Patents by Inventor Masahiro Kiyohara

Masahiro Kiyohara 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: 20110074957
    Abstract: There is provided apparatus for vehicle surroundings monitorings that assists so as to make it possible for a driver to check the periphery of the vehicle with ease. Plural images are obtained by capturing the periphery of the vehicle with mutually differing exposure. A process of image recognition is then performed for a target within the thus obtained images. The images are then compared, and images for which the accuracy of image recognition of the target is favorable are selected from among the images. The selected images are joined and composited to generate a host vehicle periphery composite image. Thus, an image with a wide dynamic range and high visibility is generated, thereby making it easier for the driver to check the periphery of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Ryo Yumiba, Kota Irie, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Publication number: 20110063431
    Abstract: A cross-section processing and observation method includes: forming a first cross section in a sample by etching processing using a focused ion beam; obtaining image information of the first cross section by irradiating the focused ion beam to the first cross section; forming a second cross section by performing etching processing on the first cross section; obtaining image information of the second cross section by irradiating the focused ion beam to an irradiation region including the second cross section; displaying image information of a part of a display region of the irradiation region from the image information of the second cross section; displaying the image information of the first cross section by superimposing it on the image information being displayed; and moving the display region within the irradiation region. Observation images in which display regions are aligned can be obtained while reducing damage to the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventors: Masahiro KIYOHARA, Makoto SATO, Haruo TAKAHASHI, Junichi TASHIRO
  • Publication number: 20110052044
    Abstract: A cross-section processing and observation method includes: forming a cross section in a sample by a focused ion beam through etching processing; obtaining a cross-section observation image through cross-section observation by the focused ion beam; and forming a new cross section by performing etching processing in a region including the cross section and obtaining a cross-section observation image of the new cross section. A surface observation image of a region including a mark on the sample and the cross section is obtained. A position of the mark is recognized in the surface observation image and etching processing is performed on the cross section by setting, in reference to the position of the mark, a focused ion beam irradiation region in which to form the new cross section. Cross-section processing and observation is thus enabled continuously and efficiently using a focused ion beam apparatus having no SEM apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Haruo Takahashi, Masahiro Kiyohara, Makoto Sato, Junichi Tashiro
  • Publication number: 20110025848
    Abstract: Provided is an in-vehicle image display device capable of providing, from among images of the peripheral area of a vehicle that can change in accordance with the driving state, an image of a part needed by the driver at an appropriate timing so that the driver can recognize the positional relationship between the vehicle and the peripheral area of the vehicle. Images captured with in-vehicle cameras are acquired, and a vehicle periphery image is generated from such images. Then, a collision-warned part of the vehicle that has a possibility of hitting a nearby object is selected based on the vehicle driving state, and the acquired image is processed to generate an enlarged image of the peripheral area of the collision-warned part of the vehicle selected by the collision-warned part selection part. Then, a composite display image, in which the positions of the enlarged image and the vehicle periphery image are displayed in a correlated manner, is generated and displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryo YUMIBA, Masahiro Kiyohara, Tatsuhiko Monji, Kota Irie
  • Publication number: 20100155624
    Abstract: A focused ion beam apparatus includes: a focused ion beam irradiating mechanism configured to irradiate a sample with a focused ion beam; a detector configured to detect a secondary charged particle generated by irradiating the sample with the focused beam; an image generating unit configured to generate an sample image of the sample; a processing area setting unit configured to set a processing area image including a plurality of pixels corresponding to positions of irradiation of the focused ion beam on the sample image; a position of irradiation setting unit configured to set coordinates of the pixels included in the processing area image; a beam setting unit configured to set a dose amount of the focused ion beam irradiated from the focused ion beam irradiating mechanism according to intensities; and an interpolating unit configured to perform an interpolating process on the processing area image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Makoto Sato, Masahiro Kiyohara, Junichi Tashiro
  • Patent number: 7668345
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, for example, a multi-camera monitoring system is provided for processing images with the intention of protecting the individuals' privacies in accordance with the type of customers in a store which is equipped with the multi-camera monitoring system, and for deleting or modifying individuals' privacy information to protect the individuals' privacies while permitting the identity of a person to be determined among a plurality of cameras. The image processing apparatus processes an image captured by an imager device to output the resulting image. A processor detects a person from an image, and an image database stores feature information on the person. The processor extracts features from the detected person and the database, processes the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information, and generates an output image based on the processed features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Masato Kazui, Kazunori Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100040289
