Patents by Inventor Takeo Azuma
Takeo Azuma 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).
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Patent number: 11948462Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2023Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Ayako Maruyama, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
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Publication number: 20240007727Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes memory and processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light emitted from a light source and measured by imaging with the infrared light reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating a distance to the subject as a depth for each pixel based on an intensity received by the pixel; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, a substantially same scene with a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same timing as those of imaging the infrared light image; detecting, from the visible light image, an edge region including an edge along a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the visible light image; and correcting, in the depth image, a depth of a target region corresponding to the edge region in the depth image.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2023Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
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Patent number: 11758247Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes memory and processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light emitted from a light source and measured by imaging with the infrared light reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating a distance to the subject as a depth for each pixel based on an intensity received by the pixel; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, a substantially same scene with a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same timing as those of imaging the infrared light image; detecting, from the visible light image, an edge region including an edge along a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the visible light image; and correcting, in the depth image, a depth of a target region corresponding to the edge region in the depth image.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2021Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTDInventors: Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
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Patent number: 11742365Abstract: An image sensor has a plurality of pixels arranged in a row direction and in a column direction. Each pixel comprises a color filter that has a portion with a low transmissivity and a portion with a high transmissivity, and a photoelectric conversion element that includes a first photoelectric conversion cell which receives light transmitting through the portion with the low transmissivity of the color filter, and a second photoelectric conversion cell which receives light transmitting through the portion with the high transmissivity of the color filter. The plurality of pixels are arranged such that positions of the portions with the low transmissivity for pixels of one color are identical among the plurality of pixels, and the portions with the low transmissivity are positioned adjacent to each other between adjacent pixels of different colors in the row direction only.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2021Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Takeo Azuma, Chengming Liu
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Publication number: 20230215029Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs: acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring, from the memory, an infrared light image generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging a substantially same scene as the scene of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint as a viewpoint of imaging the infrared light image at a substantially same time as a time of imaging the infrared light image; detecting a flare region from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the flare region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the flare region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2023Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Satoshi SATO, Takeo AZUMA, Nobuhiko WAKAI, Kohsuke YOSHIOKA, Noritaka SHIMIZU, Yoshinao KAWAI, Takaaki AMADA, Yoko KAWAI, Takeshi MURAI, Hiroki TAKEUCHI
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Publication number: 20230196921Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2023Publication date: June 22, 2023Inventors: Ayako MARUYAMA, Kunio NOBORI, Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI
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Patent number: 11636615Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs: acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring, from the memory, an infrared light image generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging a substantially same scene as the scene of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint as a viewpoint of imaging the infrared light image at a substantially same time as a time of imaging the infrared light image; detecting a flare region from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the flare region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the flare region.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2021Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
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Patent number: 11615709Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Ayako Maruyama, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai
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Patent number: 11615552Abstract: A crossing point detector includes memory and a crossing point detection unit that reads out a square image from a captured image in the memory, and detects a crossing point of two boundary lines in a checker pattern depicted in the square image. The crossing point detection unit decides multiple parameters of a function model treating two-dimensional image coordinates as variables, the parameters optimizing an evaluation value based on a difference between corresponding pixel values represented by the function model and the square image, respectively, and computes the position of a crossing point of two straight lines expressed by the decided multiple parameters to thereby detect the crossing point with subpixel precision. The function model uses a curved surface that is at least first-order differentiable to express pixel values at respective positions in a two-dimensional coordinate system at the boundary between black and white regions.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Nobuhiko Wakai, Takeo Azuma, Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Ayako Maruyama
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Publication number: 20230073944Abstract: An imaging apparatus in an embodiment includes lens optical systems each including a lens whose surface closest to the target object is shaped to be convex toward the target object, imaging regions which respectively face the lens optical systems and output a photoelectrically converted signal corresponding to an amount of light transmitting the lens optical systems and received by the imaging regions, and a light-transmissive cover which covers an exposed portion of the lens of each of the lens optical systems and a portion between the lens of one of the lens optical systems and the lens of another one of the lens optical systems adjacent to the one of the lens optical systems, the cover having a curved portion which is convex toward the target object. The optical axes of the lens optical systems are parallel to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Norihiro IMAMURA, Tsuguhiro KORENAGA, Kunio NOBORI, Takeo AZUMA, Kazufumi MIZUSAWA
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Publication number: 20230010935Abstract: An image sensor has a plurality of pixels arranged in a row direction and in a column direction. Each pixel comprises a color filter that has a portion with a low transmissivity and a portion with a high transmissivity, and a photoelectric conversion element that includes a first photoelectric conversion cell which receives light transmitting through the portion with the low transmissivity of the color filter, and a second photoelectric conversion cell which receives light transmitting through the portion with the high transmissivity of the color filter. The plurality of pixels are arranged such that positions of the portions with the low transmissivity for pixels of one color are identical among the plurality of pixels, and the portions with the low transmissivity are positioned adjacent to each other between adjacent pixels of different colors in the row direction only.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2021Publication date: January 12, 2023Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Takeo Azuma, Chengming Liu
