Patents by Inventor Akira Higuchi

Akira Higuchi 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: 7308588
    Abstract: The present invention provides a memory card equipped with an interface controller connected to external connecting terminals, a memory connected to the interface controller, and a security controller connected to the interface controller. A second external connecting terminal capable of supplying an operating power supply to the security controller is provided aside from a first external connecting terminal which supplies an operating power supply to the interface controller and the memory. An interface unit of the interface controller connected to the security controller receives the operating power supply from the second external connecting terminal and thereby enables a stop of the supply of the operating power supply from the first external connecting terminal. Even if the supply of the operating power supply to the interface controller is cut off, the output of the interface unit is not brought to an indefinite state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Akira Higuchi, Kenji Osawa, Tamaki Wada, Michiaki Sugiyama, Junichiro Osako
  • Publication number: 20070269343
    Abstract: In fitting a plurality of tips 40 in a desired arrangement onto a plurality of nozzles 21 arranged on a head 20, the operation is repeated of fitting one or a plurality of tips 40 resting upon a tip rack 60 respectively to nozzles 21 and then removing the tips from the nozzles 21 and tentatively put those on the tentative rest 27, to thereby form a tip arrangement corresponding to the desired arrangement on the tentative rest 27, followed by fitting the plurality of tips to the plurality of nozzles 21.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira HIGUCHI, Hideyoshi KITAHARA
  • Publication number: 20070262239
    Abstract: When light is made incident into antenna layers 11a, 11b, and 11c of a photodetector 1, specific wavelength components of light contained in the incident light combine with surface plasmons of the antenna layers 11a, 11b, and 11c, and surface plasmon resonance occurs. Thereby, near-field lights are outputted from through-holes 13 of the antenna layers 11a, 11b, and 11c. The near-field light outputted from each through-hole 13 reaches a light absorbing layer 4 via light receiving surfaces 4a, 4b, and 4c. The light absorbing layer 4 generates a charge of an amount according to the amount of received light. Since cycle intervals ?a, ?b, and ?c of convex portions 12 in the antenna layers 11a, 11b, and 11c are different from each other, the wavelength component of light that combines with a surface plasmon differs in each of the antenna layers 11a, 11b, and 11c. Consequently, a plurality of wavelength components of light can be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Minoru Niigaki, Toru Hirohata, Hiroyasu Fujiwara, Akira Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20070246651
    Abstract: The present invention provides a charged particle beam apparatus capable of preventing the charging-up of the specimen without using a large-scale facility. A scanning electron microscope 100 illuminates a specimen 21 with a charged particle beam via a charged particle optical system arranged in a column. According to the present invention, the scanning electron microscope 100 has a charge preventive member 110 disposed between the objective lens 14 and the specimen 21. The charge preventive member 110 has an electrically conductive portion and an opening 113 to transmit the charged particle beam. The charge preventive member 110 is formed so as to partly cover the charged particle optical system when viewed from the charged particle beam irradiation spot on the specimen. In addition, the charge preventive member 110 has gas inflow paths 114 and 115 formed therein. These gas inflow paths have gas injection outlets 116 formed to inject gas toward the charged particle beam irradiation spot on the specimen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Hirotami Koike, Shinichi Okada, Akira Higuchi, Masahiro Inoue, Masahiro Yamamoto, Sumio Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20070150633
    Abstract: An IC card and card adapters are designed so that the IC card of a specific standard (e.g., MMC standard) is compatible with IC cards and terminals of other standards (e.g., MS card standard and USB terminal standard). In the IC card (MMC), a controller IC, which is connected to a flash memory, includes a voltage pull-down detector, a mode controller, a USB-mode interface controller, a MS-mode interface controller, and an MMC/SD-mode interface controller. The card adapters suffice to have component parts which are easy in formation and low in cost such as wiring lines and resistors. The voltage pull-down detector of the IC card detects the voltage pull-down caused by the resistors, and the mode controller selects the USB-mode interface controller, MS-mode interface controller or MMC/SD-mode interface controller so that the IC card becomes compatible with the corresponding IC card standard.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Akira HIGUCHI, Hirotaka Nishizawa, Junichiro Osako, Kenji Osawa
  • Publication number: 20070110865
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a pork bone extract and a method for sterilizing a pork bone extract. Specifically, it relates to a method for producing a pork bone extract which comprises ultra high temperature (UHT) sterilization at a temperature of 130° C. or below, and a method for sterilizing a pork bone extract which comprises subjecting the pork bone extract to UHT sterilization at a temperature of 130° C. or below. According to the present invention, a pork bone extract with a little burnt odor which can be stored for a long period of time can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2004
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Akihito Fujimoto, Motokazu Nakayama, Akira Higuchi, Takahisa Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 7189369
    Abstract: In the distribution apparatus and the method for detaching distribution tips of the present invention, the detaching plate provided with openings being larger in diameter than outer diameter of the nozzle and smaller in diameter than outer diameter of the distribution tip which are disposed in accordance with the arrangement of the nozzles is held to the distributing head with the nozzles set through the openings, and with the stopping portion of the detaching plate stopped by the stop portion of the stop member disposed at the tip detaching stage, the distributing head and the stop member are relatively moved in a direction of vertically moving apart, and thereby, the distribution tips are detached from the bottom ends of the nozzles. In this way, the distribution tip detaching operation can be automatically performed by a simple mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20070023885
