Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Oliff & Berridge
  • Patent number: 8345120
    Abstract: An electronic camera includes: an image-capturing unit with variable image-capturing sensitivity, which captures an image of a subject through a photographic lens; a brightness detection unit that detects subject brightness; an exposure calculation unit that executes an exposure calculation by using, at least, the image-capturing sensitivity set at the image-capturing unit and the subject brightness having been detected; a flash quantity calculation unit that calculates a main flash quantity for a flash unit that illuminates the subject when capturing an image thereof; and a sensitivity adjusting unit that adjusts the image-capturing sensitivity so as to achieve optimal exposure with a main flash quantity within a flash quantity control range of the flash unit when the main flash quantity having been calculated by the flash quantity calculation unit is outside the flash quantity control range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takeuchi, Tsutomu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8345347
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophoretic display device that includes a display region including an electrophoretic element interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate that is flexible; and a conductive member that is located between the first substrate and the second substrate and at a position outside the display region and that electrically connects the substrates, the conductive member having a different thickness from that of the electrophoretic element; wherein the second substrate includes a slit formed at a position between the display region and the conductive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Terashima
  • Patent number: 8344356
    Abstract: A semiconductor material is provided comprising: a composition graded layer, formed on a Si substrate or an interlayer formed thereon, comprising a composition of AlXGa1-XN graded such that a content ratio of Al in the composition decreases continuously or discontinuously in a crystal growing direction; a superlattice composite layer, formed on the composition graded layer, comprising a high Al-containing layer comprising a composition of AlYGa1-YN and a low Al-containing layer comprising a composition of AlZGa1-ZN that are laminated alternately; and a nitride semiconductor layer formed on the superlattice composite layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Dowa Electronics Materials Co., Ltd., National University Corporation Nagoya Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Ryo Sakamoto, Jo Shimizu, Tsuneo Ito, Takashi Egawa
  • Patent number: 8343060
    Abstract: In a process of varying pressure of a pressure container (24) accommodating a forearm (22) of a subject (20) in a pressure range including negative pressure, a diameter (cross-sectional shape value) (D) of an artery 44 in the forearm (22) accommodated in the pressure container (24) is measured non-invasively by a vascular diameter calculating unit (76). In addition, a display controller (display controlling means) (80) operates to display on a displaying device (16) a variation of an internal pressure (Pc) in the pressure container (24) and a variation of the diameter (D) of the artery (44) varying depending thereon. Based on the diameter (D) of the artery (44) obtained in the high pressure region, the variation of the internal pressure Pc in the pressure container 24 and the variation of the diameter (D) of the artery 44 varying depending thereon i.e. mechanical properties of the artery (44) are displayed on the displaying device (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Unex Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Matsumoto, Kazuaki Nagayama, Kenji Takezawa, Hiroshi Masuda
  • Patent number: 8345473
    Abstract: The present invention uses a ferromagnetic thin wire having a domain wall inside, with the magnetic moment at the center thereof being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the thin wire. With the domain wall being fixed by a domain wall fixation device (e.g. antiferromagnetic thin wires) so that the domain wall is prevented from moving in the ferromagnetic thin wire, when a direct current is supplied, the magnetic moment rotates in the immobilized domain wall. This rotation of the moment can be detected by a TMR element or the like. This configuration of the ferromagnetic thin wire element can be directly used to create a microwave oscillator or magnetic memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Kyoto University, University of Electro-Communications
    Inventors: Teruo Ono, Yoshinobu Nakatani
  • Patent number: 8343283
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for cleaning a substrate comprising contacting the substrate in a cleaning cycle with an aqueous cleaning solution comprising an aqueous diluent and a detergent composition, the detergent composition comprising a glycolic and/or lactic acid oligomer with an average degree of polymerization between 1.8 and 6. Preferably, the substrate is contacted in a rinse cycle with an aqueous rinse which is substantially free of an intentionally added rinse agent or fabric softener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Purac Biochem BV
    Inventor: Rudolf E. Nijburg
  • Patent number: 8344926
