Patents by Inventor Takashi Hiramaki

Takashi Hiramaki 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: 20140161317
    Abstract: A secondary curve, the ends of which coincide with the inner corner and the outer corner of the eye, is determined successively, and the total of the edge values of the pixels overlapping the secondary curve is calculated as an evaluation value. Next, a characteristic curve is generated on the basis of data made up of the calculated evaluation value and the Y-coordinate of the intersection between the secondary curve and a straight line passing through the center of a line segment whose ends coincide with the inner corner and the outer corner of the eye. Then, the reference positions for the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid of the eye are set on the basis of the result of an attempt to detect a pixel group occurring because of the red-eye effect in a search area defined on the basis of peaks in the characteristic curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Hiramaki, Atsushi Nakabayashi, Masayuki Usami, Tamiko Nishina, Hiroaki Iida
  • Publication number: 20140126776
    Abstract: Distances between edges which are detected and paired from images which show a driver's face are computed sequentially. Based on a change in the computed distances, a low-probability candidate for a pair of eyelid edges is eliminated. The edge pairs ultimately remaining as a result thereof are detected as upper eyelid edge and lower eyelid edge pairings. It is thus possible to carry out a detection which takes into account not only a feature which is near to an eyelid edge, but also movement as an eyelid. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately detect edges of a driver's eyelids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Ono, Takashi Hiramaki
  • Publication number: 20140037144
    Abstract: A lower eyelid search window (W2) matching the pixels constituting the edge of a lower eyelid is transformed so that the lower eyelid search window (W2) fits the pixels constituting the edge of the lower eyelid. Then, the position of the centroid of the transformed lower eyelid search window (W2) is set as the lower eyelid reference position. Consequently, the lower eyelid reference position can be accurately set even if the lower eyelid search window (W2) is different in shape from the edge of the lower eyelid. Then, it is possible to accurately detect the degree of opening of the eyes of a driver and thus accurately determine the degree of wakefulness of the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Hiramaki
  • Patent number: 8498449
    Abstract: An eye part detecting device has an image input section (21) for acquiring a face image, an eyelid edge labeling section (24) for detecting upper eyelid candidates and lower eyelid candidates which satisfy predetermined conditions for upper eyelids or lower eyelids in the face image, and an eyelid determination section (27) for comparing combinations of the upper and lower eyelid candidates to determine the combination of the upper and lower eyelid candidates whose relation best satisfies a predetermined condition as the upper and lower eyelids. The eyelid edge labeling section (24) classifies the horizontal edges and vertical edges calculated by an edge calculating section (23) into the upper eyelid candidates and the lower eyelid candidates according to a degree of how well the predetermined conditions are satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoharu Suzuki, Takashi Hiramaki, Kenichi Ohue, Kentaro Takahashi, Satoru Nakanishi, Shinichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 8351658
    Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face image storing means storing a plurality of face images of a subject captured at different timings, a change detecting means detecting changes in each face image caused by blinking after processing the plurality of face images stored by the face image storing means, and an eyelid detecting means detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject based on the changes detected by the change detecting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Adachi, Yukihiko Yoshinaga, Tomoharu Suzuki, Takashi Hiramaki, Kenichi Ogawa, Kenichi Ohue, Kentaro Takahashi, Shigeyasu Uozumi, Shinichi Kojima, Satoru Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8331630
    Abstract: Detecting with good precision an eye inside corner position and an eye outside corner position as face feature points even when the eye inside corner and/or the eye outside corner portions are obscured by noise. First eyelid profile modeling is performed with a Bezier curve expressed by a fixed control point P3 indicating an eye inside corner first position detected in an image, a fixed control point P4 indicating an eye outside corner first position, a control point P1 corresponding to an upper eyelid position candidate (first parameter), and a control point P2 corresponding to a lower eyelid position candidate (second parameter).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Nakanishi, Yoshiki Ninomiya, Takashi Naito, Shinichi Kojima, Yoshinao Takemae, Takuhiro Omi, Jun Adachi, Takashi Hiramaki
  • Patent number: 8154591
    Abstract: An eyelid opening level determination device includes a face image taking unit; an upper eyelid detection unit for detecting an upper eyelid in the face image; a lower eyelid area setting unit for setting an area for searching a lower eyelid based on the upper eyelid; an edge group detecting unit for detecting an edge group where brightness changes from dark to bright as a lower eyelid candidate by scanning the area from an upper side to a lower side; a reliability value obtaining unit for obtaining a reliability value of the edge group; a lower eyelid determination unit in which the edge group having the reliability value exceeding a predetermined value in the edge group is determined to be the lower eyelid; and an eyelid opening level obtaining unit for obtaining opening level of the eyelid based on positions for the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Morita, Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi
  • Patent number: 8140209
    Abstract: A parking assisting device is equipped with a imaging device (1), a gaze position determining sections (3, 11), target parking position setting sections (1, 11), and a parking assisting section (2). The imaging device (1) takes images of surrounding of a vehicle. The gaze position determining sections (3, 11) determine positions at which a driver gazes. The target parking position setting sections (1, 11) sets target parking positions based on images taken by the imaging device (1) and gaze positions determined by the gaze position determining section (11). The parking assisting section (2) assists in processing to park the vehicle at the set target parking position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Adachi, Takashi Hiramaki
  • Patent number: 8139819
    Abstract: A computer (30) obtains a facial image acquired by picking up an image of a person subjected to image pickup from a camera (10), and estimates a facial expression of the person subjected to image pickup based on the obtained facial image. Next, the computer obtains an eye open level of the person subjected to image pickup based on the facial image, and sets a threshold of the eye open level based on the estimated facial expression of the person subjected to image pickup. When the eye open level exceeds the threshold, the computer (30) determines that the eye of the person subjected to image pickup is opened. Moreover, when the eye open level does not exceed the threshold, the computer determines that the eye of the person subjected to image pickup is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanori Morita, Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi, Yoshinao Takemae
  • Patent number: 8115811
    Abstract: An image around a vehicle matching the intent of a driver is automatically displayed. An infrared camera (2) picks up an image of the face of a driver (7). A visual line direction and a face direction are detected from the face image of the driver (7). Based on the visual line direction of the driver (7) and the face direction thereof, a direction in which the driver (7) gazes is detected. When the direction in which the driver (7) gazes is included in image pickup ranges of CCD cameras (1A, 1B, and 1C), an image around a vehicle (100) picked up by any one of the CCD cameras (1A, 1B, and 1C) is automatically displayed on a monitor (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi, Kazuya Watanabe, Kosuke Sato
  • Publication number: 20120014610
    Abstract: Detecting with good precision an eye inside corner position and an eye outside corner position as face feature points even when the eye inside corner and/or the eye outside corner portions are obscured by noise. First eyelid profile modeling is performed with a Bezier curve expressed by a fixed control point P3 indicating an eye inside corner first position detected in an image, a fixed control point P4 indicating an eye outside corner first position, a control point P1 corresponding to an upper eyelid position candidate (first parameter), and a control point P2 corresponding to a lower eyelid position candidate (second parameter).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Nakashi, Yoshiki Ninomiya, Takashi Naito, Shinichi Kojima, Yoshinao Takemae, Takuhiro Omi, Jun Adachi, Takashi Hiramaki
  • Publication number: 20110235919
    Abstract: A computer (30) obtains a facial image acquired by picking up an image of a person subjected to image pickup from a camera (10), and estimates a facial expression of the person subjected to image pickup based on the obtained facial image. Next, the computer obtains an eye open level of the person subjected to image pickup based on the facial image, and sets a threshold of the eye open level based on the estimated facial expression of the person subjected to image pickup. When the eye open level exceeds the threshold, the computer (30) determines that the eye of the person subjected to image pickup is opened. Moreover, when the eye open level does not exceed the threshold, the computer determines that the eye of the person subjected to image pickup is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori Morita, Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi, Yoshinao Takemae
  • Patent number: 7957566
    Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face-image storing apparatus for storing an image of a face of a subject, an eyelid-candidate extracting apparatus for processing the image stored in the face-image storing apparatus to extract a pair of lines, which becomes a candidate of a combination of a line corresponding to an upper eyelid and a line corresponding to a lower eyelid, a parameter calculating apparatus for calculating a parameter, which indicates a possibility that a pan of the image stored in the face-image storing apparatus, the part corresponding to the pair of lines extracted by the eyelid-candidate extracting apparatus, includes at least one of outer and inner corners of an eye, and an eyelid detecting apparatus for detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject on the basis of the parameter calculated by the parameter calculating apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoharu Suzuki, Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi, Kenichi Ohue, Yuji Ninagawa, Kentaro Takahashi, Shigeyasu Uozumi, Satoru Nakanishi, Shinichi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20100014759
