Patents by Inventor Yamato Kanda

Yamato Kanda 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: 9299137
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: a candidate abnormal region determining unit that determines a candidate abnormal region from an image using a first determination criterion; a bubble region determining unit that determines a bubble region from the image; a bubble inside determining unit that determines whether the candidate abnormal region is present inside the bubble region based on a determination result of the bubble region; and an abnormal region determining unit that determines whether the candidate abnormal region is an abnormal region using a second determination criterion different from the first determination criterion when the candidate abnormal region is determined to be present inside the bubble region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Kitamura, Yamato Kanda, Takehiro Matsuda, Takashi Kono, Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20150363932
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing an image acquired by imaging a living body includes: a narrow-band image acquisition unit configured to acquire at least three narrow-band images with different center wavelengths from one another; a depth feature data calculation unit configured to calculate depth feature data which is feature data correlated to a depth of a blood vessel in the living body based on a difference, between the narrow-band images different from one another, in variation of signal intensity due to an absorption variation of light with which the living body is irradiated; and an enhanced image creation unit configured to create, based on the depth feature data, an image in which the blood vessel is highlighted according to the depth of the blood vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi HIROTA, Yamato KANDA
  • Publication number: 20150356369
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing an image acquired by imaging a living body includes: a blood vessel candidate region extraction unit configured to extract a plurality of blood vessel candidate regions from the image; an identical blood vessel candidate region extraction unit configured to extract, from among the plurality of blood vessel candidate regions, a blood vessel candidate region group estimated to form a line shape when integrated, as an identical blood vessel candidate region; an evaluation value calculation unit configured to calculate one or more kinds of evaluation values for evaluating a likelihood that the identical blood vessel candidate region corresponds to an identical blood vessel; and a blood vessel region discrimination unit configured to discriminate whether or not the identical blood vessel candidate region forms an identical blood vessel region, based on the evaluation values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto KITAMURA, Yamato KANDA, Toshiya KAMIYAMA
  • Patent number: 9165370
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a probability value calculator that calculates, based on color feature data of a pixel included in an image, respective probabilities that the pixel belongs to a specific area and a non-specific area; a weighted edge intensity calculator that calculates a weighted edge intensity between neighboring pixels based on pixel values and color feature data of the pixel included in the image and a neighboring pixel of the pixel; an energy function creator that uses the probabilities and the weighted edge intensity to create an energy function expressed by a result of an area determination of the pixel; and an area divider that divides the image into the plurality of areas based on the energy function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Hirota, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takehiro Matsuda, Takashi Kono
  • Publication number: 20150254826
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus processes an image obtained by capturing inside of a lumen of a living body. The image processing apparatus includes: a contour edge region extracting unit configured to extract a contour edge region of an examination target from the image; an examination region setting unit configured to set an examination region in the image so as not to include the contour edge region; and an abnormal structure identifying unit configured to identify whether a microstructure of a surface of the examination target is abnormal, based on texture information of the examination region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato KANDA, Makoto KITAMURA, Takashi KONO, Masashi HIROTA, Toshiya KAMIYAMA
  • Patent number: 9129412
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a color feature data calculation unit configured to calculate color feature data of each pixel in an intraluminal image or color feature data of each small region obtained by dividing the intraluminal image into a plurality of small regions; a residue candidate distribution determination unit configured to determine, from among the color feature data, color feature data distributed on a side comparatively strong in redness to be a mucosa distribution and determine color feature data distributed on a side comparatively weak in redness to be a residue candidate distribution; and a residue distribution determination unit configured to determine, from among distributions of the color feature data determined to be the residue candidate distribution, a residue candidate distribution distributed on a side strong in yellowness with reference to the mucosa distribution to be a residue distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kono, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 9065968
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a contour-candidate-edge detecting unit that detects, as contour candidate edges, edges based on a gradient magnitude of each pixel in a target image; a contour-edge detecting unit that detect contour edges by performing thresholding on gradient magnitudes of the contour candidate edges; an interpolation-line generating unit that generates interpolation lines for connecting end points of respective end-point pairs based on gradients of pixel values between the end points while each of the end point pairs is made up of an end point of an identical contour edge as a connection base and an end point of a different contour edge as a connection destination; and a contour-edge interpolating unit that selects one of the interpolation lines based on the gradients of pixel values on the interpolation lines and interpolates a contour edge between the end points with the selected interpolation line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kono, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takehiro Matsuda, Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 9053533
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a low-luminance area detecting unit that detects a low-luminance area based on pixel values of pixels of the intraluminal image; a peripheral feature data calculating unit that calculates peripheral feature data based on pixel values of periphery of the low-luminance area; and a dark portion area determining unit that determines whether or not the low-luminance area is the dark portion area based on the peripheral feature data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Hirota, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takehiro Matsuda, Takashi Kono
  • Patent number: 9031882
    Abstract: A determination device includes a region information recording unit that records therein region information regarding a closed region corresponding to a data distribution shape of a same category within a feature space, the closed region being formed by a plurality of nodes and line segments connecting the plurality of nodes. The determination device also includes a category deciding unit that decides a category of a determination target based on the region information and a position of the determination target within the feature space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yamato Kanda
  • Publication number: 20150112135
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus performs positioning between a plurality of spectral band images obtained by capturing images inside a lumen using a plurality of rays of light having wavelength bands different from one another. The image processing apparatus includes: a spectral band image acquisition unit configured to acquire the spectral band images; a spatial frequency component extraction unit configured to extract feature data for each spatial frequency band from each pixel in at least one spectral band image of the spectral band images; a weight calculation unit configured to calculate weights for each spatial frequency band given to the at least one spectral band image, based on the feature data for each spatial frequency band extracted from each pixel in the at least one spectral band image; and a positioning unit configured to perform positioning between the spectral band images based on the weights for each spatial frequency band.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Hirota, Yamato Kanda
