Patents by Inventor Yoichi Wada

Yoichi Wada 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: 9442282
    Abstract: A biological specimen observation apparatus whereby observation of a biological specimen can be performed accurately. In macro observation, a biological change region is extracted from a macro image, a micro observation point corresponding to an extracted biological change region is registered, and an object for tracking is identified. In micro observation, it is judged from the micro image whether or not biological change has continued in the biological change region at the micro observation point, and the registered micro observation point is updated on the basis of this judgment result. It is possible to carry out both macro observation for detecting a biological change region and micro observation for observing the progress of growth of a partial minute region where biological change has been exhibited, and to carry out accurate observation of a biological specimen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo Kuroda, Hirotada Watanabe, Yoichi Wada, Yasujiro Kiyota, Ryuji Koshiba, Takayuki Uozumi
  • Publication number: 20160131670
    Abstract: An input section of an incubator accepts, from a user, a first input selecting a specified incubation container which registers an observing schedule, and a second input specifying an imaging condition of the specified incubation container in an observing sequence. A calculating section calculates, according to the above-mentioned imaging condition, an observing duration of the specified incubation container from a first data relating to a carrying period of an incubation container and a second data with regard to an imaging duration. A schedule management section extracts, based on a schedule data, a registrable time zone in which an observing sequence of the specified incubation container can be executed without overlapping with previously registered observing schedules, and outputs to display the registrable time zone for presentation to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoichi WADA
  • Patent number: 9318519
    Abstract: One embodiment according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus including a pixel. The pixel includes first and second photoelectric conversion units, a floating diffusion portion, and first and second transfer transistors. The first and second transfer transistors are configured to transfer electric carriers generated respectively at the first and second photoelectric conversion units to the floating diffusion portion. The imaging apparatus includes a first conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first transfer transistor, a second conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the second transfer transistor, and a control unit. The distance of closest proximity between the first conductive member and the floating diffusion portion is longer than the distance of closest proximity between the second conductive member and the floating diffusion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Yoichi Wada, Akira Okita, Yu Arishima
  • Patent number: 9299463
    Abstract: A noble metal injection apparatus is connected to a piping of a nuclear plant at the time of stop of the nuclear plant before start of the nuclear plant. In chemical decontamination, oxidation decontamination agent decomposition, and reduction decontamination on an inner surface of the pipe system are executed. After reduction decontamination, a part of an oxalic acid included in a reduction decontamination solution is decomposed and platinum is injected into the reduction decontamination solution of pH 3.5 or higher. When the platinum concentration becomes a preset concentration, a reduction agent is injected and the reduction decontamination solution including the platinum and reduction agent is brought into contact with the inner surface of the piping. The platinum is deposited on the inner surface of the piping. The injection of the platinum and reduction agent is stopped and the platinum and reduction agent are decomposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ito, Hideyuki Hosokawa, Makoto Nagase, Yoichi Wada, Kazushige Ishida, Motohiro Aizawa
  • Patent number: 9238790
    Abstract: An input section of an incubator accepts, from a user, a first input selecting a specified incubation container which registers an observing schedule, and a second input specifying an imaging condition of the specified incubation container in an observing sequence. A calculating section calculates, according to the above-mentioned imaging condition, an observing duration of the specified incubation container from a first data relating to a carrying period of an incubation container and a second data with regard to an imaging duration. A schedule management section extracts, based on a schedule data, a registrable time zone in which an observing sequence of the specified incubation container can be executed without overlapping with previously registered observing schedules, and outputs to display the registrable time zone for presentation to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoichi Wada
  • Patent number: 9202831
    Abstract: One embodiment is an imaging apparatus including multiple pixels. The pixels include first and second photoelectric conversion units, a floating diffusion portion, and first and second transfer transistors configured to transfer electric carriers generated at the respective first and second photoelectric conversion units to the floating diffusion portion. The imaging apparatus includes a first conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first transfer transistor, a second conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the second transfer transistor, and a control unit. The distance of closest proximity between the first conductive member and the floating diffusion portion is shorter than distance of closest proximity between the second conductive member and the floating diffusion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoichi Wada, Masahiro Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150222836
