Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Ando

Hiroshi Ando 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: 20250019191
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus configured to feed a sheet includes a sheet support portion, a feeding portion, a sheet support detection portion, a separation portion, and a control portion configured to selectively execute a first mode and a second mode, wherein in a case where a first type is set as a sheet type of the sheets in a state where the first mode is selected, the control portion starts air blowing by the separation portion upon detection that the sheets are supported on the sheet support portion, and wherein in a case where the sheet type setting operation is executed upon detection that the sheets are supported on the sheet support portion and the first type is set as the sheet type in a state where the second mode is selected, the control portion starts air blowing by the separation portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2024
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: HIROSHI SAGAWA, TAKUYA HAYAKAWA, YOHEI KATTO, YUTAKA ANDO, MASAKI KAWAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20250019192
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet support portion supporting a sheet or sheets, a sheet feeding unit for performing a sheet feeding operation, an air sheet-separation unit for performing an air blowing operation, and a control unit for performing sheet feeding control to perform the sheet feeding operation by using the sheet feeding unit, in a state where the air blowing operation is in a stopped state, after the air blowing operation is performed by the air sheet-separation unit and the air blowing operation is stopped. In the sheet feeding control, after performing the air blowing operation, the control unit performs the air blowing operation again when performing the sheet feeding operation by using the sheet feeding unit on sheets of a set number of sheets set in advance based on an attribute of the sheet supported on the sheet support portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2024
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: MASAKI KAWAGUCHI, YOHEI KATTO, TAKUYA HAYAKAWA, HIROSHI SAGAWA, YUTAKA ANDO
  • Patent number: 12153241
    Abstract: An optical member includes a light guide body. The light guide body has an incident surface on which an outside light is incident, a first surface having flat portions and prism portions, an incident light incident on the incident surface reaching the first surface for the first time, and a second surface arranged opposite to the flat portions. The flat portions totally reflect the incident light toward the second surface. The second surface totally reflects a reflected light reflected by the flat portion toward the first surface. The prism portion has an ejection surface to emit the incident light to outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MIRISE Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ando, Kazuyuki Ishihara, Masatoshi Tsuji
  • Patent number: 12140740
    Abstract: An optical device introduces light from an outdoor view in a blind spot area hidden by an obstacle. The optical device includes a first reflector that reflects a part of light and transmits another part of the light, and a second reflector placed between a back surface of the first reflector and the obstacle and apart from the first reflector. The second reflector has a reflective surface that reflects light incident from the first reflector toward the first reflector. A light shield is placed at a front surface of the first reflector to block external light incident on and reflected from the front surface of the first reflector. The light shield includes light-shielding plates arranged at an interval in a vertical direction such that each light-shielding plate is horizontal. The first reflector is parallel to the reflective surface of the second reflector and tilted from a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MIRISE Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Masatoshi Tsuji, Kodai Takeda, Hiroshi Ando
  • Patent number: 12111499
    Abstract: A light guide member includes an incident portion, an emission portion, a reflection portion, and an inclined portion. An internal reflection angle inside the reflection portion and the emission portion is larger than an incident angle of an external light with respect to a first normal line that is a normal line of the emission portion. A first inclination angle that is an inclination angle of the incident portion with respect to the first normal line is smaller than the internal reflection angle. A height from the emission portion to a second side of the incident portion is larger than a distance between the emission portion and the reflection portion. A second inclination angle that is an inclination angle of the inclined portion with respect to the first normal line is smaller than the internal reflection angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, MIRISE Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ando, Kodai Takeda
  • Publication number: 20240295699
