Patents by Inventor Mirai Higuchi

Mirai Higuchi 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: 10627218
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first imaging element that receives light having passed through a first optical element and outputs an image which has a luminance value corresponding to intensity of the light and is processed as a reference image. A second imaging element receives light having passed through a second optical element and outputs an image which has a luminance value corresponding to intensity of the light and is processed as a reference image. A distance calculation device calculates a distance image on the basis of the reference image and the comparison image, and recognition device recognizes an object on the basis of the distance image calculated by the distance calculation apparatus, in which the optical elements or the imaging elements satisfy at least one of conditions in which transmittance of the first optical element is higher than transmittance of the second optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aoki, Yoshiyuki Sasada, Mirai Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10140717
    Abstract: In order to provide an imaging apparatus which minimizes erroneous recognition of a moving body and prevent a braking operation from being erroneously performed, even if the moving body is likely to cross a road, the imaging apparatus includes a correlation value calculation unit that calculates a correlation value from two images captured by two imaging units, a three-dimensional object detection unit that detects a three-dimensional object from the two images, a region dividing unit that divides an image region including the three-dimensional object into multiple regions, a relative speed calculation unit that calculates relative speed for every region of the multiple regions, and a reliability calculation unit that calculates reliability of the three-dimensional object, based on the relative speed calculated for every region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruki Matono, Mirai Higuchi, Yuji Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9443313
    Abstract: A stereo camera apparatus which carries out distance measuring stably and with high accuracy by making measuring distance resolution variable according to a distance to an object is provided. A stereo camera apparatus 1 takes in two images, changes resolution of a partial area of each image that is taken in, and calculates a distance from a vehicle to an object that is imaged in the partial area, based on disparity of the partial area of each image in which resolution is changed. Thus, even when the object exists at a long distance and is small in size, distance measuring processing can be carried out stably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Mirai Higuchi, Tatsuhiko Monji, Soichiro Yokota, Morihiko Sakano, Takeshi Shima
  • Publication number: 20160005180
    Abstract: In order to provide an imaging apparatus which minimizes erroneous recognition of a moving body and prevent a braking operation from being erroneously performed, even if the moving body is likely to cross a road, the imaging apparatus includes a correlation value calculation unit that calculates a correlation value from two images captured by two imaging units, a three-dimensional object detection unit that detects a three-dimensional object from the two images, a region dividing unit that divides an image region including the three-dimensional object into multiple regions, a relative speed calculation unit that calculates relative speed for every region of the multiple regions, and a reliability calculation unit that calculates reliability of the three-dimensional object, based on the relative speed calculated for every region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2014
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Haruki MATONO, Mirai HIGUCHI, Yuji OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20150339825
    Abstract: A stereo camera apparatus which carries out distance measuring stably and with high accuracy by making measuring distance resolution variable according to a distance to an object is provided. A stereo camera apparatus 1 takes in two images, changes resolution of a partial area of each image that is taken in, and calculates a distance from a vehicle to an object that is imaged in the partial area, based on disparity of the partial area of each image in which resolution is changed. Thus, even when the object exists at a long distance and is small in size, distance measuring processing can be carried out stably.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Shoji MURAMATSU, Mirai HIGUCHI, Tatsuhiko MONJI, Soichiro YOKOTA, Morihiko SAKANO, Takeshi SHIMA
  • Patent number: 9165374
    Abstract: An image processing device which performs a tracking control with respect to a moving object which is travelling forward, based on the controlled variable of the own vehicle includes, an image processing unit which specifies an area of a moving object from an input image, sets the specified area of the moving object as a reference image area after starting tracking control, and sets an area of the moving object after a predetermined time as a comparison image area; a comparison unit which compares the set reference image area and the comparison image area with each other, and calculates travelling information relating to the moving object; and a controlled variable calculation unit which calculates a controlled variable of the own vehicle from travelling information which is calculated in the comparison unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Takehito Ogata, Takeshi Shima
  • Publication number: 20150226541
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first imaging element that receives light having passed through a first optical element and outputs an image which has a luminance value corresponding to intensity of the light and is processed as a reference image. A second imaging element receives light having passed through a second optical element and outputs an image which has a luminance value corresponding to intensity of the light and is processed as a reference image. A distance calculation device calculates a distance image on the basis of the reference image and the comparison image, and recognition device recognizes an object on the basis of the distance image calculated by the distance calculation apparatus, in which the optical elements or the imaging elements satisfy at least one of conditions in which transmittance of the first optical element is higher than transmittance of the second optical element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Aoki, Yoshiyuki Sasada, Mirai Higuchi
  • Patent number: 9074906
    Abstract: A road shape recognition device capable of accurately recognizing the road shape of a road that lies ahead in the travel direction of a vehicle is provided. A road shape recognition device 1 detects a road region of the road based on an image capturing a scene ahead in the travel direction of the vehicle, and estimates the shape of the road based on that road region. Thus, it is possible to accurately recognize road shapes over distances ranging from short to long.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Morihiko Sakano, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Patent number: 9077907
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus that can implement image recognition processing on all of objects to be recognized, and can reduce a load of capturing and transferring images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Masahiro Kiyohara, Takeshi Shima, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Publication number: 20150015384
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to attain an object detection device that enables tracking travel control that does not cause a driver to experience a feeling of discomfort. An object detection device 104 of the present invention is an object detection device 104 that detects a subject 102 in front of the host vehicle on the basis of an image in which outside of the vehicle is captured from imaging devices 105 and 106 mounted in the host vehicle 103, and detects a relative distance or a relative speed with respect to the subject 102, having a risk factor determination unit 111 that, on the basis of the image, determines whether or not there is a risk factor that is a travel risk for the host vehicle 103.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Takeshi Shima, Mirai Higuchi, Haruki Matono, Taisetsu Tanimichi
