Patents by Inventor Shoji Muramatsu

Shoji Muramatsu 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: 8184860
    Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention performs a task to execute an image processing This image processing device comprises a picture frame assigning unit that assigns an identification number to the image data to be collected by a picture collection device, an image capture requested picture of checking unit that checks whether the image data to which the identification number is assigned is identical with the image data that is requested by the task, an requested picture frame image collection notification unit that notifies the task of the image data having been collected which the task requests, if the image data to which the picture frame number is assigned is identical with the image data which the task requests, and an image capture requested picture frame receiving unit receives an image collection request from the task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Tstsuaki Nakamikawa, Takeshi Shima, Yuji Otsuka, Mirai Higuchi, Tatsuhiko Monji, Kota Irie
  • Publication number: 20120013794
    Abstract: Means which enables image conversion in which a plurality of conversion results can be output without once saving all of video-image data, which has been input from image-pickup means, in a storage medium is provided. A single line memory having a plurality of lines is used while switching the role thereof for a reading use by a video-image converting means and a use for inputting image data from the image-pickup means. The image converting means obtains an input image, which is in the line memory, and carries out conversion of the input image based on a conversion specifying means interpreted by an instruction decoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: HIDEAKI KIDO, SHOJI MURAMATSU, HIROYUKI HAMASAKI, AKIHIRO YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20110273565
    Abstract: An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Yuuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Tatsuhiko Monji, Jiro Takezaki, Isao Furusawa
  • Publication number: 20110267430
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a detection device of a planar area, which suppresses matching of luminance values in areas other than a planar area, and non-detection and erroneous detection of the planar area arising from an error in projection transform. The detection device of a planar area includes an image obtaining section for obtaining a left image 100 and a right image 110; a planar area aligning section 30 for setting given regions of interest to the obtained left image 100 and the right image 110, and through use of a geometric transform function that matches the region of interest of the right image with the region of interest of the left image, performing geometric transform to generate a geometric transform image 130; and a planar area detecting section 55 for detecting a planar area 140 based on the geometric transform image 130 and the region of interest of the right image 110.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Morihiko SAKANO, Mirai Higuchi, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20110261168
    Abstract: Provided is a camera device which is capable of estimating a road shape ahead of a target vehicle or capable of determining whether or not the target vehicle needs to be decelerated by controlling a brake before a curve, even in the situation where a white line of a traveling road or a roadside three-dimensional object is difficult to detect. A camera device 105 including a plurality of image capturing units 107 and 108 which each take an image of a traveling road ahead of a target vehicle 106, includes: a three-dimensional object ahead detection unit 114 which detects three-dimensional objects ahead 101 existing in a vicinity of a vanishing point of the traveling road 102 on the basis of the images picked up by the plurality of image capturing units 107 and 108; and a road shape estimation unit 113 which estimates a road shape of a distant portion on the traveling road 102 on the basis of a detection result detected by the three-dimensional object ahead detection unit 114.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shima, Mirai Higuchi, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Publication number: 20110222732
    Abstract: In order to perform vehicle control, a warning process, and the like which do not give a driver an uncomfortable feeling in speed adjustment, a warning process, and the like corresponding to a road shape such as a curve, it is necessary to recognize not only a near road shape but also a far road shape with high accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Mirai Higuchi, Rayo Ota, Takuya Naka, Morihiko Sakano, Shoji Muramatsu, Tasuhiko Monji
  • Publication number: 20110205042
    Abstract: Provided are an information processing device and a processing method both of which are capable of executing processing in response to a traveling situation of a vehicle, thereby securing safety at the time of emergency while securing convenience.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji
  • Patent number: 7995797
    Abstract: An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Yuuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Tatsuhiko Monji, Jiro Takezaki, Isao Furusawa
  • Patent number: 7994936
    Abstract: A traffic environment recognition system includes units for image-processing and information-merging, a radar unit. A network is connected to the image-processing unit. The radar, information-merging, and a vehicle control unit control the traveling operation of the vehicle. The image-processing unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth, relative speed and width of a preceding vehicle, and the lane position of the host vehicle. The radar unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth and relative speed of the preceding vehicle. The information-merging unit receives recognition results provided by the image-processing unit. The radar unit through the network, merges and identifies those results. When the recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and the radar unit relate to the same vehicle, output information is produced by the information-merging unit to identify the vehicles as one and the same vehicle and sends the output information through the network to the vehicle control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takenaga, Shoji Muramatsu, Yuji Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20110170769
    Abstract: A classifier learning image production program, method, and system are provided which are capable of efficiently acquiring learning images to be employed in development of a discrimination application, or more particularly, efficiently acquiring initial learning images to be employed in an early stage of development of a discrimination algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Shigetoshi SAKIMURA, Hiroto MORIZANE, Shoji MURAMATSU
  • Patent number: 7957559
    Abstract: In conventional systems using an onboard camera disposed rearward of a vehicle for recognizing an object surrounding the vehicle, the object is recognized by the camera disposed rearward of the vehicle. In the image recognized by the camera, a road surface marking taken by the camera appears at a lower end of a screen of the image, which makes it difficult to predict a specific position in the screen from which the road surface marking appears. Further, an angle of depression of the camera is large, and it is a short period of time to acquire the object. Therefore, it is difficult to improve a recognition rate and to reduce false recognition. Results of recognition (type, position, angle, recognition time) made by a camera disposed forward of the vehicle, are used to predict a specific timing and a specific position of a field of view of a camera disposed rearward of the vehicle, at which the object appears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu, Yuji Otsuka, Kimiyoshi Machii, Mirai Higuchi, Tatsuhiko Monji, Kota Irie
