Patents by Inventor Shoji Yokoyama

Shoji Yokoyama 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: 20110240225
    Abstract: A position control device (21, 5) that controls a widthwise position of a flexible substrate 1 includes: a pair of upper nip rollers 21 (24, 25) that nip an upper edge portion of the flexible substrate, rotating shafts of the pair of upper nip rollers being inclined so that a rotation direction in a nipping portion thereof faces obliquely upward at a slight bias angle (?) with respect to a conveying direction of the flexible substrate; an upper support mechanism including a movable support member 26 and a fixed support member 27 that support the pair of upper nip rollers so that the pair of upper nip rollers can be rotated and brought close to, or withdrawn from each other; a spring 51 that biases, via the movable support member, one upper nip roller 25 of the pair of upper nip rollers in a direction of pressing against the other upper nip roller 24 of the pair of upper nip rollers; and drive means (56) for displacing the biasing member so as to adjust a nipping pressure of the pair of upper nip rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Takanori Yamada, Shoji Yokoyama, Hidekazu Funo, Yuji Tsukahara
  • Publication number: 20110086457
    Abstract: A strip-shape flexible substrate is transported over a long horizontal distance, with its width extending in the vertical direction, the position of the substrate in the vertical direction is maintained with high precision, and the films are deposited onto its surface. When depositing the thin films to manufacture a thin film laminated body, at least one pair of gripping rollers arranged in at least one space between film deposition chambers, and which grasps an upper-side edge portion of the substrate with its width oriented in the vertical direction, are installed such that the rotation direction of the gripping rollers is diagonally upward, at an angle relative to the direction of transport of the substrate, and by changing the force with which the gripping rollers grasp the substrate, a force lifts the substrate, and the height of the substrate can be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shoji Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20090126670
    Abstract: A housing has an intake passage extending substantially in a vertical direction of a vehicle. A valve is configured to open and close the intake passage. A shaft supports the valve. A bearing supports the shaft. A hose is connected with an upper side of the housing in the vertical direction and configured to lead intake air into the intake passage. A communication passage configured to communicate an inside of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle with the hose. The communication passage has an opening in the vicinity of a point directly above the bearing. The hose has a wall surface defining a condensate passage, which connects the opening with a target location from which condensate is to be dropped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOYOTA JIDOSHI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kado, Toshio Hayashi, Hiroyoshi Murakami, Yasushi Kawano, Junichi Fukumoto, Shoji Yokoyama, Hitoshi Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20090047114
    Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a thin-film laminated member by laminating a plurality of thin films on the surface of a band-shaped flexible substrate includes a substrate conveying device for conveying the band-shaped flexible substrate in the horizontal direction with the widthwise direction of the band-shaped flexible substrate oriented in the vertical direction. A plurality of film forming chambers are arranged in succession along the direction in which the band-shaped flexible substrate is conveyed for forming films on the surface of the band-shaped flexible substrate. A pair of upper grip rollers are arranged between the plurality of film forming chambers for pinching an upper edge portion of the band-shaped flexible substrate while the band-shaped flexible substrate is being conveyed. A method thereof includes pinching the upper edge portion of the band-shaped flexible substrate with the pairs of upper grip rollers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shoji YOKOYAMA, Takashi OUCHI, Mitsuhiro NARUSE, Takashi KAMOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20060073935
    Abstract: A toroidal type continuously variable transmission has input and output side disks arranged concentrically with a first axis, a power roller, a trunnion swung around a second axis, the trunnion including a main body portion, bent wall portions, pivot shafts and an oval hole, an outer ring contained in a pocket portion provided on the trunnion and a bearing for movably supporting the outer ring in the direction perpendicular to the second axis provided between the rain body portion and the outer ring. The outer ring includes a first shaft portion for rotatably supporting the power roller and a second shaft portion arranged concentrically with the first shaft portion and movably supported by the oval hole along a direction perpendicular to the second axis. Tangential forces generated between the power roller, the input and output side disks are supported on the second shaft portion and the trunnion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Takashi Imanishi, Eiji Inoue, Hiroki Nishii, Shoji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6278941
    Abstract: In order to enable a location function for telling the present position on a screen as a function usually used when traveling in a known area to be always used by its lone, a navigation apparatus 100 mounted on a car stores display map data in it, and displays a map of an area around a present position and the present position together on a display portion 106. It is attained to reduce the amount of stored data and the burden of processing on the navigation apparatus 100 by receiving a traveling route to a destination from a center apparatus 150 in case that a traveling route guidance to the destination is needed. Data of the whole traveling route to a destination are not transmitted at one time but data of only a traveling route from the present position to a specific distance ahead are transmitted at one time and thereby it is possible to reduce the amount of data of communication and start the car earlier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
    Inventor: Shoji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6263276
    Abstract: Disclosed is a communicatory navigation system including an information center (150), at least one navigation unit (100) each mounted on a vehicle and communication means for allowing bi-directional data communication between the information center and the navigation unit. Data transmission from the navigation unit to the information center is made during a period of communication that begins when the navigation unit become communicable with the information center and ends when the bi-directional data communication therebetween is disconnected. The navigation unit is provided with a drive route history memory area (131) and an instrument operation history memory area (132), and data in these memory areas are transmitted to the information center, together with the vehicle current position data and the destination position data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
    Inventors: Shoji Yokoyama, Tomoki Kubota, Yasuo Ito, Naoki Gorai, Takashi Sugawara, Hideaki Morita, Satoshi Kitano, Hiroki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6202024
    Abstract: Disclosed is a communicatory navigation system including an information center (150), at least one navigation unit (100) each mounted on a vehicle and communication means for allowing bi-directional data communication between the information center and the navigation unit. Data transmission from the navigation unit to the information center is made during a period of communication that begins when the navigation unit become communicatable with the information center and ends when the bi-directional data communication therebetween is disconnected. The navigation unit is provided with a drive route history memory area (131) and an instrument operation history memory area (132), and data in these memory areas are transmitted to the information center, together with the vehicle current position data and the destination position data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
    Inventors: Shoji Yokoyama, Tomoki Kubota, Yasuo Ito, Naoki Gorai, Takashi Sugawara, Hideaki Morita, Satoshi Kitano, Hiroki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 6166826
    Abstract: A printing apparatus is disclosed which comprises print means for printing input print data on a print recording medium, the print means driven by the input print data, storage means for storing the print data, storage control means for determining whether or not storage specification is set in the print data and storing the print data in the storage means as a file if the storage specification is set, attribute information transfer means for transferring attribute information of the file stored in the storage means to a source issuing the attribute information transfer request in response to an input attribute information transfer request, file conversion means for converting the file stored in the storage means into an image data file in response to an image data file transfer request input based on the attribute information, image data file transfer means for transferring the image data file to a source issuing the image data file transfer request, and reprint means for reading the file stored in the stora
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shoji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 5917435
    Abstract: A navigation apparatus for vehicles which comprises a GPS receiver connected to a GPS antenna, a gyro sensor, a vehicle signal processing circuit for processing vehicle signals such as a vehicle speed signal, a CD unit for driving a CD-ROM containing map information, a display unit for displaying a map, and an ECU for controlling the entire operation, wherein at least the CD unit, the display unit and the ECU are disposed within a detachable unit which can be detachably installed in a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Kamiya, Shoji Yokoyama, Hironari Fukatsu, Tatsumi Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 5864771
    Abstract: A safe drive support system includes a memory unit for storing road-map data including a safe driving area data, a present location detecting unit for detecting a present location of the vehicle, a determining unit for determining as to whether the present location of the vehicle is in the safe driving area according to a detection result by the present location detecting unit, and limiting unit for limiting driving torque or starting torque of the vehicle in the area according to a determination result by the determining unit. In the safe driving area, the limiting operation is carried out by, for example, setting the gear position of start to the second position so as to prevent the vehicle from starting suddenly. An operational angle of a throttle valve is limited at a predetermined angle to limit the output of the engine to suppress an excess speed when an accelerator is stepped on strongly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
    Inventors: Shoji Yokoyama, Seiichi Suzuki, Koji Hori, Nobuaki Miki, Muneo Kusafuka, Yoshitaka Murase
  • Patent number: 5850215
    Abstract: A display control circuit of a display unit is divided such that circuit portions and connecting means susceptible to noise are arranged in the display unit, while circuit portions and connecting means other than the circuit portions and connecting means susceptible to noise are placed away from the display unit through an extension cable. Due to this, the display unit can be made thinner and noises can be prevented from entering the circuit portions and connecting means arranged in the display unit. Further, the display apparatus may have a movement mechanism for making the display unit stand up. In this case, two guide grooves are formed at the sides of an intermediate case of the display unit housing. Due to this, the intermediate case can be made thinner, matching the thickness of the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Kamiya, Shoji Yokoyama, Tatsumi Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 5760713
    Abstract: To make it possible to search a route suitable to drive and provide guidance thereof in accordance with acceleration resistance of the vehicle, a load condition detection unit obtains reference acceleration on the basis of a throttle opening obtained by a throttle opening obtaining unit and torque of an engine obtainable from a rotational frequency of the engine detected by a first rotation sensor. The load condition detection unit compares the reference acceleration with real acceleration obtainable by differentiating a vehicle velocity obtainable by a vehicle velocity sensor to detect acceleration resistance of the vehicle. A main controller unit extracts an available road on the basis of the acceleration resistance of the vehicle and road data stored in a road data memory unit of a map data memory unit. The main controller unit searches a route by utilizing the available road thus extracted and provide guidance thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignees: Kabushiki Equos Research, Aisin AW Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Shoji Yokoyama, Nobuaki Miki, Muneo Kusafuka, Yoshitaka Murase
  • Patent number: 5751228
    Abstract: A guide system gives sight-seeing guidance for various sight-seeing objects located within a wide area without an interval of pause. The guide system includes guide data storage wherein guide data, for showing objects located along the travelled road, and for showing streets and other objects in the local area, is classified into types and stored. A guide information output section outputs guidance information pertaining to an object, located by search, having sight-seeing interest. A position detector detects and traces the current position. Further, the guide system has a plurality of search mechanisms, each of which searches only within a specific category of guide objects and only within an area defined at least in part by the current position, as identified by the current position detector. The guide system searches for and extracts information for an object from the guide data storage and outputs the information pertinent thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Equos Research Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Kamiya, Hirofumi Morimoto, Shoji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 5699655
    Abstract: A food material transferring apparatus basically includes a heating device, a pushing member, and a tray. Food materials are placed on a tray, and inserted into the heating device. The heating device heats the food material, and the pushing member is driven to push the food material from the heating device while folding the food material. An arm is provided with a hand having absorption pads to be able to absorb the food material. The arm is attached to a bi-directional straight proceeding mechanism, which moves the hand in the vertical and horizontal directions, so that the food material is taken out from the tray and inserted into the heating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimimasa Kuboyama, Shoji Yokoyama, Yoshinori Miyakoshi, Hiroya Taniguchi, Kazuhiro Tsuruta, Hisashi Goto
  • Patent number: 5687083
    Abstract: A voice expression selection processing section recognizes a route from data from a route memory. When a vehicle has reached a junction, it is judged whether or not a curved road is present at the junction on the basis of connecting road number data from a junction data storage section, connecting angle data and connecting road width data. The content of the voice expression is changed in accordance with a case where the curved road is present or another case where the curved road is absent. Particularly, when the curved road is present, the direction of this curved road is added as a base of the voice expression. Therefore, the voice expression which matches with the feeling of a driver can be carried out to achieve suitable car guidance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kishi, Toru Ito, Kyomi Morimoto, Shoji Yokoyama, Kenji Kuroda
  • Patent number: 5654908
    Abstract: An electronic diary stores information for a schedule of a user, information of a business card binder, a telephone director and an address book into a schedule supervision table, a telephone number supervision table, an address supervision table and a business card supervision table. When the user specifies an item in the schedule as a destination, for example a visiting company, the electronic diary retrieves the address or the telephone number of the visiting company and transmits them as destination data to a navigation apparatus. The navigation apparatus sets up the destination based on the received destination data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignees: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research, Kabushikiaisha Shinsangyokaihatsu
    Inventor: Shoji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 5635925
    Abstract: An apparatus to facilitate volume control for route aural guidance. When supplying a guidance voice to a loudspeaker 34a, a voice control section 30 disconnects the loudspeaker 34a from audio and outputs the guidance voice through the loudspeaker. A volume control screen is displayed on a display section 28 where the user adjusts the volume by touching the screen. When the voice control section 30 switches a signal to the loudspeaker 34a, a mute circuit 40a is operated to mute the voice output before the voice is output through the loudspeaker 34a. When the user terminates volume adjustment, the voice control section 30 outputs a voice for volume confirmation or check at the adjusted volume through the loudspeaker 34a. The user can check the adjusted volume at this time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha K.K., Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kishi, Toru Ito, Shoji Yokoyama, Kyomi Morimoto, Mitsuhiro Nimura, Shigekazu Ohara
  • Patent number: 5614898
    Abstract: A guide system for a vehicle includes guide data storage containing guide data for conversion into output information concerning guidance objects along roads to be travelled by the vehicle and in the general area thereof. A TV monitor and microphone serve to output the information. A present position detector detects the present position which is traced on a map display output on the TV monitor. A first search routine searches over a first area range for guidance objects on the basis of the detected present position and a second search routine searches for guidance objects over a second area range different from the first area range. Once a guidance object is located, the guide data for that located guidance object is read out from the guide data storage and converted into output information. A manual key is provided on a remote controller for switching to the second search routine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Kamiya, Hirofumi Morimoto, Shoji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 5559511
    Abstract: A route guidance section compares the current position provided by a current position determination section and the route provided by a route calculation section for detecting an off-route condition. When the off-route condition is detected, a researching key as well as the route and current place is displayed on a display section. When the researching key is touched, a search is again made for a new route from the current position to the destination. Then, route guidance is again started in response to the researching result. When the researching key is not touched, the route and current place continue to be displayed while the vehicle carrying the apparatus travles off route, thereby efficiently preventing the apparatus from executing unnecessary researching when the driver drives the vehicle off route on purpose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Ito, Hiroshi Kishi, Mitsuhiro Nimura, Akimasa Nanba, Kyomi Morimoto, Shigekazu Ohara, Shoji Yokoyama, Kazuteru Maekawa, Kiyohide Katoh, Hiroyoshi Masuda, Shinichi Katoh, Koji Hashimoto