Patents by Inventor Taro Imagawa

Taro Imagawa 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: 7030377
    Abstract: In an infrared imaging device, shutting means 40 is configured so that it can be opened/closed and so as to shut off an infrared radiation coming into an optical system 20 when it is closed. During an imaging operation, the shutting means 40 is opened, and the optical system 20 causes an infrared radiation from an object 70 to form an image on an infrared detector 10. The infrared detector 10 outputs a signal according to the amount of infrared light received by each pixel. Correction means 30 corrects sensitivity variations among pixels, the influence of the infrared radiation from the optical system 20, etc. During a calibration operation, the shutting means 40 is closed, and the correction means 30 determines a correction coefficient for correcting fluctuations in the amount of infrared radiation from the optical system 20 by using the output of the infrared detector 10 imaging the shutting means 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mekata, Taro Imagawa, Koji Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20060036498
    Abstract: Distribution of the parts (parts A, parts B), including shipment by a part supplier, delivery to the part orderer to be used in product manufacturing, is divided into stages in time-sequence (under transportation or at a location including the parking lot, warehouse, temporary storage facility, line side, etc.) and each stage is inputted with incoming and outgoing quantity information of the part orderer to compute the quantity of inventory from a difference therebetween. Information on the computed quantity of inventory is sent through terminal computers to a host computer such that it consolidates the sent information to be centralized and manages at a lump. Further, among of the quantities of inventory at divided stages, the quantity of inventory computed based on the incoming and outgoing quantity information of the part orderer is recognized as the actual quantity of inventory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Iida, Hidenobu Tanaka, Motokazu Otsubo, Takafumi Jodoi, Taro Imagawa
  • Publication number: 20060028558
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus (100) of an image taker side has an image capturing unit (101) which captures an image using a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor and the like, an image capturing restriction signal receiving unit (102) which receives an image capturing restriction signal transmitted by a communication terminal (200), and an image capturing restriction unit (103) which restricts the image capturing performed by the image capturing unit (101) according to a request of the image capturing restriction signal. Further, the communication terminal (200) of a subject side has an image capturing restriction signal generation unit (201) which transmits the image capturing restriction signal for requesting to restrict the image capturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Satoshi Sato, Katsuji Aoki, Kunio Nobori, Jun Ozawa, Taro Imagawa
  • Patent number: 6996280
    Abstract: An image coding apparatus includes an image feature extraction means for generating character data which includes character codes corresponding to character images included in a document image and auxiliary information indicating the sizes and positions of the respective character images in the document image based on image data indicating the document image. The image coding apparatus generates a predictive document image for the document image based on the character data, and subjects the document image data to arithmetic coding in which the probability model is changed with reference to predictive document image data. In the image coding apparatus, the probabilities of white pixels and black pixels indicated by the probability model are very close to those in the character image, whereby the coding efficiency for the character image data in the arithmetic encoder is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Taro Imagawa, Tsuyoshi Mekata, Kouichi Hata, Minoru Eto
  • Publication number: 20050289022
    Abstract: There are provided with an order quantity computing technique (S16, S18) that computes a relatively short-term part order quantity based on the actual quantity of the parts so as to decrease the quantity of inventory and to achieve a stable part supply, and an order quantity computing technique (S22, S24) that computes a relatively long-term order quantity based on the tentative quantity of inventory of the parts (a quantity of inventory computed based on the past production records) so as to obtain mass production effects such that one of them is selected to be used by comparing the price of the parts with the prescribed price (S14). With this, it becomes possible to easily change the part order quantity computation technique in response to the lead time of the parts, thereby enabling to effectively utilize the advantages of two different part order quantity computation techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Koichi Iida, Hidenobu Tanaka, Motokazu Otsubo, Takafumi Jodoi, Taro Imagawa
  • Patent number: 6961466
    Abstract: An object recognition apparatus includes an input section for inputting a first image set including a predetermined number of images including a first image representing a first target object using a first attribute and a second image representing the first target object using a second attribute different from the first attribute, a feature vector calculation section for calculating a first feature vector in a feature space having at least one filter output value as a vector component, the at least one filter output value being obtained by applying at least one predetermined image filter to at least one predetermined position in the predetermined number of images in the first image set, and a judgment section for judging whether or not the first target object is categorized into a specific category based on a relationship between the first feature vector and predetermined discriminant parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Patent number: 6944344
