Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Oliffe & Berridge, PLC
  • Patent number: 8342760
    Abstract: A camera accessory is detachably mounted at a camera body that includes a first body contact point, a second body contact point, a third body contact point, a fourth body contact point and a fifth body contact point and detects disengagement of the camera accessory when the fifth body contact point sustains a signal level corresponding to a first truth value continuously over a length of time equal to or greater than a predetermined time length. In the camera accessory, the accessory-side communication control device executes control so as to ensure that the signal assuming a level corresponding to the first truth value is not continuously output from the fifth accessory contact point any longer than the predetermined time length while the operating voltage supply from the camera body is provided via the first accessory contact point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuharu Imafuji, Masafumi Oikawa
  • Patent number: 8343302
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method for preparing a honeycomb segment joined body in which a plurality of honeycomb segments are arranged in directions parallel to a first flat surface and a second flat surface of an installation reference jig to install the honeycomb segments in predetermined positions via a paste-like joining material on the installation reference jig by use of the installation reference jig having the first flat surface and the second flat surface forming a right angle therebetween, and then the joining material is dried and cured to join the plurality of honeycomb segments together. In the preparation method, in at least a part of a process of successively installing the plurality of honeycomb segments in the predetermined positions, when a new honeycomb segment is installed, at least a part of the installed honeycomb segments is pressurized and held in the predetermined positions so that the already installed honeycomb segments are not displaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akifumi Nishio, Takao Tani, Jun Inoue
  • Patent number: 8342112
    Abstract: A sewing machine includes a bed, a needle plate, an image capture device, an auxiliary optical member, a switching device, a command acquisition device, and a control device. The needle plate is provided on the bed and includes a needle hole. The image capture device is adapted to capture an image facing downward from above the needle hole. The auxiliary optical member is adapted to transmit light to an image capture device side of the auxiliary optical member. The switching device switches the auxiliary optical member to one of being used and not being used. The command acquisition device acquires a command. In a case where the command has been acquired, the control device controls the switching device to switch the auxiliary optical member to one of being used and not being used in accordance with the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Fujihara
  • Patent number: 8346685
    Abstract: A computerized system for enhancing expert-based processes, the system comprising a computerized expert based data analyzer receiving input from a plurality of experts by operating a corresponding plurality of expert-based processes on a body of data, the input including a discrepancy set including at least one point of discrepancy regarding which less than all of the plurality of experts agree and an agreement set including at least one point of agreement regarding which all of the plurality of experts agree; and an oracle from which oracle input is received resolving at least the point of discrepancy and not resolving any point of agreement in the agreement set; wherein the computerized analyzer is operative to select and to subsequently actuate for purposes of receiving input regarding the body of data, a subset of better experts from among the plurality of experts based on the oracle input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Equivio Ltd.
    Inventor: Yiftach Ravid
  • Patent number: 8342154
    Abstract: In order to create a device for supplying fuel, with a connecting piece for connecting at least one fuel line of an engine, in particular an engine of a small piece of equipment, for example for garden, forest or landscape maintenance or for example of a motorized tool or the like, wherein an intake manifold is provided which is arranged adjacently to a fuel tank, with an improved arrangement of a connecting piece of a device for supplying fuel of an engine, it is proposed that the intake manifold has a retaining device for the retentive arrangement of the connecting piece on the intake manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Makita Corporation
    Inventor: Klaus Scholz
  • Patent number: 8345363
    Abstract: A drive device capable of engaging a drive shaft and a part holding the drive shaft with a suitable force without accompanying increase in the size of the drive device. The drive device includes a couple member with a piezoelectric element and a transmission shaft coupled together, a lens holder that holds a lens and to which the couple member is secured, a biasing member that biases the transmission shaft in a direction intersecting a placement direction of the transmission shaft viewed from the lens holder (excluding a lengthwise direction of the transmission shaft), and a link member (link body) that holds the transmission shaft in a slidable manner together with the biasing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Aoki, Hitoshi Kawamura, Takashi Hasuda, Eiji Takahashi, Ikuo Shinta
  • Patent number: 8342142
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus includes an electric water pump that circulates a coolant, a radiator that radiates heat of the coolant, an electric fan that cools the radiator, a control device, and first flow rate correction means. The control device controls the discharge flow rate of the electric water pump based on a target flow rate set based on an amount of heat generated in an engine, and controls operation of the electric fan based on a coolant temperature. When the coolant temperature is equal to or higher than a fan operation temperature at which the operation of the electric fan is started, the first flow rate correction means increases the discharge flow rate of the electric water pump in accordance with an increase in the coolant temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shintani, Shinichi Hamada
  • Patent number: 8345384
    Abstract: A main pole has a top surface and a bottom end that each include first, second, and third portions arranged contiguously in this order of increasing distance from a medium facing surface. A first virtual plane and a second virtual plane are assumed. The first virtual plane passes through an end of an end face of the main pole located forward in the direction of travel of a recording medium and is perpendicular to the medium facing surface and to the direction of travel of the recording medium. The second virtual plane passes through an end of the end face of the main pole located backward in the direction of travel of the recording medium and is perpendicular to the medium facing surface and to the direction of travel of the recording medium. The first and third portions are inclined relative to the first and second virtual planes and the medium facing surface. The second portion is parallel to the first and second virtual planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Kazuki Sato, Shigeki Tanemura, Hironori Araki, Atsushi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8344723
    Abstract: A phase difference type resolver is adapted such that a calculator calculates an angle from a phase difference at a detection-signal zero cross point, determines a velocity at the angle based on an angle calculated from a phase difference at a previous detection-signal zero cross point, calculates an estimated angle at a next detection-signal zero cross point based on the velocity, divides a difference between the estimated angle and the angle into predetermined minimum detection angles, and outputs a real-time signal based on the minimum detection angles in a range after the angle but before the estimated angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Aisan Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takumi Kamiya, Takehide Nakamura, Tetsuji Inoue, Hiroaki Miyazaki, Takeshi Suzuki
  • 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: 8345216
    Abstract: A substrate conveyance device that conveys a substrate having been exposed with a pattern image via a projection optical system and a liquid, the substrate conveyance device comprising: a liquid detector that detects the liquid adhering on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Nikon Corporation, Zao Nikon Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Atsushi Ohta, Takashi Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 8341971
    Abstract: An air conditioning control device for a vehicle has an air conditioner for conditioning air in a vehicle interior, an input receiving unit for receiving inputs of both planned departure time of the vehicle and a target temperature in the vehicle interior, a pre-air-conditioning control unit for starting operation of the air conditioner at an air conditioning start time before the planned departure time so that the temperature in the vehicle interior at the planned departure time becomes the target temperature, and an outdoor air temperature acquisition unit for acquiring outdoor air temperature. The pre-air-conditioning control unit changes the air conditioning operation start time based on the outdoor air temperature acquired by the outdoor air temperature acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hichirosai Oyobe, Yoshinori Fujitake
  • Patent number: 8342274
    Abstract: When an engine is driven on a different type of fuel (for example, ethanol-containing fuel) from a reference fuel (for example, gasoline) and the engine torque is thus greater than that produced when the engine is driven on the reference fuel, a differential state control device expands a non-differential range compared to that at the time when the reference fuel is used. Thus, in the case where a plurality of types of fuel including the reference fuel are supplied to the engine, the advantage of switching a power distribution mechanism between a differential enabled state and a non-differential state can be fully utilized in correspondence with engine torque characteristics which may vary in accordance with the type of fuel for the engine. As a result, the fuel consumption rate can be reduced in correspondence with the plurality of types of fuel supplied to the engine, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Imamura, Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Yuji Iwase, Kenta Kumazaki, Keita Imai
  • Patent number: 8346603
    Abstract: An ecological-point management system includes an electric powered vehicle, a charging facility, a communication network, a management server, point recipients each having a device capable of accessing the communication network. The electric storage device of the electric powered vehicle is configured to be chargeable by the charging facility. In the ecological-point management system, an ecological point in accordance with an amount of greenhouse gas emission that can be reduced by traveling using electric power by the electric powered vehicle is given to the point recipients. The point recipients can include an owner or a driver of the electric powered vehicle, and a manufacture, an installation personnel, an owner of the charging facility, and an owner of an installation place, and further a provider of the charging power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Sakakibara, Yukio Okamura, Kenji Mori, Yutaka Matsumoto, Chitose Shibata, Yoshitaka Asakura, Akihiko Kido, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kiichi Iwasaki
  • 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: 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: 8345381
    Abstract: A magnetic head includes a coil, a main pole, a shield, a return path section, and an accommodation part that are disposed above the top surface of a substrate. The accommodation part accommodates at least part of the return path section. The return path section lies between the main pole and the top surface of the substrate, and connects the shield and part of the main pole away from a medium facing surface to each other so that a space through which part of the coil passes is defined. The accommodation part includes an interposer interposed between the return path section and the medium facing surface. The interposer has an inclined surface facing toward the return path section. The return path section includes an inclined portion located between part of the coil and the inclined surface and extending along the inclined surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Headway Technologies, Inc., SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Sasaki, Hiroyuki Ito, Hironori Araki, Seiichiro Tomita, Kazuki Sato, Shigeki Tanemura, Tatsuya Shimizu
  • 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: 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: 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