Patents by Inventor Hirotaka SAWA

Hirotaka SAWA 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: 10536681
    Abstract: A sound and video processing system includes: a display that displays a video image captured by the camera; a sound collector that collects sound; an input device that receives designation of at least one designated location in the video image displayed on the display. A processor generates emphasized audio data, in which sound is emphasized in at least one direction from a position of the sound collector toward at least one position corresponding to the at least one designated location. The processor displays at least one identification shape at the at least one designated location. In response to receiving re-designation of one of the at least one designated location by the input device, the processor outputs audio data in which emphasis of sound stops in a direction from the position of the sound collector toward the position corresponding to the re-designated location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sawa, Shinichi Shigenaga, Shuichi Watanabe, Hiroyuki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10244162
    Abstract: A directionality control system includes: a camera; a microphone provided as a separate body from the camera; a display that displays video data captured by the camera; and a processor that computes a sound collection direction, which is directed from the microphone toward a sound position corresponding to a designated position in the video data. The processor computes the sound collection direction by using parameters including: a first height of the camera from a reference surface, a second height of the microphone from the reference surface, a third height of a computation reference point from the reference surface, the computation reference point being positioned in the sound collection direction at a position different from the sound position, a direction which is directed from the camera toward the sound position, and a fourth height of the sound position from the reference surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sawa, Toshimichi Tokuda, Shinichi Shigenaga, Shuichi Watanabe, Shojiro Matsuo, Takashi Hirabara, Tadashi Maki, Hisashi Tsuji, Teppei Fukuda, Akitoshi Izumi, Shintaro Yoshikuni, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Kazunori Hayashi, Kosuke Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 10244219
    Abstract: A sound and video processing system includes: a display, having a rectangular display region, that displays a video image in a circular video-image display region smaller than the rectangular display region; and a sound collector that collects sound. A processor generates emphasized audio data, in which sound is emphasized in at least one direction from a position of the sound collector toward at least one position corresponding to at least one designated location in the video image. In response to receiving designation outside the video-image display region, the processor displays a state display area or an adjustment operation area for the sound to be output from the speaker in a rectangular region which has a diagonal line extending from one of four corners of the rectangular display region to a center of the video-image display region and intersecting with a boundary line of the video-image display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sawa, Shinichi Shigenaga, Shuichi Watanabe, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Akitoshi Izumi
  • Patent number: 10142727
    Abstract: A directivity control apparatus is provided which controls a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collector including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control apparatus forms a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a position of a monitoring target in an image displayed on a display. Information on the position of the monitoring target in the image displayed on the display is obtained. The directivity of the sound is changed toward the position of the monitoring target in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target by referring to the obtained information on the position of the monitoring target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Shigenaga, Akitoshi Izumi, Kazunori Hayashi, Toshimichi Tokuda, Hirotaka Sawa
  • Publication number: 20180199134
    Abstract: A directivity control apparatus is provided which controls a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collector including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control apparatus forms a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a position of a monitoring target in an image displayed on a display. Information on the position of the monitoring target in the image displayed on the display is obtained. The directivity of the sound is changed toward the position of the monitoring target in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target by referring to the obtained information on the position of the monitoring target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi SHIGENAGA, Akitoshi IZUMI, Kazunori HAYASHI, Toshimichi TOKUDA, Hirotaka SAWA
  • Publication number: 20180160032
    Abstract: A directionality control system includes: a camera; a microphone provided as a separate body from the camera; a display that displays video data captured by the camera; and a processor that computes a sound collection direction, which is directed from the microphone toward a sound position corresponding to a designated position in the video data. The processor computes the sound collection direction by using parameters including: a first height of the camera from a reference surface, a second height of the microphone from the reference surface, a third height of a computation reference point from the reference surface, the computation reference point being positioned in the sound collection direction at a position different from the sound position, a direction which is directed from the camera toward the sound position, and a fourth height of the sound position from the reference surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAWA, Toshimichi Tokuda, Shinichi Shigenaga, Shuichi Watanabe, Shojiro Matsuo, Takashi Hirabara, Tadashi Maki, Hisashi Tsuji, Teppei Fukuda, Akitoshi Izumi, Shintaro Yoshikuni, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Kazunori Hayashi, Kosuke Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 9961438
    Abstract: A directivity control method is provided for controlling a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collector including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control method includes: forming a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a monitoring target corresponding to a first designated position in an image displayed on a display; obtaining information on a second designated position in the image displayed on the display, designated in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target, and changing the directivity of the sound toward the monitoring target corresponding to the second designated position by referring to the information on the second designated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Shigenaga, Akitoshi Izumi, Kazunori Hayashi, Toshimichi Tokuda, Hirotaka Sawa
  • Publication number: 20180115760
    Abstract: A sound and video processing system includes: a display, having a rectangular display region, that displays a video image in a circular video-image display region smaller than the rectangular display region; and a sound collector that collects sound. A processor generates emphasized audio data, in which sound is emphasized in at least one direction from a position of the sound collector toward at least one position corresponding to at least one designated location in the video image. In response to receiving designation outside the video-image display region, the processor displays a state display area or an adjustment operation area for the sound to be output from the speaker in a rectangular region which has a diagonal line extending from one of four corners of the rectangular display region to a center of the video-image display region and intersecting with a boundary line of the video-image display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LT D.
