Patents by Inventor Shigeru Awamoto

Shigeru Awamoto 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: 8023796
    Abstract: A video signal producing system includes an imaging device for obtaining progressive imaging signals having various frame rates, a recording device for recording an output signal of the imaging device and a reproduction device for reproducing a recording signal obtained from the recording device. The imaging device includes a frame rate converting portion for converting the imaging signals to an output having a predetermined frame rate and the reproduction device changes a reproduction speed in response to each of the various frame rates so as to generate an output having a substantial number of frames such that the substantial number of the frames assumes a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda, Shoji Nishikawa, Shigeru Awamoto, Shiro Kato, Hirofumi Uchida
  • Publication number: 20040081437
    Abstract: A video signal producing system includes an imaging device for obtaining progressive imaging signals having various frame rates, a recording device for recording an output signal of the imaging device and a reproduction device for reproducing a recording signal obtained from the recording device. The imaging device includes a frame rate converting portion for converting the imaging signals to an output having a predetermined frame rate and the reproduction device changes a reproduction speed in response to each of the various frame rates so as to generate an output having a substantial number of frames such that the substantial number of the frames assumes a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Ryoji Asada, Kazumasa Motoda, Shoji Nishikawa, Shigeru Awamoto, Shiro Kato, Hirofumi Uchida
  • Patent number: 6295406
    Abstract: The digital signal recording apparatus of the invention for recording a video signal on a recording medium, includes: a mode setting section for setting a recording mode, the recording mode being one of a standard recording mode and a long-time recording mode having a longer recording time than that of the standard recording mode; a sampling section for sampling the video signal at a sampling number corresponding to the recording mode set by the mode setting section, the sampling number when the selected recording mode is the long-time recording mode being smaller than the sampling number when the selected recording mode is the standard recording mode; a coding section for coding the video signal sampled by the sampling section at a compression rate corresponding to the recording mode set by the mode setting section, the compression rate when the selected recording mode is the long-time recording mode being higher than the compression rate when the selected recording mode is the standard recording mode; and a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiyoko Matsumi, Tatsuro Juri, Akira Iketani, Makoto Goto, Susumu Yamaguchi, Hideki Otaka, Shigeru Awamoto, Masakazu Nishino, Takao Kashiro, Tadashi Ono
  • Patent number: 6215950
    Abstract: The digital signal recording apparatus of the invention for recording a video signal on a recording medium, includes: a mode setting section for setting a recording mode, the recording mode being one of a standard recording mode and a long-time recording mode having a longer recording time than that of the standard recording mode; a sampling section for sampling the video signal at a sampling number corresponding to the recording mode set by the mode setting section, the sampling number when the selected recording mode is the long-time recording mode being smaller than the sampling number when the selected recording mode is the standard recording mode; a coding section for coding the video signal sampled by the sampling section at a compression rate corresponding to the recording mode set by the mode setting section, the compression rate when the selected recording mode is the long-time recording mode being higher than the compression rate when the selected recording mode is the standard recording mode; and a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiyoko Matsumi, Tatsuro Juri, Akira Iketani, Makoto Goto, Susumu Yamaguchi, Hideki Otaka, Shigeru Awamoto, Masakazu Nishino, Takao Kashiro, Tadashi Ono
  • Patent number: 5787221
    Abstract: The digital signal recording apparatus of the invention for recording a video signal on a recording medium, includes: a mode setting section for setting a recording mode, the recording mode being one of a standard recording mode and a long-time recording mode having a longer recording time than that of the standard recording mode; a sampling section for sampling the video signal at a sampling number corresponding to the recording mode set by the mode setting section, the sampling number when the selected recording mode is the long-time recording mode being smaller than the sampling number when the selected recording mode is the standard recording mode; a coding section for coding the video signal sampled by the sampling section at a compression rate corresponding to the recording mode set by the mode setting section, the compression rate when the selected recording mode is the long-time recording mode being higher than the compression rate when the selected recording mode is the standard recording mode; and a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiyoko Matsumi, Tatsuro Juri, Akira Iketani, Makoto Goto, Susumu Yamaguchi, Hideki Otaka, Shigeru Awamoto, Masakazu Nishino, Takao Kashiro, Tadashi Ono
  • Patent number: 5781690
    Abstract: In the video signal recording apparatus of the present invention, when recording video signals of a plurality of frames after highly efficiently coding the same, video signals of the first frame are coded within the frame and divided into compression blocks each of which block is recorded to a corresponding recording block at a fixed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Juri, Yuji Fujiwara, Masakazu Nishino, Toyohiko Matsuta, Shigeru Awamoto
  • Patent number: 5418620
    Abstract: When a standard TV signal of digital format is a first video signal and another digitized TV signal having a bandwidth wider than that of the first video signal is a second video signal, every two frames of the second video signal are calculated to produce a pixel value sum of the two frames and a pixel value difference between the same and either a resultant interframe calculated output or the first video signal is compressed through two-dimensional orthogonal transformation for ease of storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nishino, Shigeru Awamoto, Toyohiko Matsuta
  • Patent number: 5369439
