Patents by Inventor Makoto Otani

Makoto Otani 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: 11561625
    Abstract: A light outputting apparatus includes a light source that outputs a first light flux, a collimator that parallelizes the first light flux, a light separator that separates the first light flux into a first partial light flux and a second partial light flux, a first light flux width expander, and a second light flux width expander. The light separator causes the first partial light flux to exit in a first direction and the second partial light flux to exit in a second direction. When a first plane is assumed to be a plane containing the first direction and the second direction, the first light flux width expander expands a width of the first partial light flux in a direction along the first plane, and the second light flux width expander expands a width of the second partial light flux in a direction along the first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 11474643
    Abstract: The position detection method includes projecting a detecting image on a projection surface from a projection section, taking, by an imaging section, an image of the projection surface in a first direction from the projection section in a situation in which the detecting image is projected on the projection surface and a pointing body touches the projection surface to thereby generate imaging data, and detecting a position of a touch portion by the pointing body on the projection surface based on the imaging data, wherein the detecting image represents a plurality of objects located in a matrix and the position of the touch portion is detected based on a positional relationship in the predetermined direction corresponding to a first direction of the plurality of objects represented by the imaging data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 11379083
    Abstract: A projector includes: an illumination device casting one detection light and another detection light onto an operation surface; a first image pickup device having a higher sensitivity to the one detection light than to the another detection light; a second image pickup device different from the position of the first image pickup device, the second image pickup device having a higher sensitivity to the another detection light than to the one detection light; and a detection device detecting that an object is in contact with the operation surface when a position of a pointing unit specified based on a first picked-up image picked up using the first image pickup device and a position of the pointing unit specified based on a second picked-up image picked up using the second image pickup device are within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 11343479
    Abstract: A control method for a position detecting device including a first adjusting step of emitting detection light to a jig for adjustment disposed on a screen and adjusting the detection light to first detection light such that the detection light is emitted to a specific range of the jig for adjustment and a step of setting, in a state in which the detection light has been adjusted to the first detection light, a region including the jig for adjustment as a non-detection area where a detecting section does not detect the detection light as the reflected light from an obstacle, wherein the position detecting device including a light emitting section configured to emit the detection light and the detecting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Yanai, Akihiko Tamura, Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 11231643
    Abstract: A light emitting device is provided with a first light emitter and a second light emitter. The first light emitter is provided with a first lens for making the light of the first light source wide-angle, and the second light emitter is provided with a second lens for making the light of the second light source wide-angle. A plurality of first small lenses are arranged on a first incident plane of the first lens. The first small lens has a shape in which a maximum value of an angle formed between the first incident plane and a tangent of the first small lens is larger than an angle formed between the first incident plane and first light. The second lens has substantially the same configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Publication number: 20210397295
    Abstract: The position detection method includes projecting a detecting image on a projection surface from a projection section, taking, by an imaging section, an image of the projection surface in a first direction from the projection section in a situation in which the detecting image is projected on the projection surface and a pointing body touches the projection surface to thereby generate imaging data, and detecting a position of a touch portion by the pointing body on the projection surface based on the imaging data, wherein the detecting image represents a plurality of objects located in a matrixand the position of the touch portion is detected based on a positional relationship in the predetermined direction corresponding to a first direction of the plurality of objects represented by the imaging data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto OTANI
  • Patent number: 11144164
    Abstract: The position detection method includes the steps of (a) obtaining a first taken image by imaging a pointing element with an operation surface as a background using a first camera while performing illumination with a first illumination section disposed so that a shadow of the pointing element on the operation surface is not substantially imaged by the first camera, (b) obtaining a second taken image by imaging the pointing element with the operation surface as a background using a second camera disposed at a different position from a position of the first camera while performing illumination with a second illumination section disposed so that the shadow of the pointing element on the operation surface is not substantially imaged by the second camera, and (c) detecting a position of the pointing element with respect to the operation surface using the first taken image and the second taken image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Akira Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20210274138
    Abstract: A control method for a position detecting device including a first adjusting step of emitting detection light to a jig for adjustment disposed on a screen and adjusting the detection light to first detection light such that the detection light is emitted to a specific range of the jig for adjustment and a step of setting, in a state in which the detection light has been adjusted to the first detection light, a region including the jig for adjustment as a non-detection area where a detecting section does not detect the detection light as the reflected light from an obstacle, wherein the position detecting device including a light emitting section configured to emit the detection light and the detecting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei YANAI, Akihiko TAMURA, Makoto OTANI
  • Patent number: 11093085
    Abstract: A position detection method of detecting a position of a pointing element with respect to an operation surface includes: obtaining a first taken image by imaging the pointing element with the operation surface as a background using a monocular camera while performing illumination with a first illumination section without performing the illumination with a second illumination section at a position different from a position of the first illumination section; obtaining a second taken image by imaging the pointing element with the operation surface as the background using the camera while performing the illumination with the second illumination section without performing the illumination with the first illumination section; extracting pointing element and shadow areas from the first taken image and the second taken image; detecting a position of the pointing element with respect to the operation surface using a relationship between the pointing element area and the shadow area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Akira Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11073949
