Patents by Inventor Masayuki Hirafuji

Masayuki Hirafuji 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: 11594020
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for identifying individual crowns of individual fruit trees using aerial images. A crown identification device 40 of the present invention includes an identification criterion determination unit 41 and a crown identification unit 42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignees: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd., THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Kazuki Sekiya, Hiroaki Ochiai, Yurika Nagoshi, Wei Guo, Yue Mu, Masayuki Hirafuji, Seishi Ninomiya, Daisuke Takata
  • Patent number: 11462008
    Abstract: A system acquiring data for phenotyping on a farm field where crops are bred. The device includes: an information storage unit storing farm field information, an imaging condition, and aerial images of the farm field linked with imaging condition; a classification unit classifying the aerial images into a plurality of image groups having different imaging altitude ranges on the basis of an imaging altitude included in the imaging condition; an image processing unit creating image-processed data from at least one of the image groups and imaging condition and analyzes a trait of in the farm field from the image-processed data; a visualization unit visualizing image-processed data obtained in the image processing unit; a processed information storage unit storing, as processed information, data obtained in the image processing unit and visualization unit; and an output unit outputting data obtained in the image processing unit and the visualization unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd., THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Kazuki Sekiya, Shigeharu Taniguchi, Toshiyuki Kamiya, Hiroaki Ochiai, Yurika Nagoshi, Wei Guo, Yue Mu, Masayuki Hirafuji, Seishi Ninomiya, Daisuke Takata
  • Publication number: 20210019496
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for identifying individual crowns of individual fruit trees using aerial images. A crown identification device 40 of the present invention includes an identification criterion determination unit 41 and a crown identification unit 42.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicants: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd., THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Kazuki SEKIYA, Hiroaki OCHIAI, Yurika NAGOSHI, Wei GUO, Yue MU, Masayuki HIRAFUJI, Seishi NINOMIYA, Daisuke TAKATA
  • Publication number: 20200372251
    Abstract: A system acquiring data for phenotyping on a farm field where crops are bred. The device includes: an information storage unit storing farm field information, an imaging condition, and aerial images of the farm field linked with imaging condition; a classification unit classifying the aerial images into a plurality of image groups having different imaging altitude ranges on the basis of an imaging altitude included in the imaging condition; an image processing unit creating image-processed data from at least one of the image groups and imaging condition and analyzes a trait of in the farm field from the image-processed data; a visualization unit visualizing image-processed data obtained in the image processing unit; a processed information storage unit storing, as processed information, data obtained in the image processing unit and visualization unit; and an output unit outputting data obtained in the image processing unit and the visualization unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicants: NEC Solution Innovators, Ltd., THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO
    Inventors: Kazuki SEKIYA, Shigeharu TANIGUCHI, TOshiyuki KAMIYA, Hiroaki OCHIAI, Yurika NAGOSHI, Wei GUO, Yue MU, Masayuki HIRAFUJI, Seidhi NINOMIYA, Daisuke TAKATA
  • Patent number: 7779575
    Abstract: An electric pulse counter for counting and recording the number of insects killed in a commercial insect electrocutor through an on-site field server is disclosed. The pulse counter is configured of field servers 100, an internet 40, an administrative computer 60, and user terminals 50. An insect electrocutor 20 is positioned near each of the field servers 100 for attracting insects present in the agricultural region and killing them by electrical discharge. An electromagnetic detection coil 10 is disposed above or around the insect electrocutor 20 for detecting changes in the electromagnetic field caused by such electrical discharges. An AC signal converter circuit 30 is disposed in each field server 100 and connected to the lead wire of the corresponding electromagnetic detection coil 10 for generating a digital count pulse from the signal outputted by the electromagnetic detection coil 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirafuji, Hideo Yoichi
  • Patent number: 7748164