    Abstract: According to orthogonal transformation coefficients obtained through orthogonal transformation, the degree of influence on visual sensation is detected. Depending on the degree of influence on visual sensation, a quantization step size is controlled so as to assign a greater amount of codes to each block of which image quality deterioration is conspicuous and a smaller amount of codes to each block of which image quality deterioration is less conspicuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohiko Matsuda, Masakazu Nishino, Shigeru Awamoto
  • Patent number: 5367334
    Abstract: An encoding and decoding apparatus for a video signal and a high-definition television signal is disclosed. For the picture A having the horizontal to vertical screen frame ratio of 4:3, the picture B having the horizontal to vertical screen frame ratio of 16:9 and the picture C having the horizontal to vertical screen frame ratio of 16:9 and having a larger number of vertical pixels than that of the picture A and picture B, the apparatus limits the band of the picture C to obtain the picture D having the same numbers of horizontal and vertical pixels respectively as those of the picture B, and high-efficiency encodes the picture A, picture B or picture D in the same method. The apparatus obtains the additional picture E which is a difference between the picture D and the picture C, or a difference between the picture D' which is a result of decoding a signal that has been obtained by high-efficiency encoding the picture D and the picture C, and then high-efficiency encodes the additional picture E obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nishino, Chojuro Yamamitsu, Tatsuro Juri, Toyohiko Matsuta, Shigeru Awamoto
  • Patent number: 5345268
    Abstract: In digital video signals which differ in the number of pixels thereof, such as a standard video signal having a screen aspect ratio of 4:3 and a wide video signal having an aspect ratio of 16:9 the data quantity after encoding is equalized without increasing the compression ratio of the video signal having the larger number of pixels. An encoding apparatus performs intraframe encoding of the standard video signal so that the coded data quantity is constant in every frame, and interframe encoding of the wide video signal in each two frames so that the coded data quantity is constant in every two frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toyohiko Matsuta, Masakazu Nishino, Shigeru Awamoto
  • Patent number: 4910605
    Abstract: A video signal recording method and apparatus for-recording each field of a video signal as a plurality of segments on respective tracks of a magnetic tape, in which each segment consists of a sequentially-ordered set of scanning lines which constitute a fraction of the total scanning lines of the field and which extend substantially over the entire field, for example all of the even-numbered or all of the odd-numbered lines of the field. Since each recording track contains scanning lines extending sequentially over one field, a playback signal providing a correctly ordered display image is obtained for playback operation at speeds higher or lower than the standard speed, while utilizing the same recording and playback signal processing circuits as are utilized during standard speed operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1990
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seishi Sasaki, Mitsuo Chiba, Tatsushi Bannai, Shigeru Awamoto
  • Patent number: 4887169
    Abstract: A video signal recording and playback apparatus for recording each field of a video signal as a plurality of segments on a plurality of tracks, including a circuit for inserting segment index signals after conversion of the video signal to a recording signal, to be recorded together with the recording signal to designate the respective segments. During varied-speed playback operation, the segment index signals are detected in the playback signal, and the data thus obtained are used to control the operation of a memory which temporarily stores successively produced portions of the playback signal. A playback signal can thereby be obtained by combining output signals from the memory, which will produce a satisfactory display image during varied-speed playback operation, e.g. during high-speed playback, with only simple signal processing being required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsushi Bannai, Shigeru Awamoto, Mitsuo Chiba, Seishi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 4839744
    Abstract: Disclosed is a video signal recording system, in which the input video signal is rid of unneeded portions, transformed on the time axis and divided into n channels so that they are recorded in a bandwidth narrower than 1/n of original one. The system also enhances the latitude in choosing a clock frequency for time-axis conversion and a track width, thereby optimizing the picture quality and recording time length on a trade-off basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignees: Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seishi Sasaki, Shigeru Awamoto, Tatsushi Bannai, Katsuya Yokoyama, Hiromichi Shibaya
  • Patent number: 4807056
    Abstract: A video signal recording and playback apparatus and method which is applicable to wide-band recording in which a video signal is divided into a plurality of channels by time-axis expansion, and the channels are recorded in parallel on respective tracks. Prior to recording, a reference signal consisting of a plurality of different signal bursts, each having a specific frequency and each being superimposed on a specific DC level, is inserted into blanking intervals of the video signal and recorded therewith. On playback, the amplitudes of the signal bursts in the reference signal are monitored, and playback equalizers are controlled accordingly such as to maintain a predetermined equalizer characteristic and to maintain identical overall frequency characteristics for the various channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seishi Sasaki, Mitsuo Chiba, Tatsushi Bannai, Shigeru Awamoto
  • Patent number: 4757392
    Abstract: A signal processing circuit for a video recording and reproducing apparatus comprises a ramp inserting circuit for inserting a ramp waveform at periodic intervals into a video signal during recording. The ramp waveform varies linearly as a function of time from the minimum to the maximum level of the video signal. On playback, the inserted ramp is periodically detected from a reproduced video signal by a ramp detector. The waveform of the detected ramp is corrected to improve its signal-to-noise ratio by an averaging circuit and applied to a transfer circuit having a transfer function describing the relationship between the original ramp waveform and the corrected ramp waveform. The waveform of the reproduced video signal is transformed according to the transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1988
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Awamoto, Tatsushi Bannai