Patents by Inventor Aiko Otsuka

Aiko Otsuka 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: 10192285
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Atsushi Itoh
  • Publication number: 20170301062
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Aiko OTSUKA, Atsushi ITOH
  • Patent number: 9721325
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Atsushi Itoh
  • Publication number: 20150170335
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Aiko OTSUKA, Atsushi Itoh
  • Patent number: 8995791
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Atsushi Itoh
  • Publication number: 20120308159
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an exaggeration unit configured to perform on an original image including a hand-drawn element an exaggeration process that expands the hand-drawn element to generate an exaggerated image; and a reduction unit configured to reduce the exaggerated image to generate a reduced image of a predetermined size smaller than a size of the original image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Aiko OTSUKA, Atsushi Itoh
  • Patent number: 7682072
    Abstract: The method for measurement of thermal conductivity of a honeycomb structure according to the present invention comprises the steps keeping the whole honeycomb structure in a steady temperature state with keeping two ends of the honeycomb structure at given different temperatures; and measuring a thermal conductivity of the honeycomb structure in the steady state. According to the present invention there is provided a method for measurement of thermal conductivity of a honeycomb structure, which can measure the thermal conductivity of a honeycomb structure in the shape of the honeycomb structure per se or in a predetermined block shape without preparing, for example, a test specimen of particular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Ichikawa, Aiko Otsuka, Motomichi Itou, Takuma Makino
  • Patent number: 7569201
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure. (1) Water is added to silicon carbide particles and kneaded into a kneaded raw material. The silicon carbide particles have an average particle diameter of not less than 2 ?m and not more than the honeycomb rib thickness×0.23 and a logarithmic standard deviation of the particle size distribution of not less than 0.15 and not more than 0.40 (step S11). (2) The kneaded raw material is extruded by extrusion into a honeycomb extruded body (step S12). (3) The extruded body is dried (step S13), calcined (step S14), and fired (step S15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa, Takashi Harada
  • Patent number: 7524450
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure, the method using, as a part of a starting material, a recycled raw material recycled from a recovered material generated in a process for manufacturing the silicon carbide based honeycomb structure and derived from a starting material for a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure; wherein the recycled raw material is pulverized to have an average particle size of 10 to 300 ?m. According to the present invention, structure defects such as voids or coarse particles, which have been problems upon manufacturing a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure, are hardly formed, and a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure having excellent strength and uniform heat conductivity can be obtained. In addition, since a once kneaded material is used as a part of a starting material, the time for kneading can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Marada, Shuichi Ichikawa, Aiko Otsuka, Atsushi Kaneda, Yasushi Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20080092499
    Abstract: There is disclosed a porous honeycomb filter whose trapping efficiency does not drop even when a porosity fluctuates and which is capable of balancing the trapping efficiency and a pressure loss. The porous honeycomb filter is a filter whose pore distribution has been controlled. A volume of pores having a pore diameter of 15 ?m or less is 0.07 cc/cc or less, and a volume of pores having a pore diameter of 40 ?m or more is 0.07 cc/cc or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: NGK Insulators Ltd
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20070298958
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure, the method using, as a part of a starting material, a recycled raw material recycled from a recovered material generated in a process for manufacturing the silicon carbide based honeycomb structure and derived from a starting material for a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure; wherein the recycled raw material is pulverized to have an average particle size of 10 to 300 ?m. According to the present invention, structure defects such as voids or coarse particles, which have been problems upon manufacturing a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure, are hardly formed, and a silicon carbide based honeycomb structure having excellent strength and uniform heat conductivity can be obtained. In addition, since a once kneaded material is used as a part of a starting material, the time for kneading can be shortened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Harada, Shuichi Ichikawa, Aiko Otsuka, Atsushi Kaneda, Yasushi Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7208108
    Abstract: A method for producing a porous ceramic article involves a step of kneading raw materials including a raw material for a ceramic and a processing aid, to prepare a body, a step of forming the body, to prepare a ceramic formed product, a step of drying the formed product, to prepare a ceramic dried article, and a step of firing the ceramic dried article, to preparing a porous ceramic article, characterized in that the processing aid is a starch having been subjected to a crosslinking treatment or a material comprising a starch having been subjected to a crosslinking treatment and a foamed resin. The method allows the production of a porous ceramic article which is suppressed in the deformation during drying and is excellent in dimensional accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa, Takashi Harada
