Patents by Inventor Ken Mashitani

Ken Mashitani 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).

  • Publication number: 20230353714
    Abstract: A projection control method includes causing a projector to project a projection image including projection indexes, causing a camera to capture the projection image, causing a display to display an instruction for a user to position camera indexes within an imaging range, the camera indexes indicating positions relative to the projection indexes in a camera coordinate system obtained by capturing the projection image, detecting camera coordinates which are the coordinates of the camera indexes positioned, and determining, according to relative positional relations between the projection indexes and the camera indexes, the correspondence relations between the camera coordinates and projection coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Ken MASHITANI, Chiharu TSUBOTA
  • Patent number: 11743437
    Abstract: A projection adjustment program which causes a computer to execute a process relating to adjustment of projection operations of a plurality of projection devices configured to perform position measurement and projection on a target object in a projection system including the plurality of projection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Fuchikami, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20230247184
    Abstract: A projector in an installation information acquisition method is installed in a real space, has a changeable projection direction, and projects a projection image based on a virtual image. The virtual image is an image in a case where an image arranged at a display position in a virtual space is viewed from a virtual installation position. The method includes first acquisition processing for acquiring positional information of three or more first adjustment points in the virtual space, projection processing for projecting, by the projector, an index image onto the real space, second acquisition processing for acquiring angle information of the projection direction with respect to a reference direction in a state where the index image matches three or more second adjustment points respectively corresponding to the three or more first adjustment points, and third acquisition processing for acquiring installation information based on the positional information and the angle information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Ken MASHITANI, Takaaki ABE
  • Patent number: 11599014
    Abstract: A projection direction change device includes a mirror that reflects light emitted from a projection lens unit of a projector, a mirror support part that rotatably supports the mirror around a first axis and a second axis, a first drive part that rotary drives the mirror around the first axis, and a second drive part that rotary drives the mirror around the second axis. An intersecting point of the first and second axes is positioned closer to the projection lens unit than a geometric barycenter of the mirror is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki Abe, Ken Mashitani, Junji Masumoto
  • Publication number: 20220360754
    Abstract: A projection adjustment program which causes a computer to execute a process relating to adjustment of projection operations of a plurality of projection devices configured to perform position measurement and projection on a target object in a projection system including the plurality of projection devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji FUCHIKAMI, Ken MASHITANI
  • Patent number: 11438563
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a projection adjustment program which, when executed by a processor, causes a computer to execute a process relating to adjustment of projection operations of projection devices configured to perform position measurement and projection on a target object in a projection system including the projection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji Fuchikami, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20210366324
    Abstract: A content generation method generates image content to be projected at a projection position in a real space by a projector. In a first acquisition process, space information regarding a virtual space corresponding to the real space is acquired. In a second acquisition process, display position information regarding a display position corresponding to the projection position in the virtual space is acquired. In a third acquisition process, reference position information regarding a reference position in the virtual space is acquired. In a generation process, an image including an object viewed from the reference position when the object is displayed at the display position in the virtual space is generated as the image content, based on the space information, the reference position information, and the display position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Junji Masumoto, Takaaki Abe, Akio Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20210286250
    Abstract: A projection direction change device includes a mirror that reflects light emitted from a projection lens unit of a projector, a mirror support part that rotatably supports the mirror around a first axis and a second axis, a first drive part that rotary drives the mirror around the first axis, and a second drive part that rotary drives the mirror around the second axis. An intersecting point of the first and second axes is positioned closer to the projection lens unit than a geometric barycenter of the mirror is.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Takaaki ABE, Ken MASHITANI, Junji MASUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210243416
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a projection adjustment program which, when executed by a processor, causes a computer to execute a process relating to adjustment of projection operations of projection devices configured to perform position measurement and projection on a target object in a projection system including the projection devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryuji FUCHIKAMI, Ken MASHITANI
  • Patent number: 10817975
    Abstract: An image display device includes an image input unit into which an image signal from an image signal source is input; a memory; a writing unit that writes at a first frequency an image signal input into the image input unit into the memory; a reading unit that reads at a second frequency higher than the first frequency an image signal written in the memory; an image output unit that outputs an image signal read by the reading unit to a display unit; and an image interpolation unit that interpolates an image to be output to the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Ryuji Fuchikami
  • Patent number: 10776898
    Abstract: A projection system includes a visible light projector, a camera and an image processor. The visible light projector projects an image with visible light onto the object. The camera captures an image of the object and has an optical axis not coinciding with an optical axis of the visible light projector. The image processor generates an image to be projected with visible light onto the object based on the image captured by the camera. The image processor includes a corrector and an image generator. The corrector corrects a deviation between a projection image and the object. The corrector is configured to calculate a projection region on the object onto which an image is projected by the visible light projector. The image generator is configured to generate image data to project the image to be projected onto the object onto the projection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Asuka Aoki, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20190385272
