Patents by Inventor Masanao Murata

Masanao Murata 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).

  • Publication number: 20080056864
    Abstract: A transported object storage system includes: a transporting carriage traveling along a track and transporting objects each having a gripped portion; a transported object storage rack having a rack board; a positioning plate on the rack board and on which the transported objects are put, having a plurality of groups of projections, each of the groups supporting respective one of the transported objects by engaging with a group of concave portions formed on a bottom surface of the respective one of the transported objects; and a plurality of code informations attached at predetermined intervals of the track. The transporting carriage is provided with a code information reading device for reading the plurality of code informations, a gripper for gripping the gripped portion and (iii) a correcting device for correcting a stop position of the transporting carriage along the track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: ASYST SHINKO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiya WADA, Tatsuo TSUBAKI, Masanao MURATA
  • Publication number: 20070244366
    Abstract: A white LED portion of an optical adapter is configured by a plurality of LED elements in an n-serial and m-parallel matrix configuration, and an identification resistance for identifying the type of the white LED portion. In an operation portion of an endoscope portion, an LED drive portion for driving the white LED portion is provided, and the LED drive portion is configured by an LED drive circuit and a VR unit. An electronic endoscope of the invention can be detachably attached with different optical adapters each having an LED illumination portion, and drives the LED illumination portion under the optimum driving condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20070230075
    Abstract: A scope unit 2 including a control unit 3 and an insertion portion 4 is attached to a main unit 1 via a scope connector 5. An optical adaptor 8 is attached to a tip of the insertion portion 4. The CCD 31, HICs 32, 33, and the thermistor 34 are attached to the tip of the insertion portion 4. A liquid crystal module 36 is attached to the optical adaptor 8. A barrier circuit 64 limits energy supplied to these components in a circuit disposed in the scope unit 2. By disposing the barrier circuit 64 in the scope connector 5, the portion extending from the barrier circuit 64 to, i.e., the control unit 3, the insertion portion 4, and the optical adaptor 8 are of the explosion-proof construction. Thus, these can be used in a hazardous explosive location. Thus, an endoscope apparatus that can be used in combustible gas or dust can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Masanao MURATA, Takashi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20070205081
    Abstract: A turntable has a plurality of intra-table tracks, each of which includes inlet and outlet end portion that is capable of communicating with a carrying-in and carrying-out side of the transporting track, respectively, wherein an object is transported from the inlet end portion to the outlet end portion, a table member on which the intra-table tracks are provided, a table rotating mechanism that rotates the table member to be stopped at an arbitrary rotation angle and a table rotation controlling mechanism. The table rotation controlling mechanism controls the rotation of the table member so as to set the transport direction of the transporting object transported through the intra-table tracks. The intra-table tracks are disposed in the table member so that when a transport direction of one of the intra-table tracks is set, the inlet end portion of any other intra-table tracks communicates with the carrying-in side of the transporting track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Senzo Kyutoku, Tatsuo Tsubaki, Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20070207016
    Abstract: A floor system is adapted to arrange, above a floor, a housing that can store plural cassettes, each of which is capable of storing plural articles, an article processor for processing each of the articles, and a stacker crane for transferring each of the cassettes between the housing and the article processor. In the floor system, a first floor component is located between the floor and each of the housing and the stacker crane. A second floor component is adjacent to but separate from the first floor component and is located between the floor and the article processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20070193859
    Abstract: A branch portion 2c is provided with a branch track 6 for guiding a carrier 8 having been guided in a straight line direction so as to change the traveling direction thereof, and a linear track 5 for guiding the carrier in the straight line direction. A switching unit switches between the branch track 6 and the linear track 5 so as to guide the carrier 8 by one of the branch track 6 and the linear track 5 in accordance with the traveling direction of the carrier 8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Inventors: Senzo Kyutoku, Tatsuo Tsubaki, Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20070186799
