Patents by Inventor Masashi Hirota

Masashi Hirota 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: 20240082740
    Abstract: Exemplary communication system 1 includes game devices 10, communication terminals 20, and game support server 30. Game devices 10 enable users to perform a multi-play activity. Each of communication terminals 20 runs an application associated with corresponding game device 10. Game support server 30 divides communication terminals 20 into separate communication groups in accordance with a situation of the multi-play activity performed by game devices 10 so that communication terminals 20 belonging to a same communication group can communicate with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Daisuke NAKAMURA, Masashi SEIKI, Yosuke FUJINO, Miki MURAKAMI, Hideaki TANABE, Sho ONUMA, Naoya HIROTA, Kojiro TAGUCHI, Daisuke TSUJIMURA
  • Publication number: 20230415876
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine, a propeller shaft, a propeller attached to the propeller shaft, a transmission to transmit rotation of the engine to the propeller shaft, an upper accommodation body accommodating a portion of the engine, a lower accommodation body accommodating a portion of the propeller shaft, and a steering to cause the lower accommodation body to rotate about a steering axis with respect to the upper accommodation body. The upper accommodation body includes an upper exhaust channel including an upper exhaust port that communicates with the engine. The lower accommodation body includes a lower exhaust channel including a lower exhaust port. The upper exhaust channel and the lower exhaust channel are switchable between a communication state of communicating with each other and a non-communication state of not communicating with each other based on a rudder angle of the steering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Kimitaka SARUWATARI, Yu WAKAMIZU, Daisuke KOYAMA, Masashi HIROTA, Takuma ISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220351350
    Abstract: An endoscope processor comprises a processor. The processor causes a light source to generate, as illumination light, light in a first wavelength band in which hemoglobin absorption is smaller than that in a green band and light in a second wavelength band which is different from the first wavelength band. The processor causes an endoscope to image a return light so as to output an image signal. The processor acquires a first image obtained by the light in the first wavelength band from the image signal and detects unevenness information on mucosa from the first image. The processor acquires a second image obtained by the light in the second wavelength band from the image signal and synthesizes the unevenness information with the second image so as to generate a display image in which an uneven region in the second image is emphasized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi HIROTA
  • Patent number: 11361406
    Abstract: A disclosed image processing apparatus includes a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to obtain a plurality of temporally continuous images generated by continuously imaging a subject illuminated with illumination light; calculate a correction coefficient on the basis of a correction target frame among the plurality of images; revise the correction coefficient of the correction target frame on the basis of the correction coefficient of each of a plurality of frames within a predetermined time set beforehand from a shooting time of the correction target frame; and create a display image on the basis of the correction target frame and the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Kimura, Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20220022739
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes comprises a processor. The processor causes the light source device to produce narrow band light as illumination light, and the narrow band light has a peak wavelength between a wavelength band including a local maximum of a hemoglobin absorption characteristic and a wavelength band including a local minimum of the hemoglobin absorption characteristic. The processor receives an image signal from the imaging device that outputs the image signal based on return light. The processor uses an image produced in response to the image signal to identify a state of the living body by identifying at least one of whether or not stomach mucosa is in a sterilized state, or whether or not the stomach mucosa is inflamed mucosa, outputs state identifying information indicating the state of the living body, and controls wavelength characteristics of the illumination light based on the state identifying information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seigo ON, Yasunori MORITA, Masashi HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20210401268
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes a processor. An image signal includes a first image signal corresponding to first light and a second image signal corresponding to second light. The processor determines at least one of whether or not a submucosa region or a bleeding region is included in an image based on the image signal. In a case where the submucosa region is included, the processor performs conversion processing that increases a combination ratio of the second image signal to the first image signal in an image region including the submucosa region, and allocates a combined image signal to a G-channel. In a case where the bleeding region is included, the processor performs conversion processing that increases a combination ratio of the first image signal to the second image signal in an image region including the bleeding region, and allocates the combined image signal to the G-channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jumpei TAKAHASHI, Masashi HIROTA, Yasunori MORITA
  • Patent number: 11039077
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: an image acquiring unit configured to acquire a plurality of images at different imaging time which images are captured when illumination light in different wavelength bands is emitted; and a processor including hardware. The processor is configured to generate a low-resolution image by lowering resolution of at least one image in the plurality of images, and detect light-absorption information at a certain depth based on a correlation between images which are in an image group including the low-resolution image and the plurality of images, which are captured with the illumination light in different wavelength bands, and at least one of which is the low-resolution image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20210145266
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a light source device alternately emitting a first illumination light group including green light and a second illumination light group not including the green light; an image sensor including color filters of a plurality of colors; and a processing circuit. The processing circuit generates a display image on the basis of an image obtained with the first illumination light group and an image obtained with the second illumination light group. The first illumination light group further includes blue narrowband light together with the green light. The processing circuit generates a green channel image in the display image on the basis of a green image and a blue narrowband image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seigo ON, Yasunori MORITA, Masashi HIROTA, Jumpei TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20210100439
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an illumination device emitting a plurality of lights with different wavelength bands at least two different timings in time series, and a processor including hardware. The plurality of lights includes a first light and a second light. The processor is configured to generate a highlighted image in which a specific structure under a mucus membrane is highlighted, based on a plurality of images obtained by the emission of the plurality of lights. The illumination device emits the first light and the second light continuously. The first light has a first wavelength band corresponding to a luminance component of the highlighted image. The second light has a second wavelength band that enables capturing of an image of the specific structure with higher contrast than the first light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi HIROTA, Jumpei TAKAHASHI, Yasunori MORITA