    Abstract: An eye part detecting device has an image input section (21) for acquiring a face image, an eyelid edge labeling section (24) for detecting upper eyelid candidates and lower eyelid candidates which satisfy predetermined conditions for upper eyelids or lower eyelids in the face image, and an eyelid determination section (27) for comparing combinations of the upper and lower eyelid candidates to determine the combination of the upper and lower eyelid candidates whose relation best satisfies a predetermined condition as the upper and lower eyelids. The eyelid edge labeling section (24) classifies the horizontal edges and vertical edges calculated by an edge calculating section (23) into the upper eyelid candidates and the lower eyelid candidates according to a degree of how well the predetermined conditions are satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoharu Suzuki, Takashi Hiramaki, Kenichi Ohue, Kentaro Takahashi, Satoru Nakanishi, Shinichi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20090268025
    Abstract: An image around a vehicle matching the intent of a driver is automatically displayed. An infrared camera (2) picks up an image of the face of a driver (7). A visual line direction and a face direction are detected from the face image of the driver (7). Based on the visual line direction of the driver (7) and the face direction thereof, a direction in which the driver (7) gazes is detected. When the direction in which the driver (7) gazes is included in image pickup ranges of CCD cameras (1A, 1B, and 1C), an image around a vehicle (100) picked up by any one of the CCD cameras (1A, 1B, and 1C) is automatically displayed on a monitor (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi, Kazuya Watanabe, Kosuke Sato
  • Publication number: 20090244274
    Abstract: An eyelid opening level determination device includes a face image taking unit; an upper eyelid detection unit for detecting an upper eyelid in the face image; a lower eyelid area setting unit for setting an area for searching a lower eyelid based on the upper eyelid; an edge group detecting unit for detecting an edge group where brightness changes from dark to bright as a lower eyelid candidate by scanning the area from an upper side to a lower side; a reliability value obtaining unit for obtaining a reliability value of the edge group; a lower eyelid determination unit in which the edge group having the reliability value exceeding a predetermined value in the edge group is determined to be the lower eyelid; and an eyelid opening level obtaining unit for obtaining opening level of the eyelid based on positions for the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takanori MORITA, Takashi HIRAMAKI, Jun ADACHI
  • Patent number: 7583816
    Abstract: A device for detecting a road traveling lane, which is capable of stably defining a position of a boundary of a traveling lane. The device has edge point detection means (ED) for detecting a plurality of edge points in a contour on an image, edge histogram producing means (HD) for producing a vertical edge histogram for horizontal elements of the plurality of edge points, block marking line determination means (BD) for determining presence and absence of a block-like marking line on the basis of periodicity of distribution and a combination of distributions of plus edges and minus edges in the vertical edge histogram, and lane boundary edge detection means (MD) for detecting vertical edge points present outside (relative to the center of the traveling lane) of a region where the block-like marking line is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kakinami, Takashi Hiramaki, Tokihiko Akita
  • Publication number: 20090118900
    Abstract: A parking assisting device is equipped with a imaging device (1), a gaze position determining sections (3, 11), target parking position setting sections (1, 11), and a parking assisting section (2). The imaging device (1) takes images of surrounding of a vehicle. The gaze position determining sections (3, 11) determine positions at which a driver gazes. The target parking position setting sections (1, 11) sets target parking positions based on images taken by the imaging device (1) and gaze positions determined by the gaze position determining section (11). The parking assisting section (2) assists in processing to park the vehicle at the set target parking position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Adachi, Takashi Hiramaki
  • Publication number: 20080226139
    Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face-image storing apparatus for storing an image of a face of a subject, an eyelid-candidate extracting apparatus for processing the image stored in the face-image storing apparatus to extract a pair of lines, which becomes a candidate of a combination of a line corresponding to an upper eyelid and a line corresponding to a lower eyelid, a parameter calculating apparatus for calculating a parameter, which indicates a possibility that a pan of the image stored in The face-image storing apparatus, the part corresponding to the pair of lines extracted by the eyelid-candidate extracting apparatus, includes at least one of outer and inner corners of an eye, and an eyelid detecting apparatus for detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject on the basis of the parameter calculated by the parameter calculating apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoharu Suzuki, Takashi Hiramaki, Jun Adachi, Kenichi Ohue, Yuji Ninagawa, Kentaro Takahashi, Shigeyasu Uozumi, Satoru Nakanishi, Shinichi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20080212850
    Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face image storing means storing a plurality of face images of a subject captured at different timings, a change detecting means detecting changes in each face image caused by blinking after processing the plurality of face images stored by the face image storing means, and an eyelid detecting means detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject based on the changes detected by the change detecting means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicants: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jun Adachi, Yukihiko Yoshinaga, Tomoharu Suzuki, Takashi Hiramaki, Kenichi Ogawa, Kenichi Ohue, Kentaro Takahashi, Shigeyasu Uozumi, Shinichi Kojima, Satoru Nakanishi