Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Pearne & Gordon
  • Patent number: 8135137
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a sound image localization apparatus which can prevent the lowering of the amplitude of the sound image localizing signal, the occurrence of clipping, and deterioration of the sound image localization component of the sound image localizing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Gempo Ito
  • Patent number: 8133374
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is provided. A negative electrode precursor of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is allowed to absorb lithium ions, the negative electrode precursor includes a current collector and an active material layer formed on the current collector. The precursor is provided with an exposed portion of the current collector. In this method, a negative electrode active material layer is allowed to absorb lithium ions by electrolysis in the non-aqueous electrolyte solution. At this time, by measuring a potential of a portion immersed in the non-aqueous electrolyte solution, the exposed portion is detected and an electric current of the electrolysis is controlled. Thereby, the deposition of lithium metal on the exposed portion is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hideharu Takezawa
  • Patent number: 8135486
    Abstract: Even in case that a wafer is so greatly deviated that a peripheral portion of the wafer cannot be detected, position determination of the wafer can be performed without inflicting a damage on the wafer. The wafer peripheral portion, which is a target, is detected based on output images from a plurality of imaging units disposed along a peripheral portion shape of the wafer (step S210), and a wafer position deviation correcting step (step S220) or a rough correcting step (step 230) is performed according to the number of the imaging units capable of detecting the wafer peripheral portion. In case that the wafer peripheral portion cannot be detected by all the imaging units, a wafer position adjusting step (step 240) for moving the wafer is performed in a position adjusting direction acquired by a combination of the output images by each imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Takehiro Shindo
  • Patent number: 8134592
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to make it possible to input memo information for each video material without being conscious of the association with the video material. The associating device according to the invention includes an association determination section 40 for associating a word with a video material by using the input start time information on an inputted word and the photography time information on a photographed video material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Ozawa, Mitsuhiro Kageyama
  • Patent number: 8132140
    Abstract: A circuit board analyzing method and a circuit board analyzer are provided which can greatly reduce analyzing time. The circuit board analyzer includes a computing unit 110, a memory unit 140 connected to the computing unit 110, and an input unit 160 connected to the computing unit 110. The computing unit 110 includes a wiring data acquiring section 310 acquiring data of wirings formed on a circuit board, a basic circuit diagram forming section 320 dividing the wirings into meshes and setting cells and branches connecting the adjacent cells, and an interference analysis setting section 330 setting an element ignoring range of elements set in the cells and the branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Uriu, Toru Yamada, Masahiro Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 8131142
    Abstract: Digital camera is provided with face detection section that detects faces of a plurality of photographing objects, microcomputer performs continuous shooting in optimum photographing conditions in accordance with the number of faces of the photographing objects for each face of the plurality of photographing objects by a single shutter operation and performs control by assigning serial photographing object numbers to the images of the plurality of photographing objects taken by continuous shooting and recording the images in a single continuous-shooting image folder. Furthermore, microcomputer performs continuous shooting in predetermined order in accordance with the number of faces of the photographing objects and detects, when the photographing object speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the photographing object speed again after photographing other photographing objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Naoto Yumiki
  • Patent number: 8130039
    Abstract: An RF power amplifier includes a first amplifier module comprising a first push-pull amplifier including a first plurality of field effect transistors and a first output transformer. An output impedance of the first amplifier module is 25 ohms. A second amplifier module includes a second push-pull amplifier including a second plurality of field effect transistors and a second output transformer. An output impedance of the second amplifier module is 25 ohms. A combiner is connected to the first amplifier module and the second amplifier module. The combiner combines an output from the first amplifier module and an output from the second amplifier module into a combined signal. An output impedance of the combiner is 50 ohms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Steven M. Dishop
  • Patent number: 8128500
    Abstract: A method provides a virtual presentation including a virtual character in an environment other than a natural environment of the virtual character. The method includes validating a registration code associated with a toy, providing at least one virtual room representing a natural environment of the toy in the virtual presentation, and displaying the virtual character in the virtual room representing the natural environment of the toy, which represents the toy in the virtual presentation. The method further includes providing at least one additional virtual room representing an unnatural environment of the toy in the virtual presentation, the unnatural environment of the toy being different than the natural environment of the toy, and providing the virtual character with an environment extension tool that enables the virtual character to exist in the room representing the unnatural environment of the toy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ganz
    Inventors: Karl Joseph Borst, Stephen Braund
  • Patent number: 8130453
    Abstract: Provided is a zoom lens system including a compact focusing lens unit and having a suppressed change in image magnification at the time of movement of the focusing lens unit. The zoom lens system of the present invention, in order from an object side to an image side, includes a first lens unit G1 having positive optical power, a second lens unit G2 having negative optical power, a third lens unit G3 having negative optical power, and a fourth lens unit G4 having positive optical power. At the time of zooming, all lens units moves in a direction along the optical axis such that intervals among respective lens units varies. Further, at the time of zooming, the third lens unit G3 moves in the direction along the optical axis such that the interval between the second lens unit G2 and the third lens unit G3 is made longer at a telephoto limit than the interval at a wide-angle limit. Still further, condition (6): ?1.6<fF/f4?<?0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo Uchida, Nobuyuki Adachi
  • Patent number: 8129690
