Patents by Inventor Katsuhisa Shinmei

Katsuhisa Shinmei 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: 9460532
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including a recorded image signal exposure information corrector that, on the basis of information related to different exposure times, corrects a recorded image signal recorded with the different exposure times, a mixing coefficient calculator that calculates a mixing coefficient used for mixing the corrected recorded image signal with a mixed image signal, in which recorded image signals recorded with the different exposure times are mixed, retrieved from a storage unit that saves the mixed image signal, and a mixer that outputs the mixed image signal in which the mixed image signal retrieved from the storage unit and the corrected recorded image signal are mixed on the basis of the mixing coefficients, and writes the mixed image signal to the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazunori Yamaguchi, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 9030573
    Abstract: A camera system, image processing method and computer program stored on a computer readable medium for image processing. Long and short accumulation images with longer and shorter exposure times are respectively obtained from one field. First and second long accumulation evaluation values are computed from the long accumulation image. A short accumulation evaluation value is computed from the short accumulation image. A short accumulation target exposure time and short accumulation exposure control information are acquired from the short accumulation evaluation value and a first target level. A long accumulation evaluation value is acquired by synthesizing the first and second long accumulation evaluation values. Long accumulation exposure control information is acquired from the long accumulation evaluation value and a second target level. An image is generated from the long accumulation image and the short accumulation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 8970727
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including a synthesizing processing section configured to synthesize a plurality of images taken at different exposure times wherein, in processing to synthesize the taken images, the synthesizing processing section acquires a taken-image blending ratio varying in accordance with components selected from the taken images and carries out a blending process on a blend area in which pixels of the taken images are to be blended by applying the blending ratio to the blend area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Shinmei, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima
  • Publication number: 20140300771
    Abstract: A camera system, image processing method and computer program stored on a computer readable medium for image processing. Long and short accumulation images with longer and shorter exposure times are respectively obtained from one field. First and second long accumulation evaluation values are computed from the long accumulation image. A short accumulation evaluation value is computed from the short accumulation image. A short accumulation target exposure time and short accumulation exposure control information are acquired from the short accumulation evaluation value and a first target level. A long accumulation evaluation value is acquired by synthesizing the first and second long accumulation evaluation values. Long accumulation exposure control information is acquired from the long accumulation evaluation value and a second target level. An image is generated from the long accumulation image and the short accumulation image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 8786726
    Abstract: A camera system, image processing method and computer program stored on a computer readable medium for image processing. Long and short accumulation images with longer and shorter exposure times are respectively obtained from one field. First and second long accumulation evaluation values are computed from the long accumulation image. A short accumulation evaluation value is computed from the short accumulation image. A short accumulation target exposure time and short accumulation exposure control information are acquired from the short accumulation evaluation value and a first target level. A long accumulation evaluation value is acquired by synthesizing the first and second long accumulation evaluation values. Long accumulation exposure control information is acquired from the long accumulation evaluation value and a second target level. An image is generated from the long accumulation image and the short accumulation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 8670043
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including a color-flicker detection processing section configured to detect generation of color flickers from a plurality of images taken at different exposure times, wherein the color-flicker detection processing section: acquires a ratio of any specific one of a plurality of color signals of the taken images to another one of the color signals; obtains an evaluation value of the color flickers from the acquired ratio; and determines whether or not the color flickers have been generated on the basis of the magnitude of the evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Shinmei, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima
  • Publication number: 20140044366
    Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including a recorded image signal exposure information corrector that, on the basis of information related to different exposure times, corrects a recorded image signal recorded with the different exposure times, a mixing coefficient calculator that calculates a mixing coefficient used for mixing the corrected recorded image signal with a mixed image signal, in which recorded image signals recorded with the different exposure times are mixed, retrieved from a storage unit that saves the mixed image signal, and a mixer that outputs the mixed image signal in which the mixed image signal retrieved from the storage unit and the corrected recorded image signal are mixed on the basis of the mixing coefficients, and writes the mixed image signal to the storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Yamaguchi, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Publication number: 20130286247
