Patents by Inventor Tomonori Sekiguchi

Tomonori Sekiguchi 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: 11255990
    Abstract: An internal structure detection system includes: two kinds of sensors with different operating principles for receiving reflected waves of vibration applied to an inspection target in an investigation area; and a processing apparatus that detects an internal structure of the inspection target by using the sensor data received by the two kinds of sensors. The two kinds of sensors are deployed in the investigation area with different densities, in a distributed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Maeki, Shiro Mazawa, Tatsuyuki Saito, Takao Sakurai, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10969295
    Abstract: A sensor terminal includes: a vibration sensor; an L-shaped attachment main body portion on which the vibration sensor is mounted and that is detachably attached to a truncated quadrangular pyramid structure portion of a valve cap attached to an opening/closing shaft portion of a water regulating valve provided in a water service pipe; side surface magnets that are provided in the attachment main body portion; and an upper surface magnet that is attached to a lower surface of a base on which the vibration sensor is mounted. Further, the truncated quadrangular pyramid structure portion includes a quadrangular upper surface and four side surfaces, and the attachment main body portion of the sensor terminal is fixed using magnet to each of the upper surface of the truncated quadrangular pyramid structure portion and at least one side surface among the four side surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Furuichi, Hiroyuki Oota, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10935566
    Abstract: Provided is an acceleration sensor having a large mass in a movable portion, and realizing high impact resistance. An acceleration sensor element 10a includes an upper substrate 20, a lower substrate 21 spaced apart from the upper substrate 20, and an intermediate substrate 19 provided between the upper substrate 20 and the lower substrate 21. Each of a first movable portion 16, a second movable portion 17, a frame portion 12, a fixed portion 13, and a spring portion 14 constituting the intermediate substrate 19 is configured with two layers of an upper layer and a lower layer, and a stopper portion 18 is provided at one end of the frame portion 12. A distance 31 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the upper layer and a distance 32 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the lower layer are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuudai Kamada, Atsushi Isobe, Noriyuki Sakuma, Chisaki Takubo, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10877173
    Abstract: An exploration system includes an artificial seismic source, sensor terminals, an environmental sensor, and a computer, wherein each of a plurality of sensor terminals is provided with a velocity or acceleration sensor which detects vibration generated by the artificial seismic source, and an identifier which is unique to the velocity or acceleration sensor; the environmental sensor detects an external environment which influences the velocity or acceleration sensor; and the computer stores a deterioration model which possibly indicates, as a degree of deterioration, performance deterioration of the velocity or acceleration sensor by providing information about the external environment as a variable, associates, with the identifier, the information about the external environment detected by the environmental sensor, stores the information about the external environment as a usage history, and determines a deterioration state of the velocity or acceleration sensor or the sensor terminal on the basis of the det
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Maeki, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10802041
    Abstract: In an acceleration sensor detecting a vibration acceleration by using torsion of a beam joining a fixed portion and a membrane, a spring constant of the beam is decreased while an increase in a chip size due to extension of the beam is prevented, so that an acceleration sensor that is highly sensitive and small in a size is provided with a low price. A sensor of a capacitance detecting type includes a membrane having a stacking structure formed of two or more layers and a plurality of beams capable of twisting so that the membrane is movable in a detecting direction, a first beam of the plurality of beams is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the membrane, and a second beam thereof is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Isobe, Yuudai Kamada, Chisaki Takubo, Noriyuki Sakuma, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20200278463
    Abstract: An internal structure detection system includes: two kinds of sensors with different operating principles for receiving reflected waves of vibration applied to an inspection target in an investigation area; and a processing apparatus that detects an internal structure of the inspection target by using the sensor data received by the two kinds of sensors. The two kinds of sensors are deployed in the investigation area with different densities, in a distributed manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Akira MAEKI, Shiro MAZAWA, Tatsuyuki SAITO, Takao SAKURAI, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10697995
    Abstract: An acceleration sensor with an improved membrane (mass body) is provided. The membrane includes a moving portion, a moving portion electrically separated from the moving portion, and a mechanical junction portion that mechanically connects the moving portion and the moving portion in a y-axis direction. The mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the y-axis direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the y-axis direction in an xy plane, and is formed to have a non-linear shape in an x-axis direction. The acceleration sensor with improved the membrane stably operates by reducing a variation in a capacity value of a detection electrode and has an excellent noise characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Isobe, Yuudai Kamada, Chisaki Takubo, Noriyuki Sakuma, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20190250062
