Patents by Inventor Junichi Funada

Junichi Funada 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: 7991885
    Abstract: A remote operation robot system for having a robot perform a task by remote operation includes an operating device connected to a communication network, an operating terminal connected to the network, and a server. The operated device performs the task in accordance with a remote operation via the communication network. The operating terminal operates the operated device via the communication network. The server holds operated side information about a request, from a device user of the operated device, to have the task performed. The server holds operating side information about a request, from a terminal operator of the operating terminal, to perform the task. The server determines a combination of the operated device and the operating terminal that operates the operated device based on the operated side information and the operating side information, and notifies the operated device and the operating terminal of the combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohito Ando, Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20110125700
    Abstract: A model to predict a transition of a user's usage for a terminal device is generated from an operation record. A usage cluster generating unit (111) generates multiple user groups (131) consisting of users whose characteristic values representing a usage characteristic calculated from operation record information are similar according to the operation record information of the multiple first users of the terminal device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20110117537
    Abstract: Predicting a transition of usage of a user on a terminal device. A trajectory made by dividing operation history information of a user on the terminal device by time, calculating a group of feature amount representing the usage for each piece of the operation history information in each division section, and connecting points corresponding to the group of feature amount on a space based on the feature amount is referred to as a usage trajectory. A processing device 110 compares the usage trajectory of each reference user calculated from the operation history information of a plurality of reference users with the usage trajectory calculated from the operation history information of a user to be analyzed, and estimates future usage of the user to be analyzed from the usage trajectory of the reference user that is similar to the usage trajectory of the user to be analyzed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20100241693
    Abstract: [PROBLEMS] To provide a remote operation system with improved device user friendliness. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] A server holds operated side information about requests of the users to have operated devices perform tasks and operating side information about requests that the operators of operating terminals perform tasks. The server determines a combination of the operated device and the operating terminal for operating this operated device on the basis of the operated side information and the operating side information and notifies the operated device and the operating terminal thereof. The operating terminal operates the operated device via a communication network. The operated device works in accordance with this operation to perform a task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Tomohito Ando, Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20100188188
    Abstract: A sensing device includes a situation acquisition unit acquiring information on situation of a site of interest sensed; a sensing range change unit changing sensing range of the situation acquisition unit; a position identification unit identifying position of the situation acquisition unit; and a sensing operation controlling unit which detects inhibited content, a subject of inhibition of transmission, from the information on the situation of the site of interest. If the inhibited content has been detected, the sensing operation controlling unit calculates position of the inhibited content based on the position identification information from the position identification unit. The sensing operation controlling unit controls the sensing range change unit, based on the position identification information including the position of inhibited content calculated, so that the position of inhibited content is not contained in the sensing range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Junichi Funada, Tomohito Ando
  • Publication number: 20090262604
    Abstract: To measure an accurate positional relationship between an ultrasonic tag and a microphone and identify a sound source position, even if an object is present between the ultrasonic tag and the microphone. When a radio transmission unit transmits a radio wave, an ultrasonic wave transmission unit of an ultrasonic tag receives it and transmits an ultrasonic wave. Then, a plurality of microphones in an ultrasonic wave reception array unit receive the ultrasonic wave. A propagation time calculation unit calculates a time from when the radio wave is transmitted by the radio transmission unit till when an ultrasonic wave reaches each of the microphones in the ultrasonic wave reception array unit. A position estimation unit calculates the position (sound source) of the ultrasonic tag according to the arrival time at each of the microphones and the result of object detection while considering reflection of the ultrasonic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 7308120
    Abstract: A facial image identifying apparatus checks a facial image of a user captured by an image capturing unit such as a camera or the like against facial images of registered users for thereby identifying the user. When the facial image identifying apparatus starts to detect a facial image of an examinee user, it determines whether a situation of the image captured by the image capturing unit is appropriate to detect the facial image. If the situation is judged as being inappropriate, then information representing that the situation is inappropriate is presented to the examinee user. Based on the presented information, the examinee user can make an action to improve the situation of the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Miki Sato, Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 7298270
    Abstract: An IC tag administration device includes an information reader which reads original information from an IC tag added to a product, a transformation unit which transforms the original information read by the information reader to information, to which a predetermined local rule is applied, under the local rule, and an information writing unit which rewrites the original information of the IC tag by using the local rule applied information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Ishiguro, Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 7248721
    Abstract: A facial image identifying apparatus checks a facial image of a user captured by an image capturing unit such as a camera or the like against facial images of registered users for thereby identifying the user. When the facial image identifying apparatus starts to detect a facial image of an examinee user, it determines whether a situation of the image captured by the image capturing unit is appropriate to detect the facial image. If the situation is judged as being inappropriate, then information representing that the situation is inappropriate is presented to the examinee user. Based on the presented information, the examinee user can make an action to improve the situation of the captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Miki Sato, Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20070110286
