Patents by Inventor Yasuhisa INADA

Yasuhisa INADA 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: 20230087964
    Abstract: A dual optical frequency comb generator incudes a semiconductor substrate, a first optical frequency comb laser light source including a first resonator, a second optical frequency comb laser light source including a second resonator and differing in repetition frequency of optical pulses from the first optical frequency comb laser light source, two or more outputters including first and second outputters, a first optical waveguide connecting the first optical frequency comb laser light source with the first outputter, a second optical waveguide connecting the second optical frequency comb laser light source with the second outputter, and a third optical waveguide that branches off from the first optical waveguide and joins the second optical waveguide. The first optical frequency comb laser light source, the second optical frequency comb laser light source, the two or more outputters, and the optical waveguides are integrated on the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: TASUKU NAKAMURA, YASUHISA INADA
  • Publication number: 20230078063
    Abstract: A distance measurement device is used in a system including two or more distance measurement devices having distance measurement ranges that are adjacent to each other or partially overlap each other. The distance measurement device includes: a light emission device; a light reception device which detect reflected light and to output a detection signal; and a processing circuit which determine the position of the target object. The processing circuit generates, based on the determined position of the target object, setting data defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from the other distance measurement device and transmits the setting data to the other distance measurement device, and controls light emission from the light emission device in accordance with setting data defining an irradiation range of light to be emitted from the light emission device, when having received the setting data from the other distance measurement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: YUMIKO KATO, KENJI NARUMI, YASUHISA INADA
  • Publication number: 20230027122
    Abstract: An optical scan device includes an optical waveguide array, including a plurality of optical waveguides each of which propagates light along a first direction, that emits a light beam, the plurality of optical waveguides being arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction, a phase shifter array including a plurality of phase shifters connected separately to each of the plurality of optical waveguides, a control circuit that controls a phase shift amount of each of the plurality of phase shifters and/or inputting of light to each of the plurality of phase shifters and thereby controls a direction and shape of the light beam that is emitted from the optical waveguide array, a photodetector that detects the light beam reflected by a physical object, and a signal processing circuit that generates distance distribution data on the basis of output from the photodetector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuhisa INADA, Atsushi ISHIKAWA, Yumiko KATO
  • Publication number: 20230003895
    Abstract: A method for controlling a distance measurement apparatus including a light emitting device capable of changing a direction of emission of a light beam and a light receiving device that detects a reflected light beam includes acquiring data representing a plurality of images acquired at different points in time by an image sensor that acquires an image of a scene, determining, on the basis of the data representing the plurality of images, a degree of priority of distance measurement of one or more physical objects included in the plurality of images, and executing distance measurement of the one or more physical objects by causing the light emitting device to emit the light beam in a direction corresponding to the degree of priority and in an order corresponding to the degree of priority and causing the light receiving device to detect the reflected light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: YUMIKO KATO, YASUHISA INADA, KENJI NARUMI, KAZUYA HISADA
  • Publication number: 20220365403
    Abstract: An optical device includes a first substrate with a first surface spreading in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction, a second substrate with a second surface facing the first surface, a film bonded to the first surface and/or the second surface through a siloxane bond, and at least one optical guide layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, the optical guide layer including a dielectric member in contact with the film and guiding light in the first direction and/or the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: TAKAIKI NOMURA, KAZUKI NAKAMURA, AKIRA HASHIYA, YASUHISA INADA
  • Patent number: 11480818
    Abstract: An optical scan device includes an optical waveguide array, including a plurality of optical waveguides each of which propagates light along a first direction, that emits a light beam, the plurality of optical waveguides being arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction, a phase shifter array including a plurality of phase shifters connected separately to each of the plurality of optical waveguides, a control circuit that controls a phase shift amount of each of the plurality of phase shifters and/or inputting of light to each of the plurality of phase shifters and thereby controls a direction and shape of the light beam that is emitted from the optical waveguide array, a photodetector that detects the light beam reflected by a physical object, and a signal processing circuit that generates distance distribution data on the basis of output from the photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Inada, Atsushi Ishikawa, Yumiko Kato
  • Publication number: 20220317481