    Abstract: A sensor terminal includes: a vibration sensor; an L-shaped attachment main body portion on which the vibration sensor is mounted and that is detachably attached to a truncated quadrangular pyramid structure portion of a valve cap attached to an opening/closing shaft portion of a water regulating valve provided in a water service pipe; side surface magnets that are provided in the attachment main body portion; and an upper surface magnet that is attached to a lower surface of a base on which the vibration sensor is mounted. Further, the truncated quadrangular pyramid structure portion includes a quadrangular upper surface and four side surfaces, and the attachment main body portion of the sensor terminal is fixed using magnet to each of the upper surface of the truncated quadrangular pyramid structure portion and at least one side surface among the four side surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki FURUICHI, Hiroyuki OOTA, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20190162752
    Abstract: In an acceleration sensor detecting a vibration acceleration by using torsion of a beam joining a fixed portion and a membrane, a spring constant of the beam is decreased while an increase in a chip size due to extension of the beam is prevented, so that an acceleration sensor that is highly sensitive and small in a size is provided with a low price. A sensor of a capacitance detecting type includes a membrane having a stacking structure formed of two or more layers and a plurality of beams capable of twisting so that the membrane is movable in a detecting direction, a first beam of the plurality of beams is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the membrane, and a second beam thereof is formed of the same layer as either an upper or a lower layer of the movable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Atsushi ISOBE, Yuudai KAMADA, Chisaki TAKUBO, Noriyuki SAKUMA, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10203688
    Abstract: A manufacturing device inputs design information including three-dimensional structure data, generates a manufacturing process flow, and displays the manufacturing process flow on a screen for a user to check, modify, and confirm the flow based on design information and setting information. A process method includes a first process method of a direct modeling method having an FIB method and a second process method of a semiconductor manufacturing process method which is a non-FIB method. The manufacturing device generates a plurality of manufacturing process flows by a combination of cases where each of the process methods is applied to each of the regions of the three-dimensional data. The manufacturing process flow includes a process device, the process method, a control parameter value, a process time, and a total process time for each of process steps. An output unit outputs a manufacturing process flow having, for example, the shortest total process time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Kinoshita, Nobuyuki Sugii, Tomonori Sekiguchi, Shuntaro Machida, Tetsufumi Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20180370793
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a MEMS sensor includes a step of, by irradiating a first hole formed in a second layer on a semiconductor substrate with a focused ion beam for a first predetermined time, forming a first sealing film, which seals the first hole, on the first hole, and a step of, by irradiating a second hole formed in the second layer with a focused ion beam for a second predetermined time, forming a second sealing film, which seals the second hole, on the second hole. At this time, each of the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time is a time in which thermal equilibrium of the second layer is maintainable, and the step of forming the first sealing film and the step of forming the second sealing film are performed repeatedly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Masaharu KINOSHITA, Atsushi ISOBE, Kazuo ONO, Noriyuki SAKUMA, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI, Keiji WATANABE
  • Patent number: 10160644
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a MEMS sensor includes a step of, by irradiating a first hole formed in a second layer on a semiconductor substrate with a focused ion beam for a first predetermined time, forming a first sealing film, which seals the first hole, on the first hole, and a step of, by irradiating a second hole formed in the second layer with a focused ion beam for a second predetermined time, forming a second sealing film, which seals the second hole, on the second hole. At this time, each of the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time is a time in which thermal equilibrium of the second layer is maintainable, and the step of forming the first sealing film and the step of forming the second sealing film are performed repeatedly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Kinoshita, Atsushi Isobe, Kazuo Ono, Noriyuki Sakuma, Tomonori Sekiguchi, Keiji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20180346321
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a MEMS device that is easy to set a cavity inner pressure to a desired value by utilizing normally-used MEMS device manufacturing processes and process materials without increase in the number of processes of manufacturing the MEMS device. In order to solve the problem, as a typical MEMS device of the present invention, a MEMS device having a cavity includes an insulating film containing hydrogen in vicinity of the cavity and a hydrogen barrier film covering the insulating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Chisaki TAKUBO, Atsushi ISOBE, Noriyuki SAKUMA, Yuudai KAMADA, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180252744
    Abstract: Provided is an acceleration sensor having a large mass in a movable portion, and realizing high impact resistance. An acceleration sensor element 10a includes an upper substrate 20, a lower substrate 21 spaced apart from the upper substrate 20, and an intermediate substrate 19 provided between the upper substrate 20 and the lower substrate 21. Each of a first movable portion 16, a second movable portion 17, a frame portion 12, a fixed portion 13, and a spring portion 14 constituting the intermediate substrate 19 is configured with two layers of an upper layer and a lower layer, and a stopper portion 18 is provided at one end of the frame portion 12. A distance 31 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the upper layer and a distance 32 between an end portion of the first movable portion 16 or the second movable portion 17 and an end portion of the stopper portion 18 in the lower layer are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Yuudai KAMADA, Atsushi ISOBE, Noriyuki SAKUMA, Chisaki TAKUBO, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180246239
