Patents by Inventor Tadashi Tamura

Tadashi Tamura 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: 8366624
    Abstract: Some embodiments include acquisition of color Doppler data associated with a pulse repetition frequency (fPRF) and a baseline shift, detection of a first area of the color Doppler data representing zero flow velocity, detection of a second area of the color Doppler data, detection of a first transition between one or more velocities of the second area and one or more velocities of an adjacent third area of the color Doppler data, detection of a second transition between the third area and an adjacent fourth area of the color Doppler data representing non-zero flow velocities in the first direction, subtraction of a velocity corresponding to fPRF from each of the flow velocities of the third area if the second direction is positive, and addition of the velocity corresponding to fPRF to each of the flow velocities of the third area if the second direction is negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20130030298
    Abstract: Actual ultrasound attenuation in tissue is used to calculate gain compensation profiles which are used to create a uniform image. Axial, lateral, elevation gain profiles are used to correct the attenuation and ultrasound variation in each direction. In addition, automatic activation of the automatic gain compensation is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8348848
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to determine a region of interest, determine a first beam steering angle of a first ultrasound beam transmitted from an ultrasound transducer array that results in a maximum representative signal value received from the region of interest, determine a second beam steering angle based on the first beam steering angle, the second beam steering angle being closer to perpendicular with the ultrasound transducer array than the first beam steering angle, and acquire an ultrasound image using a beam transmitted from the ultrasound transducer array at the second beam steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8343054
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described to create a plurality of ultrasound images of an area, each of the plurality of ultrasound images acquired using a respective beam steering angle, determine, for each of a plurality of image pixel locations in each of the plurality of ultrasound images, a value of an image pixel located at an image pixel location, identify, for each of the plurality of image pixel locations, a value among the plurality of values determined for the pixel location other than the largest value of the plurality of values determined for the pixel location, and create a first output image in which each of the plurality of image pixel locations of the output image includes an image pixel having the value identified for the image pixel location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8313436
    Abstract: Actual ultrasound attenuation in tissue is used to calculate gain compensation profiles which are used to create a uniform image. Axial, lateral, elevation gain profiles are used to correct the attenuation and ultrasound variation in each direction. In addition, automatic activation of the automatic gain compensation is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20120253194
    Abstract: A first ultrasound pulse is applied to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue, a focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted into the biological tissue, one or more ultrasound signals is received from the biological tissue, and shear waves are detected in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals. At least one shear wave propagation property associated with the detected shear waves is determined, and the determined at least one propagation property is displayed. Ultrasound beam steering is used to improve measurement accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8275510
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program including the steps of determining that a change speed solenoid is abnormal when a target speed ratio falls within a predetermined range, an upshift is recognized and the change speed solenoid is abnormal; determining that the change speed solenoid is normal when the change speed solenoid is not abnormal; determining that a belt pinch pressure solenoid is abnormal when the target speed ratio is substantially equal to a speed ratio ?min on a maximum speed-increase side and the target speed ratio is not substantially equal to an actual speed ratio; and determining that the belt pinch pressure solenoid is normal when the target speed ratio is substantially equal to the actual speed ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoto Tanaka, Shinya Toyoda, Naoya Inoue, Tadashi Tamura, Akira Hino, Yasunari Matsui
  • Patent number: 8271167
    Abstract: A shift control apparatus for vehicular continuously variable transmissions is equipped with a related value calculating portion (102) that calculates a first driving force related value in association with an automatic shift mode in which an automatic shift control portion (92) performs shift control and that calculates a second driving force related value in association with a manual shift mode in which a manual shift control portion (94) performs shift control, and a second changeover portion (108). The first driving force related value and the second driving force related value are set larger as the driving force output from an engine (12) increases. The second changeover portion makes a changeover from the manual shift mode to the automatic shift mode on the basis of a relationship between the first driving force related value and the second driving force related value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Tawara, Shinya Toyoda, Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8195369
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program that includes a step of increasing belt squeezing pressure to a value P (ON) greater than a normal value P (OFF) that is set as the belt squeezing pressure when a footbrake switch is off, when the footbrake switch is on and the time elapsed after the footbrake switch was turned on is less than a threshold value T (0); and a step of gradually reducing the belt squeezing pressure to the normal value P (OFF) when the time elapsed after the footbrake switch was turned on is equal to or greater than the threshold value. As a result, a decrease in fuel efficiency of a vehicle in which a continuously variable transmission is mounted, as well as a reduction in the durability of a belt of this continuously variable transmission, can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20110317902
    Abstract: An edge detection filter comprising an array of filter coefficients having an odd number of rows and columns, a first set of zero coefficients extending along a direction traversing the array through a center position to form a first and second side, a second set of positive coefficients extending away from the direction on the first side, and a third set of negative coefficients extending away from the direction on the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8055075