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAWA, Shinichi SHIGENAGA, Toshimichi TOKUDA, Shintaro YOSHIKUNI, Shuichi WATANABE, Tadashi MAKI, Hirokazu TASAKA, Susumu ONO, Keisuke FUJIMOTO, Shojiro MATSUO, Teppei FUKUDA, Hiroyuki MATSUMOTO, Akitoshi IZUMI, Hisashi TSUJI, Kazunori HAYASHI, Ryoichi YUGE
  • Publication number: 20180115759
    Abstract: A sound and video processing system includes: a display that displays a video image captured by the camera; a sound collector that collects sound; an input device that receives designation of at least one designated location in the video image displayed on the display. A processor generates emphasized audio data, in which sound is emphasized in at least one direction from a position of the sound collector toward at least one position corresponding to the at least one designated location. The processor displays at least one identification shape at the at least one designated location. In response to receiving re-designation of one of the at least one designated location by the input device, the processor outputs audio data in which emphasis of sound stops in a direction from the position of the sound collector toward the position corresponding to the re-designated location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAWA, Shinichi SHIGENAGA, Toshimichi TOKUDA, Shintaro YOSHIKUNI, Shuichi WATANABE, Tadashi MAKI, Hirokazu TASAKA, Susumu ONO, Keisuke FUJIMOTO, Shojiro MATSUO, Teppei FUKUDA, Hiroyuki MATSUMOTO, Akitoshi IZUMI, Hisashi TSUJI, Kazunori HAYASHI, Ryoichi YUGE
  • Patent number: 9860439
    Abstract: Sound collection directionality is formed toward a location corresponding to a position designated in a video of a predetermined region which is imaged by a camera apparatus with a microphone array apparatus as a reference, and audio data is collected with high accuracy. In a directionality control system (10), a signal processing unit (33) derives a sound collection direction (?MAh,?MAv) which is directed from an installation position of a microphone array apparatus (2) toward a sound position corresponding to a position designated in video data on a screen of the display device (36) in response to a user's designation of any position in the video data displayed on the screen. The signal processing unit (33) forms sound collection directionality of audio data in the derived sound collection direction (?MAh,?MAv).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sawa, Toshimichi Tokuda, Shinichi Shigenaga, Shuichi Watanabe, Shojiro Matsuo, Takashi Hirabara, Tadashi Maki, Hisashi Tsuji, Teppei Fukuda, Akitoshi Izumi, Shintaro Yoshikuni, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Kazunori Hayashi, Kosuke Shinozaki
  • Patent number: 9826211
    Abstract: A recorder receives designation of a video which is desired to be reproduced from a user. If designation of one or more designated locations where sound is emphasized on a screen of a display which displays the video is received by the recorder from the user via an operation unit during reproduction or temporary stopping of the video, a signal processing unit performs an emphasis process on audio data, that is, the signal processing unit emphasizes audio data in directions directed toward positions corresponding to the designated locations from a microphone array by using audio data recorded in the recorder. A reproducing device reproduces the emphasis-processed audio data and video data in synchronization with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sawa, Shinichi Shigenaga, Toshimichi Tokuda, Shintaro Yoshikuni, Shuichi Watanabe, Tadashi Maki, Hirokazu Tasaka, Susumu Ono, Keisuke Fujimoto, Shojiro Matsuo, Teppei Fukuda, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Akitoshi Izumi, Hisashi Tsuji, Kazunori Hayashi, Ryoichi Yuge
  • Publication number: 20170325021
    Abstract: A directivity control method is provided for controlling a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collector including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control method includes: forming a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a monitoring target corresponding to a first designated position in an image displayed on a display; obtaining information on a second designated position in the image displayed on the display, designated in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target, and changing the directivity of the sound toward the monitoring target corresponding to the second designated position by referring to the information on the second designated position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi SHIGENAGA, Akitoshi IZUMI, Kazunori HAYASHI, Toshimichi TOKUDA, Hirotaka SAWA
  • Patent number: 9763001
    Abstract: A directivity control apparatus controls a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collecting unit including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control apparatus includes a directivity forming unit, configured to form a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a monitoring target corresponding to a first designated position in an image displayed on a display unit, and an information obtaining unit, configured to obtain information on a second designated position in the image displayed on the display unit, designated in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target. The directivity forming unit is configured to change the directivity of the sound toward the monitoring target corresponding to the second designated position by referring to the information on the second designated position obtained by the information obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Shigenaga, Akitoshi Izumi, Kazunori Hayashi, Toshimichi Tokuda, Hirotaka Sawa
  • Patent number: 9747454
    Abstract: A system includes an imaging part that captures an image, a sound collection part that collects sounds, a display part that displays image data captured by the imaging part, a directive direction calculation part that calculates a directive direction which directs toward a sound position corresponding to a designated position of the image data from the sound collection part when any position of the displayed image data is designated, and a control part that forms a directivity in the sounds in the calculated directive direction. The control part controls output of the sounds collected by the sound collection part or output of the sounds which are collected by the sound collection part and of which the directivity is formed, or suspends collection of sounds in the sound collection part, when it is determined that the sound position is included in a preset protection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Shigenaga, Hirotaka Sawa, Kazunori Hayashi, Toshimichi Tokuda, Shintaro Yoshikuni, Kosuke Shinozaki
  • Publication number: 20170164103
    Abstract: A directivity control apparatus controls a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collecting unit including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control apparatus includes a directivity forming unit, configured to form a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a monitoring target corresponding to a first designated position in an image displayed on a display unit, and an information obtaining unit, configured to obtain information on a second designated position in the image displayed on the display unit, designated in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target. The directivity forming unit is configured to change the directivity of the sound toward the monitoring target corresponding to the second designated position by referring to the information on the second designated position obtained by the information obtaining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LT D.
