Patents Represented by Attorney Rossi & Associates
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Patent number: 6743150Abstract: A lock-up control device for a lock-up torque converter of an automatic transmission is provided which starts measuring an elapsed time when the throttle opening exceeds a first predetermined value due to depression of an accelerator pedal during lock-up clutch slip control. When the throttle opening exceeds a second predetermined value due to sudden depression of the accelerator pedal prior to the elapse of a determination time, a transmission controller terminates the lock-up clutch slip control. After a rapid increase, the slip amount starts decreasing upon termination of the lock-up clutch slip control. Therefore, the temperature of a facing stops rising when the lock-up clutch slip control is terminated, and this improves the durability of the facing. The lock-up clutch slip control is re-started when the throttle opening is reduced to a predetermined value, and this maintains the excellent fuel economy performance.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Jatco LTDInventors: Kazuhiro Takatori, Osamu Sato, Tatsuya Imamura, Yasushi Fujita, Kazuhito Sano, Kazuo Tomioka
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Patent number: 6740952Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a stable high withstand voltage lateral MISFET device which suppresses a gradual withstand voltage drop under high voltage and humidity conditions. In a MISFET device with a 700V breakdown drain voltage, the length of extension Mc (&mgr;m) of a field plate FP1 from the source side end of a thermal oxidization film, and the total insulating film thickness Tox (&mgr;m) directly below the extending tip of the field plate FP1, are greater than or equal to lower limit values Mcmin, Tcmin. As a result, even if there is growth in charge accumulation at the interface of the mold resin, the field strength at a point B and point C is always lower than at a point A, which suppresses a gradual withstand voltage drop and a gradual ON current drop, whereby it becomes possible to realize a withstand voltage of 700V.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Naoto Fujishima, Akio Kitamura, Gen Tada, Masaru Saito
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Patent number: 6737705Abstract: A trench-type IGBT includes a silicon substrate, a lightly doped n-type drift layer on the silicon substrate, and a p-type base layer on the n-type drift layer. The p-type base layer is doped more heavily than the n-type drift layer, and is formed of first regions and second regions. N+-type source regions are formed selectively in the surface portions of the first regions of p-type base layer. Trenches are dug from the surfaces of n+-type source regions down to the n-type drift layer through the p-type base layer. A gate oxide film covers the inner surface of each trench. Gate electrodes are provided in the trenches, wherein the gate electrodes face the p-type base layer via respective gate oxide films. An emitter electrode is in direct contact with the first regions of p-type base layer and n+-type source regions. A collector electrode is provided on the back surface of silicon substrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2001Date of Patent: May 18, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Seiji Momota, Yuichi Onozawa, Masahito Otsuki, Hiroki Wakimoto
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Patent number: 6733124Abstract: Disclosed is a contact lens having a back surface to be placed on a cornea. The back surface includes a generally circular central zone whose radius of curvature gradually decrease from its center toward its periphery, and an peripheral zone disposed around the central zone.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2002Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignee: Menicon Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuya Miyamura, Keiji Sugimoto, Tadashi Sawano
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Patent number: 6733439Abstract: A centering mechanism accurately centers a probe as it moves through a pathway having a changing shape, diameter, and direction. More specifically, the invention provides a probe centering device that includes a ring shaped resilient balloon, a front stopper that fixes a location of a first side of the balloon, and a biasing mechanism that applies a biasing force to a second side of the balloon. The biasing mechanism includes a rear stopper, a spring and a pusher, wherein the spring is located between the rear stopper and the pusher and the pusher is in contact with the second side of the balloon. A flexible member is preferably provided to cover and protect the biasing mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2001Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignee: Apti Inc.Inventor: Arie Zigler
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Patent number: 6729639Abstract: There is provided a hook mounting structure that comprises a vehicle body structural member having a bottom part and two side parts that extend upward from both side edges of the bottom part to be joined to a lower surface of a floor; a tow hook mounted on a lower surface of the bottom part of the vehicle body structural member; and a reinforce having a bottom part joined to the bottom part of the vehicle body structural member and two side parts joined respectively to the two side parts of the vehicle body structural member, at least one of the side parts and the bottom part of the reinforce being connected to each other via a continuous part extending diagonally therebetween.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tatsuzo Tomita
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Patent number: 6730961Abstract: A semiconductor device includes trench lateral MOSFET's, each trench lateral MOSFET includes a trench; an oblong n+-type source region; an oblong n+-type drain regions; and an n−-type offset drain region; the direction parallel to the short edge portions of n+-type source region and n+-type drain region being defined as an x-direction; the direction perpendicular to the x-direction being defined as a y-direction; n−-type offset drain region surrounding the short edge portions, extending in the x-direction, of n+-type drain region 7 such that the offset drain length in the y-direction is longer than the offset drain length in the x-direction along the side walls and the bottom wall of trench to secure a sufficient offset drain length in the y-direction and to relax the electric field localization to the short edge portion, extending in the x-direction, of n+-type drain region.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2002Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Akio Kitamura
