Patents by Inventor Masaru Sakai

Masaru Sakai 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: 7454340
    Abstract: A voice recognition estimating apparatus for a voice recognition apparatus, including a voice data property generator that generates properties of voice data used to determine, based on an estimation item, a feature of synthetic voice data. The estimation item is used to estimate a performance of the voice recognition apparatus. The voice data property generator includes an acquisition unit that acquires vocabulary data and unnecessary word data as the estimation item. The unnecessary word data indicates an unnecessary word inserted in the vocabulary data and an insertion position of the unnecessary word. The voice data property generator also includes a generator that generates the properties of the voice data. The properties of the voice data include selected voice quality data items, the vocabulary data and the unnecessary word data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Hiroshi Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20080281595
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, voice recognition apparatus includes units of: acoustic processing, voice interval detecting, dictionary, collating, search target selecting, storing and determining, and voice recognition method includes processes of: selecting a search range on basis of abeam search, setting and storing a standard frame, storing an output probability of a certain transition path, determining whether or not the output probability of a certain path is stored. Number of times of calculation of the output probability is reduced by selecting the search range on basis of the beam search, calculating the output probability of the certain transition path only once in an interval from when the standard frame is set to when the standard frame is renewed, and storing and using thus calculated value as an approximate value of the output probability in subsequent frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Shinichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7448554
    Abstract: A cleaning device for a vehicular lamp including a piston 3, which has a spray nozzle 5 and a nozzle cover 7 covering the spray nozzle, and a cylinder 2, which drives the piston into and out of an opening 91 formed in a vehicle body 9. The nozzle cover has a cylindrical shaft receiving portion 72 extending from the rear surface thereof and an engagement hole 73a provided at a position away from the shaft receiving portion. The distal end of the piston has an engagement shaft portion 82, which projects forward and fits with the shaft receiving portion of the nozzle cover, and an engagement tab 83, which engages with the engagement hole of the nozzle cover. The engagement shaft portion fits with the shaft receiving portion and the engagement tab engages with the engagement hole by moving the nozzle cover toward the distal end of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20080243506
    Abstract: A speech recognition apparatus includes a generating unit generating a speech-feature vector expressing a feature for each of frames obtained by dividing an input speech, a storage unit storing a first acoustic model obtained by modeling a feature of each word by using a state transition model, a storage unit configured to store at least one second acoustic model, a calculation unit calculating, for each state, a first probability of transition to an at-end-frame state to obtain first probabilities, and select a maximum probability of the first probabilities, a selection unit selecting a maximum-probability-transition path, a conversion unit converting the maximum-probability-transition path into a corresponding-transition-path corresponding to the second acoustic model, a calculation unit calculating a second probability of transition to the at-end-frame state on the corresponding-transition-path, and a finding unit finding to which word the input speech corresponds based on the maximum probability and the s
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Hiroshi Fujimura, Shinichi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080018311
    Abstract: In a level shift circuit 2, an NMOS transistor Q5 with the gate and source thereof short-circuited together is provided between a high-voltage power line to which a voltage BOOT is supplied and the input end n of an inverter circuit composed of a PMOS transistor Q1 and an NMOS transistor Q2, and an NMOS transistor Q6 with the gate and source thereof short-circuited together is provided between a low-voltage power line to which a voltage SW is supplied and the input end n of the inverter circuit composed of the PMOS transistor Q1 and the NMOS transistor Q2. Thus, the body diodes of the NMOS transistors Q5 and Q6 prevent the voltage waveform at the input end n from becoming blunt. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctioning of the level shift circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventor: Masaru Sakai
  • Publication number: 20070278325
    Abstract: A headlamp cleaner includes a tank in which a cleaning fluid is stored, a motor pump which pumps the cleaning fluid stored inside the tank, a fluid path through which the cleaning fluid pumped by the motor pump is pressure-transferred, and a nozzle from which the cleaning fluid pressure-transferred through the fluid path is ejected toward a headlamp. The fluid path mainly includes a hose made of a rigid material such as plastic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki SATO, Masaru SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20070237506
