Patents by Inventor Itaru Kawakami

Itaru Kawakami 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: 8670048
    Abstract: An image-pickup apparatus includes an image-pickup section that picks up images to obtain picked-up-image-data items, a temporarily retaining section that temporarily retains the picked-up-image-data items, a storage-process section that performs a storage process on the picked-up-image-data items, a movement-detecting section that detects a movement of the image-pickup apparatus, an operation section that performs a shutter operation, and a control section that causes the temporarily retaining section to retain picked-up-image-data items in a shutter-operation period, that selects, on the basis of detection results obtained by the movement-detecting section in the shutter-operation period, a picked-up-image-data item from among the retained picked-up-image-data items, and that causes the storage-process section to perform the storage process on the selected picked-up-image-data item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akinobu Sugino, Nozomu Ozaki, Masamichi Asukai, Taiji Ito, Hidehiko Sekizawa, Akane Sano, Hirotaka Sakaguchi, Yoshiteru Kamatani, Yoichiro Sako, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8588469
    Abstract: An image processing method includes the steps of extracting edges from each of a plurality of original images, thereby obtaining edge images; extracting straight lines from the edge images, thereby obtaining line images; assuming extensions of the straight lines constituting the line images and setting vanishing points on the basis of the extensions; and trimming the plurality of original images so that positions of the vanishing points in the respective original images mutually match, thereby obtaining final images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami, Yoichiro Sako, Takayasu Kon, Yasunori Kamada
  • Publication number: 20130293009
    Abstract: There is provided an energy management device that sets a priority in a plurality of electric devices when power limitation is performed, receives a status signal from a predetermined electric device that is a priority changing target, and generates a control signal configured to change the priority of the predetermined electric device to be higher based on the status signal when the power limitation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichiro SAKO, Itaru KAWAKAMI, Tatsuya INOKUCHI, Kazutoshi SERITA
  • Publication number: 20130229562
    Abstract: An automatic image-capturing apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject so as to obtain captured image data; an automatic captured-image obtaining unit configured to automatically obtain the captured image data obtained by the image-capturing unit without being based on an operation of a user; an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction; and a control unit configured to control the obtaining operation performed by the automatic captured-image obtaining unit on the basis of information on the inclination in the pan direction or in the tilt direction, the inclination being detected by the inclination detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kamada, Takayasu Kon, Yoichiro Sako, Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8521007
    Abstract: An information processing method includes the steps of analyzing moving-image content including image data and audio data, extracting scene metadata characterizing each scene for each scene constituting the moving-image content, deciding a reproduction mode of the moving-image content according to at least one of a reproduction environment of the moving-image content and setting information set by a user, generating loss recovery information for recovering loss information lost by changing the reproduction mode of the moving-image content using the scene metadata according to the decided reproduction mode, and outputting the generated loss recovery information in accordance with the moving-image content to be reproduced in the decided reproduction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akifumi Kashiwagi, Hideki Noma, Tsugutomo Enami, Yoshihiro Manabe, Yuichi Abe, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8488012
    Abstract: An automatic image-capturing apparatus including an image-capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject so as to obtain captured image data; an automatic captured-image obtaining unit configured to automatically obtain the captured image data obtained by the image-capturing unit without being based on an operation of a user; an inclination detection unit configured to detect an inclination in at least one of a pan direction and a tilt direction; and a control unit configured to control the obtaining operation performed by the automatic captured-image obtaining unit on the basis of information on the inclination in the pan direction or in the tilt direction, the inclination being detected by the inclination detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kamada, Takayasu Kon, Yoichiro Sako, Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8347224
    Abstract: In a content viewing apparatus, an acquisition unit acquires a content set including one or more contents, and a conversion unit converts each content in the content set acquired by the acquisition unit into a predetermined format. An arrangement unit arranges indication information of each content subjected to the conversion performed by the conversion unit such that the indication information of each content is displayed on a display device in such a manner that indication information of each content is arranged along a time axis according to date/time information associated with each content thereby making it possible to use each content via the corresponding indication information. In accordance with an operation command input by a user, a display control unit controls displaying of the indication information of all contents as a whole, displayed on the display device by the arrangement unit, along the time axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Abe, Yoichiro Sako, Itaru Kawakami, Mitsuru Takehara, Takatoshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20120275720
