Patents by Inventor Takamasa Ando

Takamasa Ando 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: 11963772
    Abstract: A system includes: a light source that emits pulsed light that illuminates a user's head portion; a photodetector that detects at least part of pulsed light returning from the head portion and that outputs one or more signals corresponding to an intensity of the at least part; electrical circuitry; and a memory that stores an emotion model indicating a relationship between the one or more signals and emotions. Based on a change in the one or more signals, the electrical circuitry selects an emotion by referring to the model. The one or more signals include a first signal corresponding to an intensity of first part of the reflection pulsed light and a second signal corresponding to an intensity of second part of the reflection pulsed light. The first part incudes part before a falling period is started; and the second part includes at least part in the falling period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Takamasa Ando
  • Patent number: 11965778
    Abstract: An optical filter including filter regions arrayed two-dimensionally, in which the filter regions include a first region and a second region; a wavelength distribution of an optical transmittance of the first region has a first local maximum in a first wavelength band and a second local maximum in a second wavelength band that differs from the first wavelength band, and a wavelength distribution of an optical transmittance of the second region has a third local maximum in a third wavelength band that differs from each of the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band and a fourth local maximum in a fourth wavelength band that differs from the third wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiya Fujii, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20240054203
    Abstract: An identifying device includes a light source, an image sensor, a memory that stores biometric data indicating a feature of a body of a user, and a processor. The processor causes the light source to emit pulsed light having a pulse duration of more than or equal to 0.2 ns and less than or equal to 1 ?s to illuminate the user with the pulsed light, causes the image sensor to detect at least part of reflected pulsed light that returns from the user and to output a signal corresponding to two-dimensional distribution of an intensity of the at least part of the reflected pulsed light, and verifies the signal against the biometric data to identify the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Takamasa ANDO, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA
  • Publication number: 20230111721
    Abstract: A system includes: a light source that emits pulsed light that illuminates a user's head portion; a photodetector that detects at least part of pulsed light returning from the head portion and that outputs one or more signals corresponding to an intensity of the at least part; electrical circuitry; and a memory that stores an emotion model indicating a relationship between the one or more signals and emotions. Based on a change in the one or more signals, the electrical circuitry selects an emotion by referring to the model. The one or more signals include a first signal corresponding to an intensity of first part of the reflection pulsed light and a second signal corresponding to an intensity of second part of the reflection pulsed light. The first part incudes part before a falling period is started; and the second part includes at least part in the falling period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Masato SUZUKI, Takamasa ANDO
  • Publication number: 20230083178
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes first and second light sources, a diffuser, a photodetector, and a processing circuit. The first and second light sources respectively output first emitted light and second emitted light. The mirror causes the first emitted light and the second emitted light to be concentrated and incident on one region of the diffuser. The photodetector detects first reflected light and second reflected light that emanate from a subject due to the first emitted light and the second emitted light diffused by the diffuser, respectively. The processing circuit generates and outputs information related to the subject, based on the result of detection of the first reflected light and the second reflected light by the photodetector. The distance between two light spots respectively formed on the one region by the first emitted light and the second emitted light is less than the distance between the first and second light sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: TAKAMASA ANDO, SHUNSUKE IMAI, HITOSHI TOMINAGA
  • Patent number: 11559205
    Abstract: A biological measuring device includes a light source that emits first light illuminating an area on a living body, an imaging device that detects second light returned from the living body and acquires a first image including at least part of the living body, and a control circuit that controls the light source. If a specific part of the living body is not located in a predetermined coordinate range in the first image, the control circuit restricts emission of the first light from the light source. The predetermined coordinate range is set outside the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takamasa Ando, Teruhiro Shiono, Masaaki Yanagida
  • Patent number: 11557148
    Abstract: A system includes: a light source that emits pulsed light that illuminates a user's head portion; a photodetector that detects at least part of pulsed light returning from the head portion and that outputs one or more signals corresponding to an intensity of the at least part; electrical circuitry; and a memory that stores an emotion model indicating a relationship between the one or more signals and emotions. Based on a change in the one or more signals, the electrical circuitry selects an emotion by referring to the model. The one or more signals include a first signal corresponding to an intensity of first part of the reflection pulsed light and a second signal corresponding to an intensity of second part of the reflection pulsed light. The first part includes part before a falling period is started; and the second part includes at least part in the falling period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Suzuki, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20220400964