    Abstract: A projection system includes a visible light projector, a camera and an image processor. The visible light projector projects an image with visible light onto the object. The camera captures an image of the object and has an optical axis not coinciding with an optical axis of the visible light projector. The image processor generates an image to be projected with visible light onto the object based on the image captured by the camera. The image processor includes a corrector and an image generator. The corrector corrects a deviation between a projection image and the object. The corrector is configured to calculate a projection region on the object onto which an image is projected by the visible light projector. The image generator is configured to generate image data to project the image to be projected onto the object onto the projection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Asuka AOKI, Ken MASHITANI
  • Patent number: 10353660
    Abstract: Image display system 10 comprises: a plurality of display devices 111; an image processing unit for receiving input of a plurality of input video signals and generating an output video signal for each display device in accordance with a layout for the display devices from the input video signals; a pattern signal generation unit for generating pattern signals indicating a plurality of different test pattern images; a selector for receiving input of the output video signals and the pattern signals and selecting and outputting either the output video signals or the pattern signals; imaging device 120 for capturing an image of the test pattern images displayed on the respective display devices; and a control device 140 for analyzing the captured image captured by the imaging device and generating control information for controlling the image processing unit, based on analysis results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryoji Okubo, Ken Mashitani, Masaru Sekizawa, Takaaki Abe, Kazuma Tani
  • Publication number: 20190164252
    Abstract: An image display device includes an image input unit into which an image signal from an image signal source is input; a memory; a writing unit that writes at a first frequency an image signal input into the image input unit into the memory; a reading unit that reads at a second frequency higher than the first frequency an image signal written in the memory; an image output unit that outputs an image signal read by the reading unit to a display unit; and an image interpolation unit that interpolates an image to be output to the display unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Ken MASHITANI, Ryuji FUCHIKAMI
  • Patent number: 10274739
    Abstract: The three-dimensional image display apparatus includes the following structural elements: an optical system including a concave mirror, and a light transmitting section provided to the concave mirror at a boundary between a first space and a second space, the optical system forming a real image in the second space, with an aid of the concave mirror, of an object disposed in the first space available on the concave mirror; and an image output device disposed at a place so as not to substantially block an optical path of light rays forming the real image of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20190011715
    Abstract: The three-dimensional image display apparatus includes the following structural elements: an optical system including a concave mirror, and a light transmitting section provided to the concave mirror at a boundary between a first space and a second space, the optical system forming a real image in the second space, with an aid of the concave mirror, of an object disposed in the first space available on the concave mirror; and an image output device disposed at a place so as not to substantially block an optical path of light rays forming the real image of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventor: KEN MASHITANI
  • Patent number: 10168603
    Abstract: An optical member driving apparatus includes an optical member for changing an optical path, a plurality of actuators each having a movable member which is controlled to move in one direction, a plurality of connecting members which connect edge portions of the optical member positioned on two axes orthogonal to each other and the movable members of the plurality of actuators, respectively, a position detector for detecting a moving amount of the movable member of each actuator and outputting a detection signal indicating the moving amount, and a controller for controlling movement of the movable member of each actuator based on the detection signal from the position detector so as to keep an intersection point of the two axes at constant position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki Gyoten, Nobuyuki Kondo, Ken Mashitani
  • Patent number: 10158848
    Abstract: A projection video display that projects video image suppresses deterioration of its quality which is attributed to a change in an optical path of the video image. A video signal generator performs control such that a second subframe in an N-th frame in a left-eye image is displayed on DMDs and then a second subframe in an N-th frame in a right-eye image is displayed on the DMDs. Furthermore, the video signal generator performs control such that a displayed location is not changed on a screen and the same types of subframes are displayed at the time when frames are switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Mashitani, Takaaki Abe, Tamotsu Akeyama
  • Patent number: 9986226
    Abstract: A video display method using a display apparatus for displaying a glasses free 3D video, the display apparatus including a display unit in which sub-pixels constituting pixels are arranged in a matrix, the video display method including: (a) displaying, in a row of sub-pixels of the display unit, a video in which a left-eye video and a right-eye video are disposed alternately in units of display each unit made up of n sub-pixels, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2; and (b) detecting a distance from the display unit to a viewer, wherein in step (a), if the detected distance is different from a predetermined distance, the number of sub-pixels of at least one unit of display, among a plurality of units of display included in the row of sub-pixels, is varied as a function of the detected distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsumi Watanabe, Ken Mashitani
  • Publication number: 20180074778
    Abstract: Image display system 10 comprises: a plurality of display devices 111; an image processing unit for receiving input of a plurality of input video signals and generating an output video signal for each display device in accordance with a layout for the display devices from the input video signals; a pattern signal generation unit for generating pattern signals indicating a plurality of different test pattern images; a selector for receiving input of the output video signals and the pattern signals and selecting and outputting either the output video signals or the pattern signals; imaging device 120 for capturing an image of the test pattern images displayed on the respective display devices; and a control device 140 for analyzing the captured image captured by the imaging device and generating control information for controlling the image processing unit, based on analysis results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ryoji OKUBO, Ken MASHITANI, Masaru SEKIZAWA, Takaaki ABE, Kazuma TANI