Patents by Inventor Masaaki Yasunaga
Masaaki Yasunaga 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: 11868146Abstract: A flying drone for shelf label checking includes a flying mechanism, a camera, and a camera interface configured to transmit and receive data to and from the camera. A flight control interface is configured to transmit and receive data to and from the flying mechanism. A processor is configured to acquire a first image of an object from a first distance with the camera, then extract an object region for the object from the first image. The processor then sets a flight path based on the object region and controls the flying mechanism to fly the camera along the flight path to a second distance that is closer to the object than the first distance. A second image of the object is then acquired from the second distance with the camera.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2021Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaaki Yasunaga, Keita Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20230221729Abstract: A control device includes a traveling control unit and an image capture control unit. The traveling control unit controls traveling of a wheeled platform traveling along an image capture plane where a plurality of image capture target objects are arranged, spaced apart from each other in vertical and horizontal directions. The image capture control unit controls an image capture operation of a plurality of cameras installed in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the wheeled platform, according to an image capture timing list set on a per camera basis, of the plurality of cameras.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2022Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Norimasa Ariga, Masaaki Yasunaga
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Patent number: 11659264Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes a carriage, a light source, and a camera. The carriage moves in a travel direction. The light source is mounted on the carriage. The camera is attached to the carriage and configured to perform photography. A normal direction is defined orthogonal to the travel direction and a vertical axis. The camera faces a camera direction that is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the normal direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2020Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Norimasa Ariga, Masaaki Yasunaga, Keita Yamazaki
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Patent number: 11651663Abstract: An article recognition device includes an image interface, a distance information interface, a support unit, and a processor. The support unit supports an article at a height equal to or greater than a minimum discrimination distance of a distance sensor from a reference plane of the distance sensor and includes a member of which a distance cannot be measured by the distance sensor. The processor acquires a captured image capturing the article supported by the support unit through the image interface, acquires distance information measured by the distance sensor toward the reference plane through the distance information interface, extracts an area having a height equal to or greater than the minimum discrimination distance from the reference plane as an article area of the article from the captured image based on the distance information, and recognizes the article from an image of the article area.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Norimasa Ariga, Masaaki Yasunaga, Tetsuya Nobuoka
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Publication number: 20230066510Abstract: According to one embodiment, a movement instruction device and a method capable of avoiding a risk when a movable object moves are provided. The movement instruction device includes: a storage device that stores map information for determining a movement path of an indoor movable object to a destination; and a processor that sets a movement prohibition area of the movable object in the map information based on information on an obstacle obtained from outside, and reviews the movement path of the movable object based on a current position, the destination, and the set movement prohibition area of the movable object.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2022Publication date: March 2, 2023Inventors: Masaaki Yasunaga, Norimasa Ariga
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Patent number: 11503200Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a photographing device includes a camera interface and a processor. The camera interface supplies a control signal to a camera and acquires a photographed image photographed by the camera. The processor causes the camera to photograph a wide area image in a detection region of target objects set as a photographing range, detects the target objects present in the wide area image photographed by the camera, determines a photographing order of the target objects detected from the wide area image, and causes the camera to photograph a narrow area image of one target object selected according to the photographing order.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2021Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaaki Yasunaga, Keita Yamazaki
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Patent number: 11386573Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an article recognition apparatus includes a first interface, a second interface, and a processor. The processor determines an article region from an image obtained by the first interface and determines a tilt of the article present in the determined article region on the basis of a distance obtained by the second interface. Further, the processor determines on the basis of the determined tilt of the article that the article is placed in the placement region in a state in which the article leans against another object.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2020Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuya Nobuoka, Masaaki Yasunaga
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Patent number: 11328438Abstract: An image processing system includes a camera interface and a processor. The camera interface acquires a captured image from at least one camera that images an article. The processor acquires a basic shape of the article and acquires an image captured with imaging parameters corresponding to the basic shape from the at least one camera through the camera interface.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaaki Yasunaga, Norimasa Ariga
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Publication number: 20220060615Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a photographing device includes a camera interface and a processor. The camera interface supplies a control signal to a camera and acquires a photographed image photographed by the camera. The processor causes the camera to photograph a wide area image in a detection region of target objects set as a photographing range, detects the target objects present in the wide area image photographed by the camera, determines a photographing order of the target objects detected from the wide area image, and causes the camera to photograph a narrow area image of one target object selected according to the photographing order.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2021Publication date: February 24, 2022Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaaki YASUNAGA, Keita YAMAZAKI
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Publication number: 20210365053Abstract: According to one embodiment, a photographing device includes a camera interface configured to transmit and receive data to and from a camera and a flight control interface configured to transmit and receive data to and from a flying mechanism attached to the camera. A processor is configured to acquire a first image of an object from a first distance with the camera, then extract an object region for the object from the first image. The processor then sets a flight path based on the object region and controls the flying mechanism to fly the camera along the flight path to a second distance that is closer to the object than the first distance. A second image of the object is then acquired from the second distance with the camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2021Publication date: November 25, 2021Inventors: Masaaki YASUNAGA, Keita Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20210303858Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes a carriage, a light source, and a camera. The carriage moves in a travel direction. The light source is mounted on the carriage. The camera is attached to the carriage and configured to perform photography. A normal direction is defined orthogonal to the travel direction and a vertical axis. The camera faces a camera direction that is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the normal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2020Publication date: September 30, 2021Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Norimasa ARIGA, Masaaki YASUNAGA, Keita YAMAZAKI