  • Publication number: 20060154068
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure. (1) Water is added to silicon carbide particles and kneaded into a kneaded raw material. The silicon carbide particles have an average particle diameter of not less than 2 ?m and not more than the honeycomb rib thickness×0.23 and a logarithmic standard deviation of the particle size distribution of not less than 0.15 and not more than 0.40 (step S11). (2) The kneaded raw material is extruded by extrusion into a honeycomb extruded body (step S12). (3) The extruded body is dried (step S13), calcined (step S14), and fired (step S15).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa, Takashi Harada
  • Patent number: 7029511
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure 1 has a large number of through-holes 3 divided by partition walls 2 and extending in the axial direction, characterized in that the honeycomb structure contains a Si phase having a lattice constant controlled at 0.54302 to 0.54311 nm at room temperature. A process for producing the honeycomb structure 1, includes a firing step of firing a precursor of honeycomb structure, wherein the precursor contains a Si phase and the firing step is conducted using a furnace material free from any boron-containing compound. A process for producing the honeycomb structure 1, includes a firing step of firing a precursor of honeycomb structure, wherein a reduction percentage of Si content in Si phase after firing step relative to Si content in Si phase before firing step is suppressed at 10% by mass or less. Having an improved thermal conductivity, the honeycomb structure is superior in thermal shock resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Ichikawa, Takashi Harada, Aiko Otsuka, Yukihisa Wada, Yoshinori Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20060057330
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a porous honeycomb structure of the present invention comprises the steps of: mixing at least an aggregate raw material, water, an organic binder, a pore-forming agent, and an alkali metal source, wherein the aggregate raw material comprises metal silicon and/or a non-oxide ceramic containing silicon; kneading the mixture to form clay; forming the clay into a honeycomb shape having a plurality of cells as passages for fluid; drying the formed body to obtain a honeycomb formed body; calcinating the honeycomb formed body to obtain a calcinated body; and firing the calcinated body to obtain a porous honeycomb structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Uchida, Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20060003143
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a porous honeycomb structure of the present invention includes the steps of: mixing and kneading at least an aggregate particle material formed of a ceramic and/or a metal, water, an organic binder, a pore former, and colloidal particles to form clay; forming the clay into a honeycomb shape having a plurality of cells constituting through channels of fluids; drying the clay to obtain a honeycomb formed body; calcining the honeycomb formed body to form a calcined body; and thereafter firing the calcined body to obtain the porous honeycomb structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Uchida, Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20050105584
    Abstract: The method for measurement of thermal conductivity of a honeycomb structure according to the present invention comprises the steps keeping the whole honeycomb structure in a steady temperature state with keeping two ends of the honeycomb structure at given different temperatures; and measuring a thermal conductivity of the honeycomb structure in the steady state. According to the present invention there is provided a method for measurement of thermal conductivity of a honeycomb structure, which can measure the thermal conductivity of a honeycomb structure in the shape of the honeycomb structure per se or in a predetermined block shape without preparing, for example, a test specimen of particular shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Applicant: NGK Insulators Ltd
    Inventors: Shuichi Ichikawa, Aiko Otsuka, Motomichi Itou, Takuma Makino
  • Publication number: 20040118095
    Abstract: A honeycomb structure 1 has a large number of through-holes 3 divided by partition walls 2 and extending in the axial direction, characterized in that the honeycomb structure contains a Si phase having a lattice constant controlled at 0.54302 to 0.54311 nm at room temperature. A process for producing the honeycomb structure 1, includes a firing step of firing a precursor of honeycomb structure, wherein the precursor contains a Si phase and the firing step is conducted using a furnace material free from any boron-containing compound. A process for producing the honeycomb structure 1, includes a firing step of firing a precursor of honeycomb structure, wherein a reduction percentage of Si content in Si phase after firing step relative to Si content in Si phase before firing step is suppressed at 10% by mass or less. Having an improved thermal conductivity, the honeycomb structure is superior in thermal shock resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Shuichi Chikawa, Takashi Harada, Aiko Otsuka, Yukihisa Wada, Yoshinori Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20040051196
    Abstract: A method for producing a porous ceramic article involves a step of kneading raw materials including a raw material for a ceramic and a processing aid, to prepare a body, a step of forming the body, to prepare a ceramic formed product, a step of drying the formed product, to prepare a ceramic dried article, and a step of firing the ceramic dried article, to preparing a porous ceramic article, characterized in that the processing aid is a starch having been subjected to a crosslinking treatment or a material comprising a starch having been subjected to a crosslinking treatment and a foamed resin. The method allows the production of a porous ceramic article which is suppressed in the deformation during drying and is excellent in dimensional accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Aiko Otsuka, Shuichi Ichikawa, Takashi Harada