    Abstract: A road sign recognition apparatus generates a mosaic image formed by connecting accumulated images from a camera in time-series order, determines multiple road signs contained in the mosaic image by template matching, and generates positional information for the use of knowing a relative position of a vehicle to the road sign.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota IRIE, Masahiro KIYOHARA, Naoki KOUROGI
  • Publication number: 20090174577
    Abstract: Image information apparatuses, methods, and programs acquire image information of a plurality of frames of images sensed at predetermined regular time intervals. The apparatuses, methods, and programs detect a leading and trailing end of a lane mark included in a detection area defined in each frame of the image information. The apparatuses, methods, and programs detect a detected distance from one of the leading and trailing end of the lane mark to the other one as a detected distance based on the speed of the vehicle and the number of frames between a frame in which one of the leading end and the trailing end of the lane mark is detected and a frame in which the other one of the leading end and the trailing end of the lane mark is detected and determine a lane mark type of the lane mark on the basis of the detected distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Nakamura, Tomoaki Ishikawa, Osamu Aisaka, Kota Irie, Naoki Kourogi, Takeshi Shima, Masahiro Kiyohara
  • Patent number: 7459699
    Abstract: A laser mark which will be the positioning mark for a secondary charged particle image in the charged particle beam apparatus is applied by moving the sample processing/observation area in the charged particle beam apparatus so as to come into the view field while performing an observation by an infrared microscope, and by a using a laser optical system disposed coaxially with an optical observation system, the mark made at the periphery of the processing/observation object area. Next, by a superposition of an infrared transmission image and a CAD data, the processing/observation object area and the laser mark are registered onto the CAD data. And, by a correlation of the registered data read from the charged particle beam apparatus and the secondary charged particle image, it is possible to accurately and easily determine the processing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: SII NanoTechnology Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Makoto Sato, Tatsuya Asahata
  • Publication number: 20070217765
    Abstract: In a video recorder/player that increases a frame rate for only a channel in which an event occurs in images captured by a plurality of cameras and which performs event analysis with higher accuracy within limited processing resources and limited storage capacity, the channel in which the event occurs is set as an event CH and normal channels are set as normal CH. When any event occurs, a processing is divided in accordance with a situation at that time into a frame rate changing processing of the event CH, a frame rate changing processing of the normal CH and the event CH and a changing processing that changes the frame rate of the event CH within a possible range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Inventors: Masaya Itoh, Hiromasa Fujii, Masahiro Kiyohara
  • Publication number: 20070126868
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus connected to a monitoring camera and a display for processing an image input from the monitoring camera includes an image storage storing an image input from the monitoring camera, a characteristic parameter storage storing a characteristic parameter characterizing a specific image, a specific image extraction unit, wherein the specific image extraction unit cuts out images having a plurality of predetermined sizes from all parts of the input image stored in the image storage, executes character evaluation processing for checking whether or not cut out images have an identical character to the specific image for each cut out image, and extracts the cut out images which has an identical character to the specific image by the character evaluation processing, and a display image generation unit for generating a display image for displaying a whole image of the input image and the extraction specific image on the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Kazunori Takahashi, Chieko Onuma, Wataru Ito
  • Publication number: 20060222213
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus, for example, a multi-camera monitoring system is provided for processing images with the intention of protecting the individuals' privacies in accordance with the type of customers in a store which is equipped with the multi-camera monitoring system, and for deleting or modifying individuals' privacy information to protect the individuals' privacies while permitting the identity of a person to be determined among a plurality of cameras. The image processing apparatus processes an image captured by an imager device to output the resulting image. A processor detects a person from an image, and an image database stores feature information on the person. The processor extracts features from the detected person and the database, processes the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information, and generates an output image based on the processed features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Masato Kazui, Kazunori Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20060118733
    Abstract: A laser mark which will be the positioning mark for a secondary charged particle image in the charged particle beam apparatus is applied by moving the sample processing/observation area in the charged particle beam apparatus so as to come into the view field while performing an observation by an infrared microscope, and by a using a laser optical system disposed coaxially with an optical observation system, the mark made at the periphery of the processing/observation object area. Next, by a superposition of an infrared transmission image and a CAD data, the processing/observation object area and the laser mark are registered onto the CAD data. And, by a correlation of the registered data read from the charged particle beam apparatus and the secondary charged particle image, it is possible to accurately and easily determine the processing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Makoto Sato, Tatsuya Asahata