Patents by Inventor Kazuyoshi Akiba
Kazuyoshi Akiba 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: 11968478Abstract: To reduce complication of a configuration of a vehicle while suppressing an increase in weight of the vehicle, a camera system mounted on a vehicle includes an imaging unit to capture multiple frame images of an outside of the vehicle per cycle and an image processor to obtain the multiple frame images from the imaging unit and separate the multiple frame images into a first given number of frame images as a recognition target and a second given number of frame images as a storage target to be stored in an image recorder. The image processor separately outputs the first and second given numbers of frame images to be recognized and stored, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2022Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Toshikazu Murao, Kazuyoshi Akiba, Tetsuya Kimata, Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Takayuki Kimura
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Patent number: 11789354Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kensuke Chikata, Takeshi Kazama, Yasuki Furutake, Kazuyoshi Akiba, Sho Okuda, Nobuhisa Shimizu
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Patent number: 11790634Abstract: A first tone curve referred to in generating an image recognition processing signal as an image output signal for image recognition processing and a second tone curve referred to in generating a visual recognition signal as an image output signal for visual recognition are separately generated. The second tone curve for visual recognition is generated by connecting a dark control point, which is a control point specified in a luminance-pixel value coordinate system corresponding to the lowest luminance portion in a luminance histogram, a light control point, which is a control point specified in the luminance-pixel value coordinate system corresponding to the highest luminance portion in the luminance histogram, and an intermediate control point, which is a control point specified in the luminance-pixel value coordinate system corresponding to an intermediate luminance portion in the luminance histogram.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Toshikazu Murao, Kazuyoshi Akiba
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Patent number: 11501540Abstract: An imaging system to be mounted in a vehicle is provided. The imaging system includes an optical wide-angle camera acquiring an image, and an object identifying apparatus. This object identifying apparatus executes a distortion correcting process with the acquired image and apply previously-prepared reference patterns to the image which has been subjected to the distortion correcting process such that objects in the acquired image are recognized.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2019Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuyoshi Akiba, Toshikazu Murao, Kazuhiko Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20220353476Abstract: To reduce complication of a configuration of a vehicle while suppressing an increase in weight of the vehicle, a camera system mounted on a vehicle includes an imaging unit to capture multiple frame images of an outside of the vehicle per cycle and an image processor to obtain the multiple frame images from the imaging unit and separate the multiple frame images into a first given number of frame images as a recognition target and a second given number of frame images as a storage target to be stored in an image recorder. The image processor separately outputs the first and second given numbers of frame images to be recognized and stored, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventors: Toshikazu MURAO, Kazuyoshi AKIBA, Tetsuya KIMATA, Kazuhiko KOBAYASHI, Takayuki KIMURA
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Patent number: 11425337Abstract: To reduce complication of a configuration of a vehicle while suppressing an increase in weight of the vehicle, a camera system mounted on a vehicle includes an imaging unit to capture multiple frame images of an outside of the vehicle per cycle and an image processor to obtain the multiple frame images from the imaging unit and separate the multiple frame images into a first given number of frame images as a recognition target and a second given number of frame images as a storage target to be stored in an image recorder. The image processor separately outputs the first and second given numbers of frame images to be recognized and stored, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2019Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Toshikazu Murao, Kazuyoshi Akiba, Tetsuya Kimata, Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Takayuki Kimura
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Patent number: 11418722Abstract: An exposure control device includes a feature quantity calculation section, a priority setting section, and a control amount calculation section. The feature quantity calculation section calculates feature quantities of a plurality of pixels in a frame image acquired by the imaging section which are different from luminance values. The priority setting section sets priority in accordance with the feature quantities so that the luminance value(s) of one or more pixels with high feature quantities calculated by the feature quantity calculation section are preferentially used to calculate an exposure control amount. The control amount calculation section calculates the exposure control amount based on the luminance values of the pixels and the priority set by the priority setting section.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2021Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuyoshi Akiba, Toshikazu Murao
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Publication number: 20220043332Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2021Publication date: February 10, 2022Inventors: Kensuke Chikata, Takeshi Kazama, Yasuki Furutake, Kazuyoshi Akiba, Sho Okuda, Nobuhisa Shimizu
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Publication number: 20220021799Abstract: An exposure control device includes a feature quantity calculation section, a priority setting section, and a control amount calculation section. The feature quantity calculation section calculates feature quantities of a plurality of pixels in a frame image acquired by the imaging section which are different from luminance values. The priority setting section sets priority in accordance with the feature quantities so that the luminance value(s) of one or more pixels with high feature quantities calculated by the feature quantity calculation section are preferentially used to calculate an exposure control amount. The control amount calculation section calculates the exposure control amount based on the luminance values of the pixels and the priority set by the priority setting section.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Kazuyoshi AKIBA, Toshikazu MURAO