    Abstract: Operating a camera by detecting a motion of a camera, capturing an image of an object at a first shutter speed determined by the camera if camera motion is not detected, and capturing the image of the object at a second shutter speed determined by the camera if camera motion is detected, the second shutter speed being higher than the first shutter speed. Image data corresponding to the captured image are stored in a storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: WINBOND ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ikumi Minema, Nobuyoshi Tanaka, Masaru Sakai
  • Publication number: 20070182395
    Abstract: A control signal generating circuit (1) comprises a comparator (10) for comparing an output voltage VO with a reference voltage outputted from a reference voltage source (11), a flipflop (12) set by the output of the comparator (10), and a pulse control circuit (13) which receives an input voltage VIN, a reference voltage VREF2, and the inverted output of the flipflop (12), sets the on time in accordance with the ratio between the input voltage VIN and the reference voltage VREF2, and resets the flipflop (12) when the on time elapses after the output pulse of the flipflop (12) rises. The output pulse of the flipflop (12) is outputted as a control signal into a driver logic circuit (2). The driver logic circuit (2) performs on/off control of NMOSs (3, 4) according to the control signal. Thus, a switching regulator capable of operating at high speed can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Kiyotaka Umemoto, Shogo Hachiya
  • Publication number: 20070126408
    Abstract: A low-power consumption power supply device that is capable of supplying an adequate current in the case of a heavy load and achieving a rapid transient response when the load fluctuates. The power supply device includes NMOS-type output transistors that are provided between the input power supply that supplies power to the output terminal and ground potential, a reference voltage generation circuit that generates a reference voltage, and differential amplifier circuits that control each of the NMOS-type output transistors by having an output supply voltage inputted to the differential amplifier circuits as feedback and by comparing the output supply voltage with the reference voltage, wherein the differential amplifier circuits provide an input offset voltage between the inputted reference voltage and output supply voltage in order to provide the output supply voltage with a voltage range in which the NMOS-type transistors are both OFF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Inventor: Masaru Sakai
  • Patent number: 7182276
    Abstract: A check valve of a cleaning device of a vehicle lamp is provided with a cleaning liquid influx portion, a valve disposing portion, and a cleaning liquid efflux portion which are arranged in series in a sliding direction of the piston. A valve body is disposed in the valve disposing portion. The valve body opens and closes a space between the cleaning liquid influx portion and the cleaning liquid efflux portion, when at least a portion of the valve body moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of a piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 7161336
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power supply device which can suppress a voltage drop of the input power supply immediately after recovery from shutdown status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Takuya Okubo
  • Publication number: 20060289678
    Abstract: A cleaning device for cleaning the front cover lens of a vehicular lamp, including a bracket 8 that is attached to the cylinder of a spray nozzle 5 and positions the cylinder in the opening formd in a vehicle body, a fixing member 9 that covers the bracket, and an elastic member (a clip spring) 101 disposed between the bracket and the fixing member. Engagement pieces 83b and 84a of a pair of arm elements 83 and 84 of the bracket engage the front (outer) side of the opening, a plurality of contact portions 92a, 93a, 94a and 95a of the fixing member are in contact with the rear (inner) side of the opening, and the elastic member interposed between the bracket and the fixing member urges the fixing member toward the opening, thus securing the bracket to the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Patent number: 7148573
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a semiconductor substrate, a heat-producing circuit element formed in a multi-layer structure on the semiconductor substrate and performing a predetermined operation while producing heat of a relatively high temperature, a plurality of temperature-dependent circuit elements, each formed in a multi-layer structure in a predetermined location on the semiconductor substrate, performing a predetermined operation depending on temperature of the heat-producing circuit element, and each having a constant relationship in temperature-related properties with each another, and a heat conductive layer having a heat conductivity higher than a heat conductivity of the semiconductor substrate, and covering at least a heat-producing portion of the heat-producing circuit element and the plurality of temperature-dependent circuit elements continuously so as to conduct the heat produced by the heat-producing circuit element to the plurality of temperature-dependent circuit elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Okubo, Masaru Sakai
  • Publication number: 20060273139
