Patents by Inventor Masao Hiramoto

Masao Hiramoto 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: 20120300033
    Abstract: An exemplary 3D image shooting apparatus comprises: a polarized light source; an image capturing section that sequentially captures an image of the object that is being illuminated with each of plane polarized light rays, and an image processor. The image capturing section includes: a lens; an image sensor; and an incoming light transmitting section which has a transparent area and a plurality of polarization filter areas. The polarization filter areas are arranged outside of the transparent area, generally have a concentric ring shape, and include left and right filter areas so that their polarization transmission axis directions define an angle ? (0<?<90 degrees). The image processing section generates a plurality of images from light that has been transmitted through the transparent area and light that has been transmitted through the plurality of polarization filter areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brahm Pal SINGH, Katsuhiro KANAMORI, Masao HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120293634
    Abstract: This 3D image capture device includes an image capturing section 100 and a signal processing section 200. The image capturing section 100 includes a light-transmitting section 2 with first, second and third transmitting areas that have mutually different transmission wavelength ranges, a solid-state image sensor 1 that is arranged to receive the light transmitted through the light-transmitting section, and an optical system 3 that produces an image on an imaging area of the solid-state image sensor. The signal processing section 200 includes an image generating section 7 that generates three image signals, representing the quantities of light rays that have been incident on the first, second and third transmitting areas, based on the output signal of the solid-state image sensor 1, and a parallax estimating section 40 that estimates parallax based on the three image signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Ishii, Masao Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 8314872
    Abstract: A mirror 1a transmits a cyan (Cy) ray and reflects an R ray, and a mirror 1d transmits a yellow (Ye) ray and reflects a B ray. The mirrors 1a and 1d are arranged inside a light-transmitting member 3 and are also tilted so that the light reflected from each of them is further reflected from the interface between the light-transmitting member 3 and the air and then incident on an adjacent photosensitive cell. Photosensitive cells 2a and 2d receive the light rays that have been transmitted through the mirrors 1a and 1d, respectively. No mirrors are arranged over photosensitive cells 2b and 2c. The photosensitive cell 2b receives directly incident light and the light ray reflected from the mirror 1a. The photosensitive cell 2c receives the directly incident light and the light ray reflected from the mirror 1d. Color information is obtained by making computations on the output signals of the respective photosensitive cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Kazuya Yonemoto, Yoshiaki Sugitani
  • Patent number: 8294076
    Abstract: An imaging photodetection device (4) includes: a plurality of photodetectors (6) that are arrayed on a substrate (5) at least along a first direction; a transparent low refractive index layer (12) that is formed above the plurality of photodetectors; and a plurality of transparent high refractive index sections (13) that are embedded in the transparent low refractive index layer along the first direction. On a cross-section of the transparent high refractive index sections orthogonal to the substrate and along the first direction, central axes (14) of the transparent high refractive index sections are bent stepwise. Light that enters the transparent low refractive index layer and the transparent high refractive index section passes therethrough to be separated into 0th-order diffracted light, 1st-order diffracted light, and ?1st-order diffracted light. Thereby, improvement in the efficiency of light utilization and pixel densification can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Nishiwaki, Masa-aki Suzuki, Shin-ichi Wakabayashi, Kazuya Yonemoto, Masao Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20120262551
    Abstract: The 3D image capture device includes a light-transmitting section with n transmitting areas (where n is an integer and n?2) that have different transmission wavelength ranges and each of which transmits a light ray falling within a first wavelength range, a solid-state image sensor that includes a photosensitive cell array having a number of unit blocks, and a signal processing section that processes the output signal of the image sensor. Each unit block includes n photosensitive cells including a first photosensitive cell that outputs a signal representing the quantity of the light ray falling within the first wavelength range. The signal processing section generates at least two image data with parallax by using a signal obtained by multiplying a signal supplied from the first photosensitive cell by a first coefficient, which is real number that is equal to or greater than zero but less than one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Ishii, Masao Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 8289422
    Abstract: The solid state image sensor of this invention includes multiple units, each of which includes first and second photosensitive cells 2a, 2b and a dispersive element 1a facing the first cell 2a. The element 1a passes a part of incoming light with a first color component to the second cell 2b. The first cell 2a receives a smaller quantity of light with the first color component than that of the light with the first color component incident on the dispersive element. The second cell 2b receives a greater quantity of light with the first color component than that of the light with the first color component incident on the dispersive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Yoshiaki Sugitani, Kazuya Yonemoto, Seiji Nishiwaki, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8253818