    Abstract: An optical member includes a light guide body that includes a smooth incident surface, a reflecting and emitting surface disposed to face the smooth incident surface, a reflecting surface continuously arranged with the smooth incident surface, and a smooth emitting surface continuously arranged with the reflecting and emitting surface. The reflecting and emitting surface includes first flat portions configured to emit a part of an incident light, and first reflecting portions configured to reflect another part of the incident light. The reflecting surface includes second flat portions and second reflecting portions configured to reflect the light reflected by the first reflecting portions in different directions toward the smooth emitting surface. The smooth emitting surface is configured to reflect the light reflected by the second flat portions by total reflection and emit the light reflected by the second reflecting portions to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Inventors: HENG LIU, HIROSHI ANDO, MASATOSHI TSUJI, KOJIRO TACHI
  • Patent number: 12055745
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of diffraction gratings disposed on an external surface of a building; filters the ambient light to produce filtered ambient light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the building, the primary-source light and the filtered ambient light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light improves the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean P. Rodrigues, Danny J. Lohan, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Masaaki Kawauchi, Kojiro Tachi, Hiroshi Ando
  • Publication number: 20240176058
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of diffraction gratings disposed on an external surface of a building; filters the ambient light to produce filtered ambient light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the building, the primary-source light and the filtered ambient light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light improves the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Sean P. Rodrigues, Danny J. Lohan, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Masaaki Kawauchi, Kojiro Tachi, Hiroshi Ando
  • Publication number: 20240123728
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a head, a detector, and circuitry. The head forms an image on a recording medium. The detector detects a vertical movement of the recording medium and a distance to the recording medium in a vertical direction. The detector includes an optical sensor to project light to the recording medium and receive the light reflected from the recording medium. The circuitry sets a first area based on a result of detection performed by the detector. The first area is an area in which the recording medium and the head collide with each other. The circuitry retracts the head to prevent the recording medium and the head from colliding with each other, in a case where a position of the head is in the first area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Ando
  • Patent number: 11897337
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of Fresnel lenses disposed on an external surface of a vehicle; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the ambient light and the internal light to produce filtered ambient light and filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ercan Mehmet Dede, Sean P. Rodrigues, Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini, Danny J. Lohan, Masaaki Kawauchi, Kojiro Tachi, Hiroshi Ando
  • Publication number: 20230375786
    Abstract: An optical member includes a light guide made of a transparent material. The light guide has: an incident surface; an exit surface having exit portions and flat portions; a smooth surface arranged opposite to the flat portions; an upper surface and a lower surface arranged opposite to each other so as to connect the smooth surface and the exit surface; a first protrusion protruding from the upper surface; and a second protrusion protruding from the lower surface. The flat portions reflect the incident light toward the smooth surface by total reflection. The smooth surface reflects the reflected light reflected by the flat portion toward the exit surface by total reflection. The exit portions emit a part of the incident light or a part of light reflected by the smooth surface to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: HIROSHI ANDO, MASATOSHI TSUJI
  • Publication number: 20230367070
    Abstract: An optical member includes a light guide. An inclination angle of a first reflecting surface of the light guide with respect to a first direction perpendicular to a normal direction of the first reflecting surface is defined as ?r in a rotational direction about an axis extending in the normal direction. A line segment is defined by connecting the viewer and the light guide in a cross section perpendicular to the first direction. An inclination angle of the line segment with respect to a second direction perpendicular to the normal direction and the first direction is defined as ? in a rotational direction about an axis extending in the first direction. The first reflecting surface is formed so as to satisfy Inequation of 10°?arctan(tan ?r×sin ?)?90°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: YUJIRO MIZOBUCHI, HIROSHI ANDO, KAZUYUKI ISHIHARA
  • Patent number: 11807167
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of metasurface lenses disposed on an external surface of a vehicle; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the ambient light and the internal light to produce filtered ambient light and filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean P. Rodrigues, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Frederico Marcolino Quintao Severgnini, Danny J. Lohan, Masaaki Kawauchi, Kojiro Tachi, Hiroshi Ando
  • Publication number: 20230341605