    Abstract: A camera system, image processing method and computer program stored on a computer readable medium for image processing. Long and short accumulation images with longer and shorter exposure times are respectively obtained from one field. First and second long accumulation evaluation values are computed from the long accumulation image. A short accumulation evaluation value is computed from the short accumulation image. A short accumulation target exposure time and short accumulation exposure control information are acquired from the short accumulation evaluation value and a first target level. A long accumulation evaluation value is acquired by synthesizing the first and second long accumulation evaluation values. Long accumulation exposure control information is acquired from the long accumulation evaluation value and a second target level. An image is generated from the long accumulation image and the short accumulation image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 8488016
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image sensor outputting at least long and short accumulation images with longer and shorter exposure times, respectively, in one field; first and second long accumulation evaluation value computation units computing first and second long accumulation evaluation values from the long accumulation image; a short accumulation evaluation value computation unit computing a short accumulation evaluation value from the short accumulation image; a short accumulation exposure control unit acquiring a short accumulation target exposure time and short accumulation exposure control information from the short accumulation evaluation value and a first target level; a long accumulation evaluation value synthesis unit acquiring a long accumulation evaluation value by synthesizing the first long accumulation evaluation value and the second long accumulation evaluation value; a long accumulation exposure control unit acquiring long accumulation exposure control information from the lon
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Publication number: 20110317027
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including a synthesizing processing section configured to synthesize a plurality of images taken at different exposure times wherein, in processing to synthesize the taken images, the synthesizing processing section acquires a taken-image blending ratio varying in accordance with components selected from the taken images and carries out a blending process on a blend area in which pixels of the taken images are to be blended by applying the blending ratio to the blend area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Shinmei, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima
  • Publication number: 20110317028
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including a color-flicker detection processing section configured to detect generation of color flickers from a plurality of images taken at different exposure times, wherein the color-flicker detection processing section: acquires a ratio of any specific one of a plurality of color signals of the taken images to another one of the color signals; obtains an evaluation value of the color flickers from the acquired ratio; and determines whether or not the color flickers have been generated on the basis of the magnitude of the evaluation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Shinmei, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima
  • Publication number: 20110292243
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image sensor outputting at least long and short accumulation images with longer and shorter exposure times, respectively, in one field; first and second long accumulation evaluation value computation units computing first and second long accumulation evaluation values from the long accumulation image; a short accumulation evaluation value computation unit computing a short accumulation evaluation value from the short accumulation image; a short accumulation exposure control unit acquiring a short accumulation target exposure time and short accumulation exposure control information from the short accumulation evaluation value and a first target level; a long accumulation evaluation value synthesis unit acquiring a long accumulation evaluation value by synthesizing the first long accumulation evaluation value and the second long accumulation evaluation value; a long accumulation exposure control unit acquiring long accumulation exposure control information from the lon
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Nagataki, Kenji Wajima, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 7853099
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an image taking means for taking images of a subject, a class-classification means for classifying a first image outputted by the image taking means into a class according to a characteristics thereof, a storage means for storing plural coefficient memories having different image taking conditions at the time of image taking, which store prediction coefficients according to the class acquired by learning, a designation means for designating one coefficient memory from among the plural coefficient memories based on the image taking condition when the image was taken by the image taking means, and a calculation means for calculating a second image in which noise is removed from the first image by calculating a prediction coefficient of the class of the first image, which is in the designated coefficient memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Shinmei, Kenji Takahashi, Tsutomu Ichikawa, Takashi Sawao, Koji Yano, Toshinobu Sugiyama, Akihiro Okumura, Takao Inoue, Noriaki Takahashi, Tetsujiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 7460178
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus executes image processing on an original image. The image processing apparatus includes a display unit configured to display adjusting images each corresponding to a part or the entirety of the original image; a setting unit allowing setting of values of parameters defining respective degrees of the image processing for the adjusting images such that the values differ among the adjusting images; and an operating unit allowing specification of one of the adjusting images by an external operation. When one of the adjusting images is specified using the operating unit, the setting unit modifies the values of the parameters defining the respective degrees of the image processing for the other adjusting images so that the values for the other adjusting images are approximated to the values for the specified adjusting image. The display unit displays the adjusting images according to the respective modified degrees of the image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Hideo Nakaya, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Publication number: 20070165112