    Abstract: A cleaning device for a vehicular lamp including a piston 3, which has a spray nozzle 5 and a nozzle cover 7 covering the spray nozzle, and a cylinder 2, which drives the piston into and out of an opening 91 formed in a vehicle body 9. The nozzle cover has a cylindrical shaft receiving portion 72 extending from the rear surface thereof and an engagement hole 73a provided at a position away from the shaft receiving portion. The distal end of the piston has an engagement shaft portion 82, which projects forward and fits with the shaft receiving portion of the nozzle cover, and an engagement tab 83, which engages with the engagement hole of the nozzle cover. The engagement shaft portion fits with the shaft receiving portion and the engagement tab engages with the engagement hole by moving the nozzle cover toward the distal end of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20060114666
    Abstract: A check valve of a cleaning device of a vehicle lamp is provided with a cleaning liquid influx portion, a valve disposing portion, and a cleaning liquid efflux portion which are arranged in series in a sliding direction of the piston. A valve body is disposed in the valve disposing portion. The valve body opens and closes a space between the cleaning liquid influx portion and the cleaning liquid efflux portion, when at least a portion of the valve body moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of a piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20060113404
    Abstract: In a cleaning device for a vehicle lamp for jetting a cleaning liquid to a front surface of a vehicle lamp by a piston and a cylinder, the piston is urged in the direction in which it is retracted into the cylinder by a tensile spring arranged between the piston and the cylinder and passing through the inside of the piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventors: Masaaki Sato, Yasuhiro Ichikawa, Toshiyuki Tsukamoto, Masaru Sakai
  • Publication number: 20050122087
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power supply device which can suppress a voltage drop of the input power supply immediately after recovery from shutdown status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Takuya Okubo
  • Publication number: 20050086055
    Abstract: Voice recognition estimating apparatus for voice recognition apparatus, comprises voice data property generator which generates properties of estimation voice data used to determine, based on estimation item, feature of synthetic voice data, estimation item being used to estimate performance of voice recognition apparatus, parameter generator which generates parameter used to generate synthetic voice data corresponding to properties of estimation voice data, synthetic voice generator which generates synthetic voice data based on parameter, output unit configured to output synthetic voice data to voice recognition apparatus, acquisition unit configured to acquire recognition result from voice recognition apparatus, recognition result being obtained when voice recognition apparatus recognizes synthetic voice data, and estimation unit configured to estimate performance of voice recognition apparatus with reference to estimation item and recognition result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Hiroshi Kanazawa
  • Publication number: 20050046013
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit comprises a semiconductor substrate, a heat-producing circuit element formed in a multi-layer structure on the semiconductor substrate and performing a predetermined operation while producing heat of a relatively high temperature, a plurality of temperature-dependent circuit elements, each formed in a multi-layer structure in a predetermined location on the semiconductor substrate, performing a predetermined operation depending on temperature of the heat-producing circuit element, and each having a constant relationship in temperature-related properties with each another, and a heat conductive layer having a heat conductivity higher than a heat conductivity of the semiconductor substrate, and covering at least a heat-producing portion of the heat-producing circuit element and the plurality of temperature-dependent circuit elements continuously so as to conduct the heat produced by the heat-producing circuit element to the plurality of temperature-dependent circuit elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Inventors: Takuya Okubo, Masaru Sakai
  • Patent number: 6837910
    Abstract: A gasifying apparatus comprises a gasifier, a reformer and a heating device. The gasifier produces a thermal decomposed gas with use of a thermal decomposition reaction of a liquid or solid fuel such as waste or coal, and the heating device heats a low-temperature steam and air so as to be a high-temperature steam and air, which have a temperature equal to or higher than 700 deg. C. The gasifying apparatus has feeding means including fluid passages for feeding the high-temperature steam and air to the gasifier and the reformer. In a thermal decomposition area of the gasifier, the liquid or solid fuel is thermally decomposed to produce the thermal decomposed gas with sensible heat of the high-temperature steam and air and with the heat generated by an exothermic oxidation reaction between the high-temperature air and the liquid or solid fuel. In the reformer, the thermal decomposed gas is reformed in the existence of the high-temperature steam so as to be a high-temperature syngas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignees: Japan Science and Technology Agency, Nippon Furnace Kogyo Kaisha, Ltd., Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Yoshikawa, Tsutomu Yasuda, Masaru Sakai, Toru Ishii