  • Publication number: 20110102594
    Abstract: Provided is an image processing device capable of an image processing with using a general-purpose image processing hardware in accordance with video input without mediation of a CPU. The image processing device includes: a storage medium for storing an image data acquired by video inputting unit for acquiring video images; a CPU for a general processing; image processing unit for processing the image data stored in the storage medium; setting unit for determining a processing content of the image processing unit; a command list indicating an order of setting and activating the image processing unit; and command writing unit for setting and activating the image processing unit based on the command list in synchronization with input of the image data from the video inputting unit without mediation of the CPU.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Hideaki KIDO, Shoji Muramatsu, Hiroyuki Hamasaki, Akihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7899213
    Abstract: An image processing system including an imaging unit mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis unit that acquires images photographed by the imaging unit. The image analysis unit acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging unit photographed, detects light spots emitted from the other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles. The plural images are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure. The image analysis unit extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Shoji Muramatsu, Tatsuhiko Monji, Isao Furusawa
  • Publication number: 20100328427
    Abstract: In stereo matching based on standard area matching, in order to suppress a decrease in matching accuracy, it is effective to adaptively change a matching area in accordance with the local properties of an image. However, this requires high calculation costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Morihiko SAKANO, Mirai Higuchi, Takuya Naka, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20100265101
    Abstract: A traffic environment recognition system includes units for image-processing and information-merging, a radar unit. A network is connected to the image-processing unit. The radar, information-merging, and a vehicle control unit control the traveling operation of the vehicle. The image-processing unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth, relative speed and width of a preceding vehicle, and the lane position of the host vehicle. The radar unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth and relative speed of the preceding vehicle. The information-merging unit receives recognition results provided by the image-processing unit. The radar unit through the network, merges and identifies those results. When the recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and the radar unit relate to the same vehicle, output information is produced by the information-merging unit to identify the vehicles as one and the same vehicle and sends the output information through the network to the vehicle control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takenaga, Shoji Muramatsu, Yuji Otsuka
  • Patent number: 7782179
    Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus more accurately detects a moving obstacle present around a motor vehicle. With this system, desired feature quantities of an obstacle present in a coverage of a first sensor are calculated and then stored into a storage device, and when the obstacle moves from the coverage of the first sensor to a coverage of a second sensor, a relative distance to the obstacle is calculated from the above-stored feature quantities of the obstacle and from the desired feature quantities of the obstacle, obtained by analyzing the recognition results of the second sensor that have been processed by a processor which processes the recognition results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimiyoshi Machii, Mirai Higuchi, Yuji Otsuka, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20100199283
    Abstract: When a CPU is processing a first task by using an accelerator for use in image processing, if a request for allocating the accelerator to a process of a second task is issued, the CPU sets an interruption flag when the process of the second task is prioritized over a process of the first task, and the accelerator is allowed to be used for the process of the second task when a state in which the interruption flag is set is detected at a timing predetermined in accordance with a process stage of the accelerator for the first task. Since the timing of detecting the set interruption flag is determined in accordance with a progress state of the process of the task to be interrupted, task switching can be made at a timing of reducing overhead for save and return for the process of the task to be interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventors: Hideaki KIDO, Shoji MURAMATSU, Yasuhiko HOSHI, Hiroyuki HAMASAKI
  • Publication number: 20100157060
    Abstract: An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji MURAMATSU, Yuuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Tatsuhiko Monji, Jiro Takezaki, Isao Furusawa
  • Patent number: 7702133
    Abstract: An image pickup device that acquires images is controlled by an image pickup device controller that accepts image acquisition requests from multiple application programs, and an application scheduler selects application programs to be executed. Information indicative of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates required for each of the multiple application programs is stored and used to select multiple concurrently executable application programs on the basis of the image data volumes and image data acquisition rates. An image acquisition scheduler determines the timing and intervals at which the multiple executable application programs repeat receiving image data from the image pickup device, without overlapping in terms of time. In addition, an operations section, which explicitly presents concurrently executable application programs to a user and commands the startup of these programs, is displayed on a navigation screen menu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Muramatsu, Yuuji Otsuka, Hiroshi Takenaga, Tatsuhiko Monji, Jiro Takezaki, Isao Furusawa
  • Publication number: 20100088493
    Abstract: A restriction is given to the calculation function for image processing achieved by the hard-wired system and the memory access control of a buffer memory, and a range of the restriction is made variable by a program control and others. Data is inputted to the buffer memory from the outside with a restriction of “in units of memory line”, and the number of memory lines and positions of the same to which data is inputted can be programmable by the control circuit. The arithmetic circuit is subjected to the restriction of performing the calculation in units of data of one or plural memory lines supplied from the buffer memory, and a calculation processing content in units of calculation processing for the units of data can be programmably assigned by the control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventors: Yoshitaka TAKAHASHI, Shoji MURAMATSU, Tetsuaki NAKAMIKAWA, Hiroyuki HAMASAKI, So OTSUKA