Patents by Inventor Kohei Shimbo

Kohei Shimbo 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: 11933486
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a linear light source extending in a first direction and configured to emit light in a second direction intersecting the first direction to an object; a rod lens apart from the linear light source in the second direction and extending in the first direction, the rod lens configured to transmit the light emitted from the linear light source; and a support portion supporting the rod lens and having: a first surface extending in a third direction intersecting the second direction; and a second surface extending in a fourth direction intersecting the second direction and the third direction. The rod lens is in contact with each of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyo Makino, Michihito Ohashi, Yohhei Watanabe, Kohei Shimbo
  • Patent number: 11919533
    Abstract: An alert apparatus starts alerting a driver of a host vehicle, when an oncoming vehicle, that is an other vehicle traveling in an oncoming lane with respect to a traveling lane in which the host vehicle is traveling so as to approach the host vehicle and that is predicted to pass through on a specific direction side with respect to a current position of the host vehicle, is present, a turn signal indicator of the host vehicle corresponding to the specific direction side is being operated, and it is likely that the host vehicle starts turning to the specific direction side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mafune Kakeshita, Chen Xi, Kohei Morotomi, Yuto Shimbo, Tasuku Usui, Kenichi Shimizu, Wataru Ike, Tsunekazu Yasoshima
  • Patent number: 11906356
    Abstract: A spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus and a method of obtaining spectral characteristics. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus includes a conveyor including a first conveyance roller pair disposed in a conveyance direction in which an object is conveyed and a second conveyance roller pair disposed downstream from the first conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction, a sensor to detect that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair, circuitry to control the second conveyance roller pair to drive by a predetermined amount with a driving force greater than a driving force of the first conveyance roller pair upon detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair by the sensor and to stop driving, and a color data obtainer to obtain color data from the object at a position where the object stops moving. In the spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus, the circuitry estimates a spectral characteristic of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Koike, Nobuo Kikuchi, Dan Ozasa, Kohei Shimbo
  • Publication number: 20230383924
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a linear light source extending in a first direction and configured to emit light in a second direction intersecting the first direction to an object; a rod lens apart from the linear light source in the second direction and extending in the first direction, the rod lens configured to transmit the light emitted from the linear light source; and a support portion supporting the rod lens and having: a first surface extending in a third direction intersecting the second direction; and a second surface extending in a fourth direction intersecting the second direction and the third direction. The rod lens is in contact with each of the first surface and the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyo Makino, Michihito Ohashi, Yohhei Watanabe, Kohei Shimbo
  • Publication number: 20230106354
    Abstract: A spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus and a method of obtaining spectral characteristics. The spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus includes a conveyor including a first conveyance roller pair disposed in a conveyance direction in which an object is conveyed and a second conveyance roller pair disposed downstream from the first conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction, a sensor to detect that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair, circuitry to control the second conveyance roller pair to drive by a predetermined amount with a driving force greater than a driving force of the first conveyance roller pair upon detecting that the object has reached the second conveyance roller pair by the sensor and to stop driving, and a color data obtainer to obtain color data from the object at a position where the object stops moving. In the spectral-characteristic acquisition apparatus, the circuitry estimates a spectral characteristic of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio KOIKE, Nobuo KIKUCHI, Dan OZASA, Kohei SHIMBO
  • Patent number: 11519783
    Abstract: A spectral property acquisition apparatus includes: a first conveying device to convey an object in predetermined conveying direction; a color data acquisition device including a plurality of spectroscopic sensors in the conveying direction, the plurality of spectroscopic sensors receive light emitted and reflected by the object to acquire color data on the object; a second conveying device to convey the color data acquisition device in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; and circuitry to estimate a spectral property of the object based on the color data. The circuitry controls the first conveying device so as to generate predetermined tension for the object in a color data acquisition area in which the color data on the object is acquired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Taneda, Kohei Shimbo, Yoichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 11134159
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition device according to one aspect of the disclosed technique includes: a color data acquirer comprising a plurality of spectral sensors receiving light reflected from an object irradiated with light and acquiring color data of the object; circuitry configured to estimate a spectral characteristic of the object on a basis of the color data and calibrate the spectral characteristic calculator on a basis of the color data obtained from a calibration color mark having a color mark of a known spectral characteristic; a first conveyer configured to convey the object in a predetermined conveyance direction and conveying the color data acquirer in a direction intersecting the predetermined conveyance direction; and a second conveyer configured to convey the calibration color mark in the predetermined conveyance direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kubota, Yusuke Taneda, Kohei Shimbo
