Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Kimura

Hiroaki Kimura 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: 11441650
    Abstract: In a rotation transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor to a load-side member via a speed reducer, a strain wave gearing is used as the speed reducer, and the allowable load torque of members in the powertrain other than the strain wave gearing is greater than a predetermined upper-limit load torque. The allowable load torque of the strain wave gearing is dictated by the ratcheting torque, which is set so as not to exceed the upper-limit load torque. In an overload state, ratcheting is generated in the strain wave gearing, so that the strain wave gearing functions as a mechanical fuse. Other power transmission members can be protected from an overload state without adding a separate member such as a torque limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: HARMONIC DRIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Jun Handa, Hiroaki Kimura, Sotaro Miyake
  • Publication number: 20220235797
    Abstract: A vacuum pump comprises: a cylindrical rotor; multiple heat insulating pins; and a stator having a cylindrical portion arranged with a predetermined gap in an outer peripheral side of the rotor and a fixing portion to be fixed to a pump base through the multiple heat insulating pins. The heat insulating pins have a lower thermal conductivity than those of the stator and the pump base, and support the fixing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2021
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Hiroaki KIMURA
  • Patent number: 11391351
    Abstract: In a rotation transmission mechanism that transmits the rotational driving force of a motor to a load-side member via a speed reducer, a strain wave gearing is used as the speed reducer, and the allowable load torque of members in the powertrain other than the strain wave gearing is greater than a predetermined upper-limit load torque. The allowable load torque of the strain wave gearing is dictated by the ratcheting torque, which is set so as not to exceed the upper-limit load torque. In an overload state, ratcheting is generated in the strain wave gearing, so that the strain wave gearing functions as a mechanical fuse. Other power transmission members can be protected from an overload state without adding a separate member such as a torque limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: HARMONIC DRIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Jun Handa, Hiroaki Kimura, Sotaro Miyake
  • Patent number: 11384992
    Abstract: A heat exchanger includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel that are alternately stacked in a stacking direction, each of the first flow channel and the second flow channel including: upstream parts disposed parallel to one another in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and to a direction in which the flow channels extend; downstream parts disposed parallel to one another in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction and to a direction in which the flow channels extend; and branching/merging parts configured to branch the flow channels immediately upstream of the branching/merging parts into two divergent channels and merge the divergent channels adjacent to one another to form next flow channels, between the upstream parts and the downstream parts, wherein the branching/merging parts are provided in a plurality of stages between the upstream parts and the downstream parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: WELCON Inc.
    Inventors: Yutaka Suzuki, Takashi Saito, Hiroaki Kimura, Shingo Ikarashi
  • Patent number: 11367377
    Abstract: The display region includes a plurality of subpixel lines. Each of the plurality of subpixel lines include subpixels of a first color, subpixel pairs of a second color, and subpixels of a third color disposed cyclically one by one along a first axis. Between two adjacent subpixel lines, subpixels of the first color are disposed at different positions along the first axis. Between the two adjacent subpixel lines, subpixel pairs of the second color are disposed at different positions along the first axis. Between the two adjacent subpixel lines, subpixels of the third color are disposed at different positions along the first axis. The centroids of two subpixels constituting a subpixel pair of the second color are located at different positions when seen along the first axis and when seen along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignees: TIANMA JAPAN, LTD., Wuhan Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yojiro Matsueda, Hiroaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11348545
    Abstract: Image quality degradation in a display device with two liquid crystal cells is reduced. For this purpose, as an image signal for a liquid crystal display panel in which a display image is generated by light passing through a rear liquid crystal cell and a front liquid crystal cell, an image processing unit generates a rear image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell and a rear image signal for the front liquid crystal cell. This image processing unit includes a gradation value conversion unit that performs a gradation value conversion on an input image signal so as to generate a rear image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell, and a limit processing unit that performs a process of limiting a value of the rear image signal output from the gradation value conversion unit to a predetermined limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kimura, Harunobu Kamei