    Abstract: An image sensor including a photoelectric converter, a charge-voltage converter, a transfer transistor to transfer a charge from the photoelectric converter to the charge-voltage converter whereby potential of the charge-voltage converter changes to a first direction, an amplifier transistor to output a signal corresponding to potential of the charge-voltage converter to a column signal line, the amplifier transistor sequentially outputting, to the column signal line, noise level and light signal level, a capacitance between a control signal line and the charge-voltage converter, and a control unit to change a potential of the control signal line so that the potential of the charge-voltage converter changes to a second direction opposite to the first direction in a period in which the charge-voltage converter is in floating and which is prior to outputting the noise level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Yoichi Wada, Masahiro Kobayashi, Fumihiro Inui
  • Patent number: 9063343
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an outline extracting processing unit inputting a phase contrast image of a cell colony acquired by an observing unit, and extracting an outline of the cell colony, an extracting unit extracting a feature quantity of an outline part of the cell colony based on brightness information at an outside and brightness information at an inside of the outline on the phase contrast image, and an automatic discriminating unit automatically discriminating whether or not the cell colony is an iPS cell colony based on a discriminant criterion determined in advance and the feature quantity extracted by the extracting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignees: NIKON CORPORATION, KYOTO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masato Nakagawa, Hirotada Watanabe, Yoichi Wada
  • Patent number: 8917347
    Abstract: The focus control culture observation apparatus enable simple and reliable detection of a focusing position of an objective lens on a subject and with certainty. When a focusing position is detected, an area, which includes an edge portion of the culture medium drop is selected as an AF area which is to be a target of detecting the focusing position of the objective lens on the culture medium drop. The apparatus detects the focusing position on the culture medium drop based on an observation image of the AF area. By detecting the focusing position as a targeting area that is different from an area which is near the edge of the culture container and where illumination unevenness is generated, the detection accuracy can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Yasujiro Kiyota, Yoichi Wada, Hiroaki Kii
  • Patent number: 8885082
    Abstract: A solid-state image sensor has a plurality of pixel units, each pixel unit including a plurality of pixels, and a charge-voltage converter shared by the plurality of pixels. The sensor includes a structural portion including a plurality of wiring layers, an interlayer insulating film, and light waveguides configured by embedding, in portions of the interlayer insulating film located above the photoelectric converters, a material having a refractive index higher than that of the interlayer insulating film. A dummy pattern is formed in the structural portion to reduce a difference between a sensitivity of a first pixel and that of a second pixel, which is produced by a difference between a structure in a periphery of the light waveguide arranged above the photoelectric converter of the first pixel and that of the second pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Noda, Koichiro Iwata, Takeshi Akiyama, Taro Kato, Yoichi Wada
  • Publication number: 20140320690
    Abstract: One embodiment according to the present invention is an imaging apparatus including a pixel. The pixel includes first and second photoelectric conversion units, a floating diffusion portion, and first and second transfer transistors. The first and second transfer transistors are configured to transfer electric carriers generated respectively at the first and second photoelectric conversion units to the floating diffusion portion. The imaging apparatus includes a first conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first transfer transistor, a second conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the second transfer transistor, and a control unit. The distance of closest proximity between the first conductive member and the floating diffusion portion is longer than the distance of closest proximity between the second conductive member and the floating diffusion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kobayashi, Yoichi Wada, Akira Okita, Yu Arishima
  • Publication number: 20140319321
    Abstract: One embodiment is an imaging apparatus including multiple pixels. The pixels include first and second photoelectric conversion units, a floating diffusion portion, and first and second transfer transistors configured to transfer electric carriers generated at the respective first and second photoelectric conversion units to the floating diffusion portion. The imaging apparatus includes a first conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the first transfer transistor, a second conductive member electrically connected to the gate electrode of the second transfer transistor, and a control unit. The distance of closest proximity between the first conductive member and the floating diffusion portion is shorter than distance of closest proximity between the second conductive member and the floating diffusion portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoichi Wada, Masahiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8780244
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus according to one or more embodiments includes a power line and first through fourth photodiodes. The first, second, and third photodiodes are arranged along a first direction so that the first photodiode is adjacent to the second photodiode, and the second photodiode is adjacent to the third photodiode. The power line includes a first conductor disposed along the first direction and a second conductor disposed along a second direction that intersects the first direction. The second conductor is disposed on a region between the second and third photodiodes. First and second transistors corresponding to the first and second photodiode, respectively, are connected to the power line. The fourth photodiode is disposed adjacent to the second photodiode in the second direction. A third transistor corresponding to the fourth photodiode is connected to the power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichi Wada, Masahiro Kobayashi, Michiko Johnson, Hiromasa Tsuboi
  • Publication number: 20140140465