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes, on an imaging surface, a plurality of unit pixel regions being arrayed at a first pixel pitch along a Y direction and at a second pixel pitch along an X direction. One of two adjoining unit pixel regions 1 along the Y first direction includes a first photodetecting portion 1a having a first opening ratio, and the other includes a second photodetecting portion 1b having a second opening ratio which is lower than the first opening ratio. When the first photodetecting portion 1a is moved imaginarily by a first pixel pitch along the Y direction, the first photodetecting portion 1a covers the entire second photodetecting portion 1b. At this time, a portion of the first photodetecting portion 1a that does not cover the second photodetecting portion 1b functions as an imaginary third photodetecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Yoshiaki Sugitani, Teruyuki Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20120212656
    Abstract: The solid-state image sensor of the present invention includes an array of photosensitive cells, an array 100 of dispersing elements, and an array 300 of color filters. The photosensitive cell array 200 has a number of unit blocks 40, each of which includes photosensitive cells 2a and 2b. The dispersing element array 100 includes a dispersing element 1a, which makes all of incoming light (W) but a light ray falling within a first wavelength range incident on the first photosensitive cell 2a and which also makes at least a part of the light ray falling within the first wavelength range incident on the second photosensitive cell 2b. A color filter 3a that either absorbs or reflects the light ray falling within the first wavelength range is arranged between the photosensitive cell 2a and the dispersing element 1a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120206571
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an element 106 transform, with a voltage, non-polarized light into plane polarized light with an arbitrary plane of polarization. A synchronizer 112 gives the plane of polarization control element 106 an instruction to rotate the plane of polarization, thereby getting the plane of polarization of the illumination rotated and casting that polarized light toward the object. At the same time, the synchronizer 112 sends a shooting start signal to an image sensor 110, thereby getting video. The synchronizer 112 performs these processing steps multiple times. A captured video signal is sent to an image processing processor 108, where LL, RR and CC images are separately generated as images of light rays that have passed through left and right polarizing areas and the central non-polarizing area and left and right parallax signals are generated and sent to a 3D display section 122.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiro KANAMORI, Masao HIRAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120206637
    Abstract: In a basic pixel arrangement of a solid-state image sensor, a dispersing element is arranged to face each of pixels that are located at row 1, column 2 and row 3, column 1 positions in order to make a light ray with a first color component incident on a horizontally adjacent pixel and also make a light ray with a complementary color component with respect to the first color component incident on that pixel that faces the dispersing element. A dispersing element is arranged to face each of pixels that are located at row 2, column 1 and row 4, column 1 positions in order to make a light ray with a second color component incident on a horizontally adjacent pixel and also make a light ray with a complementary color component with respect to the second color component incident on that pixel that faces the dispersing element. On the other hand, no dispersing elements are arranged to face pixels that are located at row 1, column 1, row 2, column 2, row 3, column 2 and row 4, column 2 positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Toshiya Fujii, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120182395
    Abstract: A 3D image capture device includes: a light-transmitting section 2 with N fan-shaped light-transmitting areas (where N is an integer and N?3) with different transmission wavelength ranges; a solid-state image sensor 1 that receives the light transmitted through the light-transmitting section 2; an optical system 2 that produces an image on an imaging area of the sensor 1; and a signal processing section 200 that processes the output signal of the sensor 1. The sensor 1 includes a photosensitive cell array and a color filter array that are made up of unit elements, each of which includes N photosensitive cells and N color filters. The transmission wavelength ranges of the light-transmitting areas and the color filters are defined so that the light transmitted through at least one of the N light-transmitting areas is transmissible through at least two of the N color filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Yasunori Ishii
  • Publication number: 20120182453
    Abstract: The solid-state image sensor 10 includes an array of photosensitive cells and an array 100 of dispersing elements. The photosensitive cell array is comprised of unit blocks 40, each including four photosensitive cells 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Yusuke Monobe, Yoshiaki Sugitani, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8208052
    Abstract: A color representation technique to be effectively applicable to a pixel shifted arrangement to realize high sensitivity and high resolution is provided by using a dipersive prism or diffraction. A dispersive element is provided for an image sensor in which photosensitive cells are arranged to be shifted from each other by a half pitch both horizontally and vertically. The dispersive element makes at least G rays fall straight down to a pixel right under itself and also makes either R rays or B rays incident on an adjacent pixel. Meanwhile, a photosensitive cell, for which no dispersive element is provided, receives directly incident light, too. Color information can be obtained by making computations on photoelectrically converted signals provided by these pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Kazuya Yonemoto, Yoshiaki Sugitani
  • Publication number: 20120133743
    Abstract: The 3D image capture device of this invention includes: a light-transmitting section 2 with light-transmitting areas C1, C2 and C3 that have mutually different transmission wavelength ranges; a solid-state image sensor 1 arranged to receive the light that has been transmitted through the light-transmitting section 2; and an optical system 3 configured to produce an image on an imaging area of the solid-state image sensor 1, which includes a photosensitive cell array and a color filter array on the imaging area. The transmission wavelength ranges of the light-transmitting areas and the color filters are defined such that the light that has been transmitted through at least one of the light-transmitting areas C1, C2 and C3 is transmissible through at least two of the color filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Teruyuki Takizawa, Masayuki Misaki, Yasunori Ishii