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a light source, a sensor including light detection cells including a first light detection cell and a second light detection cell, and an electronic circuit. The circuit causes the light source to emit a light pulse, causes the first light detection cell to detect a reflected light pulse from a target in an exposure period including at least part of a period from when an intensity of the reflected light pulse starts increasing to when it starts falling and generate a first signal, causes the second light detection cell to detect the reflected light pulse in an exposure period including at least part of a trailing period from when the intensity of the reflected light pulse starts falling to when it stops falling and generate a second signal. The circuit generates, based on the first and second signals, data representing states of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: SHUNSUKE IMAI, TAKAMASA ANDO, HITOSHI TOMINAGA
  • Publication number: 20220326361
    Abstract: A distance-measuring device includes a light source, a light detector, and a circuit. The circuit causes the light source to output a light pulse toward a target object, causes the light detector to detect a reflection-light pulse in a first period and a second period to generate a first signal and a second signal, respectively, and generates and outputs data indicating a distance from the light detector to the target object based on the two signals. The first period includes at least a part of a rise period, from a first point at which an intensity of the reflection-light pulse starts increasing to a second point at which the increase ends, and the first point. The second period includes at least a part of a fall period, from a third point at which the intensity starts decreasing to a fourth point at which the decrease ends, and the fourth point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: TAKAMASA ANDO, SHUNSUKE IMAI
  • Patent number: 11303828
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a light source that, in operation, emits pulsed light to a measurement target; a diffusion member that is disposed between the light source and the measurement target, and diffuses the pulsed light; an image sensor that includes at least one pixel, the at least one pixel including a photodiode and a charge accumulator that, in operation, accumulates signal charge from the photodiode; and a control circuit that, in operation, controls the image sensor. The control circuit causes the image sensor to start to accumulate the signal charge with the charge accumulator in a falling period of a returned pulsed light which is returned from the measurement target to the image sensor due to the emission of the pulsed light, the falling period being a period from start to end of a decrease of an intensity of the returned pulsed light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
  • Patent number: 11272166
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device, a first imaging optical system and a second imaging optical system that form respective input images from mutually different viewpoints onto the imaging device, and a first modulation mask and a second modulation mask that modulate the input images formed by the first imaging optical system and the second imaging optical system. The imaging device captures a superposed image composed of the two input images that have been formed by the first imaging optical system and the second imaging optical system, modulated by the first modulation mask and the second modulation mask, and optically superposed on each other, and the first modulation mask and the second modulation mask have mutually different optical transmittance distribution characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20210325246
    Abstract: An optical filter including filter regions arrayed two-dimensionally, in which the filter regions include a first region and a second region; a wavelength distribution of an optical transmittance of the first region has a first local maximum in a first wavelength band and a second local maximum in a second wavelength band that differs from the first wavelength band, and a wavelength distribution of an optical transmittance of the second region has a third local maximum in a third wavelength band that differs from each of the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band and a fourth local maximum in a fourth wavelength band that differs from the third wavelength band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Toshiya FUJII, Takamasa ANDO
  • Publication number: 20210302590
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a solid-state image sensor that is exposed to reflection light from an object and accumulates signal charges; and a control arithmetic device that controls irradiation by an infrared light source and exposure of the solid-state image sensor. The solid-state image sensor includes: photoelectric converters that convert the reflection light from the object into the signal charges; and charge accumulators that accumulate the signal charges. The imaging device performs, within one frame period, m types of exposure sequences (m is an integer greater than or equal to four) for controlling the irradiation and the exposure; assigns the charge accumulators exclusively to the m types of exposure sequences; accumulates, into the charge accumulators, the signal charges obtained from n (n is an integer greater than or equal to three) of the photoelectric converters in at least one type of exposure sequence among the m types of exposure sequences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Yuki Minami, Takuya Asano, Takamasa Ando, Toshiya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20210259565