    Abstract: A display method includes (a) capturing an image including a hand, (b) determining a first distance as a distance between the hand and an operation surface, (c) recognizing a shape of the hand based on the image, and (d) displaying an operation icon selected in accordance with the shape of the hand out of a plurality of operation icons on the operation surface in a case of a separate state in which the first distance exceeds a first distance threshold value determined in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Otani, Akira Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11022812
    Abstract: A light emitting device is provided with a first light emitter and a second light emitter. The first light emitter is provided with a first lens for making the light of the first light source wide-angle, and the second light emitter is provided with a second lens for making the light of the second light source wide-angle. The cover lens tilted with respect to a projection surface and disposed downstream of the first lens and the second lens has a curved surface shape, and the curvature center of the cover lens is different in position from a first diffusion center to be a starting point from which the first light is made wide-angle, and a second diffusion center to be a starting point from which the second light is made wide-angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Publication number: 20210157416
    Abstract: A light outputting apparatus includes a light source that outputs a first light flux, a collimator that parallelizes the first light flux, a light separator that separates the first light flux into a first partial light flux and a second partial light flux, a first light flux width expander, and a second light flux width expander. The light separator causes the first partial light flux to exit in a first direction and the second partial light flux to exit in a second direction. When a first plane is assumed to be a plane containing the first direction and the second direction, the first light flux width expander expands a width of the first partial light flux in a direction along the first plane, and the second light flux width expander expands a width of the second partial light flux in a direction along the first plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventor: Makoto OTANI
  • Publication number: 20210096689
    Abstract: A projector includes: an illumination device casting one detection light and another detection light onto an operation surface; a first image pickup device having a higher sensitivity to the one detection light than to the another detection light; a second image pickup device different from the position of the first image pickup device, the second image pickup device having a higher sensitivity to the another detection light than to the one detection light; and a detection device detecting that an object is in contact with the operation surface when a position of a pointing unit specified based on a first picked-up image picked up using the first image pickup device and a position of the pointing unit specified based on a second picked-up image picked up using the second image pickup device are within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto OTANI
  • Patent number: 10942358
    Abstract: A light emitting apparatus includes a light emitting unit. The light emitting unit includes a light source, a collimator lens, and an optical element that spreads light transmitted through the collimator lens in a direction corresponding to a width direction. The optical element has a plurality of lens groups arranged in a first direction (stacking direction), each of the plurality of lens groups has a plurality of small lenses arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and crossing an optical axis, each of the plurality of small lenses is formed to spread entering light in a direction corresponding to the width direction so that the lights spread by the small lenses adjacent in a second direction are superimposed, and the plurality of lens groups have the small lenses with the small lenses adjacent in the first direction and the second direction in different sizes from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 10830412
    Abstract: A first light emitter of a light emitting device includes a first lens for making first light wide-angle from a first diffusion center as a starting point, and a second light emitter includes a second lens for making second light wide-angle from a second diffusion center as a starting point. A cover lens disposed downstream of the first lens and the second lens includes a first curved surface and a second curved surface. A first curvature center as a curvature center of the first curved surface overlaps the first diffusion center of the first lens when viewed from a front-back direction, and a second curvature center as a curvature center of the second curved surface overlaps the second diffusion center of the second lens when viewed from the front-back direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Patent number: 10802607
    Abstract: A light emitting device uses optical elements each formed of a plurality of small lenses. On that basis, the array pitch of the plurality of small lenses is set within a predetermined numerical range determined based on a proportional relationship between two values with respect to the focal distance of a collimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Publication number: 20200310589
    Abstract: The position detection method includes the steps of (a) obtaining a first taken image by imaging a pointing element with an operation surface as a background using a first camera while performing illumination with a first illumination section disposed so that a shadow of the pointing element on the operation surface is not substantially imaged by the first camera, (b) obtaining a second taken image by imaging the pointing element with the operation surface as a background using a second camera disposed at a different position from a position of the first camera while performing illumination with a second illumination section disposed so that the shadow of the pointing element on the operation surface is not substantially imaged by the second camera, and (c) detecting a position of the pointing element with respect to the operation surface using the first taken image and the second taken image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Akira IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20200310590
    Abstract: A position detection method of detecting a position of a pointing element with respect to an operation surface includes: obtaining a first taken image by imaging the pointing element with the operation surface as a background using a monocular camera while performing illumination with a first illumination section without performing the illumination with a second illumination section at a position different from a position of the first illumination section; obtaining a second taken image by imaging the pointing element with the operation surface as the background using the camera while performing the illumination with the second illumination section without performing the illumination with the first illumination section; extracting pointing element and shadow areas from the first taken image and the second taken image; detecting a position of the pointing element with respect to the operation surface using a relationship between the pointing element area and the shadow area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Akira IKEDA
  • Patent number: 10754474
    Abstract: A projector system includes a projector main body that obliquely projects image light and an imager that operates based on a stereographic projection scheme and captures an image of a stereographic region containing a projection region where the image light from the projector main body is projected to detect a pointing element present in the stereographic region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Otani
  • Publication number: 20200264729
    Abstract: A display method includes (a) capturing an image including a hand, (b) determining a first distance as a distance between the hand and an operation surface, (c) recognizing a shape of the hand based on the image, and (d) displaying an operation icon selected in accordance with the shape of the hand out of a plurality of operation icons on the operation surface in a case of a separate state in which the first distance exceeds a first distance threshold value determined in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto OTANI, Akira IKEDA