  • Publication number: 20220108664
    Abstract: A decrease in a color gamut in a low gradation region is reduced to improve image quality in a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, a color image signal for a liquid crystal display panel in which a display image is generated by light passing through a rear liquid crystal cell and a front liquid crystal cell is converted into a black-and-white image signal by using a predetermined coefficient. Then, the black-and-white image signal thus obtained is subjected to gradation value conversion so as to become a signal for performing gradation expression in a gradation region set as a gradation range in which a color gamut greatly changes in a case where the front liquid crystal cell is driven by the color image signal, and thus a rear image signal serving as the black-and-white image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki KIMURA
  • Patent number: 11289037
    Abstract: In a display device with two liquid crystal cells, image quality deterioration depending on brightness and darkness of an environment is reduced. For this purpose, as an image signal for a liquid crystal display panel in which a display image is generated by light passing through a rear liquid crystal cell and a front liquid crystal cell, an image processing unit generates a rear image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell and a front image signal for the front liquid crystal cell. This image processing unit performs a spatial filter process on the rear image signal. Then, a filter control unit controls the spatial filter process performed on the rear image signal in the image processing unit on the basis of a detection value of an illuminance sensor that detects illuminance around the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kimura, Harunobu Kamei
  • Patent number: 11280370
    Abstract: An externally toothed gear of a dual-type strain wave gearing is provided with first and second external teeth having different teeth numbers, and a gap formed between these teeth as a cutter clearance area for tooth cutters. Where L1 is the maximum width of the gap, t1 is a depth from the tooth top land of the first external teeth to the deepest part of the gap, h1 is the tooth depth of the first external teeth, t2 is a depth from the tooth top land of the second external teeth to the deepest part, and h2 is the tooth depth of the second external teeth, any one of the following conditions 1 to 3 is satisfied: L1=0.1L?0.35L, t1=0.9h1?1.3h1, and t2=0.3h2?0.9h2??Condition 1: L1=0.1L?0.35L, t1=0.3h1?0.9h1, and t2=0.9h2?1.3h2??Condition 2: L1=0.1L?0.35L, t1=0.3h1?0.9h1, and t2=0.3h2?0.9h2??Condition 3: It is possible to obtain a dual-type strain wave gearing in which wear resistance and tooth bottom fatigue strength are increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kimura, Jun Handa
  • Patent number: 11217189
    Abstract: A decrease in a color gamut in a low gradation region is reduced to improve image quality in a liquid crystal panel. Therefore, a color image signal for a liquid crystal display panel in which a display image is generated by light passing through a rear liquid crystal cell and a front liquid crystal cell is converted into a black-and-white image signal by using a predetermined coefficient. Then, the black-and-white image signal thus obtained is subjected to gradation value conversion so as to become a signal for performing gradation expression in a gradation region set as a gradation range in which a color gamut greatly changes in a case where the front liquid crystal cell is driven by the color image signal, and thus a rear image signal serving as the black-and-white image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20210404544
    Abstract: A strain wave gearing unit has a unit housing, a strain wave gearing, and a bearing device. Balls of a bearing part of the bearing device are positioned on the diametrically outer side with respect to a cylindrical barrel part of an externally toothed gear. The diameter S of the balls is 0.05 to 0.15 times the pitch diameter D of the externally toothed gear. The centers of the balls are positioned between a point at a distance of 1.2 times the diameter S toward the cylindrical-barrel-part side from an inner-side end surface of a diaphragm along a center axis and a point at a distance of 1 times the diameter S toward a side opposite the cylindrical barrel part from the inner-side end surface. The bearing device can be configured to be used in common for strain wave gearing units having different axial lengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: HARMONIC DRIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Hiroaki KIMURA, Yoshihide KIYOSAWA, Jun HANDA
  • Patent number: 11212452
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire optical information, a tilt control unit configured to tilt an image sensor relative to a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an imaging optical system, and a calculation unit configured to calculate an image shift amount by a phase difference detection method based on a signal from the image sensor and to calculate a defocus amount based on the image shift amount and a conversion coefficient. The calculation unit changes at least one of a correction amount of the signal and the conversion coefficient based on the optical information and a tilt angle that is an angle formed by the image sensor and the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11192444