    Abstract: A search apparatus searches for a keyword from a character recognition result using an index table. The character recognition result being obtained as a result of character recognition of characters in an original document. The index table includes an index character string; a position of a portion, in the character recognition result, which matches the index character string; and a credibility which is defined for each character included in the index character string and indicates a probability of the character existing in a portion, in the original document, which corresponds to a portion, in the character recognition result, which matches the character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Kenji Kondo, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Publication number: 20050133709
    Abstract: In an infrared imaging device, shutting means 40 is configured so that it can be opened/closed and so as to shut off an infrared radiation coming into an optical system 20 when it is closed. During an imaging operation, the shutting means 40 is opened, and the optical system 20 causes an infrared radiation from an object 70 to form an image on an infrared detector 10. The infrared detector 10 outputs a signal according to the amount of infrared light received by each pixel. Correction means 30 corrects sensitivity variations among pixels, the influence of the infrared radiation from the optical system 20, etc. During a calibration operation, the shutting means 40 is closed, and the correction means 30 determines a correction coefficient for correcting fluctuations in the amount of infrared radiation from the optical system 20 by using the output of the infrared detector 10 imaging the shutting means 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Publication date: June 23, 2005
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mekata, Taro Imagawa, Koji Morikawa
  • Patent number: 6855934
    Abstract: In an infrared imaging device, shutting means 40 is configured so that it can be opened/closed and so as to shut off an infrared radiation coming into an optical system 20 when it is closed. During an imaging operation, the shutting means 40 is opened, and the optical system 20 causes an infrared radiation from an object 70 to form an image on an infrared detector 10. The infrared detector 10 outputs a signal according to the amount of infrared light received by each pixel. Correction means 30 corrects sensitivity variations among pixels, the influence of the infrared radiation from the optical system 20, etc. During a calibration operation, the shutting means 40 is closed, and the correction means 30 determines a correction coefficient for correcting fluctuations in the amount of infrared radiation from the optical system 20 by using the output of the infrared detector 10 imaging the shutting means 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mekata, Taro Imagawa, Koji Morikawa
  • Publication number: 20040211883
    Abstract: A tag communication section (12) receives tag information transmitted from an information tag (11) attached to a person (P) to be detected. An attribute lookup section (15) looks up an attribute storage section (16) using ID included in the tag information to obtain attribute information such as the height of the person (P). A target detection section (14) specifies the position, posture and the like of the person (P) in an image obtained from an imaging section (13) using the attribute information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Masamichi Nakagawa, Takeo Azuma, Shusaku Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20040075742
    Abstract: In an infrared imaging device, shutting means 40 is configured so that it can be opened/closed and so as to shut off an infrared radiation coming into an optical system 20 when it is closed. During an imaging operation, the shutting means 40 is opened, and the optical system 20 causes an infrared radiation from an object 70 to form an image on an infrared detector 10. The infrared detector 10 outputs a signal according to the amount of infrared light received by each pixel. Correction means 30 corrects sensitivity variations among pixels, the influence of the infrared radiation from the optical system 20, etc. During a calibration operation, the shutting means 40 is closed, and the correction means 30 determines a correction coefficient for correcting fluctuations in the amount of infrared radiation from the optical system 20 by using the output of the infrared detector 10 imaging the shutting means 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mekata, Taro Imagawa, Koji Morikawa
  • Patent number: 6700124
    Abstract: In an infrared imaging device, shutting means 40 is configured so that it can be opened/closed and so as to shut off an infrared radiation coming into an optical system 20 when it is closed. During an imaging operation, the shutting means 40 is opened, and the optical system 20 causes an infrared radiation from an object 70 to form an image on an infrared detector 10. The infrared detector 10 outputs a signal according to the amount of infrared light received by each pixel. Correction means 30 corrects sensitivity variations among pixels, the influence of the infrared radiation from the optical system 20, etc. During a calibration operation, the shutting means 40 is closed, and the correction means 30 determines a correction coefficient for correcting fluctuations in the amount of infrared radiation from the optical system 20 by using the output of the infrared detector 10 imaging the shutting means 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mekata, Taro Imagawa, Koji Morikawa
  • Patent number: 6470336
    Abstract: A document search device searches for a keyword in a recognition result obtained by character recognition performed on a document image. The keyword includes at least one first character, and a character code is assigned to each of the at least one first character. The recognition result includes at least one second character, and a character code and a partial area of the document image are assigned to each of the at least one second character.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Taro Imagawa, Kenji Kondo, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Publication number: 20020051578