    Abstract: The analog-to-digital converter comprises a first stage in which a voltage to be converted is applied to the input of a first comparator. The first comparator delivers a first digital result representative of the comparison between the voltage to be converted and the reference voltage on a first digital output. The first digital output is connected to means for calculating a first intermediate voltage. A second comparator compares the first intermediate voltage with the reference voltage and delivers a second digital result on a second digital output terminal. The digital output terminal is connected to second means for calculating a residual voltage according to the voltage to be converted, the first and second voltages and the first and second digital results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Societe Francaise de Detecteurs Infrarouges-Sofradir
    Inventor: Gilbert Decaens
  • Patent number: 8343711
    Abstract: There is disclosed a patterning process comprises at least (1) a step of forming an organic underlayer film on a substrate and then forming a photoresist pattern on the organic underlayer film, (2) a step of attaching an alkaline solution containing an alkaline substance onto the photoresist pattern and then removing the excess alkaline solution, (3) a step of applying a solution of a siloxane polymer crosslinkable by action of the alkaline substance onto the photoresist pattern to form a crosslinked part by crosslinking the siloxane polymer near the photoresist patterns, and (4) a step of removing the uncrosslinked siloxane polymer and the photoresist pattern. There can be provided a patterning process capable of forming a further finer pattern simply and efficiently and with a high practicability applicable to semiconductor manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Ogihara, Takafumi Ueda, Toshiharu Yano
  • Patent number: 8344048
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid preparation for forming an epoxy resin having curing properties combining high transparency and high bending strength while maintaining advantageous handling properties as in a liquid state. A liquid preparation for forming an epoxy resin comprising: an A agent; and a B agent; wherein the A agent contains a modified epoxy resin (I) formed from at least one type of compound (i) having in a molecule thereof, at least one functional group of Formula (1): (where R1 and R2 individually represent an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, a heterocyclic group or a halogenated, aminated or nitrated derivative of any of the groups) and a compound (ii) having a glycidyl group in a molecule thereof, and an inorganic particle (II); and the B agent contains a curing agent (III).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Takeyama, Naohiko Suemura
  • Patent number: 8344494
    Abstract: A layered chip package includes a main body and wiring. The main body includes a main part including a plurality of stacked layer portions, and a plurality of terminals disposed on the top and bottom surfaces of the main part. The wiring includes a plurality of lines electrically connected to the plurality of terminals. The plurality of lines include a plurality of common lines and a plurality of layer-dependent lines. Each of the plurality of layer portions includes: a plurality of common electrodes electrically connected to the plurality of common lines; a plurality of non-contact electrodes that are electrically connected to the layer-dependent lines and are not in contact with the semiconductor chip in the layer portion; and a selective connection electrode selectively electrically connected to only the layer-dependent line that the layer portion uses among the plurality of layer-dependent lines. The layer-dependent lines are greater than the common lines in maximum width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Hiroshi Ikejima, Atsushi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8342038
    Abstract: The submarine phenomenon can be prevented and the accuracy of a passenger's weight measurement is improved. A vehicle seat includes a pair of fixed lower rails fixed on the floor of a passenger compartment, a pair of movable upper rails that are engaged with the fixed lower rails so as to be slidable in a front-and-rear direction with respect to each of the fixed lower rails, a sub frame which is disposed at an upper side of the movable upper rails, load sensors and that lie between the sub frame and the movable upper rails, brackets and which are disposed so as to erect them on each of the movable upper rails, and a submarine pipe 11 which is crossed between the brackets. The submarine pipe is disposed to be slidable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: TS Tech Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Endo, Kenji Sato, Harutomi Nishide, Tatsuya Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8344039
    Abstract: There is provided a photo-curable composition that shows the suppression of a residual film formation and a high adhesion thereof to a substrate in a process for forming a three-dimensional pattern by a photo-imprinting method. A photo-curable composition for forming a three-dimensional pattern by a photo-imprinting method, comprises a monomer having a photopolymerizable group; an inorganic fine particle to which a dispersant is added; and a photopolymerization initiator. It is preferred that the inorganic fine particle (e.g., silica) has an average particle diameter of 1 to 1,000 nm, and the dispersant is a silane coupling agent, particularly a silane coupling agent containing an organic group having a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond or an organic group having an epoxy group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Hanabata
  • Patent number: 8343604
