Patents by Inventor Keiji Higuchi

Keiji Higuchi 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: 11964517
    Abstract: A tire 12 includes: a tread surface 34; seat contact surfaces 58 each to be in contact with a seat S of a rim R; and side surfaces 60 extending on and between the tread surface 34 and the seat contact surfaces 58. Each side surface 60 includes a flange contact surface 62 to be in contact with a flange F of the rim R, and a flange opposed surface 64 which is located radially outward of the flange contact surface 62 and is to be opposed to the flange F. The flange opposed surface 64 is formed to be a surface having a diameter increasing outward in an axial direction. A shape of the flange opposed surface 64 is represented by a circular arc, and a radius of the circular arc is not less than 11.0 mm and not greater than 20.0 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Kenji Kodama, Kazuma Ujigawa, Kiyotaka Ueyama
  • Patent number: 11801715
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion including four circumferential grooves between outboard and inboard tread edges, and five land portions divided by the circumferential grooves. The circumferential grooves include an inboard shoulder circumferential groove located nearest to the inboard tread edge in the circumferential grooves. The land portions include an inboard shoulder land portion disposed axially outward of the inboard shoulder circumferential groove and having a ground contact surface with the smallest axial width in the land portions. The inboard shoulder land portion is provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves and inboard shoulder sipes. The inboard shoulder lateral grooves include inner ends away from the inboard shoulder circumferential groove. The inboard shoulder lateral grooves extend axially outward from the inner ends to a location beyond the inboard tread edge. The inboard shoulder sipes extends from the inboard shoulder circumferential groove to a location beyond the inboard tread edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Ryota Ikeda, Takashi Hagihara, Takuya Osawa, Takuya Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 11738603
    Abstract: Provided is a tire including a tread portion. The tread portion can include three circumferential grooves and four land portions. The circumferential grooves can include two shoulder circumferential grooves and one crown circumferential groove. The land portions can include two shoulder land portions and two middle land portions. The two middle land portions can each include a circumferential sipe, a plurality of first middle lateral grooves, and a plurality of second middle lateral grooves. The two shoulder land portions can each include a plurality of shoulder lateral grooves extending from a tread end and terminating in the shoulder land portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Teppei Nakamichi, Tomohisa Kuriyama, Kengo Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20220324261
    Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion including four circumferential grooves between outboard and inboard tread edges, and five land portions divided by the circumferential grooves. The circumferential grooves include an inboard shoulder circumferential groove located nearest to the inboard tread edge in the circumferential grooves. The land portions include an inboard shoulder land portion disposed axially outward of the inboard shoulder circumferential groove and having a ground contact surface with the smallest axial width in the land portions. The inboard shoulder land portion is provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves and inboard shoulder sipes. The inboard shoulder lateral grooves include inner ends away from the inboard shoulder circumferential groove. The inboard shoulder lateral grooves extend axially outward from the inner ends to a location beyond the inboard tread edge. The inboard shoulder sipes extends from the inboard shoulder circumferential groove to a location beyond the inboard tread edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji HIGUCHI, Ryota IKEDA, Takashi HAGIHARA, Takuya OSAWA, Takuya FUJIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210170800
    Abstract: Provided is a tire including a tread portion. The tread portion can include three circumferential grooves and four land portions. The circumferential grooves can include two shoulder circumferential grooves and one crown circumferential groove. The land portions can include two shoulder land portions and two middle land portions. The two middle land portions can each include a circumferential sipe, a plurality of first middle lateral grooves, and a plurality of second middle lateral grooves. The two shoulder land portions can each include a plurality of shoulder lateral grooves extending from a tread end and terminating in the shoulder land portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Teppei Nakamichi, Tomohisa Kuriyama, Kengo Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10682040
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus including an imaging section that includes a phase difference detection element for implementing phase detection autofocus, and acquires a captured image; a phase difference calculation section that calculates a phase difference based on a signal output from the phase difference detection element; a lens position selection section that selects a lens position that is either a near point-side lens position or a far point-side lens position based on the phase difference, the near point-side lens position and the far point-side lens position being discrete lens positions set in advance; a driver section that changes a lens position of the imaging section to the lens position selected by the lens position selection section; and a control section that controls an intensity of illumination light that is applied to an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Koichiro Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20200016941
