Patents by Inventor Yasunobu Hitomi
Yasunobu Hitomi 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).
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Publication number: 20230351622Abstract: An image processing circuitry for a time-of-flight system configured to: generate, based on obtained image data of a plurality of pixels representing a time-of-flight measurement of light reflected from a scene that is illuminated with spotted light, corresponding component data including component values of the plurality of pixels; calculate, based on the generated component data, corresponding phase amplitude image data including phase amplitude values of the plurality of pixels; determine, based on the calculated phase amplitude image data, spot pixel regions and a valley pixel region among the plurality of pixels; and calculate a depth value for each of the spot pixel regions in the first set of spot pixel regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2021Publication date: November 2, 2023Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventor: Yasunobu HITOMI
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Patent number: 11592536Abstract: Exposure control apparatus to control an integration period of a time-of-flight image capture sensor comprising an illumination source providing pulsed illumination at a pulse repetition frequency, in which each pixel of an array of pixels is represented by multiple pairs of tap values, each pair of tap values being indicative of light sampled according to a pulsed sampling pattern having a respective phase relationship with the pulsed illumination of the illumination source comprises a detector configured to detect, for a selected tap value of a set of one or more target pixels, a portion of that tap value which is independent of the integration period and a portion which is dependent upon the integration period; and a controller configured to select a next integration period for the image capture sensor so that for a next pixel integration of the set of one or more target pixel values, the portion of the largest tap value which is dependent upon the increased integration period is substantially equal to theType: GrantFiled: January 10, 2019Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventor: Yasunobu Hitomi
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Patent number: 10868966Abstract: Provided is an imaging apparatus and an imaging method capable of generating distance information and an image. The imaging apparatus includes a light source that emits light, an accumulation unit, charges corresponding to received light being accumulated in the accumulation unit, a distance information generation unit that generates distance information from an amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit, and an image generation unit that generates an image from the amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit, the distance information generation unit generating the distance information from the amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit based on emission of light, the image generation unit generating the image from the amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit based on absence of the emitted light.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2017Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventor: Yasunobu Hitomi
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Patent number: 10602084Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus comprising an image sensor that includes an imaging surface in which many pixels are arranged vertically and horizontally, a pixel control unit that controls the image sensor, selects a pixel corresponding to a sampling function among pixels configuring a block by applying the sampling function for each block acquired by partitioning the imaging surface of the image sensor into a plurality of blocks, and outputs a sampling signal based on a pixel value of the selected pixel, and a reduced image generating unit that generates a reduced image on the basis of the sampling signal for each block output from the image sensor.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2016Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Tomoo Mitsunaga, Hayato Wakabayashi, Kenichi Okumura, Yasunobu Hitomi, Daisuke Iso, Tomonori Masuno, Shinichiro Izawa, Kyoko Izuha, Kouichi Harada
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Patent number: 10531002Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image processing device and an image processing method capable of generating a high-quality composite image. Exposure time and exposure timing of a basic imaging unit which images a basic image and a plurality of auxiliary imaging units which may image under an imaging condition independent from that of the basic imaging unit are controlled according to a motion amount. The present disclosure is applicable to an image processing device.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2016Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Yasunobu Hitomi, Kentaro Okamura, Masayuki Tachi
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Publication number: 20190227174Abstract: Exposure control apparatus to control an integration period of a time-of-flight image capture sensor comprising an illumination source providing pulsed illumination at a pulse repetition frequency, in which each pixel of an array of pixels is represented by multiple pairs of tap values, each pair of tap values being indicative of light sampled according to a pulsed sampling pattern having a respective phase relationship with the pulsed illumination of the illumination source comprises a detector configured to detect, for a selected tap value of a set of one or more target pixels, a portion of that tap value which is independent of the integration period and a portion which is dependent upon the integration period; and a controller configured to select a next integration period for the image capture sensor so that for a next pixel integration of the set of one or more target pixel values, the portion of the largest tap value which is dependent upon the increased integration period is substantially equal to theType: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2019Publication date: July 25, 2019Applicant: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventor: Yasunobu Hitomi
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Patent number: 10277878Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor that outputs image data; and at least one processor that: causes a projection of the space-time volume to be captured in a single image of the image data in accordance with a coded shutter function; receives the image data; and performs a reconstruction process on the image data to provide a space-time volume corresponding to the image data.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2018Date of Patent: April 30, 2019Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yasunobu Hitomi, Jinwei Gu, Mohit Gupta, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Publication number: 20190109972Abstract: The present technology relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program that are capable of generating distance information and an image. An imaging apparatus includes: a light source that emits light; an accumulation unit, charges corresponding to received light being accumulated in the accumulation unit; a distance information generation unit that generates distance information from an amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit; and an image generation unit that generates an image from the amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit, the distance information generation unit generating, when the light source emits the light, the distance information from the amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit, the image generation unit generating, when the light source emits no light, the image from the amount of the charges accumulated in the accumulation unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2017Publication date: April 11, 2019Inventor: YASUNOBU HITOMI
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Patent number: 10091442Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which enable sufficient increase in an SNR of a dark place in a moving image. An image sensor has a plurality of pixels whose image pickup signal has a read interval as a first multiple of a vertical synchronization period or as a second multiple larger than the first multiple of the vertical synchronization period. A frame memory holds an image pickup signal of a long-time accumulated pixel as the pixel having a read interval as the second multiple of the vertical synchronization period. The present disclosure can be applied to an image processing apparatus which includes an image sensor and a frame memory and generates a moving image, and the like.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2015Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventors: Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga
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Publication number: 20180278822Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and a program capable of generating a high-quality composite image. Exposure time and exposure timing of a basic imaging unit which images a basic image and a plurality of auxiliary imaging units which may image under an imaging condition independent from that of the basic imaging unit are controlled according to a motion amount. The present disclosure is applicable to an image processing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2016Publication date: September 27, 2018Inventors: HIROAKI TAKAHASHI, YASUNOBU HITOMI, KENTARO OKAMURA, MASAYUKI TACHI
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Publication number: 20180234672Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor that outputs image data; and at least one processor that: causes a projection of the space-time volume to be captured in a single image of the image data in accordance with a coded shutter function; receives the image data; and performs a reconstruction process on the image data to provide a space-time volume corresponding to the image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2018Publication date: August 16, 2018Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Yasunobu Hitomi, Jinwei Gu, Mohit Gupta, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Publication number: 20180205895Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus and an information processing system capable of decreasing the amount of data of a video or the like transmitted through a network and suppressing power consumption of the imaging apparatus. An imaging apparatus which is a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: an image sensor that includes an imaging surface in which many pixels are arranged vertically and horizontally; a pixel control unit that controls the image sensor, selects a pixel corresponding to a sampling function among pixels configuring a block by applying the sampling function for each block acquired by partitioning the imaging surface of the image sensor into a plurality of blocks, and outputs a sampling signal based on a pixel value of the selected pixel; and a reduced image generating unit that generates a reduced image on the basis of the sampling signal for each block output from the image sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2016Publication date: July 19, 2018Inventors: TOMOO MITSUNAGA, HAYATO WAKABAYASHI, KENICHI OKUMURA, YASUNOBU HITOMI, DAISUKE ISO, TOMONORI MASUNO, SHINICHIRO IZAWA, KYOKO IZUHA, KOUICHI HARADA
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Patent number: 9979945Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor that outputs image data; and at least one processor that: causes a projection of the space-time volume to be captured in a single image of the image data in accordance with a coded shutter function; receives the image data; and performs a reconstruction process on the image data to provide a space-time volume corresponding to the image data.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2017Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yasunobu Hitomi, Jinwei Gu, Mohit Gupta, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Patent number: 9736425Abstract: Methods and systems for coded rolling shutter are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, methods and system are provided that control the readout timing and exposure length for each row of a pixel array in an image sensor, thereby flexibly sampling the three-dimensional space-time value of a scene and capturing sub-images that effectively encode motion and dynamic range information within a single captured image.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignees: Sony Corporation, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New YorkInventors: Jinwei Gu, Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Patent number: 9659346Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a target position selecting unit to select a pixel position on an input image, as a target position; a candidate line setting unit to set two or more sets of candidate lines including a pixel with a value, in the vicinity of the target position; a weighted-value calculating unit to calculate a weighted value that corresponds to a degree of expectation that the target position and the pixel position on the candidate line are on the same pattern; a direction classifying unit to selectively determine a set of candidate lines that are close to a direction of a pattern of the target position in accordance with the weighted value of each pixel on the candidate lines; and a first interpolated-value calculating unit to calculate a pixel value of the target position in accordance with the weighted value of each pixel on the candidate lines.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions CorporationInventors: Shigeki Nakamura, Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga
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Publication number: 20170142354Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which enable sufficient increase in an SNR of a dark place in a moving image. An image sensor has a plurality of pixels whose image pickup signal has a read interval as a first multiple of a vertical synchronization period or as a second multiple larger than the first multiple of the vertical synchronization period. A frame memory holds an image pickup signal of a long-time accumulated pixel as the pixel having a read interval as the second multiple of the vertical synchronization period. The present disclosure can be applied to an image processing apparatus which includes an image sensor and a frame memory and generates a moving image, and the like.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2015Publication date: May 18, 2017Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga
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Publication number: 20170134706Abstract: Systems, methods, and media for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor that outputs image data; and at least one processor that: causes a projection of the space-time volume to be captured in a single image of the image data in accordance with a coded shutter function; receives the image data; and performs a reconstruction process on the image data to provide a space-time volume corresponding to the image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Yasunobu Hitomi, Jinwei Gu, Mohit Gupta, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Publication number: 20150341576Abstract: Methods and systems for coded rolling shutter are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, methods and system are provided that control the readout timing and exposure length for each row of a pixel array in an image sensor, thereby flexibly sampling the three-dimensional space-time value of a scene and capturing sub-images that effectively encode motion and dynamic range information within a single captured image.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Jinwei Gu, Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Patent number: 9100514Abstract: Methods and systems for coded rolling shutter are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, methods and system are provided that control the readout timing and exposure length for each row of a pixel array in an image sensor, thereby flexibly sampling the three-dimensional space-time value of a scene and capturing sub-images that effectively encode motion and dynamic range information within a single captured image.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2010Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New YorkInventors: Jinwei Gu, Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga, Shree K. Nayar
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Publication number: 20150146064Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a target position selecting unit to select a pixel position on an input image, as a target position; a candidate line setting unit to set two or more sets of candidate lines including a pixel with a value, in the vicinity of the target position; a weighted-value calculating unit to calculate a weighted value that corresponds to a degree of expectation that the target position and the pixel position on the candidate line are on the same pattern; a direction classifying unit to selectively determine a set of candidate lines that are close to a direction of a pattern of the target position in accordance with the weighted value of each pixel on the candidate lines; and a first interpolated-value calculating unit to calculate a pixel value of the target position in accordance with the weighted value of each pixel on the candidate lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2014Publication date: May 28, 2015Inventors: Shigeki Nakamura, Yasunobu Hitomi, Tomoo Mitsunaga