Patents by Inventor Wataru Asano

Wataru Asano 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: 20150117525
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an encoding apparatus includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: divide an image included in an image group into a plurality of regions; calculate a priority for each of the regions on the basis of levels of importance of the regions; determine an order of processing for the regions on the basis of the corresponding priority; and encode the regions according to the determined order of processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru ASANO, Tomoya Kodama, Jun Yamaguchi, Akiyuki Tanizawa
  • Publication number: 20140376628
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a multi-view image encoding device encodes a multi-view image including a plurality of viewpoint images. The device includes an assignor, a predictor, a subtractor, and an encoder. The assignor assigns reference image numbers to the reference images according to a number of reference images used in predicting already-encoded blocks obtained by dividing the viewpoint images. The predictor generates a prediction image with respect to an encoding target block obtained by dividing the viewpoint images by referring to the reference images. The subtractor calculates a residual error between an encoding target image and the prediction image. The encoder encodes: a coefficient of transformation which is obtained by performing orthogonal transformation and quantization with respect to the residual error; and the reference image numbers of the reference images used in generating the prediction image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Youhei Fukazawa, Tomoya Kodama, Wataru Asano, Tatsuya Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20140368554
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a stereoscopic image encode device encodes a stereoscopic image displayed on a display device including a light control unit capable of controlling directions of light beams and including a display for emitting light beams from sub-pixels through the light control unit. The stereoscopic image encode device includes a determining unit, a generating unit, and an encoding unit. The determining unit configured to determine a method of dividing the stereoscopic image for each color component based on mapping information indicating the direction of emitted light beam from each sub-pixel, when the number of sub-pixels corresponding to a single cycle of the light control unit is not an integral multiple of the number of parallaxes in the stereoscopic image. The generating unit configure to generate a plurality of divided image. The encoding unit configured to encode each divided image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Wataru ASANO, Tomoya KODAMA
  • Publication number: 20140369618
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an encoding device includes an area setting unit, a parameter controller, and an encoder. The area setting unit is configured to, in an image captured by an imager mounted on a vehicle while the vehicle is moving along a predetermined route, set a boundary in the image at a predetermined distance from the imager, a first area being an area inside of the boundary, and a second area being an area outside of the boundary. The parameter controller is configured to control an encoding parameter to assign a larger code amount to the first area than to the second area. The encoder is configured to encode the image in accordance with the encoding parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Saori ASAKA, Takeshi CHUJOH, Wataru ASANO, Hiroyuki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20140185666
    Abstract: According to certain embodiment, there is provided a moving image encoding apparatus in which a first encoding unit performs a first encoding process on an input image to generate first encoded data and to perform a first decoding process on the first encoded data to generate a first decoded image, a difference calculating unit generates a difference image between the input image and the first decoded image, a first pixel range converting unit converts pixel values of the difference image to be within a first specific range to generate a first converted image, a second encoding unit performs a second encoding process on the first converted image to generate second encoded data, the second encoding process being different from the first encoding process and the first specific range is a range including a range of pixel values that can be encoded by the second encoding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi WATANABE, Tomoo YAMAKAGE, Wataru ASANO, Akiyuki TANIZAWA, Taichiro SHIODERA
  • Publication number: 20140132713
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image encoding device includes a setting unit and an obtaining unit. The setting unit sets an corresponding block corresponding to a target block to be encoded in a first parallax image at a first viewpoint on the basis of first depth information of the first parallax image and a positional relationship between the first viewpoint and a second viewpoint of each of one or more second parallax images, sets a shared block in a search area including the target block and area adjacent to the corresponding block, and generates specifying information that indicates a positional relationship between the shared block and the corresponding block. The corresponding block is in the one or more second parallax images. Encoding information of the shared block is shared. The obtaining unit obtains the encoding information on the basis of the specifying information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tatsuya TANAKA, Nakaba Kogure, Shinichiro Koto, Tomoya Kodama, Wataru Asano, Youhei Fukazawa