    Abstract: An optical device includes a plurality of optical waveguides, and a planar optical waveguide. The plurality of optical waveguides each extend in a first direction, and are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The planar optical waveguide is connected directly or indirectly with the plurality of optical waveguides. The plurality of optical waveguides each allow light to propagate in the first direction. The planar optical waveguide includes a first mirror and a second mirror, and an optical waveguide layer. The first mirror and the second mirror face each other, and extend in the first direction and the second direction. The optical waveguide layer is located between the first mirror and the second mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: AKIRA HASHIYA, YASUHISA INADA, KAZUKI NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 11435571
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a first mirror; a second mirror opposed to the first mirror; two non-waveguide regions sandwiched between the first mirror and the second mirror; an optical waveguide region disposed between the two non-waveguide regions; and two intermediate regions. The average refractive index of the optical waveguide region is higher than the average refractive index of each intermediate region. The average refractive index of each intermediate region is higher than the average refractive index of each non-waveguide region. The first mirror allows part of light propagating through the optical waveguide region to be emitted as emission light in a third direction. By changing the refractive index and/or thickness of the optical waveguide region, the third direction, which is the emission direction of the emission light, is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Inada, Akira Hashiya, Taku Hirasawa
  • Publication number: 20220236378
    Abstract: A sensing device includes a light source, a light-receiving device including at least one light-receiving element that performs photoelectric conversion, and a processing circuit that controls the light source and the light-receiving device. The processing circuit causes the light source to emit light to a scene at least once, causes the light-receiving device to receive reflected light in each of a plurality of exposure periods, the reflected light being resulting from the emitted light, generates, based on received-light data from the light-receiving device, luminance data that indicates distributions of amounts of reflected light corresponding to the respective exposure periods and that are used for generating distance data for the scene, and outputs the luminance data and timing data indicating timings of the respective exposure periods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Yumiko Kato, Yasuhisa Inada, Toshiyasu Sugio, Noritaka Iguchi
  • Publication number: 20220239870
    Abstract: A filter array according to one aspect of the present disclosure is provided with filters arranged two-dimensionally. The filters include multiple types of first filters having mutually different transmission spectra, of which each transmission spectrum includes first peaks, and multiple types of second filters having mutually different transmission spectra, of which each transmission spectrum includes one or more second peaks. The number of the first peaks in the transmission spectrum of each of the multiple types of first filters is greater than the number of the one or more second peaks in the transmission spectrum of each of the multiple types of second filters, and the multiple types of first filters and the multiple types of second filters are disposed in a mixed arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: YASUHISA INADA, ATSUSHI ISHIKAWA, MOTOKI YAKO
  • Publication number: 20220206288
    Abstract: An optical device includes an optical deflector that emits, through a light exit surface parallel to a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction and in a direction intersecting the light exit surface, an optical beam having a shape extending in the second direction and that is configured to cause a direction of emission of the optical beam to change along the first direction and an optical element, placed on a path of the optical beam, that expands an extent of spread of the optical beam in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: KENJI NARUMI, YASUHISA INADA
  • Publication number: 20220206155
    Abstract: A ranging apparatus includes a light emitting apparatus, a light receiving apparatus, and a processing circuit that controls the light emitting apparatus and the light receiving apparatus. The processing circuit causes the light emitting apparatus to emit first light that illuminates a first range in a scene, causes the light receiving apparatus to detect first reflected light produced by illumination with the first light and output first detection data, determines, on the basis of the first detection data, one or more second ranges that are narrower than the first range, causes the light emitting apparatus to emit second light that illuminates the second ranges, causes the light receiving apparatus to detect second reflected light produced by illumination with the second light and output second detection data, and generates and outputs distance data on the second regions on the basis of the second detection data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: YASUHISA INADA, TOKUZOU KIYOHARA, YUMIKO KATO
  • Publication number: 20220137480
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a first waveguide that propagates light by total reflection; and a second waveguide. The second waveguide includes: a first multilayer reflective film; a second multilayer reflective film that faces the first multilayer reflective film; and a first optical waveguide layer directly connected to the first waveguide and located between the first and second multilayer reflective films. The first optical waveguide layer has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index and propagates the light transmitted through the first waveguide. The first multilayer reflective film has a higher light transmittance than the second multilayer reflective film and allows part of the light propagating through the first optical waveguide layer to be emitted to the outside. By changing the thickness of the first optical waveguide layer and/or its refractive index, the direction of the part of the light emitted from the second waveguide is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Akira Hashiya, Yasuhisa Inada, Taku Hirasawa, Yoshikazu Yamaoka, Nobuaki Nagao
