Patents by Inventor Norihiro Imamura

Norihiro Imamura 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: 8711215
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device including: a lens optical system L including at least an optical plane area D1 and an optical plane area D2, the optical plane area D2 having an optical property that causes a focusing property of the optical plane area D2 to differ from a focusing property of the optical plane area D1 due to a light beam that has passed through the optical plane area D1; an imaging element N including at least a plurality of pixels P1 and a plurality of pixels P2 which allow light that has passed through the lens optical system L to enter; and an array-shaped optical element K that is arranged between the lens optical system L and the imaging element N and is configured to cause light that has passed through the optical plane area D1 to enter the plurality of pixels P1 and to cause light that has passed through the optical plane area D2 to enter the plurality of pixels P2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20140071247
    Abstract: An image pickup device N according to an embodiment includes: an objective lens L with first and second regions D1, D2; an image sensor N with multiple groups of pixels Pg, in each of which first, second, third and fourth pixels P1 to P4 are arranged in two rows and two columns on an image capturing plane Ni; and an array of optical elements K which includes a plurality of optical elements M. The first and second pixels P1, P2 have a first spectral transmittance characteristic, and in each group of pixels Pg, the first and second pixels P1, P2 are arranged at mutually different positions in the second direction. Each of the plurality of optical elements M is arranged at such a position as to face groups of pixels Pg that are arranged in a row in the first direction among the multiple groups of pixels Pg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Norihiro Imamura, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Michihiro Yamagata, Atsushi Morimuar, Kenya Uomori
  • Publication number: 20140071317
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus disclosed in this application includes: a lens optical system (L) including a first optical region and a second optical region; an image pickup device (N) including at least a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels where light transmitted through the lens optical system (L) enters; an area segmented optical attenuator device (W) including a first light control part and a second light control part, which are located in the first optical region and the second optical region, respectively; a control section (V) for changing at least one of a transmittance of the first light control part of the area segmented optical attenuator device and a transmittance of the second light control part of the area segmented optical attenuator device; and an array-patterned optical device (K), which is placed between the lens optical system and the image pickup device, for causing light transmitted through the first optical region to enter the plurality of first pixels and causing lig
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Inventors: Michihiro Yamagata, Norihiro Imamura, Tsuguhiro Korenaga
  • Publication number: 20140055575
    Abstract: A lens optical system L having areas D1 and D2; an image pickup element N including a plurality of first and second pixels which include a filter having a first spectral transmittance characteristic, a plurality of third pixels which include a filter having a second spectral transmittance characteristic, and a plurality of fourth pixels which include a filter having a third spectral transmittance characteristic; and an array-form optical element K including a plurality of optical components M1 and M2 are included. The plurality of optical components M1 and M2 are arrayed in n number of rows from first through n?th rows (n is an integer of 2 or greater) on a surface of the array-form optical element K.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventors: Norihiro Imamura, Michihiro Yamagata
  • Publication number: 20140055664
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present disclosure includes: a lens optical system L; an image sensor N on which light that has passed through the lens optical system L is incident and which includes at least a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels; and an array of optical elements K which is arranged between the lens optical system and the image sensor. The lens optical system has a first optical region D1 which transmits mostly light vibrating in the direction of a first polarization axis and a second optical region D2 which transmits mostly light vibrating in the direction of a second polarization axis that is different from the direction of the first polarization axis. The array of optical elements makes the light that has passed through the first optical region D1 incident on the plurality of first pixels and also makes the light that has passed through the second optical region D2 incident on the plurality of second pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Inventors: Michihiro Yamagata, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Norihiro Imamura, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20140055661
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus disclosed in the present application includes a lens optical system L, an imaging device N including a plurality of first and second pixels P1 and P2, and an arrayed optical device K, wherein: the lens optical system L includes a first optical region D1 which primarily passes therethrough light oscillating in a direction of a first polarization axis and a second optical region D2 which passes therethrough light oscillating in every direction; and the arrayed optical device K makes light having passed through the first optical region D1 incident on the first pixels P1 and makes light having passed through the second optical region D2 incident on the second pixels P2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Norihiro Imamura, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Michihiro Yamagata
  • Patent number: 8654194
    Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus of the present invention is a distance measuring apparatus for determining a distance to an object, comprising: a plurality of optical systems for forming images of the object; and an image capturing section (N) having a plurality of image capturing areas which are associated with the plurality of optical systems on a one-to-one basis, the image capturing section (N) being configured to convert images of the object formed in respective ones of the image capturing areas through the plurality of optical systems to electric signals, the distance to the object being determined based on a parallax between the images of the object formed through the plurality of optical systems, wherein each of the plurality of optical systems includes n lens surfaces (r1, r2), where n is an integer not less than 2, and a direction of a decentration between an ith lens surface (r1) and a jth lens surface (r2) (counting from the object side) is identical among at least one pair of the plurality of opti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20140028825
    Abstract: An imaging-observation apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: an image capturing section that shoots a subject under multiple different shooting optical conditions at the same time and sequentially generates a plurality of images under those multiple different shooting optical conditions; a display control section that accepts an operator's input; an image synthesizing section that synthesizes together the plurality of images in accordance with the input to the display control section at a synthesis ratio specified by the input and sequentially generates synthetic images one after another; and a display section that presents the synthetic images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Michihiro YAMAGATA, Norihiro IMAMURA, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA, Takashi OKADA, Yoshimitsu NOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130341493
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a lens optical system having first to third regions, the first region transmitting light of a first wavelength band, the second region transmitting light of the first wavelength band and having optical characteristics for providing a different focusing characteristic from a focusing characteristic associated with rays transmitted through the first region, and the third region transmitting light of a second wavelength band; an imaging device on which light having passed through the lens optical system is incident, the imaging device having a plurality of first to third pixels; and a microlens array causing light having passed through the first region to enter the plurality of first pixels, light having passed through the second region to enter the plurality of second pixels, and light having passed through the third region to enter the plurality of third pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takamasa ANDO, Norihiro IMAMURA, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20130329042
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a lens optical system including six regions having such optical characteristics that focal characteristics are made different from one another; an image pickup device having a plurality of pixels on which light beams having passed through the lens optical system are incident; and an arrayed optical device for making light beams having passed through the six regions incident respectively on different pixels on the image pickup device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akiko Murata, Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20130293704
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus disclosed in the present application includes a lens optical system, an imaging element and an optical array element. The lens optical system includes first and second areas having different optical characteristics with each other. The imaging element includes first and second pixels each including a filter of a first spectral transmittance characteristic, third pixels including a filter of a second spectral transmittance characteristic, and fourth pixels including a filter of a third spectral transmittance characteristic. The optical array element causes the light passing through the first area to be incident on the first pixels and one of the third and fourth pixels and causes the light passing through the second area to be incident on the second pixels and the other of third and fourth pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Norihiro IMAMURA, Takamasa ANDO, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20130293703
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus disclosed in the present application includes a lens optical system including a lens and a stop; an imaging; and an array-form optical element located between the lens optical system and the imaging device and including optical components extending in a row direction in a plane vertical to an optical axis of the lens optical system, the optical components being arrayed in a column direction in the plane. The imaging device includes pixel groups, each of which includes first pixels arrayed in the row direction and second pixels arrayed in the row direction at positions adjacent, in the column direction, to the first pixels. The pixel groups are arrayed in the column direction. Border positions between the optical components are respectively offset in the column direction with respect to corresponding border positions between the pixel groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventor: Norihiro IMAMURA
  • Patent number: 8520125
    Abstract: An image capture device according to the present invention includes: a first optical system 10 that has a longitudinal chromatic aberration to cause first, second and third colors to form images at mutually different positions on an optical axis; a first image capturing region Na for generating an image that has a component in at least one of the first, second and third colors by using light that has been transmitted through the first optical system 10; a second optical system 20 that has a different longitudinal chromatic aberration from that of the first optical system 10; a second image capturing region Nb for generating an image that has a component in the same color as the at least one color by using light that has been transmitted through the second optical system 20; and an arithmetic processing section C for generating an output image by using one of the two images that has been generated in the first or second image capturing region Na or Nb so as to have the component in the at least one color apiec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20130215299
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes: a lens optical system L having a first optical region D1 and a second optical region D2 having a different optical power from that of the first optical region D1; an imaging device N having a plurality of pixels P1, P2; and an array optical device K for causing light passing through the first optical region D1 to enter the pixel P1 and causing light passing through the second optical region D2 to enter the pixel P2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20130141634
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a lens optical system including a first region and a second region having different optical properties; an imaging element including first pixels and second pixels; an arrayed optical element which is provided between the lens optical system and the imaging element, allows light passing through the first region to enter the first pixels, and allows light passing through the second region to enter the second pixels; a signal processing unit configured to generate object information using pixel values obtained from the first pixels and the second pixels; and a diffractive optical element provided between the arrayed optical element and the lens optical system and including a diffraction grating symmetrical about an optical axis of the lens optical system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20130120564
    Abstract: Provided is an imaging device including: a lens optical system L including at least an optical plane area D1 and an optical plane area D2, the optical plane area D2 having an optical property that causes a focusing property of the optical plane area D2 to differ from a focusing property of the optical plane area D1 due to a light beam that has passed through the optical plane area D1; an imaging element N including at least a plurality of pixels P1 and a plurality of pixels P2 which allow light that has passed through the lens optical system L to enter; and an array-shaped optical element K that is arranged between the lens optical system L and the imaging element N and is configured to cause light that has passed through the optical plane area D1 to enter the plurality of pixels P1 and to cause light that has passed through the optical plane area D2 to enter the plurality of pixels P2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Patent number: 8434874
    Abstract: A pattern projection light source is disclosed in which a light source (2a); a plurality of mask regions (5) in each of which a light-transmitting portion that transmits light from the light source therethrough is formed in a predetermined pattern; and a plurality of lenses (7) that each form an image of the predetermined pattern of the light-transmitting portion at a predetermined distance are arranged in this order. Since the pattern projection light source includes a plurality of projection optical systems each including a mask region and a lens, a compact and thin pattern projection light source can be realized. Moreover, provision of a plurality of lenses makes it possible to increase the imaging range of a pattern image. Furthermore, an image of the pattern of the light-transmitting portion can be formed clearly on the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20130070146
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a lens optical system L, an imaging device N at least having a plurality of first and second pixels P1 and P2, an array optical device K, and a signal processing section C for generating an image. The lens optical system L has an optical region D1 and an optical region D2; the array optical device K causes light passing through the optical regions D1 and D2 to respective enter the plurality of first and second pixels P1 and P2; and a proportion of an amount of light exiting the optical region D2 relative to an amount of light entering the optical region D2 is smaller than a proportion of an amount of light exiting the optical region D1 relative to an amount of light entering the optical region D1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura
  • Patent number: 8400505
    Abstract: A calibration device and method calibrates a distance measuring device which provides captured images with significant lens aberration. The calibration device and method estimate a camera parameter representing a characteristic of each imaging system of a distance measuring device, and perform the following: capture, using the distance measuring device, an image of a reference chart which (i) represents a geometric pattern in which elements are arranged and (ii) is positioned to have a predetermined positional relationship with the distance measuring device; modify a luminance distribution affected by aberration of the lens in the captured image of the reference chart; calculate, as a feature point position, a gravity center position of each element in the captured image whose luminance distribution is modified; and estimate the camera parameter using the feature point position calculated in the calculating and an approximate actual gravity center position in the reference chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ichiro Oyama, Norihiro Imamura
  • Publication number: 20120268643
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus of the present invention includes: a lens optical system including a lens and a stop; an imaging device including at least a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels on which light having passed through the lens optical system is incident; and an arrayed optical device arranged between the lens optical system and the imaging device, wherein: the lens optical system includes, in a plane vertical to an optical axis, a first optical area that transmits therethrough light of a first wavelength band and a second optical area that transmits therethrough light of a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band; and the arrayed optical device makes light having passed through the first optical area incident on the plurality of first pixels and light having passed through the second optical area incident on the plurality of second pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Norihiro Imamura