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Patent number: 6727418Abstract: Musical score of a music piece is divided into a plurality of displaying portions, and display progression information is supplied which defines a shift or jump, in the displaying portions, of a performed measure based on a repeat sign. Next displaying portion to be displayed following a current displaying portion is determined, and display switching timing at which the current performance progression of the music piece shifts from the current displaying portion to the next displaying portion is detected on the basis of the display progression information and performance progression information. By switching between the displaying portions in response to detection of the display switching timing, sequential switching from the current displaying portion to the next displaying portion can take place appropriately in accordance with progression of the performance.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2002Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Yamaha CorporationInventor: Shuichi Matsumoto
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Patent number: 6723014Abstract: A transmission mechanism of continuously variable transmission in a vehicle comprises a primary pulley and a secondary pulley provided with a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber, with groove widths being changed by supply of hydraulic pressure, and a belt provided between the pulleys. A hydraulic pressure to the first cylinder chamber is controlled by CVT control unit through a shift control valve according to a driving state of the vehicle, and the second cylinder chamber is continuously supplied with a line pressure. CVT control unit includes an internal memory to retain a heavy-current system fail flag according to the failure information inputted from a motor control unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Jatco Transtechnology Ltd.Inventors: Yoshihide Shinso, Yoshikazu Miyagawa, Satoshi Sakakibara
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Patent number: 6724549Abstract: In the case where a magnetic transfer process is used to record a specific magnetic pattern during the magnetic disk manufacturing process, a read/write tester for conducting a glide height test and a read/write test and a particle testing means are provided at the front section of a magnetic transfer device. The tester records a specific magnetic pattern onto a magnetic disk in a magnetic transfer method. An optical testing device, a read/write tester for conducting a glide height test, and a read/write test in sampling are provided at the rear section of the device. This enables the detection of consecutive disk abnormalities caused by particles, which are adhered a master disk or put between the magnetic disk and the master disk. A transfer quality control device collects the results of the respective tests, so that the quality can be controlled using the results. Accordingly, the present invention assures the desired quality of a magnetic disk produced after transfer.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hironori Mine
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Patent number: 6724042Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device facilitating a peripheral portion thereof with a breakdown voltage higher than the breakdown voltage in the drain drift layer without employing a guard ring or field plate. A preferred embodiment includes a drain drift region with a first alternating conductivity type layer formed of n drift current path regions and p partition regions arranged alternately with each other, and a breakdown withstanding region with a second alternating conductivity type layer formed of n regions and p regions arranged alternately with each other, the breakdown withstanding region providing no current path in the ON-state of the device and being depleted in the OFF-state of the device. Since depletion layers expand in both directions from multiple pn-junctions into n regions and p regions in the OFF-state of the device, the adjacent areas of p-type base regions, the outer area of the semiconductor chip and the deep area of the semiconductor chip are depleted.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiko Onishi, Tatsuhiko Fujihira, Katsunori Ueno, Susumu Iwamoto, Takahiro Sato, Tatsuji Nagaoka
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Patent number: 6724493Abstract: The states of plural image output apparatuses are sensed. Then, an image output apparatus, which will supply image data, is selected according to a size of an image output job on the basis of image data and the states of the image output apparatuses in such a manner as to reduce an electric power consumption required for outputting images.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2000Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hidekazu Maruta, Tsunao Hombo
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Patent number: 6716127Abstract: A pressure regulating valve regulates an original pressure outputted from a manual valve by means of a control pressure generated by a solenoid in a D range and supplies the regulated original pressure to an engaging element. An electronic control unit filters a current signal supplied to the solenoid to generate the control pressure by using a strong filter when a N range is switched to a D range during stoppage of a vehicle so that the control pressure has a gentle rise characteristic, switches the filtering process to a filtering process using a weak filter to rapidly move the pressure regulating valve in a working pressure discharge direction when the N range is switched to the D range during running of the vehicle and returns the filtering process to the filtering process using a strong filter after a predetermined time period. Thereby, occurrence of shock is suppressed when the D range is again selected after the N range is selected during running in the D range.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2002Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: JATCO LtdInventors: Kazuhiro Takatori, Osamu Sato, Tatsuya Imamura, Toshihide Fukasawa
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Patent number: 6715413Abstract: A screen-printing apparatus for printing creamy solder paste on a substrate by attaching a screen mask to the substrate. A laser-measuring device mounted in the apparatus measures the top surface of the screen mask at a printing position and the top of the substrate at a substrate-measurement position by three-dimensional measurement, and detects a shape of the substrate or the screen mask, and determines whether or not they are acceptable. After screen printing is completed, the substrate and the screen mask undergo a printing inspection where their shapes are inspected. This provides not only inspection data of the printing results but also data for identifying the causes of print failures. As a result, the screen-printing apparatus, which has high-printing accuracy and can prevent printing failures from occurring, is provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2001Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kimiyuki Yamasaki, Michinori Tomomatsu, Seikoh Abe, Seiichi Miyahara, Yuji Otake, Takahiro Fukagawa, Kunihiko Tokita, Masayuki Mantani, Minoru Murakami
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Patent number: 6705657Abstract: A vehicle seat stowing structure has seats provided on a floor. The seats are rotated rearwardly of a vehicle around a rotational shaft fixed to a vehicle body so that the bottom surface of each of seat cushions is directed to the inside of a passenger compartment. The seats are stowed in a recess formed in the floor. The floor is formed so that at least a part thereof extending between a portion provided forwardly of a place, at which the seats are installed, and a front edge of the recess is flat. A casing is provided at a place, which is located forwardly of the recess and faces the bottom surfaces of the seat cushions, on the floor.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2003Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shingo Kutomi, Takashi Ogino
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Patent number: 6705774Abstract: A camera apparatus which includes a casing; a pan unit having an external video incident section; a pan shaft; a pan shaft support; pan driving means for rotating the pan unit about the pan shaft; a tilt unit having an internal video incident section and tilt face; a tilt shaft; tilt driving means for rotating the tilt unit about the tilt shaft; and a camera disposed inside the tilt unit. This configuration allows to visibly recognize the movement of the camera, and increases the design flexibility by covering an internal mechanism. Moreover, the apparatus may be downsized by reducing the unused space inside. Furthermore, a simple mechanism increases the productivity of the camera apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2001Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Tashiro, Shinji Aiura
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Patent number: 6700141Abstract: A reliable super-junction semiconductor device is provided that facilitates relaxing the tradeoff relation between the on-resistance and the breakdown voltage and improving the avalanche withstanding capability under an inductive load. The super-junction semiconductor device includes an active region including a thin first alternating conductivity type layer and a heavily doped n+-type intermediate drain layer between first alternating conductivity type layer and an n++-type drain layer, and a breakdown withstanding region including a thick second alternating conductivity type layer. Alternatively, active region includes a first alternating conductivity type layer and a third alternating conductivity type layer between first alternating conductivity type layer and n++-type drain layer, third alternating conductivity type layer being doped more heavily than first alternating conductivity type layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2001Date of Patent: March 2, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Susumu Iwamoto, Tatsuhiko Fujihira, Katsunori Ueno, Yasuhiko Onishi, Takahiro Sato
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Patent number: 6700402Abstract: There is provided an output control circuit provided in an integrated circuit that enables any arbitrary internal signal to be specified and output from any output terminal, and hence enable the monitoring of a large number of internal signals even if only a small number of output terminals are provided. A plurality of external output terminals output a plurality of signals existing in the integrated circuit. A plurality of signal output circuits are provided, to which the plurality of internal signals are mutually input. Each of the signal output circuits comprises a signal group select circuit that selects a predetermined signal group from the plurality of internal signals, a logic circuit that carries out logical operations on the selected signal group, and an external output circuit that outputs signals resulting from the logical operations via one of the external output terminals.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2002Date of Patent: March 2, 2004Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Souhei Tanaka, Masafumi Wataya, Noriyuki Suzuki, Akira Kuronuma, Toru Nakayama, Takuji Katsu
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Patent number: 6696728Abstract: To provide a super-junction MOSFET reducing the tradeoff relation between the on-resistance and the breakdown voltage greatly and having a peripheral structure, which facilitates reducing the leakage current in the OFF-state thereof and stabilizing the breakdown voltage thereof. The vertical MOSFET according to the invention includes a drain drift region including a first alternating conductivity type layer; a breakdown withstanding region (peripheral region) including a second alternating conductivity type layer around drain drift region, second alternating conductivity type layer being formed of layer-shaped vertically-extending n-type regions and layer-shaped vertically-extending p-type regions laminated alternately; an n-type region around second alternating conductivity type layer; and a p-type region formed in the surface portion of n-type region to reduce the leakage current in the OFF-state of the MOSFET.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2002Date of Patent: February 24, 2004Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yasuhiko Onishi, Tatsuhiko Fujihira, Katsunori Ueno, Susumu Iwamoto, Takahiro Sato, Tatsuji Nagaoka
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Patent number: RE38477Abstract: A performance information analyzer wherein one of tone pitch information data applied thereto in response to progress of performance of a musical tune is analyzed into one of plural performance parts on a basis of a difference in tone pitch between the one of the tone pitch information data and a reference tone pitch information data previously assigned to a predetermined part of the plural performance parts during prior analysis of the tone pitch information and the other tone pitch information data are analyzed into the other performance parts on a basis of a difference in tone pitch between the analyzed tone pitch information data and each of the other tone pitch information data.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1998Date of Patent: March 30, 2004Assignee: Yamaha CorporationInventor: Yutaka Tohgi