  • Publication number: 20220120908
    Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus comprises a light emitter that emits light toward a scene, a light receiver that includes at least one light-receiving element and detects reflected light from the scene produced by the emission of light with the at least one light-receiving element, and a signal processing circuit that generates and outputs, for each frame, output data including measurement data indicating the positions or distances of a plurality of points in the scene on the basis of a signal outputted by the light receiver. The output data includes reference time data indicating a reference time determined for each frame and time difference data determined for each point, the time difference data indicating the difference from the reference time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: YUMIKO KATO, YASUHISA INADA, TOSHIYASU SUGIO, NORITAKA IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220113482
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a waveguide element including a first mirror that is light transmissive, a second mirror that faces the first mirror, and an optical waveguide layer located between the first mirror and the second mirror, the waveguide element allowing light input to the optical waveguide layer to propagate along a first direction and to be emitted through the first mirror; a first photodetector that is located on a path of light to be input to the optical waveguide layer or on another path branching off from the path and outputs a first signal according to an amount of received light; and a second photodetector that is located on a path of light that has propagated through the optical waveguide layer along the first direction and passed the optical waveguide layer and outputs a second signal according to an amount of received light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: KAZUKI NAKAMURA, YASUHISA INADA
  • Publication number: 20220102930
    Abstract: A dual optical frequency comb light-emitting device includes a first optical-frequency-comb laser source that includes a first laser resonator having a first optical path length, a second optical-frequency-comb laser source that includes a second laser resonator having a second optical path length different from the first optical path length, and an optical coupler that causes a first portion of first optical-frequency-comb laser light emitted from the first laser resonator to enter the second laser resonator. The first optical-frequency-comb laser source outputs a second portion of the first optical-frequency-comb laser light to an outside. The second optical-frequency-comb laser source outputs second optical-frequency-comb laser light emitted from the second laser resonator to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: TASUKU NAKAMURA, YASUHISA INADA
  • Publication number: 20220099809
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light source that emits an optical beam in response to a control signal, an optical deflector that changes a direction of the optical beam in response to a driving voltage, and a control circuit that controls a timing of emission of the optical beam and the direction of the optical beam. The optical deflector is configured to change the direction of the optical beam along a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction and a rate of change in the direction of the optical beam along the first direction is lower than a rate of change in the direction of the optical beam along the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuya Hisada, Yasuhisa Inada, Yumiko Kato
  • Publication number: 20220094899
    Abstract: A method for processing image data according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes obtaining first image data indicating a hyperspectral image of a target captured in first background light, generating, on a basis of the first image data, first spectral data indicating an estimated spectrum of the first background light, and generating, from the first image data, at least one piece of second image data indicating at least one image of the target in at least one type of second background light, which is different from the first background light, using at least one piece of second spectral data indicating at least one spectrum of the at least one type of second background light and the first spectral data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: YASUHISA INADA, ATSUSHI ISHIKAWA, TOSHIO MOCHIDA, TAKU HIRASAWA, KAZUYA HISADA, YUMIKO KATO
  • Publication number: 20220075077
    Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus comprises a light emitter that emits a plurality of light beams toward a scene in different directions and at different timings, a light receiver that includes an array of a plurality of light-receiving elements and detects reflected light from the scene produced by the emission of each light beam with the plurality of light-receiving elements, and a signal processing circuit that generates and outputs output data including measurement data indicating the positions or distances of a plurality of points in the scene on the basis of a signal outputted by the light receiver. The output data includes the data of a plurality of blocks, and individual time data is attached to each of the plurality of blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Inventors: YUMIKO KATO, YASUHISA INADA, TOSHIYASU SUGIO, NORITAKA IGUCHI
  • Patent number: RE49093
    Abstract: A light-emitting apparatus includes; a light-emitting device including a photoluminescent layer that receives excitation light and emits light including first light having a wavelength ?a in air, and a light-transmissive layer located on or near the photoluminescent layer; and an optical fiber that receives the light from the photoluminescent layer at one end of the optical fiber and emits the received light from the other end thereof. A surface structure is defined on at least one of the photoluminescent layer and the light-transmissive layer, and the surface structure has projections or recesses or both and limits a directional angle of the first light having the wavelength ?a in air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Nagao, Taku Hirasawa, Yasuhisa Inada, Mitsuru Nitta, Akira Hashiya, Yasuhiko Adachi