  • Publication number: 20150092993
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an imaging distance estimating unit configured to estimate an imaging distance to a subject shown in an image; an examination region setting unit configured to set an examination region in the image such that an index indicating a spread of a distribution of imaging distances to the subject shown in the examination region is within a given range; and an abnormal structure identifying unit configured to identify whether or not a microstructure of the subject shown in the examination region is abnormal, by using texture feature data that enables identification of an abnormality in the microstructure of the subject shown in the examination region, the texture feature data being specified according the examination region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato KANDA, Makoto KITAMURA, Takashi KONO, Masashi HIROTA, Toshiya KAMIYAMA
  • Patent number: 8989467
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reference surface generating unit that generates a reference surface indicating a reference value of each of a plurality of color elements of pixels constituting an intraluminal image at a pixel position of the each color element by performing a morphology process using pixel values of the color elements; and an abnormal area detecting unit that detects an abnormal area from the intraluminal image based on a difference for each of the color elements between the pixel value of each pixel and the reference surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Hirota, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takehiro Matsuda, Takashi Kono
  • Publication number: 20150063641
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an abnormality candidate region identifying unit configured to identify a candidate region for an abnormality from an image obtained by imaging inside of a lumen of a living body; a surrounding region determining unit configured to determine a surrounding region surrounding the candidate region; a shape information calculating unit configured to calculate shape information of the candidate region and shape information of the surrounding region in a depth direction with respect to a screen; and an abnormality region determining unit configured to determine whether or not the candidate region is an abnormality, based on a correlation between the shape information of the candidate region and the shape information of the surrounding region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto KITAMURA, Yamato KANDA, Takashi KONO, Masashi HIROTA
  • Patent number: 8948479
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: a feature data calculator configured to calculate the feature data of each pixel in an image; an approximate shape calculator configured to calculate an approximate shape approximating a profile of a distribution area in which the feature data is distributed in a feature space having the feature data as an element; and an abnormal area detector configured to detect an abnormal area in the image based on the approximate shape and the profile of the distribution area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takehiro Matsuda, Takashi Kono, Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 8938122
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a small area divider that divides, on the basis of edge information of an image, the image into multiple small areas each including multiple pixels; an attribute probability estimator that estimates attribute probability for each of the small areas, which is probability that the small area is attributed to a specific area to be detected; an adjacent-small-area connection strength calculator that calculates connection strength that quantitatively indicates a degree to which small areas adjacent to each other among the multiple small areas are attributed to the same area that is the specific area or a non-specific area; and a specific area detector that detects the specific area on the basis of the attribute probability and the connection strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Masashi Hirota, Takashi Kono, Takehiro Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8917920
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus for performing an image processing on a body cavity image captured in a living body includes: a storage unit which stores information including image information of the body cavity image; a change amount calculator which reads out the image information of the body cavity image from the storage unit and calculates, in the read body cavity image, a pixel value change amount of a pixel of interest with a plurality of surrounding pixels located around the pixel of interest; and a candidate lesion region detector which detects a candidate lesion region in the body cavity image based on a calculation result of the change amount calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Matsuda, Yamato Kanda
  • Patent number: 8913806
    Abstract: An image identifying device includes a mechanism that sets an evaluation area whose category is to be identified in an in-vivo image; a mechanism that acquires texture components from the evaluation area in the in-vivo image; a mechanism that calculates an evaluation value indicating homogeneity of the texture components; and a mechanism that identifies the category of the evaluation area on the basis of the evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kono, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 8897520
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an approximate value calculating unit that calculates an approximate value that becomes consecutive inside an examination area for a pixel value of each pixel of the examination area based on the pixel value inside an image, a validity evaluating unit that evaluates whether the approximate value is valid on the pixel value, an area dividing unit that divides the examination area with the approximate value that is evaluated as being invalid, an examination area re-setting unit that sets each divided area obtained by the area dividing unit as a new examination area and controls a repetition of processing, and an abnormal portion detecting unit that detects an abnormal portion based on the pixel value inside the image and the approximate value that has been evaluated as being valid by the validity evaluating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takehiro Matsuda, Takashi Kono, Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20140270499
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a color feature data calculation unit configured to calculate color feature data of each pixel in an intraluminal image or color feature data of each small region obtained by dividing the intraluminal image into a plurality of small regions; a residue candidate distribution determination unit configured to determine, from among the color feature data, color feature data distributed on a side comparatively strong in redness to be a mucosa distribution and determine color feature data distributed on a side comparatively weak in redness to be a residue candidate distribution; and a residue distribution determination unit configured to determine, from among distributions of the color feature data determined to be the residue candidate distribution, a residue candidate distribution distributed on a side strong in yellowness with reference to the mucosa distribution to be a residue distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi KONO, Yamato KANDA, Makoto KITAMURA, Masashi HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20140270377
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an abnormal portion candidate region detection unit configured to detect a candidate region of an abnormal portion based on color information of each pixel constituting an image obtained by capturing an image of an inside of a lumen of a subject, a border neighboring pixel identifying unit configured to identify a border neighboring pixel which is a pixel existing in proximity to a border of the candidate region, a feature data calculation unit configured to calculate feature data based on a pixel value of the border neighboring pixel, and an abnormal portion region distinguishing unit configured to distinguish an abnormal portion region based on the feature data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yamato KANDA, Makoto KITAMURA, Takashi KONO, Masashi HIROTA