Patents by Inventor Masaharu Imaki

Masaharu Imaki 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: 11965985
    Abstract: A laser radar device includes a first signal sequence converting unit that converts a transmission signal generated by a transmission signal generating unit into a first pulse signal sequence; a second signal sequence converting unit that converts a reception signal outputted from a reflected light receiving unit into a second pulse signal sequence; and a range calculating unit that calculates a range to a ranging target from a time difference between a time at which transmission light is irradiated by a light irradiating unit and a time at which reflected light is received by the reflected light receiving unit, and an acceptance or refusal selecting unit calculates a degree of match between the first pulse signal sequence and the second pulse signal sequence, and selects or discards the range calculated by the range calculating unit on the basis of the degree of match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaharu Imaki, Takayuki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 11940564
    Abstract: A laser radar device includes: a light source for outputting laser light; a scanner for causing the laser light to scan; a first optical system for receiving the laser light caused to scan by the scanner and incident on the first optical system and emitting the incident laser light in such a manner that a horizontal component of the incident laser light is different from a horizontal component of the laser light to be emitted; and a second optical system for receiving the laser light caused to scan by the scanner and incident on the second optical system and emitting the incident laser light in such a manner that an incident area of the incident laser light in the horizontal direction is the same as an incident area of the first optical system in the horizontal direction, and an emission area of the incident laser light is different from an emission area of the first optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Ito, Takayuki Yanagisawa, Hiroshi Aruga, Masaharu Imaki, Wataru Yoshiki, Shumpei Kameyama
  • Publication number: 20240069190
    Abstract: A wind speed prediction device includes processing circuitry configured to acquire a scattering signal that is each of a plurality of beams after being emitted to space and scattered in the space; variably set a range bin width as distance resolution of each of the acquired scattering signals in accordance with an elevation angle of each of the beams emitted to the space, and calculate at least one Doppler frequency of at least one range bin corresponding to a two-dimensional plane including an observation region from the each of the scattering signals; estimate at least one wind speed distribution in the two-dimensional plane from the plurality of Doppler frequencies calculated; and predict a wind speed in the observation region from the at least one wind speed distribution in the two-dimensional plane using a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki KITAMURA, Kei SUWA, Shumpei KAMEYAMA, Hiroshi SAKAMAKI, Masaharu IMAKI
  • Patent number: 11899112
    Abstract: A laser radar device (1) includes: a light source array (10) for simultaneously emitting a plurality of laser light beams from a plurality of light emitting ends; an optical modulator (12) for modulating transmission light separated from the plurality of laser light beams to generate modulated transmission light; a transmission/reception optical system (14, 15) for receiving, as received light, the modulated transmission light reflected by a target, while scanning external space with the modulated transmission light; an optical combiner (16) for generating a plurality of interference light components by combining a plurality of local light components separated from the plurality of laser light beams and the received light; an optical receiver array (17) for generating a plurality of detection signals by detecting the plurality of interference light components; a switching circuit (18) for selecting a detection signal from the plurality of detection signals in accordance with a scanning speed with respect to t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaharu Imaki
  • Publication number: 20230375706
    Abstract: A signal processing device calculates, as a moving speed of each of a plurality of observation targets, a relative speed of each of the targets with respect to a lidar device. A plurality of light pulses having different frequencies from each other are generated, each of the light pulses radiated and then scattered by each of the targets is received, and multiplexed light of each of the scattered light and the laser beam is detected. The signal processing device includes: a Doppler frequency calculating unit to calculate a Doppler frequency in a frequency of each of the scattered light and due to movement of each of the targets from the frequencies of the plurality of generated light pulses and a detection signal of each of the multiplexed light; and a speed calculating unit to calculate a relative speed of each of the targets from each of the Doppler frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Junia NOMURA, Masaharu IMAKI, Shumpei KAMEYAMA, Yusuke ITO
  • Publication number: 20230350071
    Abstract: A lidar device radiating a first laser beam in an absorption band of a gas and a second laser beam having a lower absorption rate than that of the first laser beam to the gas in a space includes: a light source of a laser beam; a frequency outputter outputting a first frequency or a second frequency different from the former; a reference light outputter outputting the laser beam as reference light; a transmitter generating the first laser beam by modulating a frequency of the laser beam by the first frequency, generating the second laser beam by modulating the frequency of the laser beam by the second frequency, and radiating both to the space; and a receiver receiving the first laser beam and then scattered by the gas or the second laser beam and then similarly scattered and detect interference between the scattered light and the reference light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu IMAKI, Takayuki NAKANO, Yusuke ITO
  • Patent number: 11592513
