Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Nixon & Vanderhye
  • Patent number: 8348627
    Abstract: The present invention provides a hydraulic pump for use in driving a load with a control modulation system which modulates a primary control signal in order to accommodate variations in secondary changeable parameters which require control at a higher frequency or have a lower latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Artemis Intelligent Power Ltd
    Inventors: William Hugh Salvin Rampen, Uwe Bernhard Pascal Stein, Michael Richard Fielding, Niall Caldwell
  • Patent number: 8350959
    Abstract: A camera lens actuation apparatus for driving motion of a camera lens supported on a support structure by a suspension system. The apparatus incorporates a subassembly comprising SMA wire connected to at least one mounting member which is mounted to the support structure. At least one pair of lengths of SMA wire are held in tension between the camera lens element and the support structure at respective acute angles to the optical axis applying a tensional force having a component along the optical axis. The lengths of SMA wire in the pair are held at angle as viewed along the optical axis. There may be plural pairs with a balanced arrangement in which the forces generated have no net component perpendicular to the optical axis and generate no net torque around any axis perpendicular to the optical axis. A control circuit controls heating of the SMA wire in response to a measure of its resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: 1 . . . Limited
    Inventors: Richard Topliss, David Livingstone, Robert John Leedham
  • Patent number: 8349623
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film photoelectric conversion module comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of divided strings by dividing a string, in which thin film photoelectric conversion elements provided by sequentially laminating a first electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second electrode layer on the surface of an insulating substrate are electrically connected in series, into a plurality of strings by dividing grooves, electrically insulating and separating the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer one from the other and extending in a serial connection direction; and (B) performing reverse biasing by applying a reverse bias voltage to each of thin film photoelectric conversion elements of the divided string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinsuke Tachibana, Takanori Nakano
  • Patent number: 8350817
    Abstract: A display device provided with a touch panel for detecting a contact position on a touch surface of the panel at which a contact object is brought into contact with the touch surface, the touch panel including an in-panel-surface electrode with a plurality of openings formed in a display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asahi Yamato, Kazuki Takahashi, Jun Nakata
  • Patent number: 8348761
    Abstract: In a game played by a plurality of game machines through teamwork, an evaluation is performed according to the correlation among operation information obtained through communications with each of the game machines. A plurality of game machines communicate with one another to establish timing synchronization. After the game, input timings at which buttons are operated during the game are collected and then evaluated so as to determine an absolute and relative timing coincidence in a predetermined period (unison part). A predetermined number of points are added to its game score based on the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akito Nakatsuka, Yuichi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8349975
    Abstract: Method for transitioning from a first process for producing a first polymer to a second process for producing a second polymer. The first and second processes each include contacting a principal olefin and a comonomer with a catalyst under gas phase polymerization conditions to form the first or second polymer. The first and second processes utilize the same olefin but differ in at least one of the comonomer used and the reaction temperature at which the polymer is produced. The respective first or second polymer is then contacted with a purge gas to remove unreacted monomers. The method includes changing the flow rate of purge gas from a first rate to a second rate defined relative to a flow rate and temperature used for an earlier polymer produced using the same comonomer as the second process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Ineos Europe Limited
    Inventor: Jean-Louis Chamayou
  • Patent number: 8345000
    Abstract: An information processing device performs a game process based on a tilt angle of an input device that can be rotated to any tilt about a predetermined axis. First, a game apparatus calculates a tilt angle representing the tilt of the input device. Then, the game apparatus determines whether the calculated tilt angle has transitioned across the boundary between the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the tilt angle. If the tilt angle has transitioned across the boundary, the tilt angle to be used in a predetermined information process is corrected to a predetermined value that is on one side of the boundary on which the tilt angle was before crossing the boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuhiro Dohta
  • Patent number: 8343329
