Patents by Inventor Noritaka Shimizu

Noritaka Shimizu 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: 11977362
    Abstract: In the conventional distributed control system, since each control device updates the data area at a timing when a control packet is received, in a case where there is a difference in communication delay between the control devices or in a case where the communication delay includes jitter, it is difficult to match the contents of data in all the control devices in a case of focusing on a certain moment during system operation. Therefore, depending on the start timing of a control application, the control application operates on the basis of different data between the control devices, thus limiting control performance improvement. Accordingly, time slots on the network are allocated according to the result of a calculation unit, and a cyclic memory synchronization update unit synchronizes the timing of reflecting data in the input/output and the cyclic memory and the timing of using data of a cyclic memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Maruyama, Yusaku Otsuka, Hidenori Omiya, Toshiki Shimizu, Iori Kobayashi, Kazutaka Onishi, Noritaka Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20240007727
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes memory and processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light emitted from a light source and measured by imaging with the infrared light reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating a distance to the subject as a depth for each pixel based on an intensity received by the pixel; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, a substantially same scene with a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same timing as those of imaging the infrared light image; detecting, from the visible light image, an edge region including an edge along a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the visible light image; and correcting, in the depth image, a depth of a target region corresponding to the edge region in the depth image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 11758247
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes memory and processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light emitted from a light source and measured by imaging with the infrared light reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating a distance to the subject as a depth for each pixel based on an intensity received by the pixel; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, a substantially same scene with a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same timing as those of imaging the infrared light image; detecting, from the visible light image, an edge region including an edge along a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the visible light image; and correcting, in the depth image, a depth of a target region corresponding to the edge region in the depth image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD
    Inventors: Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20230215029
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs: acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring, from the memory, an infrared light image generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging a substantially same scene as the scene of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint as a viewpoint of imaging the infrared light image at a substantially same time as a time of imaging the infrared light image; detecting a flare region from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the flare region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the flare region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 11636615
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs: acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring, from the memory, an infrared light image generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging a substantially same scene as the scene of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint as a viewpoint of imaging the infrared light image at a substantially same time as a time of imaging the infrared light image; detecting a flare region from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the flare region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the flare region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11514595
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs; acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring an infrared light image stored in the memory, the infrared light image being generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring a visible light image stored in the memory, the visible light image being generated by imaging a substantially same scene as that of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same imaging time of those of the infrared light image; detecting a dust region showing dust from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the dust region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the dust region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11388372
    Abstract: A biological state detecting apparatus which generates biological information of a person, light sources which emit light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength, respectively, an imaging device which receives reflected light of the emitted light, a controller which controls the light sources, an arithmetic operator which reads out a first image and a second image from the imaging device and performs an arithmetic operation thereon, and a state estimator which generates the biological information of the person. The arithmetic operator generates a distance image based on the first image and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Makoto Atoji, Tomohito Nagata, Noritaka Shimizu, Kazuaki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11373324
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light measured by imaging with infrared light emitted from a light source and reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating the distance for each pixel based on the intensities; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, the substantially same scene from the substantially same viewpoint at the substantially same timing as those of the infrared light image; detecting a lower reflection region showing an object having a lower reflectivity from the infrared light image in accordance with the infrared light image and the visible light image; correcting a corresponding lower reflection region in the depth image in accordance with the visible light image; and outputting the depth image with the corrected lower reflection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 11200688
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle that runs on a road surface includes: a light source that emits illumination light which is infrared light; a solid-state imaging device that images a subject and outputs an imaging signal indicating a light exposure amount; and a computator that computes subject information regarding the subject by using the imaging signal. The solid-state imaging device includes: first pixels that image the subject by receiving reflected light that is the illumination light reflected off the subject; and second pixels that image the subject by receiving visible light. Information indicated by an imaging signal outputted from the first pixels is information regarding a slope of the road surface, and information indicated by an imaging signal outputted from the second pixels is information regarding an appearance of the road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventors: Kenji Iwahashi, Hiroki Shinde, Tomohiro Honda, Noritaka Shimizu, Hiroshi Iwai, Osamu Shibata
  • Publication number: 20210150742
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs: acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring, from the memory, an infrared light image generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging a substantially same scene as the scene of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint as a viewpoint of imaging the infrared light image at a substantially same time as a time of imaging the infrared light image; detecting a flare region from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the flare region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the flare region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210144339
    Abstract: A biological state detecting apparatus which generates biological information of a person, light sources which emit light having a first wavelength and light having a second wavelength, respectively, an imaging device which receives reflected light of the emitted light, a controller which controls the light sources, an arithmetic operator which reads out a first image and a second image from the imaging device and performs an arithmetic operation thereon, and a state estimator which generates the biological information of the person. The arithmetic operator generates a distance image based on the first image and the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Makoto ATOJI, Tomohito Nagata, Noritaka Shimizu, Kazuaki Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20210142500