    Abstract: To provide a laser distance measuring apparatus which can increase the measurement frequency per unit time by suppressing the increase in the data amount expressing the measurement time, while ensuring the distance measurement precision and the measurable distance. A laser distance measuring apparatus measures, with a time resolution, a light receiving time which is a time from a time point when the laser beam generating unit emits the laser beam to a time point when the light receiving unit outputs the light receiving signal; calculates an object distance which is a distance to the object, based on the measurement result of the light receiving time by the time measuring device; and changes the time resolution of the time measuring device used for calculation of the object distance, based on detection information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shumpei Kameyama, Takayuki Yanagisawa, Masaharu Imaki, Yusuke Ito, Yosuke Tsuzaki, Masahiro Kawai
  • Patent number: 11567178
    Abstract: The laser distance measuring device includes: a laser light emission unit for emitting laser light; a scanning mechanism for scanning the laser light by changing an output angle thereof; a light receiving unit for receiving reflected light of the laser light from an object, to thereby output a light reception signal; a light-detector control circuit for causing the light receiving unit to output the reception signal after setting a light receiving sensitivity for the reflected light at the time when the output angle is small, higher than a light receiving sensitivity for the reflected light at the time when the output angle is large; and a distance calculation unit for calculating, based on the reception signal, a distance to the object. This enhances the distance measuring capability in both cases of measuring a short distance and a long distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shohei Tsukamoto, Hiroshi Sakanoue, Masaharu Imaki
  • Patent number: 11543524
    Abstract: A frequency shift correcting unit (25) which corrects a frequency shift of a plurality of first signal spectra within the same time range with respect to a frequency of first laser light beam and corrects a frequency shift of a plurality of second signal spectra within the same time range with respect to a frequency of second laser light beam, and a spectrum integrating unit (26) which integrates a plurality of first signal spectra corrected by the frequency shift correcting unit (25) and integrates a plurality of second signal spectra corrected by the frequency shift correcting unit (25) are provided, and a molecular concentration calculating unit (27) calculates a concentration of molecules in the atmosphere from the first and second signal spectra integrated by the spectrum calculating unit (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaharu Imaki, Shumpei Kameyama
  • Publication number: 20220244361
    Abstract: A lidar control device controls a lidar device including a background light cut filter that allows transmission of reflected laser light that is laser emission light reflected by an object and suppresses transmission of background light incident on the lidar device, the lidar control device including: a filter temperature acquiring unit to acquire a filter temperature of the background light cut filter; a filter characteristic acquiring unit to acquire a filter temperature characteristic of the background light cut filter; a transmission wavelength acquiring unit to acquire a transmission wavelength of the background light cut filter on the basis of the filter temperature and the filter temperature characteristic; and a control signal generating unit to generate a control signal for causing the lidar device to emit the laser emission light having a wavelength corresponding to the transmission wavelength acquired by the transmission wavelength acquiring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu IMAKI, Takayuki NAKANO, Masahiro KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20220244557
    Abstract: A light pattern generation device is provided with a laser light source to emit laser light, a light scanner to deflect the laser light emitted from the laser light source, and a diffractive optical element unit including a plurality of diffractive optical element components each of which modulates at least one of phase distribution or intensity distribution of the laser light deflected by the light scanner so that the laser light that passes therethrough forms a predetermined light pattern on an image plane. The light scanner can change a deflection direction in which the laser light emitted from the laser light source is deflected so that the laser light emitted from the laser light source is deflected toward a predetermined diffractive optical element component out of the plurality of diffractive optical element components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru YOSHIKI, Yukari MIYAGI, Masaharu IMAKI, Takayuki NAKANO
  • Publication number: 20220163788
    Abstract: The obstacle detection apparatus mainly includes an optical deflector, a first reflection mirror, a second reflection mirror, and a light receiver. The first reflection mirror is arranged to face the optical deflector. The second reflection mirror is arranged at one side of the first reflection mirror further from the optical deflector. The optical deflector scans a light beam conically about a first axis. The first reflection mirror and the second reflection mirror are driven to rotate about a second axis in synchronization with each other. The second axis is coaxial with the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro HORIGUCHI, Yoshitaka KAJIYAMA, Yoko INOUE, Masaharu IMAKI
  • Patent number: 11327176
    Abstract: A laser radar device includes: a primary light source configured to combine laser beams having different wavelengths to generate primary light; an optical splitter configured to split the primary light into transmission light and reference light; an optical modulator configured to modulate the transmission light to generate modulated transmission light; an optical transmitter/receiver system configured to emit the modulated transmission light into an external space and receive light scattered or diffused by a target; an optical combiner configured to combine the reference light and the received light to generate an optical beat signal; and a photodetector circuit configured to perform an optical-to-electrical signal conversion of the optical beat signal to generate a received signal; and a signal processing circuit configured to calculate a measurement value related to the target on the basis of the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Imaki, Takayuki Yanagisawa
  • Publication number: 20220049445
    Abstract: A floating matter guidance control device includes a floating matter information obtaining unit for obtaining floating matter information about floating matter on a water surface; a vibration determining unit for determining a frequency of vibration generated by a vibration generating device for generating a water surface wave by vibrating a water surface, on the basis of the floating matter information obtained by the floating matter information obtaining unit; and a vibration generating device control unit for controlling the vibration generating device so that the vibration generating device vibrates at the frequency determined by the vibration determining unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tai TANAKA, Yasuo MORIMOTO, Jin HIRANO, Masaharu IMAKI