    Abstract: An optical member includes a light guide body that includes an incident surface on which a light from a blind area is incident, multiple reflecting surfaces configured to reflect the light from the incident surface, a smooth surface configured to reflect the light reflected by the reflecting surfaces, and multiple prisms protruding from the reflecting surfaces in a normal direction of the reflecting surfaces and configured to emit the light from the incident surface and the light reflected by the smooth surface to an outside of the light guide body. The prisms are arranged at intervals in a first direction intersecting the normal direction and are arranged at intervals in a second direction intersecting the normal direction and the second direction. Each of the reflecting surfaces is positioned between the adjacent prisms such that reflecting surfaces are arranged at intervals in the first direction and the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroshi ANDO, Kazuyuki ISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20230339323
    Abstract: A display control apparatus includes: a first selector that, when line-of-sight information indicating a direction in which a line of sight of an occupant of a vehicle is directed is outputted, selects one of a plurality of display apparatuses as a display apparatus for displaying information provided to the occupant of the vehicle, the plurality of display apparatuses being configured to display the information, the one display apparatus existing in the direction in which the line of sight is directed; and a second selector that, when the line-of-sight information is not outputted, selects, as the display apparatus for displaying the information, one of the plurality of display apparatuses to which the line of sight of the occupant is more likely to be directed than to other display apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro UCHIKOSHI, Hiroshi ANDO, Hiroshi IKEDA, Shintaro TSUBATA, Masahito OISHI
  • Publication number: 20230325231
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is provided. This information processing apparatus includes a first OS that controls execution of a first application, a second OS that controls execution of a second application, and a hypervisor that is executed on a processor and controls execution of the first OS and the second OS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro UCHIKOSHI, Hiroshi ANDO, Hiroshi IKEDA, Shintaro TSUBATA, Masahito OISHI
  • Patent number: 11779278
    Abstract: An internal device (1) is implanted in a living body (300). A control section (6) causes a communication section (5) to wirelessly transmit data corresponding to electroencephalogram signals of the living body (300) which are detected through a group of N (N is 2 or more) electrodes, to an external device (200). When the communication section (5) receives a designation signal designating a group of M electrode(s) (2a), M being smaller than N, the communication section (5) is caused to transmit data corresponding to electroencephalogram signals of the living body (300) which are detected through the group of M electrode(s) (2a), to the external device (200) in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignees: NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION, OSAKA UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY, SPChange, LLC.
    Inventors: Kaoru Imajo, Katsuyoshi Suzuki, Masayuki Hirata, Seiji Kameda, Takafumi Suzuki, Hiroshi Ando, Takatsugu Kamata
  • Publication number: 20230301514
    Abstract: A device for measuring an intraocular pressure that includes: a pressure sensor configured to measure the intraocular pressure; an ultrasonic transducer electrically coupled to the pressure sensor and configured to receive ultrasonic waves and emit ultrasonic backscatter encoding a pressure measured by the pressure sensor, and a substrate attached to the pressure sensor and the ultrasonic transducer, and configured to interface a surface on or within an eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Jose LEPE, Joseph T. GREENSPUN, Giana MONTERO GARNIER, Michel M. MAHARBIZ, Jose M. CARMENA, Kunitake ABE, Hiroshi ANDO, Chisato KAMEOKA, Yuki OKUDA, Toshiyuki FUNATSU, Shuhei FUJITA
  • Publication number: 20230280539
    Abstract: An optical member includes a light guide having: an incident surface on which an external scene light is incident from a blind area; a first reflecting surface that reflects light from the incident surface; and a second reflecting surface that reflects light reflected by the first reflecting surface. The optical member further includes a prism having: an exit surface that emits light from the incident surface and light reflected by the second reflecting surface to outside; and a light shielding surface connected to the exit surface to intersect the exit surface. A light from the incident surface and a light reflected by the second reflecting surface are incident on the light shielding surface. The light shielding surface has a rough surface, and a surface roughness of the rough surface is larger than a surface roughness of the exit surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: MASATOSHI TSUJI, HIROSHI ANDO
  • Patent number: 11747541
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of diffraction gratings disposed on an external surface of a vehicle to produce filtered ambient light; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the internal light to produce filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean P. Rodrigues, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Masaaki Kawauchi, Kojiro Tachi, Hiroshi Ando