  • Publication number: 20140003507
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a multiview video decoding device decodes a target image to be decoded using a first reference picture. The device includes a determining unit and a selecting unit. The determining unit determines whether or not an image of interest of a base viewpoint is an intra predictive image that has been decoded using intra prediction. The image of interest is included in a coded stream obtained by coding video viewed from a plurality of viewpoints and is earlier in a decoding order than the target image. When the determining unit determines that the image of interest is the intra predictive image, the selecting unit select, as the first reference picture, at least one image from the image of interest and an image that is viewed at a different time than the target image and that is decoded based on the image of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Wataru ASANO, Tomoya Kodama
  • Patent number: 8577160
    Abstract: In an image coding apparatus, a transformation unit acquires a transformation coefficient by executing frequency transformation to an image. An extraction unit extracts a plurality of bits each from the transformation coefficient. A coding unit executes variable-length coding to the plurality of bits including a most significant bit, and executes fixed-length coding to the plurality of bits including a least significant bit. In an image decoding apparatus, an extraction unit extracts a plurality of bits from a code string. A decoding unit executes variable-length decoding to the plurality of bits including a most significant bit, and executes fixed-length decoding to the plurality of bits including a least significant bit. A connection unit acquires a transformation coefficient by connecting the plurality of bits each decoded. An inverse transformation unit generates the image by executing frequency-inverse transformation to the transformation coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Wataru Asano
  • Patent number: 8553767
    Abstract: A video decoding apparatus includes a decoder to decode video encoded data using a predictive picture signal for a video signal, a compression device compressing the decoded picture signal, a first memory storing the decoded picture signal, a second memory storing the compressed picture signal, a decompression device decompressing the compressed picture signal read from the second memory, a selector selecting one of a decoded picture signal read from the first memory and a compressed/decompressed picture signal from the compression device as a reference picture signal according to at least one of a coding type of the video encoded data in picture unit and a prediction mode in block unit, and a motion compensator performing motion compensation on the reference picture signal to generate a predictive picture signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koto, Ryusuke Hirai, Noboru Yamaguchi, Wataru Asano
  • Publication number: 20120328206
    Abstract: In an image coding apparatus, a transformation unit acquires a transformation coefficient by executing frequency transformation to an image. An extraction unit extracts a plurality of bits each from the transformation coefficient. A coding unit executes variable-length coding to the plurality of bits including a most significant bit, and executes fixed-length coding to the plurality of bits including a least significant bit. In an image decoding apparatus, an extraction unit extracts a plurality of bits from a code string. A decoding unit executes variable-length decoding to the plurality of bits including a most significant bit, and executes fixed-length decoding to the plurality of bits including a least significant bit. A connection unit acquires a transformation coefficient by connecting the plurality of bits each decoded. An inverse transformation unit generates the image by executing frequency-inverse transformation to the transformation coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Wataru ASANO
  • Patent number: 8090029
    Abstract: A fade detection unit performs fade detection, and in a case where a judgment of fade-in has been made, an encoding control unit notifies a motion detection unit to perform encoding in a reverse order to a display order. The fade detection unit performs the fade detection, and in the case where the judgment of the fade-in or fade-out has been made, the encoding control unit notifies the motion detection unit to perform encoding while importance is attached to a prediction from an image having a larger information amount in a B picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Naoto Date, Wataru Asano, Shinichiro Koto
  • Patent number: 7916788
    Abstract: A motion picture encoding method includes searching for a first motion vector between an object block of an input motion picture and a reference image for a frame-based prediction mode, searching for a second motion vector between the object block and the reference image for a field-based prediction mode, generating a first and second predictive residuals in accordance with the first and second motion vector, extracting a first and second feature quantities indicating a first and second similarity between lines of the first and second predictive residual, selecting the frame-based prediction mode in a case where the first similarity is larger than the second similarity based on the first and the second feature quantity, selecting the field-based prediction mode in a case where the second similarity is larger than the first similarity, and inter-frame-coding the input motion picture in accordance with the selected prediction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru Asano, Shinichiro Koto, Naoto Date