  • Publication number: 20120121189
    Abstract: The image processing device includes: a storage unit (211) holding intensity gradient vectors Vr, position vectors Rr, and voting vectors Ur of a reference image; an intensity gradient vector calculation unit (212) which calculates intensity gradient vectors Vs of a search image; and a position determination unit (213) which determines a position of the reference image in the search image. The position determination unit (213) includes: a sampling unit (214) which thins out a part of the intensity gradient vectors Vs and/or the voting vectors Ur; an origin position estimation unit (215) which locates voting vectors Ur at each starting position of intensity gradient vectors Vs and estimates ending positions of the voting vectors Ur as candidate points; and a re-verification unit (216) which locates the position vectors Rr at each candidate point and determines a candidate point having most intensity gradient vectors Vs at ending positions of the position vectors Rr as an origin position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Yasunori Ishii, Masao Hiramoto
  • Publication number: 20120112037
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes an imaging lens 3, a light-transmitting section 2 with two polarizers, a rotation driving section 2A that rotates the light transmitting section 2, and a solid-state image sensor 1 that has multiple pixels and their associated polarization filters. A first polarization filter 50a is arranged to face a first group of pixels W1 and a second polarization filter 50b is arranged to face a second group of pixels W2. The respective transmission axes of the polarizing areas P(1) and P(2) of the light-transmitting section 2 form an angle ? between themselves. Also, the respective transmission axes of the polarization filters 50a and 50b form an angle ? between themselves. And the rotation driving section 2A can rotate the light-transmitting plate 2 on the optical axis. As a result, multiple sets of multi-viewpoint images can be obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Masayuki Misaki, Teruyuki Takazawa, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120105598
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes an imaging lens 3, a light-transmitting section 2 with two polarizers, and a solid-state image sensor 1 that has multiple pixels and their associated polarization filters. A first polarization filter 50a is arranged to face a first group of pixels W1 and a second polarization filter 50b is arranged to face a second group of pixels W2. The respective transmission axes of the polarizing areas P(1) and P(2) of the light-transmitting section 2 form an angle ? between themselves. Also, the transmission axis of the first polarization filter 50a defines an angle ? with respect to that of the polarizing area P(1). And the transmission axis of the second polarization filter 50b defines an angle ? with respect to that of the polarizing area P(2). With such an arrangement adopted, the image capture device of the present invention can obtain images with parallax efficiently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Masayuki Misaki, Teruyuki Takizawa, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120002018
    Abstract: A 3D image capture device includes: a light transmitting member 2 with polarizing areas and a non-polarizing area; a solid-state image sensor 1 for receiving the light transmitted through the member 2; an imaging section 3 for producing an image on the imaging area 1a of the sensor 1; and an image generating section. The member 2 has n polarizing areas P(1), P(2), . . . and P(n) (where n is an integer and n?2), each of which transmits only a light ray polarized in a particular direction, and a non-polarizing area P(n+1) that transmits any light ray irrespective of its polarization direction. Those n polarizing areas have mutually different transmission axis directions. The sensor 1 includes a pixel array, divided into pixel blocks each consisting of (n+1) pixels, and a filter array including n polarization filters arranged so as to face n out of the (n+1) pixels and having different transmission axis directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Masayuki Misaki, Teruyuki Takizawa, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110316983
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image capturing technique for obtaining, at the same time, multiple images with parallax and an image that would cause no sensitivity problem even without mechanically operating any part of its image capturing system. The 3D image capture device of this invention includes: a light transmitting member 2 having a polarizing area A that transmits only a light ray polarized in a particular direction and a non-polarizing area C that transmits any light ray irrespective of its polarization direction; a solid-state image sensor 1 arranged to receive the light ray transmitted through the light transmitting member 2; an imaging section 3 for producing an image on the imaging area 1a of the solid-state image sensor 1; and an image generating section for generating images based on signals supplied from the image sensor 1, which includes a filter array including a polarization filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Masayuki Misaki, Teruyuki Takizawa, Masaaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20110317053
    Abstract: An image capture device includes: an array of pixels 200 including a plurality of pixels 20 which are arranged two-dimensionally on an imaging area; a pixel signal reading section 30 for reading a pixel signal from each pixel 20; and an image generating section 32 for generating an image based on the pixel signals having been read by the pixel signal reading section 30. The array of pixels is divided into M unit pixel blocks 40 (where M is an integer of 2 or more) each containing N pixels (where N is an integer of 2 or more). The pixel signal reading section reads the pixel signals from the N pixels 20 contained in each unit pixel block 40 at every time interval T, with respectively different timings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Hiramoto, Masayuki Misaki, Teruyuki Takizawa