  • Patent number: 11249190
    Abstract: The laser radar device includes: a modulated light generator configured to generate modulated laser light using frequency modulation based on a control parameter; an optical combiner configured to combine the received light and the local light to generate interference light; a photodetector configured to detect the interference light and output an electrical signal; a frequency-to-voltage converter configured to convert the electrical signal into a voltage signal; a characteristic calculator configured to measure a characteristic value of the voltage signal; an evaluator configured to evaluate, on a basis of the characteristic value, whether a center frequency of a spectrum of a return signal component is within a range of a demodulation band of a demodulation circuit; and a parameter setting unit configured to change the control parameter when it is evaluated that the center frequency is not within the range of the demodulation band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichi Nishino, Masaharu Imaki, Shumpei Kameyama
  • Publication number: 20210382084
    Abstract: The lidar device includes a multimode laser light source, a narrow-band filter for converting output laser light of the multimode laser light source into narrow-band laser light, an edge filter for receiving backscattered light generated when a target (Tgt) in an external space backscatters the narrow-band laser light, a light detection circuit for detecting a transmission light signal output by the edge filter and outputting an electric signal, and a signal processing unit for measuring at least a relative speed of the target (Tgt) on the basis of the electric signal. The light transmission characteristic of the narrow-band filter has a first narrow-band spectrum that forms a peak of light transmittance at a predetermined light transmission frequency, and the light transmission characteristic of the edge filter has a second narrow-band spectrum having an edge portion forming a positive or negative gradient of light transmittance at the light transmission frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Masaharu IMAKI
  • Publication number: 20210270966
    Abstract: An object detecting device is configured of a laser beam generating unit that generates a laser beam, a light receiving unit that outputs a received light signal based on a laser beam reflected from a detection target object, a distance calculating unit that calculates a distance to the detection target object based on a time required from an emission of the laser beam until a reception of the received light signal, and a wave height value calculating unit that obtains an approximate straight line based on inclinations of a rise and a fall of a waveform of the received light signal at a set threshold, and calculates a wave height value of the received light signal based on the approximate straight line, wherein information regarding the detection target object is collected based on the wave height value, in addition to the distance being calculated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Inoue, Masahiro Kawai, Shohei Tsukamoto, Masaharu Imaki
  • Publication number: 20210239805
    Abstract: A laser radar device includes: a light source for outputting laser light; a scanner for causing the laser light to scan; a first optical system for receiving the laser light caused to scan by the scanner and incident on the first optical system and emitting the incident laser light in such a manner that a horizontal component of the incident laser light is different from a horizontal component of the laser light to be emitted; and a second optical system for receiving the laser light caused to scan by the scanner and incident on the second optical system and emitting the incident laser light in such a manner that an incident area of the incident laser light in the horizontal direction is the same as an incident area of the first optical system in the horizontal direction, and an emission area of the incident laser light is different from an emission area of the first optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke ITO, Takayuki YANAGISAWA, Hiroshi ARUGA, Masaharu IMAKI, Wataru YOSHIKI, Shumpei KAMEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210199424
    Abstract: A machine tool includes a machining unit for feeding cutting oil to a work surface of a workpiece and machining the work surface, an optical sensor body unit dividing light outputted from a frequency sweep light source for outputting light whose frequency varies periodically into irradiation light with which the workpiece is to be irradiated and reference light, irradiating the workpiece with the irradiation light, detecting a peak frequency of interference light between reflected light which is irradiation light reflected by the workpiece, and the reference light, and measuring the distance from the machine tool to the work surface on the basis of the peak frequency, and a shape calculation unit calculating the shape of the workpiece on the basis of the distance measured by the optical sensor body unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki GOTO, Kiyoshi ONOHARA, Masaharu IMAKI, Naoki SUZUKI, Takayuki YANAGISAWA
  • Publication number: 20210157000
    Abstract: A laser radar device (1) includes: a light source array (10) for simultaneously emitting a plurality of laser light beams from a plurality of light emitting ends; an optical modulator (12) for modulating transmission light separated from the plurality of laser light beams to generate modulated transmission light; a transmission/reception optical system (14, 15) for receiving, as received light, the modulated transmission light reflected by a target, while scanning external space with the modulated transmission light; an optical combiner (16) for generating a plurality of interference light components by combining a plurality of local light components separated from the plurality of laser light beams and the received light; an optical receiver array (17) for generating a plurality of detection signals by detecting the plurality of interference light components; a switching circuit (18) for selecting a detection signal from the plurality of detection signals in accordance with a scanning speed with respect to t
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2017
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Masaharu IMAKI