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode for hydrogen generation of which the hydrogen overvoltage is sufficiently low and which is not affected by poisoning due to iron ions, and furthermore, of which the durability is superior because during operations and stop-and-start control, the hydrogen overvoltage does not rise and exfoliation of the supported material does not occur. The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the aforementioned hydrogen generation electrode and an electrolysis method using the electrode for hydrogen generation as a cathode. An electrode for hydrogen generation is used in which a platinum alloy including platinum and one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, silver, and iron, or an amorphous material of a transition metal element and platinum is supported on a conductive base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tosoh Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shirakura, Akinori Shimono
  • Patent number: 8342424
    Abstract: A needle is received in a nozzle body and is adapted to reciprocate relative to an injection hole to open and close the injection hole. A pressure chamber receives the fuel and exerts a pressure against the needle in an opening direction away from the injection hole upon increasing of the pressure of the fuel in the pressure chamber. A damper arrangement is actuated upon increasing of the pressure in the pressure chamber to alleviate a change in the pressure in the pressure chamber. A pressurizing piston reciprocates to increase and decrease the pressure of the fuel in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Kouichi Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 8344574
    Abstract: A stator for an electric rotating machine includes a stator coil that is formed of a plurality of electric wire segments each of which is comprised of an electric conductor and an insulating coat covering the electric conductor. The electric wire segments include a joined pair of first and second electric wire segments. Each of the first and second electric wire segments has an end portion of a first predetermined length where the electric conductor is not covered by the insulating coat. The end portions of the first and second electric wire segments are joined together. For each of the first and second electric wire segments, the insulating coat has, at its boundary with the end portion of the electric wire segment, a peeled portion of a second predetermined length which has a distal end peeled from the electric conductor and a proximal end remaining attached to the electric conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Atsuo Ishizuka, Akihito Koike
  • Patent number: 8342155
    Abstract: An injector has a body that defines a high-pressure passage for passing high-pressure fuel to an injection hole inside, a needle that is accommodated in the body and that opens and closes the injection hole, an electric actuator that causes the needle to perform the opening and closing action, a lead wire that is arranged in a lead wire insertion hole formed in the body and that supplies an electric power to the electric actuator, and a fuel pressure sensor that is fixed to the body and that senses pressure of the high-pressure fuel. An outlet hole, via which the lead wire extends from the lead wire insertion hole to an outside of the body, is located at a position closer to the injection hole than the fuel pressure sensor is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Fujino, Jun Kondo, Shu Kagami
  • Patent number: 8343833
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a plurality of units having identical structures, each unit includes: a drain electrode; a drift layer that includes a low concentration layer on the drain electrode and a reference concentration layer on the low concentration layer, a gate electrode on the reference concentration layer; a pair of source regions that are provided on an upper surface of the reference concentration layer and in the vicinity of both ends of the gate electrode; a pair of base regions that surround outer surfaces of the source regions; a source electrode electrically connected to the source regions and the base regions; and a pair of depletion-layer extension regions that are respectively provided under the base regions in the reference concentration region. Boundaries between the depletion-layer extension regions and the low concentration layer are positioned lower than a boundary between the reference concentration layer and the low concentration layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuki Miyakoshi
  • Patent number: 8345201
    Abstract: An alignment film material according to the present invention includes: a precursor of a first polyimide (p1); a second polyimide (p2) and a precursor thereof; and a vinyl-type monomer. The vinyl-type monomer is represented by general formula (1) P1-A1-(Z1-A2)n-P2 (in general formula (1), P1 and P2 are, independently, acrylate, methacrylate, acrylamide or methacrylamide; A1 and A2 represent, independently, 1,4-phenylene, 1,4-cyclohexane or 2,5-thiophene, or naphthalene-2,6-diyl or anthracene-2,7-diyl; at least one of A1 and A2 is substituted by at least one fluorine group; and Z1 is a —COO— group, a —OCO— group, a —O— group, a —CONH— group or a single bond, where n is 0 or 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanobu Mizusaki, Yohei Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8342009