    Abstract: A biometric apparatus includes a light source, an image sensor, a control circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The control circuit causes a light source to repeatedly emit a light pulse radiated onto a target part including a head of a target, causes an image sensor to receive a reflected light pulse which is caused as the light pulse is radiated onto the target part, causes the image sensor to output first image data indicating appearance of a face of the target, and causes the image sensor to output second image data according to distribution of an amount of light of at least one of components of the reflected light pulse. The signal processing circuit generates data indicating a state of the target based on a temporal change in the first image data and a temporal change in the second image data and outputs the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Yumiko OHNO, Kenji NARUMI, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA, Jin MURAOKA, Satoshi ARIMOTO, Takamasa ANDO
  • Publication number: 20210236006
    Abstract: An optical measuring device includes a light source, a photodetector, a control circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The control circuit causes the light source to emit first and second light pulses with which a target of measurement is irradiated, causes the photodetector to detect a first portion of a first reflected light pulse in a first period having a first time length and output a first signal representing an amount of light of the first portion, and causes the photodetector to detect a second portion of a second reflected light pulse in a second period having a second time length and output a second signal representing an amount of light of the second portion. The signal processing circuit generates, based on a fluctuation in the first signal and a fluctuation in the second signal, information indicating a fluctuation in internal state of the target of measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: TASUKU NAKAMURA, TAKAMASA ANDO, KENJI NARUMI, TSUGUHIRO KORENAGA
  • Patent number: 11079276
    Abstract: An optical filter including filter regions arrayed two-dimensionally, in which the filter regions include a first region and a second region; a wavelength distribution of an optical transmittance of the first region has a first local maximum in a first wavelength band and a second local maximum in a second wavelength band that differs from the first wavelength band, and a wavelength distribution of an optical transmittance of the second region has a third local maximum in a third wavelength band that differs from each of the first wavelength band and the second wavelength band and a fourth local maximum in a fourth wavelength band that differs from the third wavelength band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiya Fujii, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20210158108
    Abstract: An object classification method includes: acquiring image data of an image including feature information indicating a feature of an object; and classifying the object included in the image, based on the feature information. The image data is acquired by causing a first image capture device to capture the image. The first image capture device includes: an image sensor; and a filter array that is arranged on an optical path of light that is incident on the image sensor and that includes translucent filters two-dimensionally arrayed along a plane that crosses the optical path, the translucent filters including two or more filters in which wavelength dependencies of light transmittances are different from each other, and light transmittance of each of the two or more filters having local maximum values in a plurality of wavelength ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventor: TAKAMASA ANDO
  • Publication number: 20210152755
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a light source that, in operation, emits pulsed light to a measurement target; a diffusion member that is disposed between the light source and the measurement target, and diffuses the pulsed light; an image sensor that includes at least one pixel, the at least one pixel including a photodiode and a charge accumulator that, in operation, accumulates signal charge from the photodiode; and a control circuit that, in operation, controls the image sensor. The control circuit causes the image sensor to start to accumulate the signal charge with the charge accumulator in a falling period of a returned pulsed light which is returned from the measurement target to the image sensor due to the emission of the pulsed light, the falling period being a period from start to end of a decrease of an intensity of the returned pulsed light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20210049252
    Abstract: An identifying device includes a light source, an image sensor, a memory that stores biometric data indicating a feature of a body of a user, and a processor. The processor causes the light source to emit pulsed light having a pulse duration of more than or equal to 0.2 ns and less than or equal to 1 ?s to illuminate the user with the pulsed light, causes the image sensor to detect at least part of reflected pulsed light that returns from the user and to output a signal corresponding to two-dimensional distribution of an intensity of the at least part of the reflected pulsed light, and verifies the signal against the biometric data to identify the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: TAKAMASA ANDO, TSUGUHIRO KORENAGA
  • Patent number: 10911697
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus including a light source that, in operation, emits pulsed light to a measurement target; a diffusion member that is disposed between the light source and the measurement target, and diffuses the pulsed light; an image sensor that includes at least one pixel, the at least one pixel including a photodiode and a charge accumulator that, in operation, accumulates signal charge from the photodiode; and a control circuit that, in operation, controls the image sensor. The control circuit causes the image sensor to start to accumulate the signal charge with the charge accumulator in a falling period of a returned pulsed light which is returned from the measurement target to the image sensor due to the emission of the pulsed light, the falling period being a period from start to end of a decrease of an intensity of the returned pulsed light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii