Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch
  • Patent number: 8346073
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, once the mode setting device sets the person photographing mode, and the face zooming instruction device instructs zooming to the face of the person, the detection device detects the size of the face of the person captured by the image pickup device. The zooming device is then controlled so as to capture the face of the person in a certain size based on the detection result. Subsequently, the photographer instructs zooming in the telephoto direction or the wide direction using the zooming instruction device as necessary to thereby allow fine adjustment of the composition. This enables to easily and quickly photograph an image in a user's desired composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Syuji Nose
  • Patent number: 8342184
    Abstract: A non-combustion flavor inhalation article includes a heating device including a heater to be heated to a temperature between 80 and 140° C., and a roll including a tobacco sheet to be disposed in contact with the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Michihiro Inagaki, Morio Yajima, Manabu Yamada, Hiroshi Sasaki, Manabu Takeuchi, Kota Takeda
  • Patent number: 8345145
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal and a focusing method using the same. The mobile communication terminal includes an input unit for generating one or more input signals, a camera unit for capturing an image of a subject, a display unit having the image of the subject displayed thereon and having a screen divided into one or more regions in order to focus specific regions of the image, wherein a focusing region indicator to indicate the specific region is displayed on the screen, but region demarcation lines to demarcate the regions are not displayed on the screen, a controller for controlling each of the regions to be divided in response to the input signals in order to select the specific region, and the specific regions corresponding to the generated input signals to be focused, so that another images corresponding to the specific regions are generated, a communication module for selectively transmitting the generated images to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: June Seok Hur
  • Patent number: 8344090
    Abstract: Methods for preparing functionalized polyvinylpyrrolidones with polymerizable functions. Also, amphipathic polydimethylsiloxane-PVP block copolymers, such as and (meth)acrylated and (meth)acrylamide-functionalized polyvinylpyrrolidone compounds, such as The block copolymers are useful as biomaterial components in biomedical devices. They provide improved wettability, lubricity, and material compatibility to the biomedical device, e.g., ophthalmic lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventors: James Parakka, Keith R. McCrea, Robert S. Ward
  • Patent number: 8343784
    Abstract: The embodiment of the present invention provides an LED device, a manufacturing method of the LED device and a mounting structure of the LED device. In order to manufacture the LED device with low manufacturing cost through simple process capable of overcoming thermal fatigue due to heat generation, breaking of wire due to mechanical stress, the method comprises etching a wafer; forming a conductive metal layer from an upper surface to a lower surface of the wafer; bonding a light emitting diode chip to the metal layer which is disposed on the upper surface of the wafer; filling a resin into a space over the light emitting diode chip; and forming an electrode pad on the metal layer which is disposed on the lower surface of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong Wook Park
  • Patent number: 8343125
    Abstract: An absorbent article (100) includes a topsheet (101), a backsheet (102), and an absorbent core (10). The absorbent core (10) includes a number of discretely and independently arranged absorbent members (30) located across a planar direction of the article (100). An intermediate sheet (20) is disposed between the topsheet (101) and the absorbent core (10) or between the backsheet (102) and the absorbent core (10). The absorbent members (30) are fixed to the intermediate sheet (20). It is preferable that an absorption rate of physiological saline solution measured by D/W method of each of the topsheet (101), the intermediate sheet (20), and the absorbent core (10) satisfies the following relationship: the topsheet (101)<the intermediate sheet (20)<the absorbent core (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Kawazoe, Takuya Kouta, Takeshi Miyamura
  • Patent number: 8345071
    Abstract: In a display control circuit of this invention, a write gray scale level determining part outputs write gray scale level data for performing overshoot drive on a liquid crystal display device. Moreover, an achievable gray scale level determining part outputs achievable gray scale level data indicating a gray scale level which achieves after a lapse of one frame. Further, an error noise predicting part compares, with a predetermined threshold value, predicted values as differences between gray scale level values of plural pieces of input image data and a mean gray scale level value of these gray scale level values to control a data selecting part such that when at least one of the predicted values exceeds the threshold value, the data selecting part gives, to an image compressing part, the input image data rather than the achievable gray scale level data predicted that a decoding error becomes large. This configuration allows suppression or elimination of after-image noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoji Sakurai, Hiroyuki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8342286
    Abstract: In a normally-open type clutch structure operatively connected to a vehicle which includes an engine, a drive wheel driven by the engine, and an automatic transmission arranged between the engine and the drive wheel. A clutch operating mechanism is provided having an actuator for engaging or disengaging a clutch connected to the automatic transmission. The clutch operating mechanism performs a control so as to bring the clutch into an engaged state when the actuator is operated, and clutch operating mechanism operates the clutch so as to bring the clutch into a disengaged state when the actuator is not operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Tsukada, Takashi Ozeki
  • Patent number: 8345190
    Abstract: A polarization optical system includes a first polarization plate, arranged at the light incident side of a liquid-crystal light valve, for transmitting first polarized light (s-polarized light) included in light incident on the liquid-crystal light valve from an illumination optical system and a second polarization plate, arranged at the light exit side of the liquid-crystal light valve, for transmitting second polarized light (p-polarized light), different from the first polarized light (s-polarized light), included in imaging light emitted from the liquid-crystal light valve to a projection optical system, in which the second polarization plate is configured in such a way that its light-incident face is concave toward the liquid-crystal light valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Yamada, Akira Daijogo, Kenji Samejima
  • Patent number: 8343943
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cancer sensitizer comprising glucosamine, a glucosamine derivative, or a salt thereof. When administered to patients with cancer, the cancer sensitizer functions to sensitize cancer cells to anticancer agents without producing side effects, thereby increasing the therapeutic efficiency of chemotherapy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: National Cancer Center
    Inventors: Soo Youl Kim, Dae Seok Kim
  • Patent number: 8347220
    Abstract: An original image is displayed on a display screen. Here, when a sub-screen input mode is set, a sub-screen that is obtained by reducing an entire screen displayed on the display screen is displayed on an image display portion. The user uses an electronic pen to select an optional input area within the sub-screen. An area corresponding to the selected input area is displayed on the entire screen. At this timer, the reduced image of the entire screen is switched to an image of the input area on the sub-screen. Then, the user uses the electronic pen to perform an editing work on the sub-screen. The sub-screen is set within reach of the user, and editing on an area out of reach on the entire screen can be also performed on the sub-screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yumiko Kikuoka
  • Patent number: 8346194
    Abstract: A radio broadcast receiver includes a front end unit for tuning by changing a local oscillation frequency; and a control unit for managing by dividing the receiving band into a third frequency domain including a third frequency obtained by subtracting the intermediate frequency from an upper end frequency of the receiving band, a first frequency domain including a first frequency obtained by adding the intermediate frequency to a lower end frequency of the receiving band, and a second frequency domain where the first frequency domain and third frequency domain overlap, and for switching, when tuning is made across the frequency domains, the local oscillation frequency to an upper local oscillation frequency when the tuning frequency is higher than the third frequency by controlling the front end unit, and to a lower local oscillation frequency when it is lower than the first frequency by controlling the front end unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electronic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Nakata
  • Patent number: 8342282
    Abstract: Disclosed is a motorcycle fitted with a canister. A canister (55) is disposed along the body frame (20) at a position outside the body frame and closer to the body frame than the tip end of a tandem step (54R).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Kuramochi, Hikaru Yokomura, Yuji Tsujimoto, Koichi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 8345968
    Abstract: An encoding device includes a color component separating unit for separating an input bit stream for the respective color components, a block dividing unit for dividing an input color component signal into blocks to generate a signal of an encoding unit area, a predicted image generating unit for generating a predicted image for the signal, a determining unit for determining a prediction mode used for encoding according to a prediction efficiency of the predicted image, a prediction error encoding unit for encoding a difference between the predicted image corresponding to the prediction mode determined by the determining unit and the input color component signal, and an encoding unit for variable length-coding the prediction mode, an output from the prediction error encoding unit, and a color component identification flag indicating the color component to which the input bit stream belongs as a result of the color component separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shunichi Sekiguchi, Shuichi Yamagishi, Yoshimi Moriya, Yoshihisa Yamada, Kohtaro Asai, Tokumichi Murakami, Yuichi Idehara
