Patents by Inventor Masanao Owaki

Masanao Owaki 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: 8363512
    Abstract: Sound and image are sampled simultaneously using a sound/image sampling unit incorporating a plurality of microphones and a camera. Sound pressure waveform data and image data are stored in a storage means. Then the sound pressure waveform data are extracted from the storage means, and a graph of a time-series waveform of the sound pressure level is displayed on a display screen. A time point at which to carry out a calculation to estimate sound direction is designated on the graph, and then sound direction is estimated by calculating the phase differences between the sound pressure signals of the sound sampled by the microphones, using the sound pressure waveform data for a calculation time length having the time point at the center thereof. A sound source position estimation image having a graphic indicating an estimated sound direction is created and displayed by combining the estimated sound direction and the image data sampled at the time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motors
    Inventors: Masanao Owaki, Takefumi Zaima, Koji Mase
  • Publication number: 20100220552
    Abstract: Sound and image are sampled simultaneously using a sound/image sampling unit incorporating a plurality of microphones and a camera. Sound pressure waveform data and image data are stored in a storage means. Then the sound pressure waveform data are extracted from the storage means, and a graph of a time-series waveform of the sound pressure level is displayed on a display screen. A time point at which to carry out a calculation to estimate sound direction is designated on the graph, and then sound direction is estimated by calculating the phase differences between the sound pressure signals of the sound sampled by the microphones, using the sound pressure waveform data for a calculation time length having the time point at the center thereof. A sound source position estimation image having a graphic indicating an estimated sound direction is created and displayed by combining the estimated sound direction and the image data sampled at the time point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTORS
    Inventors: Masanao OWAKI, Takefumi ZAIMA, Koji MASE
  • Patent number: 7162043
    Abstract: In order to locate and display the source of a sound such as a noise at a factory or the like accurately even when it is outside, a pair of microphones (M1, M3) and another pair of microphones (M2, M4) are disposed on the X axis and Y axis with a distance L therebetween, respectively, the direction of the sound source is estimated from a difference between sound arrival times to the microphones (M1, M3) and a difference between sound arrival times to the microphones (M2, M4), an image around the estimated location of the sound source is picked up by a camera, and the above estimated location of the sound source is displayed on the above image displayed on the display of a personal computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignees: Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., Kabushiki Kaisha Kumagaigumi
    Inventors: Takeshi Sugiyama, Hiroyuki Wada, Takefumi Zaima, Masanao Owaki, Yasuhiro Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20020181721
    Abstract: In order to locate and display the source of a sound such as a noise at a factory or the like accurately even when it is outside, a pair of microphones (M1, M3) and another pair of microphones (M2, M4) are disposed on the X axis and Y axis with a distance L therebetween, respectively, the direction of the sound source is estimated from a difference between sound arrival times to the microphones (M1, M3) and a difference between sound arrival times to the microphones (M2, M4), an image around the estimated location of the sound source is picked up by a camera, and the above estimated location of the sound source is displayed on the above image displayed on the display of a personal computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Takeshi Sugiyama, Hiroyuki Wada, Takefumi Zaima, Masanao Owaki, Yasuhiro Yamashita
  • Patent number: 6195538
    Abstract: A FM receiver for receiving text-based multiplex broadcasts includes: a receiving circuit for receiving the text-based multiplex broadcasts; a decoding circuit for taking out the plurality of character program data from a multiplexed signal received by the receiving circuit; a display element for displaying the character program in accordance with data obtained from the decoding circuit; a memory; and control means adapted to request, when a key operation for setting retention using a timer is performed, to designate a selected character program from the plurality of character programs, and to designate the time to carry out the retention using the timer, to retain, when the designated time comes, the character program data designated, in the memory, from the plurality of character program data obtained from the decoding circuit, and to read out, when a calling key operation is performed, the character program data retained in the memory, and to display the character program of the retained data on the displa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Owaki
  • Patent number: 5956628
    Abstract: A receiver for receiving FM text-based multiplex broadcasts has a receiving circuit for receiving FM text-based multiplex broadcasts, a memory for storing character data received by the receiving circuit and a display element, in which character data stored in the memory are displayed, assuming the display capacity of the display element to be one page, on the display element one page thereof at a time, and it is controlled so that the display of one page at a time is changed over automatically to a next page sequentially at every predetermined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Owaki
  • Patent number: 5465403
    Abstract: A radio receiver of synthesizer type having a phase-locked loop therein and capable of selecting a desired broadcasting station by frequency conversion of a reception signal in conformity with an oscillation signal obtained from the phase-locked loop. The receiver includes a data table including frequency data for receiving programs from broadcasting stations, and time data indicative of the broadcast start time of each station; a timer circuit; a memory for the timer; and station select keys. When desired frequency data has been selected out of the data table by depressing one of the select keys for timer reservation, the selected frequency data and the time data corresponding thereto are read out from the data table and are written in the timer memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Owaki
  • Patent number: 5101508
    Abstract: A radio receiver receives a radio broadcast by performing a frequency conversion on the basis of an oscillation signal from a phase locked loop. Specifically, a memory has a data table including broadcasting station data, broadcasting time data, and frequency data necessary for receiving a particular radio broadcast at the broadcasting time. A timer and a key are provided for selecting a broadcasting station. When the key is operated, a key output and time data indicated by the timer are supplied to the data table as input data to indicate the broadcasting station on the data table. The corresponding frequency data is thereupon read out of the data table. The frequency data thus read out is supplied to the phase locked loop, whereby a frequency indicated by the frequency data is selected as the frequency for reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Owaki
  • Patent number: 4051446
    Abstract: A temperature compensating circuit for use with a crystal oscillator has a first bridge circuit for generating a first DC voltage with a linear functional temperature characteristic, a second bridge circuit for generating a second DC voltage with a quadratic functional temperature characteristic and a circuit for multiplying the first DC voltage and the second DC voltage so as to produce a DC voltage with a cubic functional characteristic. In this case, the DC voltage with the cubic functional characteristic is supplied to an oscillator circuit so as to compensate for variations in frequency of the crystal oscillator caused by temperature changes over a wide range thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1977
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Owaki