  • Patent number: 8885888
    Abstract: An in-vehicle running-environment recognition apparatus including an input unit for inputting an image signal from in-vehicle imaging devices for photographing external environment of a vehicle, an image processing unit for detecting a first image area by processing the image signal, the first image area having a factor which prevents recognition of the external environment, an image determination unit for determining a second image area based on at least any one of size of the first image area, position thereof, and set-up positions of the in-vehicle imaging devices having the first image area, an environment recognition processing being performed in the second image area, the first image area being detected by the image processing unit, and an environment recognition unit for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle based on the second image area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Yuji Otsuka, Takeshi Shima, Kimiyoshi Machii, Shoji Muramatsu, Kota Irie, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Patent number: 8873803
    Abstract: Disclosed is a road-shoulder detecting device including a distance-information calculating portion for calculating the presence of a physical object and the distance from the subject vehicle to the object from input three-dimensional image information relating to an environment around the vehicle, a vehicular road surface detecting portion for detecting a vehicular road surface with the subject vehicle from a distance image, a height difference calculating portion for measuring height difference between the detected vehicular road and an off-road region, and a road shoulder decision portion for deciding height difference as to whether the road shoulder is boundary between the surface and the region in a case where there is an off-road region lower than the vehicular road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shima, Mirai Higuchi, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji, Takuya Naka
  • Publication number: 20140118504
    Abstract: Provided is a camera device capable of estimating a road shape ahead of a target vehicle or determining whether or not the target vehicle needs to be decelerated by controlling a brake before a curve, even in the situation where a white line of a traveling road or a roadside three-dimensional object is difficult to detect. A camera device 105 including a plurality of image capturing units 107 and 108 which take images of a traveling road ahead of a target vehicle 106, includes: a three-dimensional object ahead detection unit 114 which detects three-dimensional objects ahead 101 existing in a vicinity of a vanishing point of the traveling road 102 based on the taken images; and a road shape estimation unit 113 which estimates a road shape on a distant portion of the traveling road 102 based on a detection by the three-dimensional object ahead detection unit 114.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi SHIMA, Mirai HIGUCHI, Shoji MURAMATSU, Tatsuhiko MONJI
  • Patent number: 8675047
    Abstract: A detection device of a planar area is provided. The detection device includes an image obtaining section for obtaining a left image and a right image; a planar area aligning section for setting given regions of interest to the obtained left image and the right image, and through use of a geometric transform function that matches the region of interest of the right image with the region of interest of the left image, performing geometric transform to generate a geometric transform image; and a planar area detecting section for detecting a planar area based on the geometric transform image and the region of interest of the right image. The planar area aligning section sets the planar area detected by the planar area detecting section as a given region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morihiko Sakano, Mirai Higuchi, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20140028873
    Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus that can implement image recognition processing on all of objects to be recognized, and can reduce a load of capturing and transferring images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Masahiro Kiyohara, Takeshi Shima, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Patent number: 8620025
    Abstract: In order to perform vehicle control, a warning process, and the like which do not give a driver an uncomfortable feeling in speed adjustment, a warning process, and the like corresponding to a road shape such as a curve, it is necessary to recognize not only a near road shape but also a far road shape with high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Ryo Ota, Takuya Naka, Morihiko Sakano, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Patent number: 8548226
    Abstract: In stereo matching based on standard area matching, in order to suppress a decrease in matching accuracy, it is effective to adaptively change a matching area in accordance with the local properties of an image. However, this requires high calculation costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Morihiko Sakano, Mirai Higuchi, Takuya Naka, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20130147948
    Abstract: It is possible to provide an image processing apparatus capable of carrying out calibration easily and precisely without requiring a special facility and provide an imaging apparatus making use of the image processing apparatus. The imaging apparatus comprises at least two cameras 4a and 4b. The image processing apparatus or the image processing apparatus comprises a corresponding-area computing section 23 for finding a relation between areas on images taken by the cameras 4a and 4b; a coincidence-degree computing section 24 for finding a degree of coincidence of information obtained from corresponding areas on the images taken by the cameras 4a and 4b; and a camera-parameter computing section 25 for finding camera parameters on the basis of the coincidence degree computed by the coincidence-degree computing section 24.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Morihiko Sakano, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Patent number: 8384781
    Abstract: A stereo camera device includes: plural picture image taking sections, an image correction section which makes correction of picture images taken, a parallax calculating section which calculates parallax, an amount of dislocation between the left and right images, and an image recognition section which carries out image recognition processing using both the image taken and the calculated parallax, or either of them. The stereo camera device further includes: a processing area setting up section which sets up the image area to be processed and reduction ratio differently depending on the driving environment of the vehicle on which the stereo camera device is mounted, wherein, by using the image area and the reduction ratio set up by the processing area setting up section, the image correction section makes correction to the picture image, the parallax calculating section calculates parallax, and the image recognition section carries out processing of image recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Shoji Muramatsu, Soichiro Yokota, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Publication number: 20130033600
    Abstract: An image processing device which performs a tracking control with respect to a moving object which is travelling forward, based on the controlled variable of the own vehicle includes, an image processing unit which specifies an area of a moving object from an input image, sets the specified area of the moving object as a reference image area after starting tracking control, and sets an area of the moving object after a predetermined time as a comparison image area; a comparison unit which compares the set reference image area and the comparison image area with each other, and calculates travelling information relating to the moving object; and a controlled variable calculation unit which calculates a controlled variable of the own vehicle from travelling information which is calculated in the comparison unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mirai HIGUCHI, Takehito Ogata, Takeshi Shima