  • Publication number: 20200300701
    Abstract: A spectral property acquisition apparatus includes: a first conveying device to convey an object in predetermined conveying direction; a color data acquisition device including a plurality of spectroscopic sensors in the conveying direction, the plurality of spectroscopic sensors receive light emitted and reflected by the object to acquire color data on the object; a second conveying device to convey the color data acquisition device in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction; and circuitry to estimate a spectral property of the object based on the color data. The circuitry controls the first conveying device so as to generate predetermined tension for the object in a color data acquisition area in which the color data on the object is acquired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke TANEDA, Kohei SHIMBO, Yoichi KUBOTA
  • Patent number: 10594905
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic obtaining apparatus includes a color information obtaining unit including a plurality of spectral sensors aligned in an array direction, the spectral sensors being configured to receive light reflected from an object so as to obtain first color information of the object; a spectral characteristic calculating unit configured to estimate a spectral characteristic of the object based on the first color information by using a preset transformation matrix; a calibration color index configured to include a region of a color with a known spectral characteristic; and a transformation matrix calibrating unit configured to calibrate the transformation matrix by using second color information obtained from the calibration color index, wherein the spectral sensors are configured to obtain the second color information from the same region included in the calibration color index, while relative positions thereof with respect to the calibration color index are changed at a time of calibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Taneda, Kohei Shimbo, Yoichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 10564038
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquiring apparatus includes a color data acquiring unit including a plurality of spectral sensors configured to receive reflected light from an object that has been irradiated with light to acquire color data of the object, a spectral characteristic calculating unit configured to estimate spectral characteristics of the object based on the acquired color data of the object using a preset transformation matrix, a first conveying unit configured to convey the object in a predetermined conveying direction, and a second conveying unit configured to convey the color data acquiring unit in a direction intersecting the predetermined conveying direction. The plurality of spectral sensors are arrayed in the predetermined conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Taneda, Kohei Shimbo, Yoichi Kubota
  • Publication number: 20200007694
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition device according to one aspect of the disclosed technique includes: a color data acquirer comprising a plurality of spectral sensors receiving light reflected from an object irradiated with light and acquiring color data of the object; circuitry configured to estimate a spectral characteristic of the object on a basis of the color data and calibrate the spectral characteristic calculator on a basis of the color data obtained from a calibration color mark having a color mark of a known spectral characteristic; a first conveyer configured to convey the object in a predetermined conveyance direction and conveying the color data acquirer in a direction intersecting the predetermined conveyance direction; and a second conveyer configured to convey the calibration color mark in the predetermined conveyance direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: YOICHI KUBOTA, YUSUKE TANEDA, KOHEI SHIMBO
  • Publication number: 20190250040
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquiring apparatus includes a color data acquiring unit including a plurality of spectral sensors configured to receive reflected light from an object that has been irradiated with light to acquire color data of the object, a spectral characteristic calculating unit configured to estimate spectral characteristics of the object based on the acquired color data of the object using a preset transformation matrix, a first conveying unit configured to convey the object in a predetermined conveying direction, and a second conveying unit configured to convey the color data acquiring unit in a direction intersecting the predetermined conveying direction. The plurality of spectral sensors are arrayed in the predetermined conveying direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke TANEDA, Kohei SHIMBO, Yoichi KUBOTA
  • Publication number: 20190230254
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic obtaining apparatus includes a color information obtaining unit including a plurality of spectral sensors aligned in an array direction, the spectral sensors being configured to receive light reflected from an object so as to obtain first color information of the object; a spectral characteristic calculating unit configured to estimate a spectral characteristic of the object based on the first color information by using a preset transformation matrix; a calibration color index configured to include a region of a color with a known spectral characteristic; and a transformation matrix calibrating unit configured to calibrate the transformation matrix by using second color information obtained from the calibration color index, wherein the spectral sensors are configured to obtain the second color information from the same region included in the calibration color index, while relative positions thereof with respect to the calibration color index are changed at a time of calibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke TANEDA, Kohei SHIMBO, Yoichi KUBOTA
  • Patent number: 9677938
