Patents by Inventor Akihito Yoshida

Akihito Yoshida 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: 20250131575
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus and the like are provided. The image processing apparatus obtains an image that is obtained by reading a document, extracts a feature point from the image, identifies a plurality of feature points arranged in a predetermined direction in the image as feature points that correspond to an edge defining a range of the document, sets an area outside the range of the document on the basis of the identified feature points, and removes the feature points in the set area. In this way, a document area can be identified with a high degree of accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2024
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventor: AKIHITO YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 12278381
    Abstract: Provided is a laminate battery in which a short circuit between a negative electrode active material and a positive electrode due to expansion of the negative electrode active material during discharging is prevented. A laminate battery includes a battery case that serves as an outer case. The laminate battery includes an inner case within a battery case 11, and the inner case is formed of a positive electrode storage case and a separator. An inside of the inner case serves as a positive electrode storage portion that stores a positive electrode. An outside of the inner case serves as a negative electrode storage portion that stores a negative electrode. The negative electrode uses a particulate negative electrode active material (e.g., zinc or zinc oxide).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomo Kitagawa, Hirotaka Mizuhata, Shunsuke Sata, Akihito Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20250087730
    Abstract: A flow battery cell comprises a slurry containing solid active materials and an electrolytic solution; a negative-electrode chamber for supplying the slurry; a positive-electrode chamber for supplying air; and a solution-feed controlling unit configured to change a rate of supply of the slurry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2024
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Inventors: TOMO KITAGAWA, Hirotaka Mizuhata, Shinobu Takenaka, Akihito Yoshida
  • Patent number: 12034185
    Abstract: A metal-air battery module includes a unit assembly having a plurality of battery units coupled using first couplers. Each battery unit has a metal-air battery cell held by a sheet. In the unit assembly, two of the metal-air battery cells adjacent to each other are arranged in such a manner that a negative-electrode terminal and an air-electrode terminal face each other, and the facing terminals are connected together to form a pair of connected terminals. In the pair of connected terminals, the negative-electrode terminal and the air-electrode terminal are connected through welding or other methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Mizuhata, Tomo Kitagawa, Toyoka Aimoto, Akihito Yoshida
  • Patent number: 12003685
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an input device that inputs a document image; and a controller, wherein the controller removes a streak from the image by a first method, removes a streak from the image by a second method that differs from the first method, and executes crop processing on the image from which the streaks have been removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jumpei Sakamoto, Akihito Yoshida, Yasutaka Hirayama
  • Patent number: 11972594
    Abstract: A multifunction peripheral includes a color number conversion determiner. The color number conversion determiner determines whether it is appropriate to perform either an index color process or a full-color process based on a color distribution degree, which is a distribution degree of pixel values of the respective sets of pixel data included in input image data, a photograph area ratio, which is a ratio of photograph area pixel data forming a photograph area to the pixel data, and a color uniformity area ratio, which is a ratio of white base area pixel data forming a white base area to the pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruhiko Matsuoka, Akihito Yoshida, Masahiko Takashima
  • Publication number: 20230344039
    Abstract: As a method of manufacturing a metal-air battery, a first step is included of stacking an exterior body (e.g., first resin film 11), a water-repellent film (14), and a positive electrode (e.g., air electrode 15) in the stated order. The first step includes: a fusing step of fusing the exterior body and the water-repellent film (14); and a compression step of compressing the water-repellent film (14) and the positive electrode. The fusing step fuses the exterior body and the water-repellent film (14). After the first step, a portion of the exterior body is removed from inside the fusing portion (141) formed in the fusing step, to form an opening (e.g., air inlet 111) in the exterior body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: TOMO KITAGAWA, HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, SHUNSUKE SATA, KEIGO MITAMURA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20230254431
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an input device that inputs a document image; and a controller, wherein the controller removes a streak from the image by a first method, removes a streak from the image by a second method that differs from the first method, and executes crop processing on the image from which the streaks have been removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Jumpei SAKAMOTO, AKIHITO YOSHIDA, Yasutaka HIRAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11706367
    Abstract: The multifunction peripheral of the present invention includes an ADF document crop function. According to this ADF document crop function, front side image shaping processing for cutting out a front side document image corresponding to the image on the front side of a document, from a front side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the front side document image is performed. Then, on the basis of shaping information in the front side image shaping processing, back side image shaping processing for cutting out a back side document image from a back side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the back side document image is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuma Ogawa, Yasutaka Hirayama, Akihito Yoshida, Shohichi Fukutome
  • Publication number: 20230080100
    Abstract: A metal-air battery from which leakage of an electrolytic solution is reduced is provided. The metal-air battery includes: a positive electrode including: a current collector; and a catalyst layer formed on the current collector and capable of reducing oxygen; a negative electrode disposed to face the positive electrode; an exterior body housing a stacked portion including the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and having an opening formed to open to the positive electrode; an electrolyte disposed inside the exterior body; and a water-repellent film covering the opening, including a joint portion joined to the exterior body, and transparent to oxygen. The catalyst layer includes a portion positioned between the joint portion and the current collector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: TOMO KITAGAWA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA, HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, SHUNSUKE SATA
  • Patent number: 11588954