    Abstract: A method for detecting and enhancing edges in an ultrasound image includes the steps of applying an edge detection filter to at least one of a plurality of pixels of an ultrasound image to compute an edge detection value having a magnitude and a direction; and applying either a directional edge enhancement filter or a non-directional smoothing filter to at least one of the plurality of pixels of the ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20110245672
    Abstract: A first ultrasound pulse is applied to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue, a focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted into the biological tissue, one or more ultrasound signals is received from the biological tissue, and shear waves are detected in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals. At least one propagation property associated with the detected shear waves is determined, and the determined at least one propagation property is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20110245678
    Abstract: A first ultrasound pulse is applied to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue, a focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted into the biological tissue, one or more ultrasound signals is received from the biological tissue, and shear waves are detected in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals. At least one propagation property associated with the detected shear waves is determined, and the determined at least one propagation property is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20110245668
    Abstract: A first ultrasound pulse is applied to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue, a focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted into the biological tissue, one or more ultrasound signals is received from the biological tissue, and shear waves are detected in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals. At least one propagation property associated with the detected shear waves is determined, and the determined at least one propagation property is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 8031978
    Abstract: An edge detection filter comprising an array of filter coefficients having an odd number of rows and columns, a first set of zero coefficients extending along a direction traversing the array through a center position to form a first and second side, a second set of positive coefficients extending away from the direction on the first side, and a third set of negative coefficients extending away from the direction on the second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20110040188
    Abstract: Some embodiments include acquisition of color Doppler data, and detection of one or more transitions of the color Doppler data, each of the one or more transitions being between a first area representing flow velocity in a first direction and a second area representing flow velocity not in the first direction. A normalized energy function across one or more of the one or more transitions is calculated, a configuration of flow areas within the color Doppler data is determined, and aliasing corrections for the color Doppler data are determined based on the normalized energy functions and the configuration of flow areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20110015526
    Abstract: Some embodiments include acquisition of color Doppler data, detection of one or more transitions of the color Doppler data, each of the one or more transitions being between a first area representing flow velocity in a first direction and a second area representing flow velocity not in the first direction, and application of a first set of aliasing corrections to the color Doppler data to generate second color Doppler data. For each of the one or more transitions, one or more pairs of color Doppler values in the second color Doppler data, which are located on opposite sides of the transition, are determined. Also, for each of the one or more transitions, a first energy function is calculated based on the one or more pairs of color Doppler values in the second color Doppler data which are located on opposite sides of the transition, and a first total energy function associated with the first set of aliasing corrections is determined based on the calculated first energy functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventor: Tadashi Tamura
  • Patent number: 7788010
    Abstract: A controlling system of a vehicle with a continuously variable transmission, which can render a sufficient accelerating feeling in responsive to a driver's requirement. A controller, upon judgment of an acceleration requirement, sets a target drive force higher than the target drive force upon normal calculation upon normal operation of an accelerator pedal, and sets a target rotation speed upon acceleration higher than the target rotation speed upon the normal operation and increasing with an increase of the vehicle speed by a predetermined gradient. The speed change ratio of the continuously variable transmission and the output torque of the engine are controlled such that the set target drive force is achieved, and an input shaft rotation speed of the continuously variable transmission coincides with the target rotation speed upon the set acceleration. Thus upon acceleration, the target drive force and the output rotation speed of the drive source increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Kondo, Tadashi Tamura, Akira Hino, Makoto Sawada, Hiroji Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20100209689
    Abstract: Expanded styrene resin beads are made of a styrene resin as the base resin and have an average bead diameter of 0.5-10 mm and an apparent density of 0.013-0.15 g/cm3. The expanded beads are characterized in that the expanded beads each has many dimples having a maximum diameter of 5-100 ?m in the surface and that when the expanded beads are secondarily expanded under the conditions of a heating steam temperature of 107° C. and a heating time of 120 seconds, then the secondary expansion ratio determined by dividing the apparent density of the expanded beads before the secondary expansion (g/cm3) by the apparent density of the expanded beads after the secondary expansion (g/cm3) satisfies the relationship (1). Secondary expansion ratio??7.00×{apparent density of expanded beads before secondary expansion (g/cm3)}+1.61 (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: JSP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaomi Shima, Kenji Haraguchi, Tadashi Tamura
  • Publication number: 20100191428
    Abstract: In a shift control device for a vehicular continuously variable transmission with an arrangement in which a normal shift mode is switched to an acceleration shift mode in response to an acceleration demand, a shift control is performed to prevent deterioration to running performance due to a transition to the acceleration shift mode by increased running resistance such as ascending road running or the like against a driver will. An acceleration demand determining value PAPL is set depending on a road surface gradient ? such that the shifting mode is more difficult to be switched to the acceleration shift mode in a larger road surface gradient ?, than in a smaller road surface gradient ?. Such arrangement prevents the shift mode from being switched to the acceleration shift mode during ascending road running with an increase in an accelerator operation amount PAP against the driver will.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Tamura, Akira Hino, Masahiro Tawara, Yasunari Matsui