    Abstract: A direction change device includes first and second transport passage 3, 4, in which one of the transport passages is disposed at the same vertical position as that of the first transport rail 16, the other is disposed below the one, a rotating unit 22 rotating the transport passages 3, 4 about their central points, a lift unit 23 lifting the transport passages 3, 4 in a vertical direction and a control unit 21. The control unit 21 controls such that when the FOUP 5 is carried out from the transport rail 16 to the transport passage disposed at the same vertical position as that of the transport rail 16, rotating the transport passages 3, 4 by about 90°, carrying out the FOUP 5 from one of the transport passages, and exchanging the respective vertical positions of the first and second transport passages 3, 4.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Senzo Kyutoku, Tatsuo Tsubaki, Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20070177010
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus, includes: an explosion-proof unit that has an image pickup device that outputs photographed video images as video image signals; and an A/D converter that converts the video image signals into digitalized image signals; a control unit that controls the explosion-proof unit; and an energy limiting circuit that is provided at the control unit and that limits electrical energy of digital signals to satisfy intrinsic safety when sending and receiving of the digital signals, wherein the explosion-proof unit is connected to the control unit via the energy limiting circuit with a signal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20070100202
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes, in order to automatically detect a type of optical adapter and to generate to display an excellent image according to an intended purpose by performing an image signal processing control corresponding to the type of the optical adapter, a signal processing circuit for performing various image signal processings on an image signal from an image-pickup element, a plurality of optical adapters each including an image-formation optical system, adapter discriminating section, and LED, the optical adapters being detachably and selectively provided to the distal end of the endoscope section, and an apparatus main body including an image processing section for performing predetermined signal processing on the image signal from the signal processing circuit, an adapter detection section for detecting the adapter discrimination section, and a controller for controlling the whole endoscope system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Publication date: May 3, 2007
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Patent number: 7046270
    Abstract: A stereoscopic video image is observed by displaying to left and right display devices arranged in front of the left and right eyes of an observer, left and right images formed on an image pick-up device by using a stereoscopic optical system. Then, a read address of image data stored in a memory is changed by operating a display position adjusting pick or the like, thereby simply variably adjusting the display positions of the left and right images. As a consequence, it is possible to respond to the case in which a parallax of the observer is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Shingo Kato
  • Publication number: 20050243169
    Abstract: A drive signal from an SSG drives a CCD through a delay circuit and the like. An imaging signal from the CCD is converted to a video signal in a CDS circuit, which is driven by a sample hold signal given through the delay circuit, and is converted to a video signal that can be displayed on a monitor through an A/D converter circuit, a video signal processing circuit and a digital encoder to be output. Here, by correcting phases of the imaging signal and the sample hold signal, length of a signal line is corrected. Also, since the delay circuit is constructed by being incorporated in a DSP for video signal processing, which includes a video signal processing circuit and the like, the construction is simplified. Thus, the number of parts is reduced, and it can be constructed inexpensively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Inventors: Mitsunobu Ono, Masanao Murata
  • Patent number: 6884989
    Abstract: This invention has as an object thereof to provide an overhead-traveling carrying apparatus which is capable of inexpensively incorporating countermeasures for detecting the presence of an obstacle such as a human being or a carelessly placed object during the lowering of an object to be carried onto the load port of a semiconductor manufacturing device prior to the contact of the obstacle with the object to be carried, thereby avoiding such contact. A structure is adopted in which obstacle detecting sensors which scan the raising and lowering path between a carriage and the load port of each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and which detect the presence of obstacles, are provided on the carriage with attached hoist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Patent number: 6652451
    Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an endoscope for industrial use, a remote control unit, a light source unit, a CCU, a motor-driven angling unit, a drum rotation variable resistor, a power supply unit, a buzzer, and a microphone. These apparatuses constituting a basic system are controlled by a system control CPU incorporated in a control unit. The system control CPU in the control unit is connected to an angle control CPU in the motor-driven angling unit and a DSP control CPU in the CCU over signal lines. Moreover, the system control CPU is connected to a remote control CPU in the remote control unit through a connector over a signal line. Consequently, the complex functions of the apparatuses are controlled in a centralized manner. This results in improved ease of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Toshiro Ishimura, Mitsunobu Ono, Mitsuo Obata