    Abstract: A tire 12 includes: a tread surface 34; seat contact surfaces 58 each to be in contact with a seat S of a rim R; and side surfaces 60 extending on and between the tread surface 34 and the seat contact surfaces 58. Each side surface 60 includes a flange contact surface 62 to be in contact with a flange F of the rim R, and a flange opposed surface 64 which is located radially outward of the flange contact surface 62 and is to be opposed to the flange F. The flange opposed surface 64 is formed to be a surface having a diameter increasing outward in an axial direction. A shape of the flange opposed surface 64 is represented by a circular arc, and a radius of the circular arc is not less than 11.0 mm and not greater than 20.0 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji HIGUCHI, Kenji KODAMA, Kazuma UJIGAWA, Kiyotaka UEYAMA
  • Patent number: 9872610
    Abstract: A reflected light image and a fluorescent light image of an observed region are acquired with an imaging system. A gradation level of the reflected light image is set on the basis of a feature value of the acquired reflected light image. The focus of the imaging system is controlled in accordance with the set gradation level. The fluorescent light image is corrected using a focus-controlled reflected light image of the observed region. Accordingly, the image of an object in the observed region from which the fluorescent light is generated is sharpened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiji Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20180008134
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an image acquisition section, an attention area setting section, and a dimming control section. The image acquisition section acquires a captured image that includes an object image. The attention area setting section sets an attention area within the captured image based on information from the endoscope system. The dimming control section performs a dimming control process that controls the intensity of illumination light based on the attention area set by the attention area setting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori MORITA, Seigo ON, Jumpei TAKAHASHI, Naoya KURIYAMA, Keiji HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9801531
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an image acquisition section, an attention area setting section, and a dimming control section. The image acquisition section acquires a captured image that includes an object image. The attention area setting section sets an attention area within the captured image based on information from the endoscope system. The dimming control section performs a dimming control process that controls the intensity of illumination light based on the attention area set by the attention area setting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Morita, Seigo On, Jumpei Takahashi, Naoya Kuriyama, Keiji Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20170071452
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus including an imaging section that includes a phase difference detection element for implementing phase detection autofocus, and acquires a captured image; a phase difference calculation section that calculates a phase difference based on a signal output from the phase difference detection element; a lens position selection section that selects a lens position that is either a near point-side lens position or a far point-side lens position based on the phase difference, the near point-side lens position and the far point-side lens position being discrete lens positions set in advance; a driver section that changes a lens position of the imaging section to the lens position selected by the lens position selection section; and a control section that controls an intensity of illumination light that is applied to an object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji HIGUCHI, Koichiro YOSHINO
  • Patent number: 9516999
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an imaging section that includes a phase difference detection element for implementing phase detection autofocus, and acquires a captured image, a phase difference calculation section that calculates a phase difference based on a signal output from the phase difference detection element, a lens position selection section that selects a lens position that is either a near point-side lens position or a far point-side lens position based on the phase difference, the near point-side lens position and the far point-side lens position being discrete lens positions set in advance, and a driver section that changes a lens position of the imaging section to the lens position selected by the lens position selection section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Koichiro Yoshino
  • Patent number: 9486123
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an image acquisition section, an attention area setting section, and a scaling section. The image acquisition section acquires a captured image that includes an object image. The attention area setting section sets an attention area within the captured image based on information from the endoscope system. The scaling section performs a local scaling process that relatively enlarges the attention area as compared with another area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Morita, Seigo On, Jumpei Takahashi, Naoya Kuriyama, Keiji Higuchi
