Patents by Inventor Akio Kokubu

Akio Kokubu 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: 7058804
    Abstract: A data storing system is provided, wherein the data storing system includes: a user apparatus; an issuing apparatus which issues a registration certificate; a data providing apparatus; an issuer registration apparatus; and a data registration apparatus; wherein the user apparatus includes: a part which generates registration information on a key including a user public key, sends the registration information to the issuing apparatus with user information; and a part which verifies a registration certificate, received from the issuing apparatus, which is signature information of the issuer for the registration information and the user information, stores the registration certificate to a storage device when the registration certificate is verified; wherein the issuing apparatus includes a part which generates the registration certificate and sends the registration certificate to the user apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Akashika, Shinichi Hirata, Nagaaki Ohyama, Akio Kokubu
  • Patent number: 6617706
    Abstract: An ignition system has a spark plug and a positive voltage applying unit. The spark plug includes a central electrode, a porcelain insulator for holding the central electrode, a main metallic shell for holding the porcelain insulator, and a ground electrode electrically connected to the main metallic shell. The positive voltage applying unit applies a positive voltage to the central electrode of the spark plug in comparison with the ground electrode, so that an ignition high voltage is applied between the central electrode and the ground electrode. In the spark plug, a spark discharge gap is formed between the ground electrode and a distal end portion of the central electrode. The ground electrode is positioned so that a rear edge of a mating face opposed to a peripheral side of the central electrode is positioned in the side of the distal end of the central electrode in comparison with an end face of the porcelain insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsubara, Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida, Makoto Yamaguchi, Kazuya Iwata, Shoichiro Ito, Hiroshi Ono
  • Publication number: 20020167225
    Abstract: An ignition system has a spark plug and a positive voltage applying unit. The spark plug includes a central electrode, a porcelain insulator for holding the central electrode, a main metallic shell for holding the porcelain insulator, and a ground electrode electrically connected to the main metallic shell. The positive voltage applying unit applies a positive voltage to the central electrode of the spark plug in comparison with the ground electrode, so that an ignition high voltage is applied between the central electrode and the ground electrode. In the spark plug, a spark discharge gap is formed between the ground electrode and a distal end portion of the central electrode. The ground electrode is positioned so that a rear edge of a mating face opposed to a peripheral side of the central electrode is positioned in the side of the distal end of the central electrode in comparison with an end face of the porcelain insulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: YOSHIHIRO MATSUBARA, AKIO KOKUBU, KAZUMASA YOSHIDA, MAKOTO YAMAGUCHI, KAZUYA IWATA
  • Patent number: 6244247
    Abstract: In an internal combustion engine, an engine control device 40 judges based on a cooling water temperature of an engine in what state the engine is. When judged that the engine is in a cold state, the engine control device 40 produces an ignition signal to feed it to an igniter 6b so as to spark spark plugs 7 which are individually placed in cylinders at an exhaust stroke or expansion stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsubara, Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida, Tetsusi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6225752
    Abstract: A spark plug for an internal combustion engine is constituted by an insulating member (20) having an axial hole (26) formed along a central shaft (18); a rod-shape central electrode (12) accommodated in the axial hole; and a ground electrode (16) with which an igniting portion (16a) opposite to the outer surface (12a) of the central electrode is formed. In the spark plug, application of voltage between the central electrode and the ground electrode such that the polarity of the central electrode is made to be positive causes discharge to occur between the central electrode and the ground electrode. The spark plug satisfies at least one of the following conditions (a) and (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsubara, Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida, Makoto Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6208066
    Abstract: In a semi-creeping discharge type spark plug, a cylindrical metal shell and an insulator are provided, the latter of which has an axial bore and placed within the metal shell so that a front end of the insulator extends beyond the metal shell. A center electrode is placed within the axial bore of the insulator so that a front end surface edge of the center electrode retracts by 0.1˜0.6 mm behind from a front end surface of the insulator. A ground electrode, one end of which is connected to a front end of the metal shell, and the other end of which is bent to oppose an outer surface of the insulator so as to form an air-gap therebetween while permitting creeping spark discharges running along said front end surface of said insulator. A foward edge portion of a front end surface of the ground electrode extends by 0.0˜1.0 mm forward from the front end surface of the insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida, Yoshihiro Matsubara, Makoto Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6091185
    Abstract: In a spark plug, a cylindrical metal shell (1) is provided whose inner wall has a rear section and a front section to respectively serve as a diameter-increased section and a diameter-decreased section with a seat portion (1) as a boundary therebetween. An insulator (2) is fixedly placed within the metal shell (1) so that a front end surface (21) of the insulator (2) extends beyond a front end surface (12) of the metal shell (1) with a shoulder portion (231) of an insulator nose (23) engaged against the seat portion (11) of the metal shell (1) by way of a packing (10). A center electrode (3) is fixedly placed within an axial bore (22) of the insulator (2), A ground electrode (4) is connected to the front end surface (12) of the metal shell (1), and bent so that a front end surface (41) of the ground electrode (4) opposes an outer surface (311) of the center electrode (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsubara, Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5929556
    Abstract: In a spark plug in use for an internal combustion engine, a ground electrode is secured to a front end of the metal shell so that a front end surface of the ground electrode faces an elevational side of a front end of the center electrode to cause semi-creeping spark discharges therebetween along a front end surface of the insulator. A front end portion of the center electrode has an electrode base in the axial bore and an electrode front defined diametrically smaller than the electrode base by way of a diameter-variable portion. A diametrical difference between an initial point of the diameter-variable portion of the center electrode and the axial bore of the insulator is 1 mm or less, and the initial point of the diameter-variable portion is retracted by 0.0 mm-1.0 mm from the front end surface of the insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Matsubara, Akio Kokubu, Kazumasa Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5130652
    Abstract: An AC magnetic flux leakage type flaw detecting apparatus for use in flat surface flaw detecting comprises AC exciting means having a pair of magnetic poles for exciting a steel material to be flaw detected, a leakage magnetic flux detecting element, and rotatably scanning means for rotatably scanning the magnetic flux leakage detecting element in a surface substantially parallel to the flat surface oppositely to the flat surface to be flaw detected of the steel material in a plane of an exciting magnetic field between the pair of magnetic poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1992
    Assignee: Eddio Corporation
    Inventors: Masanobu Kawakami, Akio Kokubu