    Abstract: An aqueous solution of alkali hexahydroxo platinate is produced. As a alkali hexahydroxo platinate, sodium hexahydroxoplatinate or potassium hexahydroxoplatinate is used. The aqueous solution of alkali hexahydroxo platinate is passed through a hydrogen form cation exchange resin layer in a cation exchange resin tower. The aqueous solution of alkali hexahydroxo platinate makes contact with the hydrogen form cation exchange resin of the hydrogen form cation exchange resin layer, thus a suspension of hexahydroxo platinic is generated. If gamma rays are irradiated to the suspension, a platinum oxide colloidal solution in which colloidal particles including a platinum dioxide, a platinum monoxide, and a platinum hydroxide exist is generated. In a platinum oxide colloidal solution, the content of impurities is little and a noble metal compound is dispersed stably in water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushige ISHIDA, Masahiko TACHIBANA, Yoichi WADA, Nobuyuki OTA
  • Publication number: 20140069810
    Abstract: An electrochemical corrosion potential sensor has a sensor unit, a lead wire and a quasi-reference electrode. A sensor unit includes a tube-shaped insulator, a tube-shaped metal casing joined to an end portion of the insulator, and a Pt electrode joined to another end portion of the insulator. A lead wire connected to the Pt electrode passes through the insulator and the metal casing. The quasi-reference electrode disposed in the metal casing is made of a less noble metal and electrically connected with the lead wire. Since an electrochemical corrosion potential sensor has the quasi-reference electrode, the measurement of the corrosion potential of a structural member of a nuclear power plant and an abnormality occurrence (water intrusion) can be accurately detected during the operation of a nuclear power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko TACHIBANA, Kazushige ISHIDA, Yoichi WADA, Nobuyuki OTA, Ryosuke SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20140037037
    Abstract: A noble metal injection apparatus is connected to a piping of a nuclear plant at the time of stop of the nuclear plant before start of the nuclear plant. In chemical decontamination, oxidation decontamination agent decomposition, and reduction decontamination on an inner surface of the pipe system are executed. After reduction decontamination, a part of an oxalic acid included in a reduction decontamination solution is decomposed and platinum is injected into the reduction decontamination solution of pH 3.5 or higher. When the platinum concentration becomes a preset concentration, a reduction agent is injected and the reduction decontamination solution including the platinum and reduction agent is brought into contact with the inner surface of the piping. The platinum is deposited on the inner surface of the piping. The injection of the platinum and reduction agent is stopped and the platinum and reduction agent are decomposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI-GE NUCLEAR ENERGY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi ITO, Hideyuki HOSOKAWA, Makoto NAGASE, Yoichi WADA, Kazushige ISHIDA, Motohiro AIZAWA
  • Patent number: 8524056
    Abstract: An electrochemical corrosion potential sensor (ECP sensor) has an electrode cap, an electrode fixing body, a tubular insulator, a tubular metallic housing, and a conductive wire. Both ends of the tubular insulator are connected to the electrode fixing body and the tubular metallic housing respectively. A conductive wire passes through the tubular insulator and the tubular metallic housing, and is connected to an inner surface of the electrode fixing body. The electrode cap 11 disposed to cover an outer surface of the electrode fixing body. The ECP sensor with such a construction can lengthen the lifetime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushige Ishida, Yoichi Wada, Masahiko Tachibana, Motomasa Fuse, Naoshi Usui, Motohiro Aizawa, Nobuyuki Ota
  • Publication number: 20130165233
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a high-preference game system that can reduce a game development burden of a game system operator, can increase the desire of a player to iteratively play a game, and enables a player to play a game without aversion. When a player requests a game open in a dungeon, 5 points among the points retained by the player is consumed, and 3 points are temporarily pooled in the dungeon. When the player succeeds in satisfying a clear condition of the dungeon, a total of 13 temporarily-pooled and not pooled points is added to a retention point of the player. Also, when the player fails to satisfy the clear condition of the dungeon, the temporarily pooled points are pooled in the dungeon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventor: Yoichi WADA
  • Patent number: 8457270
    Abstract: A method of suppressing deposition of radionuclides on components of a nuclear power plant comprises forming a ferrite film by contacting a first chemical including iron (II) ions, a second chemical for oxidizing the iron (II) ions to iron (III) ions, and a third chemical for adjusting the pH of a processing solution containing a mixture of the first and second chemicals to be 5.5 to 9.0 with the metal member surface in a time period from a finishing stage in decontamination step of removing contaminants formed on the surface of metal member composing the nuclear power plant, and suppressing deposition of radionuclides on the metal member by the ferrite film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hosokawa, Makoto Nagase, Kazushige Ishida, Yoichi Wada, Naoshi Usui, Motohiro Aizawa, Motomasa Fuse
  • Publication number: 20120294404
    Abstract: A hydrogen treatment facility for treating hydrogen without using a power source is disposed outside a reactor containment vessel and in an upper portion of a reactor building. A hydrogen detector detecting hydrogen in the reactor building is connected to a control apparatus operated by an independent power source activated at the time of a station black-out. A circulation passage for air circulation generated in the reactor building is disposed in the reactor building and outside the reactor containment vessel. A hydrogen treatment duct connects to the circulation passage and a gangway and a room with equipment. During a severe accident and station black-out and when hydrogen concentration detected by the hydrogen detection apparatus exceeds a set concentration, the hydrogen treatment duct is put in use by the control apparatus. Air containing the hydrogen is introduced into the hydrogen treatment facilities through the hydrogen treatment duct and the circulation passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Engergy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi WADA, Masaya OHTSUKA, Hideaki NISHIKAWA