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).

  • Publication number: 20110050700
    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: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami
  • Publication number: 20110050701
    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: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Toyoda, Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami, Hiroaki Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20100310166
    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: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka, Koji Minami, Yoshitaka Toyoda, Hiroaki Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20100245393
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus determines (3H) 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 (2H), decides (4H) whether the distortion correction values used in the interpolation satisfy a predetermined condition, reads (5H) a plurality of pixel values from an image data storage unit (1) according to values of their reference pixel position, determines (6H) first interpolation coefficients (C6) from a value of its reference pixel position, and determines the pixel value D7 in the output image from the plurality of pixel values read and the first interpolation coefficients (C6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Toshiaki Kubo, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20100177128
    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: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Publication number: 20100134518
    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: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shotaro Moriya, Noritaka Okuda, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20090175558
    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: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shotaro MORIYA, Noritaka OKUDA, Toshiaki KUBO, Satoshi YAMANAKA
  • Publication number: 20090147022
    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: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Shotaro Moriya, Toshiaki Kubo, Satoshi Yamanaka
  • Publication number: 20090085896
    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: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Akihiro Nagase, Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Publication number: 20080260268
    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: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Patent number: 7436382
    Abstract: A correction data output device according to the invention includes correction data outputting device for outputting correction data that corrects object frame data included in an inputted image signal on the basis of the mentioned object frame data and previous frame data, which are one frame period previous to the object frame data, and correction data correcting device for correcting correction data that corrects and outputs the correction data outputted from the mentioned correction data outputting device on the basis of the mentioned object frame data and the mentioned previous frame data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Jun Someya, Masaki Yamakawa
  • Publication number: 20080174612
    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: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda
  • Publication number: 20080165105
    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: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Jun Someya, Hideki Yoshii
  • Publication number: 20080019598
    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: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Akihiro Nagase, Noritaka Okuda
  • Patent number: 7289161
    Abstract: In the case where an input signal is an interlace signal such as NTSC signal, a flicker interference as aliasing interference brought about by the sampling theorem is contained in a region where a vertical frequency component is high. Accordingly, in the conventional processing in which rate of change in gradation is improved by making a drive voltage of liquid crystal at the time of change in gradation larger than normal liquid crystal drive voltage to increase response rate of the liquid crystal panel, interference component is also emphasized. As a result, quality level of a video picture to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel is deteriorated. The invention provides a compensation device capable of improving rate-of-change in gradation at a part where there is no flicker interference and changing rate-of-change in gradation to suppress the flicker at a part where there is any flicker interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Yamakawa, Hideki Yoshii, Noritaka Okuda, Jun Someya
  • Patent number: 7034788
    Abstract: A coding circuit codes present image data of a pixel which is received as raster data and a delay circuit stores a coded image data for one frame period and outputs one-frame preceding image data of the pixel in accordance with an input of the coded image data. First and second decoder circuits decode coded image data and one-frame preceding coded image data, respectively, a variation-amount calculation circuit calculates variation-amount data of both decoded image date, and an one-frame preceding image reproduction circuit reproduces one-frame preceding reproduced image data. An image date correction circuit generates corrected present image data on the basis of the present image data and the one-frame preceding reproduced image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda, Masaki Yamakawa, Kyoichiro Oda
  • Publication number: 20040160617
    Abstract: A correction data output device according to the invention includes correction data outputting means for outputting correction data that corrects object frame data included in an inputted image signal on the basis of the mentioned object frame data and previous frame data, which are one frame period previous to the object frame data, and correction data correcting means for correcting correction data that corrects and outputs the correction data outputted from the mentioned correction data outputting means on the basis of the mentioned object frame data and the mentioned previous frame data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Publication date: August 19, 2004
    Inventors: Noritaka Okuda, Jun Someya, Masaki Yamakawa
  • Publication number: 20040145596
    Abstract: In the case where an input signal is an interlace signal such as NTSC signal, a flicker interference as aliasing interference brought about by the sampling theorem is contained in a region where a vertical frequency component is high. Accordingly, in the conventional processing in which rate of change in gradation is improved by making a drive voltage of liquid crystal at the time of change in gradation larger than normal liquid crystal drive voltage to increase response rate of the liquid crystal panel, interference component is also emphasized. As a result, quality level of a video picture to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel is deteriorated. The invention provides a compensation device capable of improving rate-of-change in gradation at a part where there is no flicker interference and changing rate-of-change in gradation to suppress the flicker at a part where there is any flicker interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Masaki Yamakawa, Hideki Yoshii, Noritaka Okuda, Jun Someya
  • Publication number: 20030231158
    Abstract: A coding circuit codes present image data of a pixel which is received as raster data and a delay circuit stores a coded image data for one frame period and outputs one-frame preceding image data of the pixel in accordance with an input of the coded image data. First and second decoder circuits decode coded image data and one-frame preceding coded image data, respectively, a variation-amount calculation circuit calculates variation-amount data of both decoded image date, and an one-frame preceding image reproduction circuit reproduces one-frame preceding reproduced image data. An image date correction circuit generates corrected present image data on the basis of the present image data and the one-frame preceding reproduced image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventors: Jun Someya, Noritaka Okuda, Masaki Yamakawa, Kyoichiro Oda