    Abstract: A facial image identifying apparatus checks a facial image of a user captured by an image capturing unit such as a camera or the like against facial images of registered users for thereby identifying the user. When the facial image identifying apparatus starts to detect a facial image of an examinee user, it determines whether a situation of the image captured by the image capturing unit is appropriate to detect the facial image. If the situation is judged as being inappropriate, then information representing that the situation is inappropriate is presented to the examinee user. Based on the presented information, the examinee user can make an action to improve the situation of the captured image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miki SATO, Junichi FUNADA
  • Publication number: 20060049944
    Abstract: An IC tag administration device includes an information reader which reads original information from an IC tag added to a product, a transformation unit which transforms the original information read by the information reader to information, to which a predetermined local rule is applied, under the local rule, and an information writing unit which rewrites the original information of the IC tag by using the local rule applied information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Applicant: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Ishiguro, Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 6961451
    Abstract: The region feature judging part judges whether local regions are regions including ridges only or regions including a mixture of creases and ridges, and the suitable ridge image selecting part selects images showing ridges among ridge candidate images based on evaluation criteria adapted to each of the crease and ridge mixed regions and ridge exclusive regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 6819978
    Abstract: A robot is provided, wherein it is possible to reduce incorrect identification in the case of executing face identification in a place where lighting variations are large such as in a house and in a place where there exists a lighting environment that is bad for identification. A face area of a person is detected from an image picked up at an imaging means and stored, and a face detecting and identifying means identifies a person using face image information stored before then. An identification result reliability calculating means calculates, using information from the imaging means, whether or not a present lighting state is suitable for face identification. When the result of calculation indicates that the lighting state is not suitable for face identification, the robot is moved by a moving means. Thereby, incorrect identification can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 6732016
    Abstract: An identification environment determining method includes converting a captured image into digital information, detecting a face area of a person from the digital image to store the face area, and identifying the person using a stored image and face image information that is referred for identification, informing a user about a result of identification acquired, inputting information obtained by having the user judge whether the result of identification is correct or incorrect, determining whether a present lighting environment is suitable for identification, controlling a robot, and moving the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20030185424
    Abstract: A facial image identifying apparatus checks a facial image of a user captured by an image capturing unit such as a camera or the like against facial images of registered users for thereby identifying the user. When the facial image identifying apparatus starts to detect a facial image of an examinee user, it determines whether a situation of the image captured by the image capturing unit is appropriate to detect the facial image. If the situation is judged as being inappropriate, then information representing that the situation is inappropriate is presented to the examinee user. Based on the presented information, the examinee user can make an action to improve the situation of the captured image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miki Sato, Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20030088335
    Abstract: A robot is provided, wherein it is possible to reduce incorrect identification in the case of executing face identification in a place where lighting variations are large such as in a house and in a place where there exists a lighting environment that is bad for identification. A face area of a person is detected from an image picked up at an imaging means and stored, and a face detecting and identifying means identifies a person using face image information stored before then. An identification result reliability calculating means calculates, using information from the imaging means, whether or not a present lighting state is suitable for face identification. When the result of calculation indicates that the lighting state is not suitable for face identification, the robot is moved by a moving means. Thereby, incorrect identification can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20030083785
    Abstract: A robot is provided, wherein it is possible to reduce incorrect identification in the case of executing face identification in a place where lighting variations are large such as in a house and in a place where there exists a lighting environment that is bad for identification. A face area of a person is detected from an image picked up at an imaging means and stored, and a face detecting and identifying means identifies a person using face image information stored before then. An identification result reliability calculating means calculates, using information from the imaging means, whether or not a present lighting state is suitable for face identification. When the result of calculation indicates that the lighting state is not suitable for face identification, the robot is moved by a moving means. Thereby, incorrect identification can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Patent number: 6516247
    Abstract: A robot is provided, wherein it is possible to reduce incorrect identification in the case of executing face identification in a place where lighting variations are large such as in a house and in a place where there exists a lighting environment that is bad for identification. A face area of a person is detected from an image picked up at an imaging device and stored, and a face detecting and identifying device identifies a person using face image information stored before then. An identification result reliability calculating device calculates, using information from the imaging device, whether or not a present lighting state is suitable for face identification. When the result of calculation indicates that the lighting state is not suitable for face identification, the robot is moved by a moving means. Thereby, incorrect identification can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20020164055
    Abstract: The region feature judging part judges whether local regions are regions including ridges only or regions including a mixture of creases and ridges, and the suitable ridge image selecting part selects images showing ridges among ridge candidate images based on evaluation criteria adapted to each of the crease and ridge mixed regions and ridge exclusive regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2002
    Publication date: November 7, 2002
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi Funada
  • Publication number: 20020103574
    Abstract: A robot is provided, wherein it is possible to reduce incorrect identification in the case of executing face identification in a place where lighting variations are large such as in a house and in a place where there exists a lighting environment that is bad for identification. A face area of a person is detected from an image picked up at an imaging means and stored, and a face detecting and identifying means identifies a person using face image information stored before then. An identification result reliability calculating means calculates, using information from the imaging means, whether or not a present lighting state is suitable for face identification. When the result of calculation indicates that the lighting state is not suitable for face identification, the robot is moved by a moving means. Thereby, incorrect identification can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventor: Junichi Funada