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).

  • Publication number: 20200397316
    Abstract: A biological information measuring device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a light source that, in operation, emits irradiation light for irradiating a test portion of a subject; a light detector that, in operation, detects light from the subject and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the light; and a control circuit that, in operation, determines a power of the irradiation light emitted by the light source, and that, in operation, measures biological information related to a blood flow at the test portion based on the electrical signal. The control circuit, in operation, detects a distance between the light source and the test portion based on the electrical signal, and determines the power of the irradiation light such that the power of the irradiation light is increased as the distance increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Teruhiro Shiono, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20200364445
    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: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: MASATO SUZUKI, TAKAMASA ANDO
  • Patent number: 10830870
    Abstract: An axial displacement judgment device has a first detector acquiring a first detection value from a G sensor which detects an acceleration applied to a radar device, a second detector acquiring a second detection value from a YG sensor which detects the acceleration applied to a vehicle body, and a difference calculator calculating a detection difference value, which is a difference between the first detection value and the second detection value, every first period. The device further has an average difference value calculator calculating an average difference value as an average value of the detection difference values calculated during an acquisition period including the first periods, a deviation calculator calculating a difference standard deviation of the detection difference values calculated during the acquisition period, and a judgment section detecting occurrence of an axial displacement of the radar device based on the average difference value and the difference standard deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Goto, Masanobu Yukumatsu, Takamasa Ando, Nobuyuki Terada
  • Patent number: 10799129
    Abstract: A biological information measuring device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a light source that, in operation, emits irradiation light for irradiating a test portion of a subject; a light detector that, in operation, detects light from the subject and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the light; and a control circuit that, in operation, determines a power of the irradiation light emitted by the light source, and that, in operation, measures biological information related to a blood flow at the test portion based on the electrical signal. The control circuit, in operation, detects a distance between the light source and the test portion based on the electrical signal, and determines the power of the irradiation light such that the power of the irradiation light is increased as the distance increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Teruhiro Shiono, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20200297222
    Abstract: An optical sensing apparatus includes a laser device, a photodetector, and a control circuit. The laser device includes a light source that emits laser light, a diffusing member having a diffusing surface that crosses an optical path of the laser light, the diffusing member making the laser light lower in intensity in a first portion, making the laser light higher in intensity in a second portion, and enlarging a beam diameter of the laser light, and a screen, and irradiates a physical object with the laser light having passed through the screen or the laser light reflected by the screen. The control circuit causes the laser device to irradiate the physical object with at least one optical pulse of the laser light and causes the photodetector to perform a time-resolved measurement of at least one reflected optical pulse of the laser light returning from the physical object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: TERUHIRO SHIONO, TAKAMASA ANDO
  • Publication number: 20200297270
    Abstract: A biometric apparatus includes a first detector that detects and outputs a brain activity signal indicating a state of brain activity in a target person, and a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit acquires the brain activity signal, acquires a biological signal of the target person that is different from the brain activity signal, determines, based on the biological signal and the brain activity signal, whether a state of the target person is an awake state, a sleeping state, or an unconscious state, and generates and outputs a signal indicating the state of the target person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: TAKAMASA ANDO, MASATO SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20200244898
    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: April 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Takamasa ANDO, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA, Toshiya FUJII
  • Publication number: 20200170512
    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: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: TAKAMASA ANDO, TERUHIRO SHIONO, MASAAKI YANAGIDA
  • Patent number: 10652482
    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: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20200045299
    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: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Kunio NOBORI, Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Takamasa ANDO, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA, Toshiya FUJII
  • Patent number: 10531015
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a light source that emits pulsed light, a reflective encoding device, and an image sensor. The reflective encoding device includes first and second films each having light-transmitting property and light-reflecting property and a modulator disposed between the first and second films. The modulator includes modulation regions arrayed in one plane intersecting an optical path of the pulsed light and each modulating at least one of a degree of polarization, a phase, and an intensity of incident light. The image sensor receives light from a target and outputs one or more electric signals representing an image of the target on the basis of the light from the target. The reflective encoding device allows the pulsed light to undergo multiple reflection between the first and second films and allows a portion of the pulsed light to be emitted through the second film in multiple instances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takamasa Ando
  • Patent number: 10484668
    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: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
  • Patent number: 10446600
    Abstract: An imaging system serving as an image generation device is provided with: a random color filter array that has a plurality of concave lenses and a plurality of color filters having different transmission characteristics; a photodiode that receives light that has passed through the random color filter array; an AD converter that converts the light received by the photodiode into digital data; and a color image generation circuit that generates an image using the digital data and modulation information of the random color filter array, in which the plurality of concave lenses are located between the plurality of color filters and the photodiode, or the plurality of color filters are located between the plurality of concave lenses and the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Hisashi Watanabe, Takeo Azuma, Kunio Nobori, Nobuhiko Wakai, Takamasa Ando
  • Publication number: 20190273876
    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: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Takamasa ANDO, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA, Toshiya FUJII
  • Patent number: 10397496
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a light source, an image sensor, and a controller. Each pixel of the image sensor includes first and second accumulators and a discharger. The controller, while a component of light from the light source reflected by the surface of a target is incident on the image sensor, causes the accumulators to accumulate signal charge not discharged to the discharger, by setting the image sensor so that signal charge is discharged to the discharger, while a component having scattered inside the target is incident on the image sensor, causes the first accumulator to accumulate signal charge by setting the image sensor so that signal charge is not discharged to the discharger and signal charge is accumulated in the first accumulator, and causes the image sensor to generate first and second signals that are respectively based on signal charge accumulated in the first and second accumulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nakamura, Toshiya Fujii, Masaaki Yanagida, Takamasa Ando
  • Patent number: 10334188
    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: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
  • Publication number: 20190162596
    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: January 10, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Toshiya FUJII, Takamasa ANDO
  • Patent number: 10295654
    Abstract: A determination unit that determines a positional change of a radar apparatus mounted on a vehicle including a vehicle body is provided with a reference member, a displacement sensor and displacement determining means. The reference member is fixed to the vehicle body and disposed such that at least a part of the reference member is adjacent to the radar apparatus. The displacement sensor detects a displacement of the radar apparatus with respect to the reference member. The determining means determines whether or not a position of the radar apparatus has changed with respect to the vehicle body, based on the displacement detected by the displacement sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanobu Yukumatsu, Kenji Goto, Takamasa Ando
  • Patent number: 10270998
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a light source that emits a light pulse onto an object, and a light detector that detects a reflected light pulse returning from the object. The light detector detects a first part of the reflected light pulse in a first period, and detects a second part of the reflected light pulse in a second period that starts after the first period. The first period includes at least a part of a rising period, the rising period being a period from start to end of increase of intensity of the reflected light pulse. The second period includes a part of a falling period, starts after start of the falling period and does not include the start of the falling period, the falling period being a period from start to end of decrease of the intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nakamura, Takamasa Ando, Teruhiro Shiono
  • Patent number: 10257397
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a light source that includes a diffusion plate and, in operation, emits, toward a subject, pulsed light that diverges; a photodetector that includes a photoelectric converter that, in operation, receives light from the subject and converts the light to an electric charge and an electric charge accumulator that, in operation, accumulates the electric charge, and, in operation, generates an electric signal based on the accumulated electric charge; and a control circuit that, in operation, controls the light source and the photodetector. The control circuit, in operation, causes the electric charge accumulator to start accumulating the electric charge when a period of time has passed after the control circuit has caused the light source to start emitting the pulsed light, and causes the electric charge accumulator to accumulate the electric charge corresponding to a component, among the light from the subject, that is scattered inside the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takamasa Ando