Patents by Inventor Noritaka Okuda

Noritaka Okuda 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: 9341886
    Abstract: An image display device includes a liquid crystal panel section, a light source section divided into a plurality of regions, a light detection section detecting the light intensity of the light source section, and a timing generation section. The timing generation section generates a light emission drive signal which turns on each of the regions of the light source section according to scanning in the liquid crystal panel section, and which turns on all the regions of the light source section in a light detection period, and generates a light detection gate signal allowing the detection of the light detection section to be effective in the light detection period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Masaaki Hanai, Hironobu Yasui, Hideki Yoshii
  • Patent number: 9286839
    Abstract: In the image processors and the image processing methods of the present invention, the number of bits for quantizing image data is adjusted on the basis of a dynamic range of each block. Therefore, the error introduced by encoding is reduced without increasing the data amount of the encoded image data, and the response speed of a liquid crystal can be controlled appropriately by preventing unnecessary voltages from being applied due to the error introduced by encoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Jun Someya, Hideki Yoshii
  • Patent number: 8675998
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing images, and an image display apparatus are provided that can produce favorable images even when digitized image are partially magnified (enlarged) or reduced (shrunk). The apparatus for expanding or reducing input image data supplied thereto, for each area of the image data, comprises a high frequency (HF) component smoothing processor that generates smoothed-HF-component image data by smoothing HF components of the input image data; a partial magnification/reduction controller that generates partial magnification/reduction control information that designates positions of pixels in image data obtained after expanding or reducing the input image data for each image area; and a pixel data generator that generates pixel data of pixel positions designated by the partial magnification/reduction control information in the smoothed-HF-component image data, by using pixel data in a neighborhood of the designated pixel positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Shotaro Moriya, Toshiaki Kubo, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8648859
    Abstract: An intermediate image generating means (1) generates a horizontal intermediate image (D1h) and a vertical intermediate image (D1v) by extracting components of an input image (DIN) in a particular frequency band; an intermediate image processing means (2) generates a horizontal image (D2Bh) and a vertical image (D2Bv) by performing non-linear processing (2A) and high-frequency component generation (2B); an intermediate image (D2) is obtained by combining these horizontal and vertical images by performing weighted addition for each pixel and is added (3) to the input image (DIN) to obtain an enhanced output image (DOUT). Even if the input image includes a fold-over component on the high-frequency side or does not include an adequate high-frequency component, adequate image enhancement processing can be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Toyoda, Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami, Hiroaki Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20130314641
    Abstract: An image display device includes a liquid crystal panel section, a light source section divided into a plurality of regions, a light detection section detecting the light intensity of the light source section, and a timing generation section. The timing generation section generates a light emission drive signal which turns on each of the regions of the light source section according to scanning in the liquid crystal panel section, and which turns on all the regions of the light source section in a light detection period, and generates a light detection gate signal allowing the detection of the light detection section to be effective in the light detection period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka OKUDA, Masaaki HANAI, Hironobu YASUI, Hideki YOSHII
  • Patent number: 8537179
    Abstract: A first intermediate image generating means (1) generates an intermediate image (D1) by extracting a component of an input image (DIN) in a particular frequency band; a second intermediate image generating means (2) generates an intermediate image (D2) having a frequency component higher than intermediate image (D1); an intermediate image processing means (3M) generates an intermediate image (D3M) by suppressing low-level noise included in intermediate image (D1); an intermediate image processing means (3H) generates an intermediate image (D3H) by suppressing low-level noise included in intermediate image (D2); and an adding means (4) adds the input image (DIN) and intermediate image (D3M) and intermediate image (D3H) together to obtain a final output image (DOUT). Even if the input image includes a fold-over component on the high-frequency side or does not include an adequate high-frequency component, an enhanced image can be obtained without enhancing noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami
  • Patent number: 8498499
    Abstract: There are provided a first intermediate image generating means (1) for generating a first intermediate image (D1) by extracting a component in a vicinity of a particular frequency band in an input image (DIN), a second intermediate image generating means (2) for generating a second intermediate image (D2) from the first intermediate image (D1), and an adding means for adding the input image (DIN) and the second intermediate image (D2). The second intermediate image generating means (2) includes a non-linear processing means (2A) that varies the content of its processing according to the pixel in the intermediate image (D1). Even if the input image includes a fold-over component on the high-frequency side or does not include an adequate high-frequency component, adequate image enhancement processing can be carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami, Hironobu Yasui
  • Patent number: 8497873
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus determines a reference pixel position for each pixel by an interpolation calculation using the distortion correction values for representative pixels stored in a correction value storage unit, decides whether the distortion correction values used in the interpolation satisfy a predetermined condition, reads a plurality of pixel values from an image data storage unit according to values of their reference pixel position, determines first interpolation coefficients from a value of its reference pixel position, and determines the pixel value in the output image from the plurality of pixel values read and the first interpolation coefficients. The image processing apparatus determines second interpolation coefficients from said value of its reference pixel position and a predetermined function, and selects, according to the decision result, either the second interpolation coefficients or third interpolation coefficients for use as the first interpolation coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Toshiaki Kubo, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8422812
    Abstract: An image processor is provided with the high-frequency component detecting unit that calculates a convolution for each of regions of interest in part of an image region of input image data, to output the high-frequency component detection result for each pixel of interest; the smoothing unit that smoothes the image data, to output the smoothed image data; and the image data processing unit that combines based on the high-frequency component detection result the image data with the smoothed image data, to output the combined image data; wherein the image data processing unit varies the combination rate for the smoothed image data, based on the high-frequency component detection result. Thereby, even when a region in the image data contains such high frequency components as a checkered pattern has, an image resistant to moiré that would be generated in magnifying or reducing of the image on a region basis can be displayed without deterioration of image quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Toshiaki Kubo, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8339421
    Abstract: There are provided a first image enlarging means (2A) for enlarging the input image (Din) and outputting a first enlarged image (D2A); a high-frequency component image generating means (1) for extracting a high-frequency component of the input image (Din) and generating a first high-frequency component image (D1); a second image enlarging means (2B) for enlarging the first high-frequency component image (D1) and outputting a second enlarged image (D2B); a high-frequency component image processing means (3) for processing the second enlarged image (D2B) and generating a second high-frequency component image (D3); and a means (4) for adding the first enlarged image (D2A) and the second high-frequency component image (D3) and outputting the result. This provides the enlarged image with adequate high-frequency components, and a sense of resolution of the enlarged image can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8249379
    Abstract: A first intermediate image generating means (1) generates an intermediate image (D1) by extracting a component of an input image DIN in a particular frequency band; a second intermediate image generating means (2) generates an intermediate image D2 having a frequency component higher than the intermediate image (D1); a first intermediate image processing means (3M) generates an intermediate image (D3M) by amplifying the pixel values in the intermediate image (D1); a second intermediate image processing means (3H) generates an intermediate image (D3H) by amplifying the pixel values in the intermediate image (D2); and an adding means (4) adds the input image (DIN) and the intermediate image (D3M) and the intermediate image (D3H) together to obtain an output image (DOUT). A first amplification factor (D3MA) and a second amplification factor (D3HA) are determined according to pixel values in the input image (DIN).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami, Yoshitaka Toyoda, Hiroaki Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8237689
    Abstract: An image encoding device includes a dynamic range generator for outputting dynamic range data Dd1 of block image data Dc1, an average value generator for outputting average value data De1 of the block image data Dc1, a number-of-pixel reducing unit 20 for decreasing number of pixels of the block image data by reduction-number of pixels to generate reduced-number-of-pixel block image data Dc1?, an encoding parameter generator 18 for generating encoding parameter pa1 specifying a quantization bit rate and the reduction-number of pixels in accordance with the dynamic range data Dd1, a quantization threshold generator 19 for generating a quantization threshold value tb1, and an image data quantizer 21 for generating quantized image data Df1 from the reduced-number-of-pixel block image data Dc1? with use of the quantization threshold value tb1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Nagase, Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Patent number: 8150203
    Abstract: In a liquid-crystal-driving image processing circuit that encodes and decodes image data to reduce the frame memory size, the present invention has the object of providing a liquid-crystal-driving image processing circuit capable of correcting image data accurately and applying appropriately corrected voltages to the liquid crystal without being affected by encoding or decoding errors, even when moving images are input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Patent number: 8139090
    Abstract: An image processing device and an image processing method according to the present invention, by dividing an image into a plurality of blocks, generates a control signal denoting a change in the image data, based on a result of comparing first encoded image data that is quantized from image data in each of the blocks based on representative values of the image data in each of the blocks with second encoded image data that is obtained by delaying the first encoded image data for a period equivalent to one frame, and generates one-frame-preceding image data by choosing on a pixel to pixel basis either the current-frame image data or second decoded image data that is obtained by decoding the second encoded image data, based on the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Publication number: 20110298904
    Abstract: The frame-parallax-adjustment-amount generating unit outputs, as first parallax data, parallax data of an image portion protruded most among image portions protruded more than a first reference value from a pair of frame images forming a three-dimensional image. The pixel-parallax-adjustment-amount generating unit outputs, as second parallax data, parallax data of an image portion retracted more than a second reference value from the pair of frame images. The adjusted-image generating unit generates a pair of image output data by moving the entire pair of image input data to the inner side based on the first parallax data and moving an image portion retracted more than the second reference value of the pair of image input data based on the second parallax data to adjust a parallax amount and outputs the pair of image output data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventors: Noritaka OKUDA, Hirotaka Sakamoto, Satoshi Yamanaka, Toshiaki Kubo, Jun Someya
  • Publication number: 20110293172
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus 100 includes a parallax calculating unit 1. The parallax calculating unit 1 receives input of a pair of image input data Da1 and Db1 forming a three-dimensional video, calculates parallax amounts of respective regions obtained by dividing the pair of image input data Da1 and Db1 into a plurality of regions, and outputs the parallax amounts as parallax data T1 of the respective regions. The parallax calculating unit 1 includes a correlation calculating unit 10, a high-correlation-region extracting unit 11, a denseness detecting unit 12, and a parallax selecting unit 13. The correlation calculating unit 10 outputs correlation data T10 and pre-selection parallax data T13 of the respective regions. The high-correlation-region extracting unit 11 determines a level of correlation among the correlation data T10 of the regions and outputs high-correlation region data T11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAKAMOTO, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Toshiaki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20110292186
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes components explained below. A parallax calculating unit receives input of image input data Da1 and Db1, calculates a parallax amount in each of a plurality of divided regions, and outputs a plurality of parallax data T1. A frame-parallax calculating unit outputs, based on the parallax data T1 in a projecting direction, frame parallax data T2. A frame-parallax correcting unit outputs frame parallax data after correction T3 using the frame parallax data T2 of a plurality of frames. A parallax-adjustment-amount calculating unit outputs, based on parallax adjustment information S1 and the frame parallax data after correction T3, parallax adjustment data T4. An adjusted-image generating unit outputs, based on the parallax adjustment data T4, image output data Da2 and Db2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Inventors: Noritaka OKUDA, Hirotaka Sakamoto, Toshiaki Kubo, Yoshiki Ono, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20110211766
    Abstract: There are provided a first intermediate image generating means (1) for generating a first intermediate image (D1) by extracting a component in a vicinity of a particular frequency band in an input image (DIN), a second intermediate image generating means (2) for generating a second intermediate image (D2) from the first intermediate image (D1), and an adding means for adding the input image (DIN) and the second intermediate image (D2). The second intermediate image generating means (2) includes a non-linear processing means (2A) that varies the content of its processing according to the pixel in the intermediate image (D1). Even if the input image includes a fold-over component on the high-frequency side or does not include an adequate high-frequency component, adequate image enhancement processing can be carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami, Hironobu Yasui
  • Patent number: 7961974
    Abstract: In a liquid-crystal-driving image processing circuit that encodes and decodes image data to reduce the frame memory size, the present invention has the object of providing a liquid-crystal-driving image processing circuit capable of correcting image data accurately and applying appropriately corrected voltages to the liquid crystal without being affected by encoding or decoding errors, even when moving images are input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Patent number: 7925111
    Abstract: An image processing circuit for driving a liquid crystal that encodes and decodes image data to reduce the size of the frame memory that, when it quantizes (45) each block of image data in the current frame and outputs encoded data, selects (44) a mean value on the basis of the dynamic range of each unit block and adjusts the amount by which the image data is reduced (53). This type of control enables it to reduce the amount of image data that must be temporarily stored in the delay circuit (5), so the size of the frame memory constituting the delay circuit can be reduced while minimizing the encoding error that occurs in the encoder (4). Consequently, the image data can be corrected accurately and appropriate voltage corrections can be applied to the liquid crystal without the effects of coding and decoding errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Akihiro Nagase, Noritaka Okuda