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Patent number: 11533455Abstract: An imaging apparatus in an embodiment includes lens optical systems each including a lens whose surface closest to the target object is shaped to be convex toward the target object, imaging regions which respectively face the lens optical systems and output a photoelectrically converted signal corresponding to an amount of light transmitting the lens optical systems and received by the imaging regions, and a light-transmissive cover which covers an exposed portion of the lens of each of the lens optical systems and a portion between the lens of one of the lens optical systems and the lens of another one of the lens optical systems adjacent to the one of the lens optical systems, the cover having a curved portion which is convex toward the target object. The optical axes of the lens optical systems are parallel to each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Norihiro Imamura, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Kunio Nobori, Takeo Azuma, Kazufumi Mizusawa
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Patent number: 11514595Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs; acquiring timing information indicating a timing at which a light source irradiates a subject with infrared light; acquiring an infrared light image stored in the memory, the infrared light image being generated by imaging a scene including the subject with the infrared light according to the timing indicated by the timing information; acquiring a visible light image stored in the memory, the visible light image being generated by imaging a substantially same scene as that of the infrared light image, with visible light from a substantially same viewpoint and at a substantially same imaging time of those of the infrared light image; detecting a dust region showing dust from the infrared light image; and estimating a depth of the dust region based on the infrared light image, the visible light image, and the dust region.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2021Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
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Patent number: 11373324Abstract: A depth acquisition device includes a memory and a processor performing: acquiring, from the memory, intensities of infrared light measured by imaging with infrared light emitted from a light source and reflected on a subject by pixels in an imaging element; generating a depth image by calculating the distance for each pixel based on the intensities; acquiring, from the memory, a visible light image generated by imaging, with visible light, the substantially same scene from the substantially same viewpoint at the substantially same timing as those of the infrared light image; detecting a lower reflection region showing an object having a lower reflectivity from the infrared light image in accordance with the infrared light image and the visible light image; correcting a corresponding lower reflection region in the depth image in accordance with the visible light image; and outputting the depth image with the corrected lower reflection region.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2021Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Nobuhiko Wakai, Kohsuke Yoshioka, Noritaka Shimizu, Yoshinao Kawai, Takaaki Amada, Yoko Kawai, Takeshi Murai, Hiroki Takeuchi
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Patent number: 11354891Abstract: There is provided an image capturing apparatus that captures a plurality of images, calculates a three-dimensional position from the plurality of images, and outputs the plurality of images and information about the three-dimensional position. The image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a camera parameter storage unit, a position calculation unit, a position selection unit, and an image complementing unit. The image capturing unit outputs the plurality of images using at least three cameras. The camera parameter storage unit stores in advance camera parameters including occlusion information. The position calculation unit calculates three dimensional positions of a plurality of points. The position selection unit selects a piece of position information relating to a subject area that does not have an occlusion, and outputs selected position information. The image complementing unit generates a complementary image, and outputs the complementary image and the selected position information.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2020Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma
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Patent number: 11277571Abstract: An image generation device includes: a voltage generator that generates a plurality of voltages each having a different voltage value; an image capturer that includes an organic photoconductive film, and performs imaging every time each of the plurality of voltages is applied; a luminance data obtainer that obtains a plurality of luminance data items corresponding to the plurality of voltages applied, each of the plurality of luminance data items being obtained from the imaging performed by the image capturer; and a color image generator that generates a color image based on the plurality of luminance data items.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2020Date of Patent: March 15, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Nobuhiko Wakai, Mitsuru Harada, Shinichi Machida, Masumi Izuchi
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Patent number: 11272166Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 9, 2019Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Satoshi Sato, Takeo Azuma, Takamasa Ando, Tsuguhiro Korenaga, Toshiya Fujii
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Patent number: 11233983Abstract: A camera-parameter-set calculation apparatus includes a three-dimensional point group calculator that calculates a plurality of three-dimensional coordinates, based on first and second images respectively captured by first and second cameras and first and second camera parameter sets of the first and second cameras; an evaluation value calculator that determines a plurality of pixel coordinates in the second image, based on the plurality of three-dimensional coordinates and the second camera parameter set, determines a plurality of third pixel coordinates in a third image captured by a third camera, based on the plurality of three-dimensional coordinates and a third camera parameter set of the third camera, and calculates an evaluation value, based on pixel values at the plurality of second and third pixel coordinates in the second and third images; and a camera-parameter-set determiner that determines a fourth camera parameter set for the third camera, based on the evaluation value.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2020Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Kunio Nobori, Nobuhiko Wakai, Takeo Azuma, Satoshi Sato, Ayako Maruyama, Mikiya Nakata
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Publication number: 20210398430Abstract: An image generating apparatus generates an image to be displayed on a display and includes at least one memory and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a plurality of camera images captured by a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle, calculates a distance between one of the cameras and a target to be projected in in the camera images, detects a position of a light-transmissive object or a reflective object in the camera images, and generates an image from a point of view that is different from points of view of the plurality of camera images by using the plurality of camera images and the distance, the generated image including a predetermined image that is displayed at the position of the light-transmissive object or the reflective object.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2021Publication date: December 23, 2021Inventors: Ayako MARUYAMA, Kunio NOBORI, Takeo AZUMA, Satoshi SATO, Nobuhiko WAKAI
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Patent number: 11195061Abstract: An image generation apparatus includes a processing circuit and a memory storing at least one computational image. The at least one computational image is a light-field image, a compressive sensing image, or a coded image. The processing circuit (a1) identifies a position of an object in the at least one computational image using a classification device, (a2) generates, using the at least one computational image, a display image in which an indication for highlighting the position of the object is superimposed, and (a3) outputs the display image.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Masahiko Saito, Takeo Azuma, Kunio Nobori, Nobuhiko Wakai