    Abstract: A method of more accurately measuring steam turbine efficiency is disclosed in which the sealing steam in the steam turbine is re-routed so that a more accurate measure of steam turbine efficiency can be made. Some of the steam entering a turbine goes into the turbine's end pack and then mixes with the steam that goes through the turbine. Piping is added from one of the end pack line's to the condenser. This added line has a valve, pressure, temperature and flow measuring devices. As the valve is opened, the amount of flow going to the end pack line allowing the end pack steam mix with the steam that goes through the turbine is reduced. As the flow in this line is reduced the measured temperature at the turbine exhaust will also decrease. The amount that the valve is opened is increased until either the exhaust temperature has reached a minimum, or the enthalpy in the pipe changes from the initial enthalpy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Peter John Murphy
  • Patent number: 8344573
    Abstract: A stator for use in an electric rotating machine is provided which includes a stator winding wound through slots of a stator core. The stator winding is made up of a plurality of conductor segments connected together. Each of the conductor segments includes an in-slot portion disposed inside one of the slots and out-slot portions extending from the in-slot portion outside at least one of the ends of the stator core. Ends of the out-slot portions are joined together to form the stator winding. The joints of the ends of the out-slot portions have a given pattern of texture formed on surfaces thereof and coated with an insulating material. The pattern of texture enhances the adhesion of the insulating coatings to the surfaces of the joints and ensures the stability in electric insulation of the joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Syo Hasegawa, Keigo Moriguchi, Hiroaki Takeda
  • Patent number: 8344053
    Abstract: Domain segregation of polymer blends or block copolymers in the presence of thermal conducting high aspect ratio nanocrystals leads to preferential placement of conductive filler either inside one domain, which promote the self-assembly of a thermal and/or electrical conducting pathway composed of high aspect ratio filler. The self-assembly of such thermal and/or electrical conducting pathway effectively enhances the thermal and/or electrical conductivity of the composite with significantly less amount of filler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Pixelligent Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Xu, Jun Xu, Zehra Serpil Gonen-Williams, Gregory D. Cooper
  • Patent number: 8345199
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display device of high image quality, which has high brightness and excellent viewing angle characteristics. A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a pair of polarizing plates, a first electrode, a second electrode provided so as to oppose the first electrode, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. Each of a plurality of pixels includes a first region and a second region which are separated by a line parallel to or perpendicular to the directions of the transmission axes of the pair of polarizing plates. The first electrode includes, in each of the first region and the second region, a plurality of first branch portions extending in a first direction and a plurality of second branch portions extending in a second direction that is different from the first direction. Each of the plurality of first branch portions in the first region has a first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshito Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Ohgami, Masakazu Shibasaki, Masumi Kubo, Yuichi Iyama, Masayuki Soga
  • Patent number: 8343148
    Abstract: A device for morcellating tissue within a body cavity of a patient comprises a stationary tube having a distal end portion, and a bipolar electrosurgical electrode assembly located at the distal end of the tube. The electrosurgical electrode assembly comprises first and second electrodes separated by an insulation member. When an electrosurgical cutting voltage is applied to the electrode assembly, and relative movement is initiated between the tube and the tissue, a core of severed tissue is formed within the tube such that it can be removed from the body cavity of the patient. The tube comprises a twin-walled construction with an inner wall, an outer wall and an air gap therebetween. This twin-walled construction reduces the heat that is able to travel proximally along the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Gyrus Medical Limited
    Inventors: Alistair I. Fleming, Julian M. Ebbutt, Andrew E. Jenkins, Hollie Johnston, Rhodri G. James
  • Patent number: RE43897
    Abstract: In a recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing video data, includes: a shuffling memory (6); a writing means for writing video data into the shuffling memory in accordance with the synchronizing signal and a write reference clock signal in synchronization with the video data; and a reading means for reading out the video data from the shuffling memory in accordance with a synchronizing signal and a stabilized read reference clock which is asynchronous with the write clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Saito, Eiichi Takakura
  • Patent number: D674079
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukishige Shiraichi, Masaki Ohtsuka, Masaya Takahashi