  • Patent number: 10891743
    Abstract: An image processing device is configured to perform enhancement processing on a specific image, using multiple images of types that are different from one another at least one of which is captured at a time different from a time at which other images are captured. The image processing device includes a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to execute: acquiring the multiple images; calculating information representing a state of at least one of the multiple images that is used for enhancement; and creating an enhanced image by performing the enhancement processing on an image to be enhanced based on the information representing the state and the multiple images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20200053268
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: an image acquiring unit configured to acquire a plurality of images at different imaging time which images are captured when illumination light in different wavelength bands is emitted; and a processor including hardware. The processor is configured to generate a low-resolution image by lowering resolution of at least one image in the plurality of images, and detect light-absorption information at a certain depth based on a correlation between images which are in an image group including the low-resolution image and the plurality of images, which are captured with the illumination light in different wavelength bands, and at least one of which is the low-resolution image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi HIROTA
  • Patent number: 10555660
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a narrowband image acquisition unit configured to acquire a narrowband image showing inside of a lumen; a white light image acquisition unit configured to acquire a white light image showing the inside of the lumen; and a composite image generation unit configured to combine information of the narrowband image to the white light image, according to a depth of a submucosal object, to generate a composite image for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Hirota, Tetsuo Nonami, Yamato Kanda
  • Patent number: 10356378
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire images including at least one narrow-band image and having different wavelength component distributions from one another; an absorption information extracting unit configured to extract absorption information from a first image on the basis of a specific frequency component in the first image and correlation between the first image and a second image, the first image being a narrow-band image among the images, the second image being an image different from the first image among the images, the absorption information being image information indicating a change in absorption caused by absorption of narrow-band light used in capturing of the first image by a light absorber; and a display image generating unit configured to generate an image for display by combining the absorption information with at least any one of the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 10292577
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to an image processing apparatus. The apparatus may include a processor and memory storing instructions that when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform the operations of detecting a deep region of a duct in an image and extracting a plurality of contour edges of an inner wall of the duct in the image. The apparatus then may identify a plurality of convex regions among the plurality of contour edges, analyze a respective curvature of each of the plurality of convex regions to identify a convex direction for each of the plurality of convex regions, and detect, as an abnormal region, a convex region having a convex direction directed toward the deep region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yamato Kanda, Takashi Kono, Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20190122344
    Abstract: A disclosed image processing apparatus includes a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to obtain a plurality of temporally continuous images generated by continuously imaging a subject illuminated with illumination light; calculate a correction coefficient on the basis of a correction target frame among the plurality of images; revise the correction coefficient of the correction target frame on the basis of the correction coefficient of each of a plurality of frames within a predetermined time set beforehand from a shooting time of the correction target frame; and create a display image on the basis of the correction target frame and the correction coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsutaka KIMURA, Masashi HIROTA
  • Publication number: 20190114792
    Abstract: An image processing device is configured to perform enhancement processing on a specific image, using multiple images of types that are different from one another at least one of which is captured at a time different from a time at which other images are captured. The image processing device includes a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to execute: acquiring the multiple images; calculating information representing a state of at least one of the multiple images that is used for enhancement; and creating an enhanced image by performing the enhancement processing on an image to be enhanced based on the information representing the state and the multiple images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi HIROTA
  • Patent number: 10194783
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a blood vessel sharpness image creation unit configured to create a blood vessel sharpness image representing sharpness of a blood vessel region in which a blood vessel is shown in an intraluminal image; an abnormal candidate region extraction unit configured to extract a region in which the sharpness is decreased in the blood vessel sharpness image, as a candidate region for an abnormal region in which a visible vascular pattern is locally lost; and an abnormal region determination unit configured to determine whether the candidate region is an abnormal region, based on extension information indicating a state of the blood vessel region extending in a neighborhood of the candidate region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kono, Yamato Kanda, Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 10178941
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an abnormal candidate region detection unit configured to detect an abnormal candidate region, as a candidate for an abnormal portion, from an intraluminal image obtained by capturing an image of an inside of a lumen of a subject, a tubular region detection unit configured to detect a tubular region from the intraluminal image, a connectivity determination unit configured to determine whether the abnormal candidate region and the tubular region are connected in a region of a color similar to that of the tubular region, and an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether the abnormal candidate region is the abnormal portion, based on results of determination by the connectivity determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Hirota, Yamato Kanda, Makoto Kitamura, Takashi Kono
  • Patent number: 10150548
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine including a plurality of cylinders, a cowling including an internal space, a drive force transmission shaft, and a supercharger driven by the drive force transmission shaft. An upper end of the supercharger is disposed below an upper end of an uppermost one of the plurality of cylinders in the internal space of the cowling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsumi Ochiai, Toshio Suzuki, Masashi Hirota
  • Publication number: 20180118317
    Abstract: An outboard motor includes an engine including a plurality of cylinders, a cowling including an internal space, a drive force transmission shaft, and a supercharger driven by the drive force transmission shaft. An upper end of the supercharger is disposed below an upper end of an uppermost one of the plurality of cylinders in the internal space of the cowling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Katsumi OCHIAI, Toshio SUZUKI, Masashi HIROTA