Patents by Inventor Hideo Isobe

Hideo Isobe 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: 9157896
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flaw detecting apparatus including: a transducer including a piezoelectric element array for transmitting ultrasonic waves to and receiving echo signals from a test object; an element driving unit for scanning the piezoelectric element array at a predetermined cycle and generating the ultrasonic waves; a synthesizing unit for synthesizing an internal image of the test object based on the echo signals received by the piezoelectric element array; and a signal replacing unit for replacing the received echo signal with an echo signal in which a bottom echo of the test object is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yoshino Ito, Hirokazu Karasawa, Yoshio Ueda, Tsuyoshi Hieda, Tetsuya Yadoguchi, Tetsuo Kawakami, Kouichi Kokubo, Hideo Isobe, Kazuyuki Haruna, Masamitsu Niki
  • Patent number: 8960006
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes: an ultrasonic probe apparatus including an ultrasonic transducer; a drive element selecting section that selects a required piezoelectric vibrator of the ultrasonic transducer; a signal detecting circuit that detects an electric signal dependent on a reflected echo of an ultrasonic wave emitted from the selected piezoelectric vibrator; a signal processing section that produces data on an internal image of the inspection object based on the detected reflected echo; a second display unit that combines multiple pieces of image data acquired from the signal processing section and displays an integrated visualization data result; and an second input unit that is used to perform an operation command such as a command input to start or terminate an inspection or an a command to set inspection condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Takahiro Ikeda, Ryoichi Arai
  • Patent number: 8429973
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer is provided with a distance measuring ultrasonic sensor for detecting a distance between the ultrasonic transducer and a surface of an inspection object and an inclination of the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the surface of the inspection object, to control the distance and the inclination of the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the inspection object based on information detected by the distance measuring ultrasonic sensor, and at least part of ultrasonic wave transmission/reception by the distance measuring ultrasonic sensor is performed during execution of aperture synthesis processing during which transmission/reception by the ultrasonic transducer is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Ryoichi Arai, Takahiro Ikeda, Noriyuki Yamane
  • Patent number: 8413515
    Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic inspection apparatus which detects various deviations with respect to an ideal scanning position and achieves, with high accuracy, an ultrasound flaw inspection by autonomously adjusting the deviations. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present invention is provided with an integrated type ultrasound transducer including an ultrasonic transducer, an integral type ultrasound transducer control unit, an actuator for distance adjustment, an actuator for tilt control, and a distance measuring sensor. The integrated type ultrasound transducer calculates a deviation between a scanning position based on a preliminarily generated scanning path information and an ideal scanning position, and performs a deviation correction processing by autonomously controlling a distance and a tilt between an opening surface of the ultrasound transducer and an inspection region of an object to be inspected in accordance with this deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Hirokazu Karasawa
  • Patent number: 8371171
    Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic inspection apparatus using scanning path information with high accuracy at a time of ultrasonic flaw inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Takahiro Ikeda, Noriyuki Yamane, Ryoichi Arai
  • Patent number: 8100015
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe including an ultrasonic transducer, a position detection device, a drive element selector which is connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements of the ultrasonic transducer provided so as to select a required piezoelectric element, a signal detection circuit which allows the piezoelectric element selected by the drive element selector to transmit ultrasonic wave to an inspection object through an acoustic transmission medium, which receives reflection echo thereof, and which detects an electric signal of the reflection echo through, a signal processor which generates three-dimensional imaging data inside of the inspection object by processing the electric signal of the detected reflection echo, a position converting circuit which outputs an imaging-start trigger signal to a signal generator in response to a position detection signal, and a display device which displays an imaging result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Plant Systems & Service Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Karasawa, Hideo Isobe
  • Publication number: 20110232386
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, An ultrasonic flaw detecting apparatus comprising: a transducer in which a piezoelectric element array for transmitting ultrasonic waves to and receiving echo signals from a test object; an element driving unit for scanning the piezoelectric element array at a predetermined cycle and causing the ultrasonic waves; a synthesizing unit for synthesizing an internal image of the test object based on the echo signals received by the piezoelectric element array; and a signal replacing unit for replacing the received echo signal with an echo signal in which a bottom echo of the test object is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshino ITO, Hirokazu KARASAWA, Yoshio UEDA, Tsuyoshi HIEDA, Tetsuya YADOGUCHI, Tetsuo KAWAKAMI, Kouichi KOKUBO, Hideo ISOBE, Kazuyuki HARUNA, Masamitsu NIKI
  • Publication number: 20110000299
    Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic inspection apparatus which detects various deviations with respect to an ideal scanning position and achieves, with high accuracy, an ultrasound flaw inspection by autonomously adjusting the deviations. The ultrasonic inspection apparatus according to the present invention is provided with an integrated type ultrasound transducer including an ultrasonic transducer, an integral type ultrasound transducer control unit, an actuator for distance adjustment, an actuator for tilt control, and a distance measuring sensor. The integrated type ultrasound transducer calculates a deviation between a scanning position based on a preliminarily generated scanning path information and an ideal scanning position, and performs a deviation correction processing by autonomously controlling a distance and a tilt between an opening surface of the ultrasound transducer and an inspection region of an object to be inspected in accordance with this deviation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Hirokazu Karasawa
  • Publication number: 20110000300
    Abstract: There is provided an ultrasonic inspection apparatus using scanning path information with high accuracy at a time of ultrasonic flaw inspection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Takahiro Ikeda, Noriyuki Yamane, Ryoichi Arai
  • Publication number: 20100251822
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer is provided with a distance measuring ultrasonic sensor for detecting a distance between the ultrasonic transducer and a surface of an inspection object and an inclination of the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the surface of the inspection object, to control the distance and the inclination of the ultrasonic transducer with respect to the inspection object based on information detected by the distance measuring ultrasonic sensor, and at least part of ultrasonic wave transmission/reception by the distance measuring ultrasonic sensor is performed during execution of aperture synthesis processing during which transmission/reception by the ultrasonic transducer is not performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Hideo ISOBE, Ryoichi Arai, Takahiro Ikeda, Noriyuki Yamane
  • Publication number: 20100212429
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes: an ultrasonic probe apparatus including an ultrasonic transducer; a drive element selecting section that selects a required piezoelectric vibrator of the ultrasonic transducer; a signal detecting circuit that detects an electric signal dependent on a reflected echo of an ultrasonic wave emitted from the selected piezoelectric vibrator; a signal processing section that produces data on an internal image of the inspection object based on the detected reflected echo; a second display unit that combines multiple pieces of image data acquired from the signal processing section and displays an integrated visualization data result; and an second input unit that is used to perform an operation command such as a command input to start or terminate an inspection or an a command to set inspection condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Hideo Isobe, Takahiro Ikeda, Ryoichi Arai
  • Publication number: 20090126494
    Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe including an ultrasonic transducer, a position detection device, a drive element selector which is connected to the plurality of piezoelectric elements of the ultrasonic transducer provided so as to select a required piezoelectric element, a signal detection circuit which allows the piezoelectric element selected by the drive element selector to transmit ultrasonic wave to an inspection object through an acoustic transmission medium, which receives reflection echo thereof, and which detects an electric signal of the reflection echo through, a signal processor which generates three-dimensional imaging data inside of the inspection object by processing the electric signal of the detected reflection echo, a position converting circuit which outputs an imaging-start trigger signal to a signal generator in response to a position detection signal, and a display device which displays an imaging result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventors: Hirokazu Karasawa, Hideo Isobe