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Publication number: 20220019839Abstract: A first tone curve referred to in generating an image recognition processing signal as an image output signal for image recognition processing and a second tone curve referred to in generating a visual recognition signal as an image output signal for visual recognition are separately generated. The second tone curve for visual recognition is generated by connecting a dark control point, which is a control point specified in a luminance-pixel value coordinate system corresponding to the lowest luminance portion in a luminance histogram, a light control point, which is a control point specified in the luminance-pixel value coordinate system corresponding to the highest luminance portion in the luminance histogram, and an intermediate control point, which is a control point specified in the luminance-pixel value coordinate system corresponding to an intermediate luminance portion in the luminance histogram.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2021Publication date: January 20, 2022Inventors: Toshikazu MURAO, Kazuyoshi AKIBA
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Patent number: 11181816Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2017Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kensuke Chikata, Takeshi Kazama, Yasuki Furutake, Kazuyoshi Akiba, Sho Okuda, Nobuhisa Shimizu
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Patent number: 11112804Abstract: In an autonomous driving control apparatus, a drive control unit determines, based on first and second images respectively captured by first and second cameras and an autonomous driving condition, a value of at least one controlled variable for autonomous driving of a vehicle, and outputs, to a vehicle control unit, the value of the at least one controlled variable to thereby cause the vehicle control unit to carry out a task of autonomously driving the vehicle. A camera monitor unit determines whether at least one of the first and second cameras has malfunctioned. The camera monitor unit limits, based on the at least one of the first and second directional regions corresponding to the at least of the first and second cameras, the autonomous driving condition when determining that the at least one of the first and second cameras has malfunctioned.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhiko Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi Akiba, Toshikazu Murao
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Patent number: 11044415Abstract: An image processing device is provided with an image acquiring unit that acquires the image from an imaging unit mounted on a vehicle, a light determining unit that determines a state of a light mounted on the vehicle, and an adjusting unit that adjusts a relationship between a luminance at an object to be captured by the imaging unit, and a pixel value in the image. The adjusting unit is configured to set, when the light determining unit determines the state of the light is in the low-beam state, the illuminance where the pixel value is at the lower limit, to be lower than that of a case when the light determining unit determines the state of the light is in the high-beam state.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2017Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Yuzuru Koshisaka, Kazuyoshi Akiba
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Patent number: 10882467Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2019Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Yasuki Furutake, Kazuyoshi Akiba
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Patent number: 10627606Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2018Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kensuke Chikata, Takeshi Kazama, Yasuki Furutake, Kazuyoshi Akiba
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Patent number: 10630952Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of optical filters, a plurality of transmissive members, an imaging section, and a signal processing section. The optical filters transmit visible rays having a wavelength enabling visual recognition of a primary color, and the transmissive members transmit infrared rays. A plurality of imaging elements of the imaging section are constituted by a plurality of groups. Each of the imaging elements includes optical filters or transmissive members. The signal processing section determines the luminance of each pixel of a produced image, based on measurement values measured by the imaging elements of a group corresponding to the pixel. At least one imaging element of each group is provided with a transmissive member, and the remaining one or more imaging elements are provided with the optical filters having no color or a primary color allocated to the group.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2017Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Toshikazu Murao, Kazuyoshi Akiba
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Publication number: 20200029052Abstract: To reduce complication of a configuration of a vehicle while suppressing an increase in weight of the vehicle, a camera system mounted on a vehicle includes an imaging unit to capture multiple frame images of an outside of the vehicle per cycle and an image processor to obtain the multiple frame images from the imaging unit and separate the multiple frame images into a first given number of frame images as a recognition target and a second given number of frame images as a storage target to be stored in an image recorder. The image processor separately outputs the first and second given numbers of frame images to be recognized and stored, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Toshikazu MURAO, Kazuyoshi AKIBA, Tetsuya KIMATA, Kazuhiko KOBAYASHI, Takayuki KIMURA
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Publication number: 20190369635Abstract: In an autonomous driving control apparatus, a drive control unit determines, based on first and second images respectively captured by first and second cameras and an autonomous driving condition, a value of at least one controlled variable for autonomous driving of a vehicle, and outputs, to a vehicle control unit, the value of the at least one controlled variable to thereby cause the vehicle control unit to carry out a task of autonomously driving the vehicle. A camera monitor unit determines whether at least one of the first and second cameras has malfunctioned. The camera monitor unit limits, based on the at least one of the first and second directional regions corresponding to the at least of the first and second cameras, the autonomous driving condition when determining that the at least one of the first and second cameras has malfunctioned.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2019Publication date: December 5, 2019Inventors: Kazuhiko KOBAYASHI, Kazuyoshi AKIBA, Toshikazu MURAO
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Publication number: 20190351841Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2019Publication date: November 21, 2019Inventors: Yasuki FURUTAKE, Kazuyoshi AKIBA
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Patent number: 10406995Abstract: A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2018Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Yasuki Furutake, Kazuyoshi Akiba