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an image taking means for taking images of a subject, a class-classification means for classifying a first image outputted by the image taking means into a class according to a characteristics thereof, a storage means for storing plural coefficient memories having different image taking conditions at the time of image taking, which store prediction coefficients according to the class acquired by learning, a designation means for designating one coefficient memory from among the plural coefficient memories based on the image taking condition when the image was taken by the image taking means, and a calculation means for calculating a second image in which noise is removed from the first image by calculating a prediction coefficient of the class of the first image, which is in the designated coefficient memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Shinmei, Kenji Takahashi, Tsutomu Ichikawa, Takashi Sawao, Koji Yano, Toshinobu Sugiyama, Akihiro Okumura, Takao Inoue, Noriaki Takahashi, Tetsujiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 7233364
    Abstract: A class code of a subject pixel of an HD signal is obtained from pixel data of a class tap extracted from an SD signal. In a memory bank, coefficient data for a generating equation, including parameters for adjusting image quality, for generating elements of a summation matrix for obtaining coefficient data for an estimate equation are stored on a class basis. A summation matrix is generated in accordance with the coefficient data stored in the memory bank and the values of the parameters as specified by a user operation, generating coefficient data for the estimate equation for each class in accordance with the values of the parameters, which is stored in a memory. A calculation circuit calculates pixel data of the subject pixel of the HD signal by the estimate equation from pixel data of the prediction tap extracted from the SD signal and from coefficient data associated with the class code, supplied from the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Takeshi Miyai, Katsuhisa Shinmei, Gakuho Fukushi
  • Patent number: 7136527
    Abstract: A motion information output portion acquires horizontal motion information concerning a line where the telop is present. From a signal of the current frame and motion-compensated signal components of frames which are present before and after the current frame. A decision information acquisition portion and a binarizing processing portion obtains a flag indicating whether each pixel of a screen is pixel at edge position of the telop. Based on this flag, an edge pixel extraction portion extracts pixel data of the edge position. A histogram processing portion uses this pixel data as a material to create a histogram for each item of data, thereby determining values of the pixel data corresponding to the telop from a class having a largest frequency. An extraction region selection portion obtains another flag indicating a line where the telop is present. An extraction portion extracts pixel data corresponding to the telop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Ikeda, Tetsujiro Kondo, Akihiro Okumura, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 7085318
    Abstract: A picture processing apparatus for generating an output picture signal with higher quality than the input picture signal. A first signal processor has a storage device for storing a picture signal with the same quality as the output picture signal. The input picture signal and the stored picture signal are added to generate a first picture signal with higher quality than the input picture, which is stored in the storage device. A second signal processor performs a class categorizing adaptive process by extracting a feature of the input picture signal corresponding to the position of a considered pixel of the output picture signal, categorizing the considered pixel as one of a plurality of classes corresponding to the feature, and calculating the input picture signal using a predetermined calculating method corresponding to the categorized class, thereby generating a second picture signal with higher quality than the input picture signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Hisakazu Shiraki, Yasunobu Node, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Patent number: 6987884
    Abstract: A storage picture generating unit (191) weight-adds an input picture and a storage picture to reduce the noise in a still picture portion. An area extraction unit (193) extracts a class tap from the input picture, while extracting a block from each of the input picture and the storage picture. A feature value detection unit (194) detects the dynamic range and the results of the waveform analysis from the class tap, while detecting the still/moving information of the subject pixel from the block. A class code detection unit (195) generates a class code which is based on the feature value. A table (196) outputs to an estimation calculating unit (198) sets of the prediction coefficients held by the table and which are associated with the class code. An area extraction unit (197) extracts prediction taps from the input picture and the storage picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Yasunobu Node, Hisakazu Shiraki, Katsuhisa Shinmei
  • Publication number: 20050264693
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus executes image processing on an original image. The image processing apparatus includes a display unit configured to display adjusting images each corresponding to a part or the entirety of the original image; a setting unit allowing setting of values of parameters defining respective degrees of the image processing for the adjusting images such that the values differ among the adjusting images; and an operating unit allowing specification of one of the adjusting images by an external operation. When one of the adjusting images is specified using the operating unit, the setting unit modifies the values of the parameters defining the respective degrees of the image processing for the other adjusting images so that the values for the other adjusting images are approximated to the values for the specified adjusting image. The display unit displays the adjusting images according to the respective modified degrees of the image processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Hideo Nakaya, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Katsuhisa Shinmei