  • Patent number: 8345310
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided with a halftone frequency determining section for determining a halftone frequency of an input image data including a plurality of color components. The halftone frequency determining section includes: a threshold value setting section for setting a threshold value for a segment block that is consisting of a plurality of pixels, the threshold value being for use in binarization; a threshold value adjusting section for adjusting the threshold value according to input image data in order to remove an influence of an unnecessary color component; a maximum transition number averaging section for averaging maximum transition numbers of the binary data according to the adjusted threshold value in order to obtain a maximum transition number average; and a halftone frequency estimating section for estimating the halftone frequency from the maximum transition number average. With this, it is possible to determine the halftone frequency accurately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasushi Adachi
  • Patent number: 8343655
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gel polymer Li-ion battery electrode slice and a method for preparing the same. The electrode slice comprises a two-layer composite structure of electrode active material/gel electrolyte or a three-layer composite structure of electrode active material/gel electrolyte/electrode active material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventors: Xin Zhang, Yanchuan Guo, Haitao Xu, Qiangli Gao, Rongfu Li, Ying Cui, Yuanfen Hu, Keli Chen
  • Patent number: 8343244
    Abstract: Dust collection structure for collecting the dust removed from an air filter of an indoor unit has been devised to reduce user's labor in collecting the dust as much as possible. An indoor unit includes, in a casing, an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan for sucking air from inside of a room, and blowing the air to the inside of the room, and an air filter arranged on an inlet side of the indoor fan. The dust trapped on the air filter is removed by the dust removing means, and is contained in the dust containing part. A nozzle connector for arranging a nozzle of a cleaner at a predetermined position where suction of the contained dust is allowed is provided at a downstream outlet of a dust collection path as a transfer path for transferring the dust in collecting the contained dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiko Sakashita
  • Patent number: 8345118
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing section for capturing an image; a person determining section for determining whether the image captured by the image capturing section includes any person; an input notification section for notifying a user that the person included in the image captured by the image capturing section should be inputted when the image determining section determines that the image includes the person; a personal identification information input section for causing the user to input personal identification information indicative of the person included in the image captured by the image capturing section by a predetermined timing after the input notification section notifies the user that the person included in the image captured by the image capturing section should be inputted; and an image storage section for storing the personal identification information inputted by the personal identification information input section in association with the image captured by the ima
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Matsushita, Kenji Kojima, Hajime Shirasaka, Yasuhiko Kaneko, Ayumu Isomura, Kimiko Tachikawa, Shinsuke Zetsu, Hideaki Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 8344211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated nucleic acid molecules and their corresponding encoded polypeptides. The present invention further relates to the uses of these nucleic acid molecules and polypeptides. For example, the nucleic acid molecules and polypeptides could be used in making enzymes or used to make plants, plant cells, plant materials or seeds of a plant having such modulated growth or phenotype characteristics that are altered with respect to wild type plants grown under similar conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Ceres, Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolai Alexandrov, Vyacheslav Brover, Maxim Troukhan
  • Patent number: 8345017
    Abstract: A touch input gesture made on a touch sensitive display is described for providing a quick and efficient method for initiating the opening of a text input box. The initiation of opening the text input box following the touch input gesture may be made during the running of a separate application. Further, certain characteristics related to the shape, size and length of the touch input gesture will be referenced to determine certain characteristics of the text input box that is initiated in response to the touch input gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Eunhyung Cho