Patents by Inventor Nobuhiro Higuchi

Nobuhiro 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).

  • Publication number: 20230135790
    Abstract: A defect detection method includes: a step of irradiating an object with a pulsed laser beam to continuously generate ultrasonic waves in the object; and a step of detecting the presence or absence of an internal defect of the object on the basis of the presence or absence of resonance of the ultrasonic waves occurring between a surface of the object and the internal defect. In this method, the internal defect is detected on the basis of the presence or absence of resonance of the ultrasonic waves occurring between the surface of the object and the internal defect. The internal defect can be thus detected even when the internal defect is in a surface layer of the object. The detected internal defect is crack or void.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Misaki FUKUYAMA, Nobuhiro HIGUCHI, Natsuse MORIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11325725
    Abstract: The present invention comprises: a fatigue estimation unit that estimates the fatigue life of a prescribed area of a fuselage, on the basis of the level of damage in the prescribed area during operation; a determination unit that determines whether the estimated fatigue life will be reached after a prescribed period of time has elapsed; a repair determination unit that determines that repair of the fuselage is unnecessary if a determination is made that the estimated fatigue life will be reached after the prescribed period of time has elapsed, and that determines that the fuselage is to be repaired if a determination is made that the estimated fatigue life will be reached within the prescribed period of time; and a selection unit that, if a determination is made that the fuselage is to be repaired, selects a repair method corresponding to the detected degree of damage in the prescribed area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nozomi Saito, Takashi Yari, Nobuhiro Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11209399
    Abstract: To provide a repairing member, a repair structure, and a damage detection method that enable accurate detection of damage that occurs in a repairing member and a repairing target member. The repair structure includes a skin in which an opening is formed, and a plate-like repairing member fixed to the skin to cover the opening. The repairing member has a recess formed on a contact face side in contact with the skin, and an ultrasonic search unit is placed inside the recess. The ultrasonic search unit is placed so as to be in contact with both the repairing member and the skin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Higuchi, Takashi Yari, Nozomi Saito
  • Publication number: 20210139166
    Abstract: To detect damages of aircrafts using a small number of sensors. Provided with a category generation unit that categories usage environment information set that is determined based on aircraft types associated with the aircrafts and flight conditions associated with the aircrafts and that indicates usage environments of the airframes of the aircrafts into a plurality of categories in such a way that similar usage environment information set is categorized into the same category; an extraction unit that extracts a category in which an aircraft to be diagnosed is categorized; and a determination unit that determines the arrangement positions of measurement devices relative to the aircraft to be diagnosed, based on previous data that changes for each of the usage environments and that has been obtained when one of the aircrafts has been operated under a usage environment corresponding to the categorized category.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Nozomi SAITO, Takashi YARI, Nobuhiro HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210130012
    Abstract: The present invention comprises: a fatigue estimation unit that estimates the fatigue life of a prescribed area of a fuselage, on the basis of the level of damage in the prescribed area during operation; a determination unit that determines whether the estimated fatigue life will be reached after a prescribed period of time has elapsed; a repair determination unit that determines that repair of the fuselage is unnecessary if a determination is made that the estimated fatigue life will be reached after the prescribed period of time has elapsed, and that determines that the fuselage is to be repaired if a determination is made that the estimated fatigue life will be reached within the prescribed period of time; and a selection unit that, if a determination is made that the fuselage is to be repaired, selects a repair method corresponding to the detected degree of damage in the prescribed area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Nozomi SAITO, Takashi YARI, Nobuhiro HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190382127
    Abstract: A damaged portion determination device includes: a damage identification unit that identifies a damaged portion of an airframe of an aircraft; a position identification unit that identifies a reference position inside the airframe of the aircraft; and a damaged portion presentation unit that superimposes and presents an imaging result resulting from imaging of a state inside the airframe of the aircraft at the reference position by an imaging device, internal structural data representing an internal structure of the aircraft, and position information about the damaged portion relative to the reference position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yari, Nozomi Saito, Nobuhiro Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20190025260
    Abstract: To provide a repairing member, a repair structure, and a damage detection method that enable accurate detection of damage that occurs in a repairing member and a repairing target member. The repair structure includes a skin in which an opening is formed, and a plate-like repairing member fixed to the skin to cover the opening. The repairing member has a recess formed on a contact face side in contact with the skin, and an ultrasonic search unit is placed inside the recess. The ultrasonic search unit is placed so as to be in contact with both the repairing member and the skin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Higuchi, Takashi Yari, Nozomi Saito