  • Patent number: 6592080
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve the transportation efficiency of an automatic transport system for transporting an article. In order to attain the above object, the automatic transport system of the present invention comprises a front detecting device which detects an obstruction in a non-contact state in an area through which an automatic transport vehicle passes and a projection surface of said automatic transport vehicle, and when said front detecting device detects the obstruction in said area, the running speed of said automatic transport vehicle is reduced or said automatic transport vehicle is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Senzo Kyutoku, Hisashi Onishi
  • Publication number: 20030060679
    Abstract: A stereoscopic video image is observed by displaying to left and right display devices arranged in front of the left and right eyes of an observer, left and right images formed on an image pick-up device by using a stereoscopic optical system. Then, a read address of image data stored in a memory is changed by operating a display position adjusting pick or the like, thereby simply variably adjusting the display positions of the left and right images. As a consequence, it is possible to respond to the case in which a parallax of the observer is varied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Shingo Kato
  • Patent number: 6530466
    Abstract: An overhead conveyance device and an overhead conveyance vehicle that can convey a conveying object, while keeping it at a minimum distance from surrounding equipment when the overhead conveying vehicle turns around during conveyance of the conveying object. The overhead conveyance device (1) is so structured that even when a carriage part (6) of the overhead conveyance vehicle (5) enters a branching part (3) for allowing the carriage part to change in traveling direction and turns around, the conveying object (25) grasped by a hand (9) can be kept unchanged in direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Teruya Morita, Hitoshi Kawano
  • Patent number: 6504144
    Abstract: This invention has as an object thereof to provide an overhead-traveling carrying apparatus which is capable of inexpensively incorporating countermeasures for detecting the presence of an obstacle such as a human being or a carelessly placed object during the lowering of an object to be carried onto the load port of a semiconductor manufacturing device prior to the contact of the obstacle with the object to be carried, thereby avoiding such contact. A structure is adopted in which obstacle detecting sensors which scan the raising and lowering path between a carriage and the load port of each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and which detect the presence of obstacles, are provided on the carriage with attached hoist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20030001118
    Abstract: This invention has as an object thereof to provide an overhead-traveling carrying apparatus which is capable of inexpensively incorporating countermeasures for detecting the presence of an obstacle such as a human being or a carelessly placed object during the lowering of an object to be carried onto the load port of a semiconductor manufacturing device prior to the contact of the obstacle with the object to be carried, thereby avoiding such contact. A structure is adopted in which obstacle detecting sensors which scan the raising and lowering path between a carriage and the load port of each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and which detect the presence of obstacles, are provided on the carriage with attached hoist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Applicant: Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanao Murata
  • Publication number: 20020185572
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve the transportation efficiency of an automatic transport system for transporting an article. In order to attain the above object, the automatic transport system of the present invention comprises a front detecting device which detects an obstruction in a non-contact state in an area through which an automatic transport vehicle passes and a projection surface of said automatic transport vehicle, and when said front detecting device detects the obstruction in said area, the running speed of said automatic transport vehicle is reduced or said automatic transport vehicle is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Senzo Kyutoku, Hisashi Onishi
  • Publication number: 20020179409
    Abstract: An overhead conveyance device and an overhead conveyance vehicle that can convey a conveying object, while keeping it at a minimum distance from surrounding equipment when the overhead conveying vehicle turns around during conveyance of the conveying object. The overhead conveyance device (1) is so structured that even when a carriage part (6) of the overhead conveyance vehicle (5) enters a branching part (3) for allowing the carriage part to change in traveling direction and turns around, the conveying object (25) grasped by a hand (9) can be kept unchanged in direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: SHINKO ELECTRONIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanao Murata, Teruya Morita, Hitoshi Kawano