    Abstract: An image processing device includes an image reader that reads an image, a first determiner that determines whether character crushing occurs when the image is binarized, a second determiner that determines a rate of a photographic region in the image, and a controller that performs conversion into monochrome N-gradation image data based on determination results of the first and second determiners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daisaku Imaizumi, Teruhiko Matsuoka, Akihito Yoshida, Chiharu Hirayama
  • Publication number: 20220416332
    Abstract: Provided is a laminate battery in which a short circuit between a negative electrode active material and a positive electrode due to expansion of the negative electrode active material during discharging is prevented. A laminate battery includes a battery case that serves as an outer case. The laminate battery includes an inner case within a battery case 11, and the inner case is formed of a positive electrode storage case and a separator. An inside of the inner case serves as a positive electrode storage portion that stores a positive electrode. An outside of the inner case serves as a negative electrode storage portion that stores a negative electrode. The negative electrode uses a particulate negative electrode active material (e.g., zinc or zinc oxide).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: TOMO KITAGAWA, HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, SHUNSUKE SATA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220384852
    Abstract: Provided are a laminated battery capable of suppressing a level drop of an electrolyte caused by expansion of a negative electrode active material during discharge, and a manufacturing method for the laminated battery. An enclosure member of the laminated battery is constituted by affixing a first resin film and a second resin film to each other, and a separator is arranged inside the enclosure member between a positive electrode (for example, a first electrode) and a negative electrode (for example, a second electrode). A peripheral edge portion of the separator is fixed to a peripheral edge portion of the enclosure member (the first resin film or the second resin film).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: SHUNSUKE SATA, HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, TOMO KITAGAWA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220345583
    Abstract: The multifunction peripheral of the present invention includes an ADF document crop function. According to this ADF document crop function, front side image shaping processing for cutting out a front side document image corresponding to the image on the front side of a document, from a front side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the front side document image is performed. Then, on the basis of shaping information in the front side image shaping processing, back side image shaping processing for cutting out a back side document image from a back side read image of the document and for correcting the tilt of the back side document image is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuma OGAWA, Yasutaka HIRAYAMA, Akihito YOSHIDA, Shohichi FUKUTOME
  • Publication number: 20220284631
    Abstract: A multifunction peripheral includes a color number conversion determiner. The color number conversion determiner determines whether it is appropriate to perform either an index color process or a full-color process based on a color distribution degree, which is a distribution degree of pixel values of the respective sets of pixel data included in input image data, a photograph area ratio, which is a ratio of photograph area pixel data forming a photograph area to the pixel data, and a color uniformity area ratio, which is a ratio of white base area pixel data forming a white base area to the pixel data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: TERUHIKO MATSUOKA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA, MASAHIKO TAKASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20220174182
    Abstract: An image processing device includes an image reader that reads an image, a first determiner that determines whether character crushing occurs when the image is binarized, a second determiner that determines a rate of a photographic region in the image, and a controller that performs conversion into monochrome N-gradation image data based on determination results of the first and second determiners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: DAISAKU IMAIZUMI, TERUHIKO MATSUOKA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA, CHIHARU HIRAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11322786
    Abstract: An air electrode includes a current collector, a catalyst layer, and a water repellent membrane provided in this order. The catalyst layer has a first face in contact with either one of the current collector and the water repellent membrane, a second face in contact with either other of the current collector or the water repellent membrane, and a plurality of through holes, through which the first face and the second face communicate with each other. The through holes each have a constriction with an inner diameter smaller than either of an opening diameter in the first face and an opening diameter in the second face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mai Takasaki, Keigo Mitamura, Hiroyuki Yamaji, Fumitoshi Sugino, Hirotaka Mizuhata, Akihito Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20210313660
    Abstract: A metal-air battery module includes a unit assembly having a plurality of battery units coupled using first couplers. Each battery unit has a metal-air battery cell held by a sheet. In the unit assembly, two of the metal-air battery cells adjacent to each other are arranged in such a manner that a negative-electrode terminal and an air-electrode terminal face each other, and the facing terminals are connected together to form a pair of connected terminals. In the pair of connected terminals, the negative-electrode terminal and the air-electrode terminal are connected through welding or other methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, TOMO KITAGAWA, TOYOKA AIMOTO, AKIHITO YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20210159561
    Abstract: An air electrode includes a current collector, a catalyst layer, and a water repellent membrane provided in this order. The catalyst layer has a first face in contact with either one of the current collector and the water repellent membrane, a second face in contact with either other of the current collector or the water repellent membrane, and a plurality of through holes, through which the first face and the second face communicate with each other. The through holes each have a constriction with an inner diameter smaller than either of an opening diameter in the first face and an opening diameter in the second face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: MAI TAKASAKI, KEIGO MITAMURA, HIROYUKI YAMAJI, FUMITOSHI SUGINO, HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20210098843
    Abstract: A metal-air battery comprises a casing including a first surface having breathability and second surface different from the first surface; and a positive electrode housed in the casing, a negative electrode housed in the casing, a positive-electrode terminal electrically connected to the positive electrode and exposed from the casing, a negative-electrode terminal electrically connected to the negative electrode and exposed from the casing, and an adhesive layer containing an adhesive and provided on a portion of the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: HIROTAKA MIZUHATA, AKIHITO YOSHIDA, TOMO KITAGAWA, TOMOHISA YOSHIE, ATSUSHI FUKUI