    Abstract: A drive unit for a hybrid vehicle that enables downsizing and cost reduction of an oil supply mechanism to be achieved. The drive unit includes: a first feeding line for supplying a first motor and a differential mechanism with oil discharged from a first oil pump; and a second feeding line for supplying a second motor with oil discharged from a second oil pump, the oil being supplied via an oil cooler that cools the oil. A passage between from the second oil pump to the second motor in the second feeding line and a passage between from the first oil pump to the first motor and the differential mechanism in the first feeding line, are independent of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroto Hashimoto, Hiroaki Kimura, Tomohito Ono
  • Patent number: 11184519
    Abstract: The image pickup apparatus comprises: a focus adjusting unit configured to drive a focus lens of an imaging optical system and perform focus adjustment; an exposure control unit configured to control exposure; a tilt angle acquiring unit configured to acquire a tilt angle that is a relative angle between an image pickup element and the image pickup optical system; a tilt angle control unit configured to control the tilt angle by tilting the image pickup element or the image pickup optical system; and an imaging condition acquiring unit configured to acquire a imaging condition of an image pickup apparatus. The tilt angle control unit determines a parameter related to a driving speed at which the image pickup element or the image pickup optical system is tilted based on the imaging condition acquired by the imaging condition acquiring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11162499
    Abstract: A vacuum pump system comprises: a vacuum pump including a suction port, an exhaust port, and a pressure detection section configured to detect a gas pressure in a gas flow path through which gas sucked through the suction port flows to the exhaust port; and an arithmetic device configured to perform arithmetic processing for a state of a deposition substance in the gas flow path based on the gas pressure detected by the pressure detection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kimura
  • Publication number: 20210333507
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a first obtaining unit configured to obtain optical information about an image capturing apparatus including an imaging optical system including at least one movable lens movable in an optical axis direction, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain orientation information indicating an orientation of a lens barrel holding the imaging optical system, a third obtaining unit configured to obtain installation information indicating an installation direction of the image capturing apparatus, and a control unit configured to control a position of the movable lens based on the optical information, the orientation information, and the installation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11028915
    Abstract: A restraint mechanism for limiting the movement of the flexible external gear of a flat strain wave gearing in the axial direction has a first restraining member installed in a floating state in a first recess and a second restraining member installed in a floating state in a second recess. The restraining member is able to limit the movement of the flexible external gear in the axial direction to a range in which there are no difficulties during actual use. Moreover, compared with when movement of the flexible external gear is limited using members that are disposed at fixed positions, it is possible to reduce the sliding abrasion that occurs between the flexible external gear and the first and second restraining members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Handa, Hiroaki Kimura, Sotaro Miyake
  • Publication number: 20210142745
    Abstract: Image quality degradation in a display device with two liquid crystal cells is reduced. For this purpose, as an image signal for a liquid crystal display panel in which a display image is generated by light passing through a rear liquid crystal cell and a front liquid crystal cell, an image processing unit generates a rear image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell and a rear image signal for the front liquid crystal cell. This image processing unit includes a gradation value conversion unit that performs a gradation value conversion on an input image signal so as to generate a rear image signal for the rear liquid crystal cell, and a limit processing unit that performs a process of limiting a value of the rear image signal output from the gradation value conversion unit to a predetermined limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki KIMURA, Harunobu KAMEI
  • Publication number: 20210144307
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire optical information, a tilt control unit configured to tilt an image sensor relative to a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of an imaging optical system, and a calculation unit configured to calculate an image shift amount by a phase difference detection method based on a signal from the image sensor and to calculate a defocus amount based on the image shift amount and a conversion coefficient. The calculation unit changes at least one of a correction amount of the signal and the conversion coefficient based on the optical information and a tilt angle that is an angle formed by the image sensor and the plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventor: Hiroaki KIMURA
  • Patent number: D937332
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kimura, Jun Handa, Yoshihide Kiyosawa