  • Patent number: 9485405
    Abstract: A focus control device in an endoscope system, implements an autofocus operation in an appropriate state by setting a focus mode of an imaging optical system. The focus control device includes a focus control section that controls a focus of an imaging optical system that includes at least a zoom lens that adjusts an optical magnification, and sets a focus mode of the imaging optical system, and an image acquisition section that acquires an image through the imaging optical system, the focus mode including a fixed focus mode and an autofocus (AF) mode, and the focus control section switching the focus mode between the fixed focus mode and the AF mode corresponding to whether the zoom lens is positioned on a wide-angle side or a telescopic side relative to a reference point that is situated between a wide-angle end and a telescopic end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichiro Yoshino, Keiji Higuchi
  • Patent number: 9421827
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with a circumferential shoulder main groove, shoulder lateral grooves extending from the shoulder main groove toward a tread edge, and middle lateral grooves extending from the shoulder main groove toward a tire equatorial plane, the shoulder main groove extending in a zigzag manner through an axially innermost and outermost points alternately, each middle lateral groove extending from each innermost point of the shoulder main groove with an angle of 50-75 degrees with respect to a tire axial direction, and each shoulder lateral groove extending from the shoulder main groove with the same inclination direction with the middle lateral groove at an angle of 10-25 degrees with respect to the tire axial direction, wherein the number of shoulder lateral grooves is larger than the number of middle lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Koyama, Keiji Higuchi, Hirokazu Takano
  • Publication number: 20150363929
    Abstract: The image processing device includes an image acquisition section, a distance information acquisition section, a known characteristic information acquisition section that acquires known characteristic information that is information that represents known characteristics relating to an object, and an enhancement processing section that performs an enhancement process that corresponds to distance information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150297068
    Abstract: A reflected light image and a fluorescent light image of an observed region are acquired with an imaging system. A gradation level of the reflected light image is set on the basis of a feature value of the acquired reflected light image. The focus of the imaging system is controlled in accordance with the set gradation level. The fluorescent light image is corrected using a focus-controlled reflected light image of the observed region. Accordingly, the image of an object in the observed region from which the fluorescent light is generated is sharpened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9101288
    Abstract: A reflected light image and a fluorescent light image of an observed region are acquired with an imaging system. A gradation level of the reflected light image is set on the basis of a feature value of the acquired reflected light image. The focus of the imaging system is controlled in accordance with the set gradation level. The fluorescent light image is corrected using a focus-controlled reflected light image of the observed region. Accordingly, the image of an object in the observed region from which the fluorescent light is generated is sharpened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keiji Higuchi
  • Patent number: 9056530
    Abstract: A pneumatic tire comprises a tread portion provided with a shoulder main groove, shoulder lateral grooves extending from the shoulder main groove toward axially outwardly, the shoulder main groove extending in a zigzag manner comprising linear portions and curved portions which are arranged alternately in a circumferential direction of the tire, each linear portion inclined with respect to the circumferential direction of the tire, each curved portion having a radius of curvature of from 12-80 mm, the curved portion protruding toward axially outwardly of the tire, the shoulder main groove having a pair of groove edges and a circumferential space therebetween which straightly extends along the circumferential direction of the tire without coming into contact with both groove edges and the circumferential space with an axial width of from 0.2 to 0.7 times an axial groove width of the shoulder main groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Keiji Higuchi, Hirokazu Takano
  • Patent number: 8896727
    Abstract: An object is to improve noise reduction. Provided are an image-capturing-mode selecting portion (104) that selects one image-capturing mode from a plurality of image-capturing modes; and a noise-reduction processing portion (110) that performs noise-reduction processing for input image signals by employing, in the case in which the image-capturing mode selected by the image-capturing-mode selecting portion (104) is a specific image-capturing mode, an applied noise model in which a noise model employed for a predetermined signal-value region differs from a reference noise model determined on the basis of properties of an image-acquisition element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Keiji Higuchi