Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Mukai

Tsutomu Mukai 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: 20160087721
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a processor and a recording medium having a program, the program causing the processor to execute operations. The operations include a normal mode and a visible light communication mode, wherein the normal mode and the visible light communication mode are switchable. In the normal mode, first image data is obtained by image capture with a first exposure time by sequentially starting exposure for a plurality of exposure lines in an image sensor each at a different time and each of the plurality of exposure lines partially overlaps in exposure time an adjacent exposure line. The visible light communication mode includes (i) setting a second exposure time of the image sensor, (ii) obtaining a bright line image including the plurality of bright lines, and (iii) obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Koji NAKANISHI, Hideki AOYAMA, Ikuo FUCHIGAMI, Hidehiko SHIN, Tsutomu MUKAI, Yosuke MATSUSHITA, Shigehiro IIDA, Kazunori YAMADA
  • Publication number: 20160080099
    Abstract: A wireless communication system transmits information requested by a wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication terminal moving through a spot wireless area. In a wireless base station, an external information communication control section controls communication with a server. A contents memory stores at least a part of contents received from the server. A wireless communication section communicates with the communication terminal using a predetermined communication method. A control section establishes connection with the communication terminal using a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure, or using a second connection which requires the authentication procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Tsutomu MUKAI, Hitoshi TAKAI
  • Patent number: 9281895
    Abstract: An information communication method is provided for transmitting a signal using a change in luminance. The information communication method includes determining a pattern of the change in luminance by modulating a signal to be transmitted, and transmitting the signal by a display, which comprises a light emitter that changes luminance according to the determined pattern. In the determining a pattern, the pattern of the change in luminance is determined by adjusting a first time from one change in luminance to a next change in luminance according to the signal, the one change in luminance and the next change in luminance being a same one of a rise and a fall in luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9262913
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a position sensing unit, a remote control information obtainment unit, and a storage unit. Position information obtained by the position sensing unit is stored in the storage unit in association with remote control information. The mobile device further includes a directional space obtainment unit and an apparatus specification unit. The mobile device recognizes a direction pointed by a user using the mobile device, and enables operation of a terminal apparatus existing in the pointing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Kazunori Yamada, Kohei Yamaguchi, Shigehiro Iida, Mizuho Sakakibara, Toshiaki Ohnishi, Masaru Yamaoka, Mitsuaki Oshima, Tomoaki Ohira, Michihiro Matsumoto, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shohji Ohtsubo, Hironori Nakae
  • Patent number: 9258058
    Abstract: A signal transmitting apparatus is provided that includes a light emitter and a circuit that controls the light emitter change in luminance in frequency to transmit a signal to a receiving apparatus. The receiving apparatus includes a processor and a recording medium having a program, the program causing the processor to execute operations. The operations include obtaining first image data with a first exposure time; setting a second exposure time of the image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a plurality of bright lines corresponding to the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appear according to a change in luminance of the subject; obtaining a bright line image including the plurality of bright lines; and obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Hidehiko Shin, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9252878
    Abstract: An information communication method that enables communication between various devices includes: determining a pattern of the change in luminance by modulating the signal to be transmitted; and transmitting the signal by a light emitter changing in luminance according to the determined pattern, wherein the pattern of the change in luminance is a pattern in which one of two different luminance values occurs in each arbitrary position in a predetermined duration, and in the determining, the pattern of the change in luminance is determined so that a luminance change position in the duration is different for each of different signals to be transmitted, the luminance change position being a position at which the luminance rises or a position at which the luminance falls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Hidehiko Shin, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Patent number: 9237408
    Abstract: A wireless communication system transmits information requested by a wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication terminal moving through a spot wireless area. In a wireless base station, an external information communication control section controls communication with a server. A contents memory stores at least a part of contents received from the server. A wireless communication section communicates with the communication terminal using a predetermined communication method. A control section establishes connection with the communication terminal using a first connection which does not require an authentication procedure, or using a second connection which requires the authentication procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Mukai, Hitoshi Takai
  • Patent number: 9214128
    Abstract: An information display device includes: an image display unit that displays an image according to an orientation of a display screen; a terminal posture detection unit that detects a posture of the device using an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor; and a display direction determination unit that determines whether or not the posture of the device changes, and determines the orientation of the display screen. In the case where the display screen is substantially horizontal and the posture of the device changes, the orientation of the display screen is determined so that, when the device moves by a predetermined angle or more with respect to the orientation (reference orientation) of the display screen before the determination of the posture change, a side of the device at the predetermined angle or more from the reference orientation corresponds to the top of the display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Kazunori Yamada, Shohji Ohtsubo, Tsutomu Mukai, Mizuho Sakakibara, Mitsuaki Oshima
  • Patent number: 9203515
    Abstract: An information communication device includes an exposure time setter that sets an exposure time of an image sensor so that a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the light emitter. A first information obtainer obtains first information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the bright line included in the obtained bright line image and a second information obtainer obtains second information by capturing a plurality of light emitting elements, each of which emits light with one of two different luminance values, and demodulating data specified by a light and dark sequence of luminance along a direction substantially parallel to the exposure line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Kazunori Yamada
  • Publication number: 20150341539
