from an image of an interior of heating chamber (12) captured by imaging unit (16), correction calculator (29) performs correction calculation based on the heating control information, and heating controller (14) controls heating unit (13) based on a result of the correction calculation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2017Publication date: February 14, 2019Inventors: HIROHISA IMAI, GANTETSU MATSUI
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Publication number: 20190014625Abstract: A heat-cooking device includes shape information reading and analyzing unit (204), information storage unit (205), and controller (203). In a case where shape information read by shape information reading and analyzing unit (204) has been registered in information storage unit (205), the heat-cooking device performs heating control based on heating control information registered in information storage unit (205) with being associated with the shape information. In a case where the shape information read by shape information reading and analyzing unit (204) has not been registered in information storage unit (205), a shape of a label attached to an object to be heated or a character printed on the label is read from an image taken by imaging unit (202), and the heat-cooking device performs heating control based information thus read.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2018Publication date: January 10, 2019Inventors: GANTETSU MATSUI, HIROHISA IMAI
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Publication number: 20180279425Abstract: A heating cooker includes shooting section (201) for shooting an image inside a heating chamber that accommodates a heat-target object, and controller (200) that sets a shooting condition for shooting the image of an interior of the heating chamber and carries out an image recognition to the image. Controller (200) analyzes the image of the interior of the heating chamber, thereby recognizing a state inside the heating chamber, and then changes the shooting condition in response to the state inside the heating chamber for shooting the image. The structure discussed above allows this heating cooker (100a), which carries out the image recognition to the image of the interior of the heating chamber, to achieve a greater accuracy in the image recognition.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2016Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: GANTETSU MATSUI, HIROHISA IMAI
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Publication number: 20180242410Abstract: In a heating cooker, when an image of an inside of heating compartment (12) is captured by imaging unit (19) before heating, controller (100) determines whether or not the image can be recognized by recognition unit (103). When the image cannot be recognized by recognition unit (103), controller (100) determines that capturing cannot be performed due to existence of a blade portion of stirrer blade (14a) in front of imaging unit (19), and drives motor (15a) by controlling rotation controller (102) thus rotating stirrer blade (14a) by a predetermined angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2018Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Hirohisa Imai, Gantetsu Matsui
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Publication number: 20180152995Abstract: Provided are a heating unit, an imaging unit that captures an image of an interior of a heating chamber, a setting unit that sets heating control details, and a storage that registers the captured image and the set heating control details in association with each other. Further provided area plural-article determination unit that determines whether a plurality of types of foods are present, a similarity determination unit that determines a degree of similarity of a plurality of images, a control detail identification unit that identifies heating control details corresponding to a food included in a captured image in accordance with a determination result obtained by the similarity determination unit, and a controller. The controller presents heating control details indicating each food on a display unit in accordance with a number of the foods. This configuration can provide a heating cooker capable of facilitating heating control setting.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2016Publication date: May 31, 2018Inventors: KEIKO NODA, HIROHISA IMAI
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Publication number: 20170280515Abstract: A device for cooking by heating comprises: a heating unit for heating food that is accommodated in a cooking cavity, a setting unit for setting a heating control content of the heating unit, a display unit for displaying the heating control content set by setting unit, and a display controller for controlling display on the display unit. Moreover, the device for cooking by heating comprises: an image capturing unit for capturing the inside of the cooking cavity, and a storage unit for storing an image captured by image capturing unit and the heating control content set by setting unit in a correspondence table in association with each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2015Publication date: September 28, 2017Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: HIROHISA IMAI, KOICHIRO YAMASHITA
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Publication number: 20170223782Abstract: A heating cooker includes a heating chamber in which an object to be heated is stored, a heating unit heating the object to be heated stored in the heating chamber, an imaging unit imaging an inside of the heating chamber, and a reading unit extracting a character of heating control information from an attachment attached to the object to be heated and reading that character. The heating cooker further includes a heating control unit controlling the heating unit based on the heating control information read by the reading unit. In this manner, heating time can be automatically set without a clerk having to input a product heating time or select a button corresponding to a product and a hassle attributable to registration of a relationship between a product code and the heating time can be avoided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2016Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventor: Hirohisa IMAI