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition device includes a member configured to have a plurality of openings arrayed in a predetermined direction, each of the plurality of openings inclined with respect to the predetermined direction, the plurality of openings being configured to pass light beams from a plurality of positions on an object therethrough, a spectrally dispersing part configured to spectrally disperse the light beams having passed through the plurality of openings in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and a plurality of one-dimensional image capturing parts provided at a predetermined interval in a plurality of lines and configured to be irradiated with the light beams having been spectrally dispersed by the spectrally dispersing part, a plurality of pixels of the plurality of one-dimensional image capturing parts being arrayed in a direction parallel to the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohei Shimbo, Naohiro Kamijo, Yoichi Kubota
  • Patent number: 9224080
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition device includes a light irradiation part configured to irradiate an object with light, a diffraction part configured to diffract light reflected from the object to provide diffracted light, a light-receiving part configured to receive the diffracted light and output a signal based on an amount of the diffracted light, a calibration color index configured to include a color with a known spectral characteristic, and an operation part configured to calculate a spectral characteristic of the object from a signal output from the light-receiving part by using a predetermined transformation matrix and calibrate the transformation matrix by using the calibration color index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Kubota, Kohei Shimbo, Naohiro Kamijo
  • Patent number: 9222833
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic obtaining apparatus including a light irradiation unit configured to emit light onto a reading object; a spectroscopic unit configured to separate at least a part of diffused reflected light from the light emitted onto the reading object by the light irradiation unit into a spectrum; and a light receiving unit configured to receive the diffused reflected light separated into the spectrum by the spectroscopic unit and to obtain a spectral characteristic. The light receiving unit is configured to be a spectroscopic sensor array including plural spectroscopic sensors arranged in a direction, and the spectroscopic sensors include a predetermined number of pixels arranged in the direction to receive lights with different spectral characteristics from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Seo, Naohiro Kamijo, Kohei Shimbo
  • Patent number: 9197761
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition apparatus includes a light emitting part configured to emit light onto an object, a light dividing part configured to divide the light reflected from the object into multiple light beams by multiple aperture parts of the light dividing part, a dispersing part configured to form multiple diffraction images corresponding to the aperture parts by spectrally dispersing the light beams, a light receiving part including an array of spectral sensors that receive the diffraction images at substantially the same position on their respective light receiving surfaces and convert the received diffraction images into electrical signals, and an operation part configured to compute a spectral characteristic of the object based on the electrical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Naohiro Kamijo, Kohei Shimbo, Yoichi Kubota
  • Publication number: 20150253190
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic obtaining apparatus including a light irradiation unit configured to emit light onto a reading object; a spectroscopic unit configured to separate at least a part of diffused reflected light from the light emitted onto the reading object by the light irradiation unit into a spectrum; and a light receiving unit configured to receive the diffused reflected light separated into the spectrum by the spectroscopic unit and to obtain a spectral characteristic. The light receiving unit is configured to be a spectroscopic sensor array including plural spectroscopic sensors arranged in a direction, and the spectroscopic sensors include a predetermined number of pixels arranged in the direction to receive lights with different spectral characteristics from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Seo, Naohiro Kamijo, Kohei Shimbo
  • Publication number: 20150235114
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic acquisition device includes a light irradiation part configured to irradiate an object with light, a diffraction part configured to diffract light reflected from the object to provide diffracted light, a light-receiving part configured to receive the diffracted light and output a signal based on an amount of the diffracted light, a calibration color index configured to include a color with a known spectral characteristic, and an operation part configured to calculate a spectral characteristic of the object from a signal output from the light-receiving part by using a predetermined transformation matrix and calibrate the transformation matrix by using the calibration color index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi KUBOTA, Kohei SHIMBO, Naohiro KAMIJO
  • Patent number: 9068893
    Abstract: A spectral characteristic obtaining apparatus including a light irradiation unit configured to emit light onto a reading object; a spectroscopic unit configured to separate at least a part of diffused reflected light from the light emitted onto the reading object by the light irradiation unit into a spectrum; and a light receiving unit configured to receive the diffused reflected light separated into the spectrum by the spectroscopic unit and to obtain a spectral characteristic. In at least one example embodiment, the light receiving unit is configured to be a spectroscopic sensor array including plural spectroscopic sensors arranged in a direction, and the spectroscopic sensors include a predetermined number of pixels arranged in the direction to receive lights with different spectral characteristics from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Seo, Naohiro Kamijo, Kohei Shimbo