    Abstract: An information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject. The information communication method includes transmitting position information indicating a position of an image sensor used to capture the subject, and receiving an ID list that is associated with the position indicated by the position information. The information communication method also includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that in a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The information communication method further includes obtaining a bright line image including the bright line, obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a cycle length or frequency of a stripe pattern of the bright line included in the obtained bright line image, and searching the ID list for identification information that includes the obtained information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Koji NAKANISHI, Hideki AOYAMA, Ikuo FUCHIGAMI, Tsutomu MUKAI, Hidehiko SHIN, Yosuke MATSUSHITA, Shigehiro IIDA, Kazunori YAMADA, Toshiyuki MAEDA, Akihiro UEKI, Takashi SUZUKI, Akira SHIOKAWA, Koji AOTO
  • Patent number: 9197818
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a determining unit operable to determine whether a subject indicated by a feature quantity information extracted by an extracting unit is a same face indicated by a feature quantity information stored in a storing unit as the registration candidate, and a display unit operable to display a screen for prompting a user to perform an operation concerning registration in accordance with number of times the determining unit determines that the subject indicated by the feature quantity information extracted by the extracting unit is the same subject indicated by the feature quantity information stored in the storing unit as the registration candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Tsutomu Mukai, Akio Nishiyama, Jun Watanabe, Yasutoshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9184838
    Abstract: An information communication method for obtaining information from a subject includes transmitting position information indicating a position of an image sensor used to capture the subject, and receiving an ID list that is associated with the position indicated by the position information. The method also includes setting an exposure time of the image sensor so that a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject. The method further includes obtaining a bright line image including the bright line by capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, obtaining the information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the bright line included in the obtained bright line image, and searching the ID list for identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Koji Nakanishi, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tsutomu Mukai, Hidehiko Shin, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Ilda, Kazunori Yamada, Toshiyuki Maeda, Akihiro Ueki, Takashi Suzuki, Akira Shiokawa, Koji Aoto
  • Publication number: 20150310736
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a position sensing unit, a remote control information obtainment unit, and a storage unit. Position information obtained by the position sensing unit is stored in the storage unit in association with remote control information. The mobile device further includes a directional space obtainment unit and an apparatus specification unit. The mobile device recognizes a direction pointed by a user using the mobile device, and enables operation of a terminal apparatus existing in the pointing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Kazunori YAMADA, Kohei YAMAGUCHI, Shigehiro IIDA, Mizuho SAKAKIBARA, Toshiaki OHNISHI, Masaru YAMAOKA, Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Tomoaki OHIRA, Michihiro MATSUMOTO, Tsutomu MUKAI, Yosuke MATSUSHITA, Shohji OHTSUBO, Hironori NAKAE
  • Patent number: 9166810
    Abstract: An information communication method includes: setting an exposure time of an image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject; capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, to obtain the image including the bright line; and obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the bright line included in the obtained image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Kazunori Yamada, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Hidehiko Shin, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Koji Nakanishi
  • Publication number: 20150296419
    Abstract: Provided is a wireless communication system transmitting information to a communication terminal moving through a spot wireless area. In an integrated base station, an external information communication section controls communication with a server. A contents memory section stores contents received from the server. A wireless LAN communication section communicates with the communication terminal. A control section establishes connection with the communication terminal using a first connection not requiring an authentication procedure for connection with the communication terminal, or using a second connection requiring the authentication procedure for connection with the communication terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventors: Tsutomu MUKAI, Hitoshi TAKAI
  • Publication number: 20150288873
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: an image processor configured to generate movie data based on image capturing data obtained in response to a shooting instruction that has been given by a user; and a controller configured to write the movie data on a storage medium. When any movie file has already been written on the storage medium, and when the movie data is related to the existent movie file or when the user decides to add the movie data, the controller adds the movie data to the existent movie file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Akira SETO, Yoshinori OKAZAKI, Tsutomu MUKAI
  • Patent number: 9142122
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a position sensing unit, a remote control information obtainment unit, and a storage unit. Position information obtained by the position sensing unit is stored in the storage unit in association with remote control information. The mobile device further includes a directional space obtainment unit and an apparatus specification unit. The mobile device recognizes a direction pointed by a user using the mobile device, and enables operation of a terminal apparatus existing in the pointing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Toshiaki Ohnishi, Masaru Yamaoka, Tomoaki Ohira, Michihiro Matsumoto, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shohji Ohtsubo, Hironori Nakae, Kazunori Yamada, Mizuho Sakakibara, Kohei Yamaguchi, Shigehiro Iida
  • Patent number: 9143339
    Abstract: An information communication method includes: setting an exposure time of an image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject; capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, to obtain the image including the bright line; and obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the bright line included in the obtained image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Oshima, Kazunori Yamada, Hideki Aoyama, Ikuo Fuchigami, Hidehiko Shin, Tsutomu Mukai, Yosuke Matsushita, Shigehiro Iida, Koji Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9143933
    Abstract: A communication device, which can simplify various setting processes, transmits, to a server via a network, external device information received from an external device by using proximity wireless communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Yoichi Ikeda, Mitsuaki Oshima, Masaru Yamaoka, Tsutomu Mukai, Takahiro Sato, Ikuo Fuchigami, Tadanori Tezuka, Shohji Ohtsubo, Yosuke Matsushita, Hironori Nakae
  • Publication number: 20150244914
    Abstract: An information communication method is provided for obtaining information from a subject using a terminal device. The method includes obtaining and holding identification information of devices, and service information associated with the identification information, from a server. The method also includes setting an exposure time of an image sensor so that a bright line corresponding to each of the plurality of exposure lines included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject, and obtaining a bright line image including a plurality of bright lines. The method further includes obtaining identification information of the subject, by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the plurality of bright lines included in the obtained bright line image, selecting service information associated with the identification information, and presenting the service information to a user of the terminal device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki OSHIMA, Koji NAKANISHI, Hideki AOYAMA, Ikuo FUCHIGAMI, Tsutomu MUKAI, Hidehiko SHIN, Yosuke MATSUSHITA, Shigehiro IIDA, Kazunori YAMADA