  • Patent number: 7852939
    Abstract: When a search is made for a motion vector of a moving image, a motion vector search desirable against a hard movement is devised to be made with a small processing amount, and a motion vector detection device includes a wide range motion vector search part, a narrow range motion vector search part, a motion vector prediction part, and a motion vector re-search part. A rough search is made at equal intervals on an inputted image while a corresponding position in the reference image is made the center; a fine search is made in the vicinity of a predicted value of the motion vector only at one stage in accordance with a search format of a gradient method; and from a result of both, motion vector detection is performed as a motion vector search start point by the gradient method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Wataru Asano
  • Publication number: 20100080472
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a size acquiring unit that acquires a block size of an orthogonal transformation from encoded data of an image compressed by performing the orthogonal transformation and quantization for each block; a filter selecting unit that selects a filter for each block, the filter reducing an encoding distortion from each block of a decoded image; and an encoding-distortion reducing unit that reduces an encoding distortion by the filter on all pixels within the block. The filter selecting unit selects the filter so that a strength of the filter strengthens by increasing of the block size, or selects the filter so that the number of taps of the filter decreases by reduction of the block size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Wataru Asano
  • Patent number: 7515731
    Abstract: A digital watermark embedding apparatus includes a detector detecting a signal characteristic of at least one of an input image signal and the output image signal, and a controller controlling an embedding intensity of a digital watermark signal with respect to the input image signal in accordance with the signal characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koto, Wataru Asano, Tomoo Yamakage
  • Patent number: 7471807
    Abstract: An image size reduction unit reduces the image size of an input image signal, thereby generating a size-reduced image signal. A specific frequency component extraction unit extracts a specific frequency component signal from the size-reduced image signal. A phase controller controls the phase of the specific frequency component signal. A correlator computes a cross-correlation value between the phase-controlled specific frequency component signal and size-reduced image signal. A watermark information estimation unit estimates, from the cross-correlation value, watermark information embedded in the input image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru Asano, Tomoo Yamakage, Shinichiro Koto, Nakaba Kogure
  • Patent number: 7451320
    Abstract: A specific frequency component extraction unit extracts a specific frequency component signal from an input image signal. A phase controller controls the phase of the specific frequency component signal. A correlator computes the cross-correlation value of the phase-controlled specific frequency component signal and the input image signal. A watermark information estimation unit filters the cross-correlation value to detect watermark information embedded in the input image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru Asano, Shinichiro Koto, Tomoo Yamakage
  • Patent number: 7437564
    Abstract: A specific frequency component extraction unit extracts a specific frequency component signal from an input image signal. A phase controller controls the phase of the specific frequency component signal. A correlator computes the cross-correlation value of the phase-controlled specific frequency component signal and the input image signal. A watermark information estimation unit filters the cross-correlation value to detect watermark information embedded in the input image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru Asano, Shinichiro Koto, Tomoo Yamakage
  • Patent number: 7437565
    Abstract: A specific frequency component extraction unit extracts a specific frequency component signal from an input image signal. A phase controller controls the phase of the specific frequency component signal. A correlator computes the cross-correlation value of the phase-controlled specific frequency component signal and the input image signal. A watermark information estimation unit filters the cross-correlation value to detect watermark information embedded in the input image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru Asano, Shinichiro Koto, Tomoo Yamakage
  • Patent number: 7428640
    Abstract: A specific frequency component extraction unit extracts a specific frequency component signal from an input image signal. A phase controller controls the phase of the specific frequency component signal. A correlator computes the cross-correlation value of the phase-controlled specific frequency component signal and the input image signal. A watermark information estimation unit filters the cross-correlation value to detect watermark information embedded in the input image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Wataru Asano, Shinichiro Koto, Tomoo Yamakage