    Abstract: A neutron detector that includes an anode and a cathode. The cathode includes at least one portion that has a porous substrate with surface segments that define open pores and a layer of neutron sensitive material on the surface segments of the porous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dan Jay McCormick, James Michael Lustig
  • Patent number: 8131508
    Abstract: A sensor apparatus of the present invention includes a failure diagnosis circuit, and a time point measuring unit for adding the time point information to an output concerning generation of the failure detection signal outputted from the failure diagnosis object section and an output concerning generation of the sense signal such that the output concerning generation of the failure detection signal is made to correspond to the output concerning generation of the sense signal using time point information in terms of time points. In the case of the failure diagnosis circuit determining abnormality of the failure diagnosis object section, the first output terminal outputs the sense signal added with the time point information at the time of occurrence of the abnormality and the sense signal added with the time point information after the time of occurrence of the abnormality, as a signal outside a range of a normal output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Uemura
  • Patent number: 8130487
    Abstract: A capacitor includes a capacitor element including first and second electrodes, an electrolyte solution, first and second collector plates made of metal and joined to the first and second electrodes of the capacitor element, respectively, a case accommodating the capacitor element, the electrolyte solution, the first and second collector plates, a terminal plate placed at an opening of the case and joined to the second collector plate, and a sealing rubber sealing the terminal plate and the opening of the case. The case has a tubular portion and a bottom plate closing the tubular portion. An inner surface of the bottom plate of the case has a contacting portion contacting the first collector plate and a junction portion facing the first collector plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Shimizu, Kiyoshi Shibuya, Takumi Yamaguchi, Kouji Ueoka, Ichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 8131022
    Abstract: A surveillance recorder (10) comprises: a picture input unit (12) for inputting a surveillance picture; a moving object detection unit (18) for detecting a moving object from a surveillance picture inputted by the picture input unit (12); a face image detection unit (20) for detecting, from an object detected by the moving object detection unit (18), a part having an elliptical outline as a face image; an identity judgment unit (22) for judging whether a face image newly detected by the face image detection unit (20) is of a same person as a face image detected last time or not based on positions of each face image; a storage image choice unit (24) for, when a newly detected face image has been judged to be of a same person by the identity judgment unit (22), choosing one face image from a face image of the same person stored in a recording medium (16) and the newly detected face image; and an image storage unit (26) for, when a newly detected face image has been chosen by the storage image choice unit (24),
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 8131507
    Abstract: A sensor apparatus of the present invention is provided with a failure diagnosis circuit for setting as a failure diagnosis object section at least any one of a drive circuit section, a detection device, a detection circuit section and a processing circuit section, determining whether the failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, and outputting a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality. It is configured such that a signal of a value outside a range of a normal output voltage is outputted from the first output terminal in the case of the failure diagnosis circuit determining abnormality of the failure diagnosis object section, thereby to improve reliability under abnormal condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Uemura
  • Patent number: 8124755
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel substance capable of regulating the expression of a telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in a cell of a mammal A gene capable of regulating the expression of hTERT, comprising a nucleotide sequence depicted in SEQ ID No: 1 or 2. The expression of a telomerase reverse transcriptase gene can be inhibited by inhibiting the expression of the gene. By utilizing this mechanism, the expression of a telomerase reverse transcriptase gene can be regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: National University Corporation Tottori University
    Inventor: Norimasa Miura
  • Patent number: 8122564
    Abstract: A powered blower/vacuum unit includes a base portion having a housing and a power air-moving device within the base portion. A tube is provided that is formed by a first manufacturing operation, such as a blow molding process. The tube extends a relatively large distance away from the housing and air flows through the tube along a relatively large distance. A coupler is also included for coupling the tube to the housing. The coupler is separately formed by a second, different manufacturing operation, such as an injection molding process. The coupler includes a plurality of one-way snap-in features configured to engage a plurality of receiver features located on the tube to non-removably attach the coupler to the tube. The housing can also include at least one male component and the coupler can include at least one complementary female component for securing the coupler to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Alamond, Jeffery L Osterchill, John R. Coffey, John D. Allen, Andrew L. Curtis, Daniel T. Sparks
  • Patent number: 8122748
    Abstract: A machine, tooling and method for cold forming complex metal parts such as a banjo style hose fitting starting with a near net shape volume of wire and continuing with multiple forging blows and an intermediate rotation of the blank to produce a hose coupling shell end, a transition neck, a large counterbored annular coupling body and a perpendicular alignment tang.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: National Machinery LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey W. Carper, Thomas E. Hay
  • Patent number: 8122766
    Abstract: Inertial force sensor includes detecting element that detects inertial force. Detecting element includes: two first orthogonal arms each having first arm and second arm that are connected to each other in a substantially orthogonal direction; support portion that supports two first arms; fixing arms; and weights. Second arms include: bent portions; facing portions that are bent at bent portions so as to face second arms; driving electrodes that are formed in two facing portions facing each other, and drive and vibrate facing portions; and detection electrodes that are formed in the other two facing portions facing each other, and detect the distortion of facing portions. According to this structure, it is possible to achieve small inertial force sensor capable of detecting a plurality of different inertial forces and inertial forces acting on a plurality of detection axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Aizawa, Satoshi Ohuchi
  • Patent number: D654705
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Spectrum Diversified Designs, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheldon H. Goodman, Omer I. Sazir, Patrick Triato
  • Fan
    Patent number: D654997
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Spal Automotive S.R.L.
    Inventor: Alessandro Spaggiari