Patents by Inventor Masato Satou

Masato Satou 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: 20240146896
    Abstract: An imaging device includes a light source, a controller, and a camera. The camera generates a captured image by obtaining, in a first cycle, an image of infrared light. The camera also captures an image of infrared light (first light) transmitted through a windshield. The light source emits the infrared light in a second cycle. The second cycle for the emission is longer than the first cycle for the generation of the captured image. The controller generates a third image as a difference between a first image and a second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Kaoru KUSAFUKA, Akinori SATOU, Masato HARA
  • Publication number: 20230296568
    Abstract: The physical quantity measurement device includes a secondary flow path disposed outside a multilayer unit and configured to connect an upstream opening to a downstream opening. The secondary flow path is disposed gravitationally below a primary flow path. Ultrasonic transceivers are disposed to project into a flow in the multilayer unit. In the thus-configured physical quantity measurement device, the entry of water droplets into an ultrasonic propagation path and the adhesion of water droplets to the ultrasonic transceivers are substantially prevented, so that, even when the fluid flowing in contains water droplets, the physical quantity measurement device can measure the flow rate of the fluid and the concentration of components contained in the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Masato SATOU, Motoyuki NAWA, Asako MIYOSHI, Masataka MATSUDA, Yuuji NAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20230273156
    Abstract: A physical quantity measurement device is provided which is capable of measuring a component in a fluid to be measured even when the fluid contains droplets such as fine water droplets. The physical quantity measurement device includes, at an inlet opening (5) of a sub-channel (7), an inflow direction regulator (13) which includes guide pieces (12) each of which is inclined at predetermined angle ? with respect to the flow direction in a main channel (1). The angle ? of inflow direction regulator (13) is set to a value that is greater than 90 degrees in relation to the flow direction of the main channel (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Masato SATOU, Motoyuki NAWA, Asako MIYOSHI, Masataka MATSUDA, Yuuji NAKABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220170770
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flowmeter includes: a flow path body having a flow path through which a fluid to be measured flows; a pair of ultrasonic transducers disposed in the flow path body; a substrate fixed to the flow path body; a sensor plate on which a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the fluid to be measured is disposed, the sensor plate being flat; and an arithmetic unit that calculates a flow rate of the fluid to be measured from a propagation time of ultrasonic waves between the pair of ultrasonic transducers and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The sensor plate is configured to project from the substrate and to project into a flow path cross-section of the flow path from a sensor hole provided in the flow path body at a time of fixing the substrate to the flow path body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: YUUJI NAKABAYASHI, MASATO SATOU, ASAKO MIYOSHI, MASATAKA MATSUDA
  • Patent number: 11226220
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transceiver includes: a piezoelectric body including opposing surfaces having a first electrode and a second electrode respectively, piezoelectric body being segmented into a plurality of elements by a groove recessed from a surface having first electrode among the opposing surfaces; conductor electrically connected to first electrode on each of elements. The ultrasonic transceiver further includes reinforcement section provided in a part of second electrode, the part corresponding to a bottom of the groove. With this configuration, a decrease in a strength of piezoelectric body in the bottom of the groove, which is caused by a groove provided in piezoelectric body, can be prevented and occurrence of a crack can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yudai Ishizaki, Hidetomo Nagahara, Masanobu Teraji, Masato Satou, Yuuji Nakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20200088557
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transceiver includes: piezoelectric body including opposing surfaces having first electrode and second electrode respectively, piezoelectric body being segmented into a plurality of elements by groove recessed from a surface having first electrode among the opposing surfaces; conductor electrically connected to first electrode on each of elements. The ultrasonic transceiver further includes reinforcement section provided in a part of second electrode, the part corresponding to a bottom of groove. With this configuration, a decrease in a strength of piezoelectric body in the bottom of groove, which is caused by groove provided in piezoelectric body, can be prevented and occurrence of a crack can be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: YUDAI ISHIZAKI, HIDETOMO NAGAHARA, MASANOBU TERAJI, MASATO SATOU, YUUJI NAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10514286
    Abstract: A gas flowmeter includes: device body (1) which accommodates a fluid to be measured; inlet pipe (4) through which the fluid to be measured flows into device body (1); and outlet pipe (5) through which the fluid to be measured flows out from device body (1) through connecting pipe (7). The gas flow meter also includes: ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9) which has a first end side connected to outlet pipe (5) and performs flow rate measurement of the fluid to be measured which flows in ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9); and connecting pipe (7) which is disposed between ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9) and outlet pipe (5), and is connected to outlet pipe (5). The gas flow meter further includes support member (10) which supports a second end side of ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Morihana, Masato Satou, Hidetomo Nagahara, Masanobu Teraji, Naoto Naganuma