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light measured by imaging with infrared light emitted from a light source and reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating the distance for each pixel based on the intensities; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, the substantially same scene from the substantially same viewpoint at the substantially same timing as those of the infrared light image; detecting a lower reflection region showing an object having a lower reflectivity from the infrared light image in accordance with the infrared light image and the visible light image; correcting a corresponding lower reflection region in the depth image in accordance with the visible light image; and outputting the depth image with the corrected lower reflection region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210142496
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs; acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring an infrared light image stored in the memory, the infrared light image being generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring a visible light image stored in the memory, the visible light image being generated by imaging a substantially same scene as that of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same imaging time of those of the infrared light image; detecting a dust region showing dust from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the dust region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the dust region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210144314
    Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes memory and processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light emitted from a light source and measured by imaging with the infrared light reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating a distance to the subject as a depth for each pixel based on an intensity received by the pixel; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, a substantially same scene with a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same timing as those of imaging the infrared light image; detecting, from the visible light image, an edge region including an edge along a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the visible light image; and correcting, in the depth image, a depth of a target region corresponding to the edge region in the depth image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 10703595
    Abstract: A sheet feeding parameter management system includes: a plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses each including an air sheet feeder that feeds a sheet and enabled to change a sheet feeding parameter; and a management apparatus connected to the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses, wherein each of the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses includes: a sheet type information acquisitor that acquires sheet type information; and a hardware processor that: adjusts the sheet feeding parameter; and transmits the sheet type information and the sheet feeding parameter to the management apparatus, and the management apparatus includes the hardware processor that: causes a storage to store an adjustment result associated with the sheet type information and the sheet feeding parameter; and sets, based on the adjustment result, for an air sheet feeding apparatus to be processed among the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Eiji Nishikawa, Takahiro Yokoya, Noritaka Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20190287256
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle that runs on a road surface includes: a light source that emits illumination light which is infrared light; a solid-state imaging device that images a subject and outputs an imaging signal indicating a light exposure amount; and a computator that computes subject information regarding the subject by using the imaging signal. The solid-state imaging device includes: first pixels that image the subject by receiving reflected light that is the illumination light reflected off the subject; and second pixels that image the subject by receiving visible light. Information indicated by an imaging signal outputted from the first pixels is information regarding a slope of the road surface, and information indicated by an imaging signal outputted from the second pixels is information regarding an appearance of the road surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Kenji IWAHASHI, Hiroki SHINDE, Tomohiro HONDA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Hiroshi IWAI, Osamu SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20190185280
    Abstract: A sheet feeding parameter management system includes: a plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses each including an air sheet feeder that feeds a sheet and enabled to change a sheet feeding parameter; and a management apparatus connected to the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses, wherein each of the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses includes: a sheet type information acquisitor that acquires sheet type information; and a hardware processor that: adjusts the sheet feeding parameter; and transmits the sheet type information and the sheet feeding parameter to the management apparatus, and the management apparatus includes the hardware processor that: causes a storage to store an adjustment result associated with the sheet type information and the sheet feeding parameter; and sets, based on the adjustment result, for an air sheet feeding apparatus to be processed among the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Eiji NISHIKAWA, Takahiro YOKOYA, Noritaka SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20100319047
    Abstract: There is provided a digital broadcast receiver that can readily cope with a change in a time lag between simultaneous broadcasts and opening of a new broadcast station and that enables smooth switching between the simultaneous broadcasts without addition of devices entailing performance of enormous amounts of processing. A characteristic showing that a coding rate increases when a large difference arises between a current frame and a preceding frame of a video signal is utilized for MPEG2 and MPEG4-AVC standards employed as schemes for coding a video signal in a ground digital broadcast. A per-frame coding rate of first broadcast coded video data and a per-frame coding rate of second broadcast coded video data are ascertained. A lag between an output time of the first broadcast and an output time of the second broadcast is detected from time shifts in the thus-ascertained coding rates and a lag between internal clock signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshikazu MITSUTAKE, Noritaka Shimizu, Rie Fukushige
  • Publication number: 20080207262
    Abstract: A portable terminal apparatus is provided that enables a mobile TV reception function to be added easily even to a main CPU that does not have a dedicated mobile TV interface. There are provided a cellular baseband LSI 110 that performs overall control of a portable terminal apparatus 100 and is also connected to a mobile TV back-end processing LSI 120 by a host I/F 141, camera I/F 142, and audio I/F 143, and a mobile TV back-end processing LSI 120 that implements a mobile TV function, wherein mobile TV back-end processing LSI 120 includes a selection circuit 122 that selects a video signal from a mobile phone camera module 125 or a mobile TV video signal based on a control signal from cellular baseband LSI 110, and outputs one or other video signal to camera I/F 142.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Noritaka SHIMIZU, Toshikazu MITSUTAKE
  • Publication number: 20070286518
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a compressed image data memory, an image expansion unit, an expanded image data memory, a boundary image data memory, an image resizing unit, and a control unit. The control unit determines an area to be expanded by the image expansion unit based on a capacity of the expanded image data memory and a capacity of the boundary image data memory. The control unit determines a size of the area to be expanded by the image expansion unit, so that a size of image data obtained by expanding compressed image data corresponded to the area determined by the control unit is less than or equal to the capacity of the expanded image data memory, and less than or equal to the capacity of the boundary image data memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Toshikazu Mitsutake, Noritaka Shimizu