    Abstract: The present invention provides a micro gravity environmental control apparatus, such as a plant cultivating apparatus, an animal raising apparatus, and a micro gravity environmental control method, such as a plant cultivating method, an animal raising method, a breeding method, capable of cultivating a plant and raising an animal by using soil and also capable of recovering moisture supplied to the soil so as to reuse the moisture, under a weightless environment or a micro gravity environment. There is provided a micro gravity environmental control apparatus comprising a chamber, an air suction pipe arranged in the vicinity of a lower end portion within the chamber, and an air sucking part communicated and connected with the air suction pipe and used for sucking air within the chamber out of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignees: Incorporated Administrative Agency National Agriculture and Bio-oriented Research Organization, National Space Development Agency of Japan, Japan Space Forum
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirafuji, Tokihiro Fukatsu, Kei Tanaka, Keiko Ibaraki
  • Publication number: 20080181352
    Abstract: An electric pulse counter for counting and recording the number of insects killed in a commercial insect electrocutor through an on-site field server is disclosed. The pulse counter is configured of field servers 100, an internet 40, an administrative computer 60, and user terminals 50. An insect electrocutor 20 is positioned near each of the field servers 100 for attracting insects present in the agricultural region and killing them by electrical discharge. An electromagnetic detection coil 10 is disposed above or around the insect electrocutor 20 for detecting changes in the electromagnetic field caused by such electrical discharges. An AC signal converter circuit 30 is disposed in each field server 100 and connected to the lead wire of the corresponding electromagnetic detection coil 10 for generating a digital count pulse from the signal outputted by the electromagnetic detection coil 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
    Inventors: Masayuki HIRAFUJI, Hideo Yoichi
  • Patent number: 7399127
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus including a loudspeaker, a photographic camera that photographs image information on a photographic subject, a proximity sensor, and a monitoring control unit is disposed at a first remote location. An autonomous operation controller including an autonomous operation control unit is disposed at a second remote location remote from the first remote location. Under remote control of this autonomous remote controller, the monitoring apparatus performs photographing of the image information on the photographic subject and acquires the image information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Incorporated Administrative Agency National Agricultural and Bio-Oriented Research Organization
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirafuji, Tokihiro Fukatsu
  • Publication number: 20060082651
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus including a loudspeaker, a photographic camera that photographs image information on a photographic subject, a proximity sensor, and a monitoring control unit is disposed at a first remote location. An autonomous operation controller including an autonomous operation control unit is disposed at a second remote location remote from the first remote location. Under remote control of this autonomous remote controller, the monitoring apparatus performs photographing of the image information on the photographic subject and acquires the image information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Applicant: INCORPORATED ADMINISTRATIVE
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirafuji, Tokihiro Fukatsu
  • Patent number: 6898616
    Abstract: An arbitrary function generating circuit incorporating an analog multiplier, amplifier, and frequency multiplier to construct a nonlinear analog circuit equivalent to a generalized Lotka-Volterra equation for performing high-speed calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: National Agriculture and Bio-oriented Research Organization
    Inventor: Masayuki Hirafuji
  • Publication number: 20040020115
    Abstract: The present invention provides a micro gravity environmental control apparatus, such as a plant cultivating apparatus, an animal raising apparatus, and a micro gravity environmental control method, such as a plant cultivating method, an animal raising method, a breeding method, capable of cultivating a plant and raising an animal by using soil and also capable of recovering moisture supplied to the soil so as to reuse the moisture, under a weightless environment or a micro gravity environment. There is provided a micro gravity environmental control apparatus comprising a chamber, an air suction pipe arranged in the vicinity of a lower end portion within the chamber, and an air sucking part communicated and connected with the air suction pipe and used for sucking air within the chamber out of the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicants: National Agricultural Research Organization, The National Space Development Agency of Japan, The Japan Space Forum (a Japan Foundation)
    Inventors: Masayuki Hirafuji, Tokihiro Fukatsu, Kei Tanaka, Keiko Ibaraki
  • Publication number: 20010008558
    Abstract: An arbitrary function generating circuit incorporating an analog multiplier, amplifier, and frequency multiplier to construct a nonlinear analog circuit equivalent to a generalized Lotka-Volterra equation for performing high-speed calculations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Publication date: July 19, 2001
    Applicant: National Agriculture Research Center
    Inventor: Masayuki Hirafuji