  • Patent number: 10317263
    Abstract: A gas flowmeter includes: a device body which air-tightly accommodates a fluid to be measured; an inlet pipe through which the fluid to be measured is made to flow into the device body; and an outlet pipe through which the fluid to be measured is made to flow out from the device body. The gas flowmeter further includes: an ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit which is connected to the outlet pipe and measures a flow rate of the fluid to be measured which flows in the ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit; a connecting pipe which is connected to the outlet pipe; and a flow passage member which is connected to the connecting pipe and has a flow passage shape identical to a shape of the ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit. The gas flowmeter is provided with a support member which fixes the ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit and the flow passage member to each other. With such a configuration, a gas flow meter capable of performing stable flow rate measurement can be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Satou, Masanobu Teraji, Hidetomo Nagahara, Hideaki Morihana, Naoto Naganuma
  • Patent number: 10113891
    Abstract: A flow rate measurement device includes a turbulence reduction component having opening portions and disposed between a measurement channel and a pair of hole portions across which a pair of ultrasonic transceivers are disposed from the measurement channel. The pair of opening portions of the turbulence reduction component each have frame pieces which are substantially identical in width. This makes it possible to reduce, with small attenuation of ultrasound, the occurrence of turbulence that is attributable to entrained flows in the pair of hole portions and is a cause of measurement error, thereby ensuring measurement accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakai, Kenji Yasuda, Masato Satou, Hideaki Morihana, Yuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 10115385
    Abstract: An ultrasonic transmission/reception unit includes a metal plate, an acoustic matching member, a piezoelectric substrate, a first lead wire, a second lead wire, and a vibration suppression member containing a thermoplastic resin as a major component, the vibration suppression member being configured to cover, in a unitary manner, the other main surface of the metal plate, which is other than a portion of the other main surface to which the piezoelectric substrate is fastened, a surface of the piezoelectric substrate, an end surface of the metal plate, an outer peripheral portion of the one main surface of the metal plate, the first lead wire, and the second lead wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Nakano, Hideaki Morihana, Masato Satou, Akihisa Adachi
  • Patent number: 9983036
    Abstract: A measurement control section of a flow meter device causes a measurement block dividing section to divide a sampling cycle Tc into three or more, for example, four measurement blocks Tb of an equal length and causes the flow measuring section to measure the flow of a fluid in each of the measurement blocks Tb. A flow calculating section of the flow measuring section calculates an average value of flow values obtained in all of the measurement blocks in each sampling cycle Tc, as a flow value in each sampling cycle Tc. This configuration allows a flow meter device which employs an inverse transit time difference method, such as an estimation gas meter, to more effectively lessen the influence of a pulsation and to perform flow measurement with higher accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aoi Watanabe, Kouichi Takemura, Yasuo Koba, Masato Satou
  • Publication number: 20170343398
    Abstract: A flow rate measurement device includes a turbulence reduction component having opening portions and disposed between a measurement channel and a pair of hole portions across which a pair of ultrasonic transceivers are disposed from the measurement channel. The pair of opening portions of the turbulence reduction component each have frame pieces which are substantially identical in width. This makes it possible to reduce, with small attenuation of ultrasound, the occurrence of turbulence that is attributable to entrained flows in the pair of hole portions and is a cause of measurement error, thereby ensuring measurement accuracy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroshi NAKAI, Kenji YASUDA, Masato SATOU, Hideaki MORIHANA, Yuji FUJII
  • Patent number: 9778084
    Abstract: A flow-rate measurement device which measures a flow rate of a fluid flowing through a fluid flow channel unit includes a tubular measurement flow channel unit that is stored in the fluid flow channel unit and has an inside in communication with the fluid flow channel unit. The flow-rate measurement device also includes a pair of sealing materials that blocks a flow of a fluid and is provided to encircle outer peripheries of the measurement flow channel unit at a first end and a second end; and a measurement unit including a substrate, on which a measurement circuit is mounted, and a pair of ultrasonic transducers. Further, the pair of ultrasonic transducers is electrically and fixedly connected to the substrate in the measurement unit, and the measurement unit is disposed between the pair of sealing materials on the measurement flow channel unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Satou, Yuji Nakabayashi, Hidetomo Nagahara, Akihisa Adachi, Aoi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9683880
    Abstract: A setting method of a flow meter device comprises (A) measuring a compensation coefficient in a case where a fluid is flowed with a flow within a predetermined range, and deriving a first function representing as a linear function a relationship between a measurement compensation coefficient which is the measured compensation coefficient and a conversion value which is obtained by converting a set flow which is the flow of the flowed fluid, using a predetermined function; (B) setting a reference flow which is an arbitrary flow within the predetermined range and calculating a reference compensation coefficient which is a compensation coefficient corresponding to the reference flow based on the reference flow and the first function; and (C) storing the reference flow and the reference compensation coefficient corresponding to the reference flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Takemura, Aoi Watanabe, Yasuo Koba, Masato Satou