    Abstract: An exploration system includes an artificial seismic source, sensor terminals, an environmental sensor, and a computer, wherein each of a plurality of sensor terminals is provided with a velocity or acceleration sensor which detects vibration generated by the artificial seismic source, and an identifier which is unique to the velocity or acceleration sensor; the environmental sensor detects an external environment which influences the velocity or acceleration sensor; and the computer stores a deterioration model which possibly indicates, as a degree of deterioration, performance deterioration of the velocity or acceleration sensor by providing information about the external environment as a variable, associates, with the identifier, the information about the external environment detected by the environmental sensor, stores the information about the external environment as a usage history, and determines a deterioration state of the velocity or acceleration sensor or the sensor terminal on the basis of the det
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Akira MAEKI, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20180238929
    Abstract: A membrane (mass body) included in an acceleration sensor includes a moving portion, a moving portion electrically separated from the moving portion, and a mechanical junction portion that mechanically connects the moving portion and the moving portion in a y-axis direction. The mechanical junction portion includes a first portion extending in a direction having a first angle with respect to the y-axis direction and a second portion extending in a direction having a second angle different from the first angle with respect to the y-axis direction in an xy plane, and is formed to have a non-linear shape in an x-axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi Isobe, Yuudai Kamada, Chisaki Takubo, Noriyuki Sakuma, Tomonori Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20180017958
    Abstract: A manufacturing device inputs design information including three-dimensional structure data, generates a manufacturing process flow, and displays the manufacturing process flow on a screen for a user to check, modify, and confirm the flow based on design information and setting information. A process method includes a first process method of a direct modeling method having an FIB method and a second process method of a semiconductor manufacturing process method which is a non-FIB method. The manufacturing device generates a plurality of manufacturing process flows by a combination of cases where each of the process methods is applied to each of the regions of the three-dimensional data. The manufacturing process flow includes a process device, the process method, a control parameter value, a process time, and a total process time for each of process steps. An output unit outputs a manufacturing process flow having, for example, the shortest total process time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Masaharu KINOSHITA, Nobuyuki SUGII, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI, Shuntaro MACHIDA, Tetsufumi KAWAMURA
  • Patent number: 9633715
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be easily manufactured and obtain a ground state of an arbitrary Ising model. A semiconductor device includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell that interacts with the first memory cell, in which storage content of the first memory cell and the second memory cell is stochastically inverted. The storage content is stochastically inverted by dropping threshold voltages of the first memory cell and the second memory cell. The threshold voltages of the first and second memory cells are dropping by controlling substrate biases, power voltages, or trip points of the first and second memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chihiro Yoshimura, Masanao Yamaoka, Tomonori Sekiguchi, Tatsuya Tomaru
  • Publication number: 20170018471
    Abstract: To provide a physical quantity sensor in which the influence of deformation of a package substrate on the measuring accuracy of a sensor element can be suppressed. A physical quantity sensor includes a sensor element that detects a predetermined physical quantity and outputs an electrical signal, a plurality of lead portions that are connected to the sensor element, and a package substrate that accommodates the sensor element and the plurality of lead portions. The plurality of lead portions are connected at proximal end sides thereof to the package substrate side, and connected at distal end sides thereof to the sensor element side, and the plurality of lead portions support the sensor element in such a manner that the sensor element does not contact the package substrate and that the transmission of deformation of the package substrate side to the sensor element is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Takanori AONO, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI, Takashi SHIOTA, Yuudai KAMADA, Atsushi ISOBE
  • Publication number: 20160118106
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can be easily manufactured and obtain a ground state of an arbitrary Ising model. A semiconductor device includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell that interacts with the first memory cell, in which storage content of the first memory cell and the second memory cell is stochastically inverted. The storage content is stochastically inverted by dropping threshold voltages of the first memory cell and the second memory cell. The threshold voltages of the first and second memory cells are dropping by controlling substrate biases, power voltages, or trip points of the first and second memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: CHIHIRO YOSHIMURA, Masanao YAMAOKA, Tomonori SEKIGUCHI, Tatsuya TOMARU