    Abstract: An object recognition apparatus includes an input section for inputting a first image set including a predetermined number of images including a first image representing a first target object using a first attribute and a second image representing the first target object using a second attribute different from the first attribute, a feature vector calculation section for calculating a first feature vector in a feature space having at least one filter output value as a vector component, the at least one filter output value being obtained by applying at least one predetermined image filter to at least one predetermined position in the predetermined number of images in the first image set, and a judgment section for judging whether or not the first target object is categorized into a specific category based on a relationship between the first feature vector and predetermined discriminant parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2001
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Publication number: 20020041713
    Abstract: A search apparatus searches for a keyword from a character recognition result using an index table. The character recognition result being obtained as a result of character recognition of characters in an original document. The index table includes an index character string; a position of a portion, in the character recognition result, which matches the index character string; and a credibility which is defined for each character included in the index character string and indicates a probability of the character existing in a portion, in the original document, which corresponds to a portion, in the character recognition result, which matches the character.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Kenji Kondo, Yoshihiko Matsukawa, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Patent number: 6353764
    Abstract: A control method is to monitor a person's attributes and based on the results, in predetermined content of the control, to control equipment to be controlled, further, to monitor said person's peripheral environment and also by using these results to execute said control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taro Imagawa, Michiyo Kamei, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Patent number: 6307963
    Abstract: To provide an image detection method for judging whether a specific image is present in an input image by temporarily holding the input image signal, obtaining data from the held data like a circle having a radius r, calculating the characteristic value of the circular data, judging whether the characteristic value is included in a specific pattern in accordance with the similarity between the characteristic value and a reference characteristic value, obtaining data like a circle having a radius r' different from the radius r when judging that the characteristic value is included in the specific pattern, calculating a new characteristic value, and repeating the operation of judging whether the new characteristic value is included in a specific pattern over circular data having a plurality of radiuses. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently detect the presence or absence of a specific image whose arrangement conditions such as the angle and position in an input image are unknown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Nishida, Taro Imagawa, Tsuyoshi Mekata
  • Patent number: 6191773
    Abstract: The invention relates to an interface apparatus for making input and output of appliances having display such as computer, word processor, information appliance and television, comprising recognizing means for recognizing the shape or move of the hand of an operator, display means for displaying the features of the shape or move of the hand recognized by the recognizing means as special shape in the screen, and control means for controlling the information displayed in the screen by the special shape displayed in the screen by the display means, wherein the two-dimensional or three-dimensional information displayed in the screen can be selected, indicated or moved only by changing the shape or moving the hand, so that the interface apparatus of very excellent controllability and high diversity may be presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Maruno, Taro Imagawa, Michiyo Moriya, Kenji Kondo
  • Patent number: 5802505
    Abstract: A learning type signal recording and reproducing apparatus has a signal detector for detecting signals recorded on recording media, a teaching signal generator for generating reference teaching signals having predetermined waveform signal patterns, and a learning type waveform converter for generating converting rules from signals recorded on the recording medium to original signals corresponding to the recorded signals, by learning the relationship between the detection results by the signal detector of teaching signals recorded on the recording media and reference teaching signals outputted by the teaching signal generator. With this apparatus, signals can be stably reproduced even if the signals contain distortion caused by noise or difference in the recording media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Maruno, Sigeo Sakaue, Yasuharu Simeki, Taro Imagawa, Toshiyuki Kouda
  • Patent number: 5754709
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus in which gradation correction on each partial region is performed between an image input means and an edge extracting means so that an edge of a region within an image is accurately extracted. An image dividing means 2, which had already learned a relationship between the condition of an image and the necessity of image division so as to judge the condition of the image based on learning results and divide the image appropriately, divides an input image from an image input means 1 into a plurality of image blocks. An image correction information extracting means 3 calculates correction information on each image block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michiyo Moriya, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Taro Imagawa, Susumu Maruno, Toshiyuki Koda