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).
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Patent number: 8711250Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus that performs a noise reduction process on an image signal of an image captured by an imaging device is provided. By performing a first smoothing process on an input signal of an image signal that is received from an imaging unit and that is subjected to a first image processing, a first smoothed signal creating unit creates a first smoothed signal in which noise is reduced. By performing a second smoothing process that is different from the first smoothing process on the input signal, the second smoothed signal creating unit creates a second smoothed signal in which noise is reduced. A mixing processing unit mixes the first smoothed signal and the second smoothed signal in accordance with a mixing ratio according to a value of the input signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiji Higuchi
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Publication number: 20140111628Abstract: A focus control device, an endoscope system, a focus control method, and the like can implement 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: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2013Publication date: April 24, 2014Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Koichiro YOSHINO, Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20140081083Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: March 20, 2014Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Yasunori MORITA, Seigo ON, Jumpei TAKAHASHI, Naoya KURIYAMA, Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20140046131Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2013Publication date: February 13, 2014Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Yasunori MORITA, Seigo ON, Jumpei TAKAHASHI, Naoya KURIYAMA, Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20140039257Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2013Publication date: February 6, 2014Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Keiji HIGUCHI, Koichiro YOSHINO
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Publication number: 20130292017Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2013Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Keiji HIGUCHI, Hirokazu TAKANO
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Publication number: 20130269846Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2013Publication date: October 17, 2013Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Toshio KOYAMA, Keiji HIGUCHI, Hirokazu TAKANO
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Patent number: 8488903Abstract: An image processing device includes a normal light image acquisition section that acquires a normal light image including an object image that includes information within a wavelength band of white light, a special light image acquisition section that acquires a special light image including an object image that includes information within a specific wavelength band, an isolated point determination section that performs an isolated point determination process on a normal light processing target pixel based on a pixel value of the normal light processing target pixel, the normal light processing target pixel being a processing target pixel included in the normal light image, and a correction control section that controls a correction process performed on the special light image based on the isolated point determination process performed by the isolated point determination section.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiji Higuchi
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Patent number: 8441546Abstract: A device includes a first isolated-point candidate detection section calculates a parameter value used for detecting an isolated-point candidate from a near-field region of a target pixel of a color image signal, a color-space conversion section combines a plurality of signals constituting the color image signal together, and converts the combined signals into a plurality of color signals on defined color space, a second isolated-point candidate detection section calculates a parameter value used for detecting an isolated-point candidate from a near-field region of a target pixel of the converted color signal, and an isolated-point degree determination section determines an isolated-point degree on the basis of parameter values calculated by the isolated-point candidate detection sections.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2010Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiji Higuchi
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Patent number: 8379975Abstract: An image processing device includes a predominant color edge detection unit for detecting an edge using a predominant color signal which is a color signal with a highest appearance frequency from among plural color signals forming an input image signal, and a sub-color parameter calculation unit for calculating, with respect to a sub-color signal which is a color signal other than the predominant color signal in the plural color signals, from a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels of a same color as the pixel of interest, a sub-color parameter value related to a degree of isolated point of the pixel of interest. The image processing device further includes a sub-color isolated point correction unit for correcting the pixel of interest based on the sub-color parameter value and information of the detected edge.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2010Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiji Higuchi
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Publication number: 20130016198Abstract: An image processing device includes an image signal acquisition section that acquires image signals that include signals of an object image from an image sensor, the image sensor being configured so that the object image is formed in an imaging area via an optical system, and is not formed in a non-imaging area, a processing target area setting section that sets a processing target area to an image of an image signal acquired area so that the processing target area is included in the imaging area, the image signal acquired area being an area in which the image signals have been acquired, and the processing target area including pixels used for a grayscale transformation process, and a grayscale transformation section that performs the grayscale transformation process based on pixel values of the pixels included in the processing target area.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2012Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Keiji Higuchi, Naoya Kuriyama
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Publication number: 20120200747Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus that performs a noise reduction process on an image signal of an image captured by an imaging device is provided. By performing a first smoothing process on an input signal of an image signal that is received from an imaging unit and that is subjected to a first image processing, a first smoothed signal creating unit creates a first smoothed signal in which noise is reduced. By performing a second smoothing process that is different from the first smoothing process on the input signal, the second smoothed signal creating unit creates a second smoothed signal in which noise is reduced. A mixing processing unit mixes the first smoothed signal and the second smoothed signal in accordance with a mixing ratio according to a value of the input signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2011Publication date: August 9, 2012Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20120092472Abstract: An image processing device includes an image acquisition section that successively acquires a reference image via a successive imaging process performed by an imaging section of an endoscope apparatus, the reference image being an image including an image of an observation target, a state detection section that detects an operation state of the endoscope apparatus, and acquires operation state information that indicates a detection result, and an extraction section that extracts an area including the image of the observation target from the acquired reference image as an extraction area to acquire an extracted image, the extraction section determining a degree of position offset correction on the image of the observation target based on the operation state information acquired by the state detection section, and extracting the extracted image from the reference image using an extraction method corresponding to the determined degree of position offset correction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2011Publication date: April 19, 2012Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20120033108Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2011Publication date: February 9, 2012Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20110311117Abstract: An image processing device includes a normal light image acquisition section that acquires a normal light image including an object image that includes information within a wavelength band of white light, a special light image acquisition section that acquires a special light image including an object image that includes information within a specific wavelength band, an isolated point determination section that performs an isolated point determination process on a normal light processing target pixel based on a pixel value of the normal light processing target pixel, the normal light processing target pixel being a processing target pixel included in the normal light image, and a correction control section that controls a correction process performed on the special light image based on the isolated point determination process performed by the isolated point determination section.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2011Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20100295975Abstract: A device includes a first isolated-point candidate detection section calculates a parameter value used for detecting an isolated-point candidate from a near-field region of a target pixel of a color image signal, a color-space conversion section combines a plurality of signals constituting the color image signal together, and converts the combined signals into a plurality of color signals on defined color space, a second isolated-point candidate detection section calculates a parameter value used for detecting an isolated-point candidate from a near-field region of a target pixel of the converted color signal, and an isolated-point degree determination section determines an isolated-point degree on the basis of parameter values calculated by the isolated-point candidate detection sections.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2010Publication date: November 25, 2010Inventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20100245552Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventor: Keiji HIGUCHI
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Publication number: 20100232695Abstract: An excellent image is obtained by performing a noise reduction process taking into account a color component. By performing color space conversion on a color video signal, a first color converted signal is generated. By performing color space conversion on a color video signal of a past frame, a second color converted signal is generated. A noise-reduced signal is generated from the first color converted signal and the second color converted signal. The noise-reduced signal is subjected to inverse conversion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2010Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiji Higuchi
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Publication number: 20100215266Abstract: To enhance the accuracy of detection correction of a defective pixel. An image processing device including a predominant color edge detection unit for detecting an edge using a predominant color signal which is a color signal with the highest appearance frequency; a sub-color parameter calculation unit for calculating, with respect to a sub-color signal or a color signal other than the predominant color signal, from a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels of the same color as the pixel of interest, a sub-color parameter value related to a degree of isolated point of the pixel of interest; and a sub-color isolated point correction unit for correcting the pixel of interest based on the sub-color parameter value and the information of the edge.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2010Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: Olympus CorporationInventor: Keiji HIGUCHI