  • Patent number: 9551603
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flow meter device comprises a fluid passage forming section including a measurement fluid passage, and an opening facing a bottom surface of the measurement fluid passage; a pair of ultrasonic transducers which transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave via the opening; a partition plate which partitions the measurement fluid passage; and an identification section provided on an end surface of the partition plate and used to identify an obverse surface and a reverse surface of the partition plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Satou, Hidetomo Nagahara, Yuji Fujii
  • Publication number: 20160377468
    Abstract: A flow-rate measurement device which measures a flow rate of a fluid flowing through a fluid flow channel unit includes a tubular measurement flow channel unit that is stored in the fluid flow channel unit and has an inside in communication with the fluid flow channel unit. The flow-rate measurement device also includes a pair of sealing materials that blocks a flow of a fluid and is provided to encircle outer peripheries of the measurement flow channel unit at a first end and a second end; and a measurement unit including a substrate, on which a measurement circuit is mounted, and a pair of ultrasonic transducers. Further, the pair of ultrasonic transducers is electrically and fixedly connected to the substrate in the measurement unit, and the measurement unit is disposed between the pair of sealing materials on the measurement flow channel unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: MASATO SATOU, YUJI NAKABAYASHI, HIDETOMO NAGAHARA, AKIHISA ADACHI, AOI WATANABE
  • Patent number: 9528867
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flow meter comprises a flow channel for a fluid to be measured to flow through, an ultrasonic transducer having an acoustic matching body and a piezoelectric element fixed to a metal plate, an insulating damping member which covers the metal plate except for the acoustic matching body, a mounting portion provided in the flow channel, and a fixing member that fixes the ultrasonic transducer to the mounting portion, The fixing member has a pressing portion and an extended portion, and the ultrasonic transducer is fixed to the mounting portion by engaging a hole disposed in the extended portion with a hook disposed on the mounting portion. This structure reduces through-the-case conduction, and achieves the ultrasonic flow meter of high accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Satou, Hidetomo Nagahara, Aoi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20160370215
    Abstract: A gas flowmeter includes: a device body which air-tightly accommodates a fluid to be measured; an inlet pipe through which the fluid to be measured is made to flow into the device body; and an outlet pipe through which the fluid to be measured is made to flow out from the device body. The gas flowmeter further includes: an ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit which is connected to the outlet pipe and measures a flow rate of the fluid to be measured which flows in the ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit; a connecting pipe which is connected to the outlet pipe; and a flow passage member which is connected to the connecting pipe and has a flow passage shape identical to a shape of the ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit. The gas flowmeter is provided with a support member which fixes the ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit and the flow passage member to each other. With such a configuration, a gas flow meter capable of performing stable flow rate measurement can be implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: MASATO SATOU, MASANOBU TERAJI, HIDETOMO NAGAHARA, HIDEAKI MORIHANA, NAOTO NAGANUMA
  • Publication number: 20160341584
    Abstract: A gas flowmeter includes a device body that air-tightly encapsulates a measurement target fluid, an inlet configured to introduce the measurement target fluid into the device body, an outlet configured to exhaust the measurement target fluid from the device body, and a connector that is connected with the outlet. The gas flowmeter further includes a flow rate measuring part of an ultrasonic type that is connected with the connector and calculates a flow rate of the measurement target fluid flowing inside, and a flow path member that is connected with the connector and has a flow path shape identical with that of the flow rate measuring part. The flow rate measuring part and the flow path member are connected with the connector in a vertical direction in such a manner that a side of inflow ports through which the measurement target fluid flows in faces downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Naoto NAGANUMA, Masato SATOU, Masanobu TERAJI, Hidetomo NAGAHARA, Hideaki MORIHANA
  • Publication number: 20160320218
    Abstract: A gas flowmeter includes: device body (1) which accommodates a fluid to be measured; inlet pipe (4) through which the fluid to be measured flows into device body (1); and outlet pipe (5) through which the fluid to be measured flows out from device body (1) through connecting pipe (7). The gas flow meter also includes: ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9) which has a first end side connected to outlet pipe (5) and performs flow rate measurement of the fluid to be measured which flows in ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9); and connecting pipe (7) which is disposed between ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9) and outlet pipe (5), and is connected to outlet pipe (5). The gas flow meter further includes support member (10) which supports a second end side of ultrasonic flow rate measuring unit (9).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co. Ltd
    Inventors: HIDEAKI MORIHANA, MASATO SATOU, HIDETOMO NAGAHARA, MASANOBU TERAJI, NAOTO NAGANUMA