    Abstract: An image processing method includes the steps of extracting edges from each of a plurality of original images, thereby obtaining edge images; extracting straight lines from the edge images, thereby obtaining line images; assuming extensions of the straight lines constituting the line images and setting vanishing points on the basis of the extensions; and trimming the plurality of original images so that positions of the vanishing points in the respective original images mutually match, thereby obtaining final images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami, Yoichiro Sako, Takayasu Kon, Yasunori Kamada
  • Patent number: 8270825
    Abstract: A photographic apparatus infers a user's photographic intent and accordingly switches between a manual shoot mode and an automatic shoot mode. In the manual shoot mode, processing to save photographic image data is timed in accordance with the user operating a user-operable shutter element, while in the automatic shoot mode, such processing is conducted independently of shutter element operations. A photographic unit photographs a scene, acquires photographic image data of a subject, and then executes processing for saving the photographic image data. An intention judgment information detector detects intention judgment information used to judge the photographic intent of the user. A controller makes an intention judgment using the intention judgment information from the intention judgment information detector, and according to the intention judgment result, causes the photographic unit to selectively execute the operations for one of the modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kamada, Takayasu Kon, Yoichiro Sako, Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8234565
    Abstract: The present invention provides an information presentation method for presenting specific information in a basic presentation frame image on a display, the method comprising the steps of: indicating a time axis in the basic presentation frame image in one direction of the basic presentation frame image; providing a presentation area extended along the time axis in the basic presentation frame image; and presenting the specific information in the presentation area at a location along the time axis indicated by and corresponding to chronological information pertained to the specific information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Itaru Kawakami, Mitsuru Takehara, Takatoshi Nakamura, Yuichi Abe, Motoyuki Takai
  • Patent number: 8218820
    Abstract: An image processing method includes the steps of extracting edges from each of a plurality of original images, thereby obtaining edge images; extracting straight lines from the edge images, thereby obtaining line images; assuming extensions of the straight lines constituting the line images and setting vanishing points on the basis of the extensions; and trimming the plurality of original images so that positions of the vanishing points in the respective original images mutually match, thereby obtaining final images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami, Yoichiro Sako, Takayasu Kon, Yasunori Kamada
  • Patent number: 8185821
    Abstract: A method of generating a table in which data having time or period information is laid out at corresponding positions along a chronological axis includes the steps of displaying a table generating screen including a table generating area; displaying the chronological axis in the table generating area; obtaining a plurality of pieces of the data according to a selecting instruction; and generating the table by laying out the plurality of pieces of the data in the table generating area along the chronological axis on the basis of the time or period information of the individual pieces of the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Mitsuru Takehara, Yuichi Abe, Takatoshi Nakamura, Itaru Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20120026334
    Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing unit configured to capture image data of a subject and to store the captured image data in an image-capturing operation; a speed detector configured to detect speed information; and a controller configured to control the image-capturing unit so that, in an automatic image-capturing process that is not based on a shutter operation of a user, a distance moved by the image-capturing apparatus is computed on the basis of information from the speed detector, and the image-capturing operation is performed in response to the fact that a computation result indicating that the image-capturing apparatus has moved a predetermined distance is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kamada, Takayasu Kon, Yoichiro Sako, Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8107771
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image-processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a taken-image acquisition section configured to acquire a taken image; and a to-be-processed area setting section configured to carry out an analysis on a taken image acquired by the taken-image acquisition section and configured to use the pixel area of a photographed-subject image of a specific type in the taken image as a to-be-processed area of an image conversion process in accordance with the size of the photographed-subject image if a result of the analysis indicates that the photographed-subject image exists in the taken image. The apparatus further includes an image conversion section configured to carry out the image conversion process on the photographed-subject image with the pixel area thereof used as the to-be-processed area in order to generate a post-conversion image obtained as a result of the image conversion process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Masamichi Asukai, Itaru Kawakami, Masaaki Tsuruta, Nozomu Ozaki, Hirotaka Sakaguchi, Taiji Ito, Akinobu Sugino, Hidehiko Sekizawa, Akane Sano, Yoshiteru Kamatani, Kouichi Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20120007565