    Inventors: Shinichi SHIGENAGA, Akitoshi IZUMI, Kazunori HAYASHI, Toshimichi TOKUDA, Hirotaka SAWA
  • Patent number: 9622004
    Abstract: Provided a sound velocity correction device including an environmental parameter obtainer that acquires a measured value of a surrounding environmental parameter of a sound collector that collects a sound emitted from a sound source; and a sound velocity corrector that corrects a sound velocity of the sound which is used to form directivity in a directing direction toward the sound source from the sound collector, using the measured value of the surrounding environmental parameter of the sound collector which is acquired by the environmental parameter obtainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Shuichi Watanabe, Hisashi Tsuji, Akitoshi Izumi, Hirotaka Sawa
  • Patent number: 9621982
    Abstract: A directivity control apparatus controls a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collecting unit including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control apparatus includes a directivity forming unit, configured to form a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a monitoring target corresponding to a first designated position in an image displayed on a display unit, and an information obtaining unit, configured to obtain information on a second designated position in the image displayed on the display unit, designated in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target. The directivity forming unit is configured to change the directivity of the sound toward the monitoring target corresponding to the second designated position by referring to the information on the second designated position obtained by the information obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Shigenaga, Akitoshi Izumi, Kazunori Hayashi, Toshimichi Tokuda, Hirotaka Sawa
  • Patent number: 9578413
    Abstract: An audio processing system, includes: an audio collector that collects audio in a non-directivity state using audio collection elements; an operator receives an input of one or more designation directions for audio emphasis for switching from the non-directivity state to a directivity state; an emphasis processor that generates audio data in the directivity state obtained by performing an emphasis process on the audio data in the designation direction from the audio collector using audio data collected by the audio collector according to the input of the designation direction; a volume adjustor that adjusts volume of the audio data in a directivity state; and an audio output that outputs the audio in a non-directivity state collected by the audio collector or the audio in a directivity state after the volume has been adjusted by the volume adjustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Sawa, Toshimichi Tokuda, Shuichi Watanabe, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Hisashi Tsuji, Shintaro Yoshikuni
  • Patent number: 9549244
    Abstract: A directivity control system includes: a sound collection unit, configured to collect a sound; a display unit, configured to display a designation screen used to designate a directivity direction oriented from the sound collection unit to a first sound position; a directivity direction calculation unit, configured to calculate a horizontal angle and a vertical angle from the sound collection unit to the first sound position corresponding to the designated directivity direction in accordance with a designation of the directivity direction on the designation screen displayed by the display unit; and a control unit, configured to form directivity of the sound collected by the sound collection unit based on the horizontal angle and the vertical angle calculated by the directivity direction calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Shigenaga, Kazunori Hayashi, Toshimichi Tokuda, Hirotaka Sawa, Kosuke Shinozaki, Shuichi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20170006375
    Abstract: A directivity control apparatus controls a directivity of a sound collected by a first sound collecting unit including a plurality of microphones. The directivity control apparatus includes a directivity forming unit, configured to form a directivity of the sound in a direction toward a monitoring target corresponding to a first designated position in an image displayed on a display unit, and an information obtaining unit, configured to obtain information on a second designated position in the image displayed on the display unit, designated in accordance with a movement of the monitoring target. The directivity forming unit is configured to change the directivity of the sound toward the monitoring target corresponding to the second designated position by referring to the information on the second designated position obtained by the information obtaining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi SHIGENAGA, Akitoshi IZUMI, Kazunori HAYASHI, Toshimichi TOKUDA, Hirotaka SAWA