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Publication number: 20210272050Abstract: A photographing mechanism control apparatus includes an interface, and a processor. The interface communicates with a photographing mechanism that is moved to a position according to an instruction to photograph a shelf for storing commodities, and the processor detects presence of a moving object in a vicinity of a shelf, if the presence of the moving object is detected, gives an instruction to the photographing mechanism to photograph the shelf through the interface, acquires image data from the photographing mechanism through the interface, and confirms whether or not a commodity is stored on the shelf based on the image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2021Publication date: September 2, 2021Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Keita YAMAZAKI, Masaaki YASUNAGA
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Publication number: 20210209409Abstract: An article recognition device includes an image interface, a distance information interface, a support unit, and a processor. The support unit supports an article at a height equal to or greater than a minimum discrimination distance of a distance sensor from a reference plane of the distance sensor and includes a member of which a distance cannot be measured by the distance sensor. The processor acquires a captured image capturing the article supported by the support unit through the image interface, acquires distance information measured by the distance sensor toward the reference plane through the distance information interface, extracts an area having a height equal to or greater than the minimum discrimination distance from the reference plane as an article area of the article from the captured image based on the distance information, and recognizes the article from an image of the article area.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2021Publication date: July 8, 2021Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Norimasa ARIGA, Masaaki YASUNAGA, Tetsuya NOBUOKA
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Patent number: 10977512Abstract: According to one embodiment, an article recognition device includes a storage unit, an image interface, a distance information interface, and a processor. The storage unit stores outline information indicating an outline of an article. The image interface acquires a captured image. The distance information interface acquires distance information from a distance sensor. The processor recognizes a first article from the captured image, specifies an article area in which the first article appears from the captured image based on the outline information, acquires an article area distance between a surface of the first article and the installation base on which the first article is placed, which appear in the captured image, based on the distance information, and determines whether the first article is disposed overlapping a second article based on the outline information and the article area distance.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2019Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuya Nobuoka, Masaaki Yasunaga
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Patent number: 10970521Abstract: An autonomous inventory tracking apparatus includes an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image, and a processor configured to detect a calibration plate in the image acquired from the image acquisition unit, calculate a color correction value for the image according to a color block of the calibration plate, the color block matching a reference value, correct color in the image using the calculated color correction value to provide a color-corrected image, and perform commodity recognition processing on the color-corrected image so as to identify the commodity in the image acquired from the image acquisition unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Norimasa Ariga, Kazuki Taira, Masaaki Yasunaga
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Patent number: 10963726Abstract: According to one embodiment, an article recognition device includes an image interface, a distance information interface, and a processor. The image interface acquires a captured image of an article placed on an installation base. The distance information interface acquires distance information indicating a distance from the installation base and the article. The processor extracts image information for recognizing the article from the image, generates a list including the image information, deletes image information having the same height as the height of the installation base from the list based on the distance information, and recognizes the article based on the image information of the list.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tetsuya Nobuoka, Masaaki Yasunaga
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Publication number: 20210090287Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an article recognition apparatus includes a first interface, a second interface, and a processor. The processor determines an article region from an image obtained by the first interface and determines a tilt of the article present in the determined article region on the basis of a distance obtained by the second interface. Further, the processor determines on the basis of the determined tilt of the article that the article is placed in the placement region in a state in which the article leans against another object.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2020Publication date: March 25, 2021Inventors: Tetsuya NOBUOKA, Masaaki YASUNAGA
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Publication number: 20210081678Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an input interface, a memory, and a processor. The input interface obtains a captured image obtained by imaging an imaging area including the shelf on which the article is arranged. The memory stores an article list showing the article arranged on the shelf. The processor detects the article for which the person in charge has done the checking work from the captured image obtained by the input interface. The processor outputs information indicating the article for which the person in charge has not done the checking work on the basis of the article list and a checked-article list showing the article for which the person in charge has done the checking work.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Keita YAMAZAKI, Masaaki YASUNAGA
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Publication number: 20210063850Abstract: An imaging device includes an imaging unit, a moving mechanism configured to move the imaging device along a floor, and a processor configured to acquire a location of a fixture on the floor and a size of horizontal shelves of the fixture. The processor also acquires an acceptable working range of the imaging unit and determines a traveling route for the imaging device to capture an image of tags attached to the horizontal shelves so that the each tag is in the acceptable working range when imaged.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Norimasa ARIGA, Masaaki YASUNAGA, Keita YAMAZAKI
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Publication number: 20210042953Abstract: An image processing system includes a camera interface and a processor. The camera interface acquires a captured image from at least one camera that images an article. The processor acquires a basic shape of the article and acquires an image captured with imaging parameters corresponding to the basic shape from the at least one camera through the camera interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Applicant: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaaki YASUNAGA, Norimasa ARIGA