    Abstract: A container made of synthetic resin which does not cause whitening or clouding in an unstretched portion even after long-period storage and which has excellent barrier properties. A PET bottle comprising a substrate layer made of PET and a barrier layer having a gas permeability lower than that of the substrate layer, wherein the barrier layer is made of a barrier material prepared by incorporating a polyamide containing m-xylene groups with an amorphous polyamide comprising both m-xylene isophthalamide structures and hexamethylene isophthalamide structures. A copolyamide composed of both a copolymer of m-xylenediamine and isophthalic acid and a copolymer of hexamethylenediamine and isophthalic acid is used as the amorphous polyamide. The content of the amorphous polyamide in the barrier layer is adjusted to 15 to 25 wt %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sugai, Hiromi Shimura, Masato Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8347197
    Abstract: A terminal device includes: a time information receiving unit which receives measured time and an estimated error of another terminal device; an estimated error calculating unit which calculates an error containing the estimated error of another terminal device received by the time information receiving unit as an updating-use estimated error; and a time updating unit which, when the updating-use estimated error calculated by the estimated error calculating unit is smaller than an estimated error stored in an estimated error memory unit, stores the updating-use estimated error calculated by the estimated error calculating unit in the estimated error memory unit thus updating the estimated error stored in the estimated error memory unit, and adjusts a measured time measured by a time measuring unit in response to the measured time of another terminal device received by the time information receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kentaro Ushiyama
  • Patent number: 8342111
    Abstract: A sewing machine that operates with power supplied from a main power supply includes a needle plate having a needle hole through which a sewing needle can pass, an illuminating device that illuminates the needle hole and a vicinity of the needle hole, a power supply device that stores power, a detection device that detects whether a predetermined operation is performed in the sewing machine, a power distribution device that supplies the power from the power supply device to the detection device and the illuminating device, if supply of the power from the main power supply is turned off, and a turning-on device that turns on the illuminating device, if the detection device detects that the predetermined operation is performed in a condition where the supply of the power from the main power supply is cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiichi Hamajima
  • Patent number: 8342554
    Abstract: Disclosed is a suspension fork for a two-wheeler with a fork leg comprising a stanchion tube fixed to the frame which immerses in a slide tube in sections, wherein the guiding between the slide tube and the stanchion tube is performed via a bearing arrangement. In accordance with the invention, an additional lubricant volume is provided by means of which a sufficient lubrication of the bearing arrangement is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: B-Labs AG
    Inventors: Andreas Felsl, Stephan Albrecht, Stephan Kotzlowski
  • Patent number: 8344981
    Abstract: A display driver including: a data line driver circuit which drives an output line based on a drive voltage corresponding to display data; a first switching element connected between a first power supply line and the output line; a second switching element connected between a second power supply line and the output line; and a switch control circuit which controls the first and second switching elements. The lengths of first and second periods are determined based on at least part of the display data in a horizontal scanning period which is immediately before a current horizontal scanning period. The first and second switching elements are respectively turned ON and OFF in the first period, and are respectively turned OFF and ON in the second period. After the second period, the first and second switching elements are turned OFF, and the output line is driven by the data line driver circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Morita
  • Patent number: D673603
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Suzuki, Yusaku Seki
  • Patent number: D673604
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Nanno, Masahide Asano
  • Patent number: RE43888
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a business is issued a deposit card readable on a debit card reader enabling the business to transmit deposit information to its bank or financial institution for crediting rather than debiting of its account. More particularly, a method is provided for facilitating bank deposits for a business having a debit card reader configured to send deposit information to a bank at which the business maintains at least one account. The method comprises the steps of: (i) compiling deposit information concerning cash and negotiable instruments to be deposited in the account; (ii) transmitting the deposit information to the bank via the debit card reader; (iii) consolidating the cash and negotiable instruments into a deposit package; (iv) labelling the deposit package to link it to the deposit information in step (ii); and, (v) delivering the deposit package from step (iv) to the bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Richard Vallance