    Abstract: There is provided a charging apparatus including a connection unit to which a device is to be connected, a charging unit for charging the device connected to the connection unit, a history acquisition unit for acquiring a history of content use stored in the device, a timing prediction unit for predicting a timing of use of the device based on the history of content use acquired by the history acquisition unit, and a charge control unit for controlling the charging unit such that the device connected to the connection unit becomes fully charged at a timing suitable for the timing predicted by the timing prediction unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Junko Saito, Hiroshi Kawashima, Kei Yamashita, Tomoyuki Ono, Masaya Kimura, Kayoko Tanaka, Hideki Noma, Jin Pan, Yukiyoshi Hirose, Ryoki Honjo, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8095406
    Abstract: A content display method is disclosed. The content display method includes the steps of: accepting an instruction input to create a target calendar; extracting a content that indication information has to be displayed in an elapsed period having already passed and a content that indication information has to be displayed in a non-elapsed period to pass from now on in the target calendar based on the instruction input accepted through the accepting step; and arranging the indication information of each of the contents extracted in the extracting step in a corresponding date in a target calendar and displaying the target calendar on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Nakamura, Yoichiro Sako, Itaru Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20110316817
    Abstract: Provided is a server apparatus including a storing unit that stores a correspondence between terminal information of one or more information processing terminals connected via a network and one or more pieces of display control information associated with display screens of the information processing terminals; an adding unit that adds a new correspondence between the terminal information of the information processing terminal and the display control information to the storing unit in response to a user operation of at least one information processing terminal; an image data generating unit that generates image data to be displayed on the display screen of the information processing terminal based on the correspondence stored in the storing unit when an access from at least one information processing terminal is made; and a transmitting unit that transmits the image data generated by the image generating unit to the information processing terminal that has made the access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Kazuko Yamada, Itaru Kawakami, Mitsuru Takehara, Kazuhiro Shitama
  • Publication number: 20110305432
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus which includes a subtitle processing unit for extracting a subtitle feature quantity representing a feature of a content from subtitle information included in the content, a subtitle feature quantity accumulation unit for associating and storing identification information capable of identifying the content and the subtitle feature quantity extracted from the content by the subtitle processing unit, a subtitle feature quantity collation unit for collating the subtitle feature quantity stored in the subtitle feature quantity accumulation unit and a subtitle feature quantity to be determined, thereby determining sameness between the content corresponding to the subtitle feature quantity stored in the subtitle feature quantity accumulation unit and a content corresponding to the subtitle feature quantity to be determined, and a collation result output unit for outputting a collation result of the subtitle feature quantity collation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshihiro MANABE, Yuichi Abe, Hideki Noma, Tsugutomo Enami, Akifumi Kashiwagi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8063952
    Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing unit configured to capture image data of a subject and to store the captured image data in an image-capturing operation; a speed detector configured to detect speed information; and a controller configured to control the image-capturing unit so that, in an automatic image-capturing process that is not based on a shutter operation of a user, a distance moved by the image-capturing apparatus is computed on the basis of information from the speed detector, and the image-capturing operation is performed in response to the fact that a computation result indicating that the image-capturing apparatus has moved a predetermined distance is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Kamada, Takayasu Kon, Yoichiro Sako, Kazunori Hayashi, Itaru Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20110274406
    Abstract: An information processing method includes the steps of analyzing moving-image content including image data and audio data, extracting scene metadata characterizing each scene for each scene constituting the moving-image content, deciding a reproduction mode of the moving-image content according to at least one of a reproduction environment of the moving-image content and setting information set by a user, generating loss recovery information for recovering loss information lost by changing the reproduction mode of the moving-image content using the scene metadata according to the decided reproduction mode, and outputting the generated loss recovery information in accordance with the moving-image content to be reproduced in the decided reproduction mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Akifumi KASHIWAGI, Hideki NOMA, Tsugutomo ENAMI, Yoshihiro MANABE, Yuichi ABE, Itaru KAWAKAMI