    Abstract: The productivity of an IC card is to be improved. In a memory card of the type in which a memory body having a wiring substrate and a semiconductor chip mounted on a main surface of the wiring substrate is held so as to be sandwiched in between a first case and a second case, a planar outline of the memory body is smaller than half of a planar outline of the memory card. The memory body is disposed so as to be positioned closer to a first end side as one short side of the memory card with respect to a midline between the first end side and a second end side as an opposite short side of the memory card positioned on the side opposite to the first end side. The other area than the memory body-disposed area in the first and the second case is used as another functional area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Kenji Osawa, Akira Higuchi, Junichiro Osako, Tamaki Wada
  • Publication number: 20070020748
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an apparatus for screening protein crystallization conditions that can screen protein crystallization conditions efficiently by the vapor diffusion method using the sitting drop technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Itsuro Motegi, Hirofumi Matsuzaki, Hideyoshi Kitahara, Mitsuhaya Tsukamoto, Kouji Shimogawa, Masataka Magoori, Akira Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20070017434
    Abstract: A process for producing a silicon single crystal includes the steps of bringing a seed crystal into contact with a silicon melt, gradually pulling the seed crystal from the melt so as to form a neck having a tapered portion and a constant diameter portion, then pulling a silicon single crystal. The atmosphere used during neck formation is a hydrogen-containing atmosphere prepared by adding a hydrogen-containing substance to an inert gas. The hydrogen-containing substance has a hydrogen gas equivalent concentration in the hydrogen-containing atmosphere of 3 to 20%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Toshiaki Ono, Wataru Sugimura, Takayuki Kubo, Akira Higuchi, Ken Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7120029
    Abstract: The productivity of an IC card is to be improved. In a memory card of the type in which a memory body having a wiring substrate and a semiconductor chip mounted on a main surface of the wiring substrate is held so as to be sandwiched in between a first case and a second case, a planar outline of the memory body is smaller than half of a planar outline of the memory card. The memory body is disposed so as to be positioned closer to a first end side as one short side of the memory card with respect to a midline between the first end side and a second end side as an opposite short side of the memory card positioned on the side opposite to the first end side. The other area than the memory body-disposed area in the first and the second case is used as another functional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi ULSI Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Kenji Osawa, Akira Higuchi, Junichiro Osako, Tamaki Wada
  • Publication number: 20060220202
    Abstract: An IC body is loaded to a case 2 made of thermosetting resin material and sealed with a sealing portion made of thermosetting resin material to be integrated, whereby an IC card is manufactured. The IC body comprises: a wiring substrate formed with an external connection terminal at a back surface thereof; a semiconductor chip loaded over a surface of the wiring substrate and electrically connected to the external connection terminal via a interconnect; and the sealing portion made of thermosetting resin material so as to cover the semiconductor chip and a bonding wire. The sealing portion is formed so that the external connection terminal is exposed. The present invention makes it possible to heighten the strength of IC cards and at the same time, to reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Junichiro Osako, Hirotaka Nishizawa, Kenji Osawa, Akira Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20060210431
    Abstract: In a microplate processing apparatus that removes lid (11) of microplate (10) conveyed by microplate conveying mechanism (3), performs a dispensing process by dispensing head (8), and attaches lid (11) after the dispensing process is completed, lid (11) removed by lid removing mechanism (6) at second position (P2), is conveyed to fourth position (P4) located downstream, in advance of microplate (10) with this lid (11) having been attached, by microplate conveying mechanism (3), to be retained by lid attaching mechanism (9), and then is attached to microplate (10) having been conveyed to fourth position (P4), after the dispensing process is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Akira Higuchi, Eiji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20060210446
    Abstract: In a microplate processing apparatus that removes lid (11) of microplate (10) conveyed by microplate conveying mechanism (3) to perform a dispensing process by dispensing head (8), and that attaches lid (11) after the dispensing process is completed, lid (11) removed by lid removing mechanism (6) at first position (P1) is conveyed to third position (P3) located downstream, by microplate conveying mechanism (3), to be held by lid attaching mechanism (9), and then lid (11) is attached to microplate (10) having been conveyed to third position (P3), after the dispensing process is completed, while microplate (10) with this lid (11) having been attached is being lifted to processing position (P4) above microplate conveying mechanism (3), by microplate stage (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventors: Akira Higuchi, Eiji Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20060151614
    Abstract: A multifunction card device has an external connection terminal, an interface controller, a memory, and the security controller connected to the interface controller and the external connection terminal. The interface controller has a plurality of interface control modes, and controls an external-interface action and a memory interface action by the control mode according to the instruction from the outside. The external connection terminals have an individual terminal individualized for every interface control mode, and a communalized common terminal. A clock input terminal, a power supply terminal, and an earthing terminal are included in the common terminals. A data terminal, and a dedicated terminal of the security controller are included in the individual terminals. Partial communalization and individualization of an external connection terminal attain a guarantee of the reliability of an interface, and increase control of physical magnitude to some kinds of interface control modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2003
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Akira Higuchi, Kenji Osawa, Junichiro Osako, Tamaki Wada, Michiaki Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20060054711
    Abstract: An IC body is loaded to a case 2 made of thermosetting resin material and sealed with a sealing portion made of thermosetting resin material to be integrated, whereby an IC card is manufactured. The IC body comprises: a wiring substrate formed with an external connection terminal at a back surface thereof; a semiconductor chip loaded over a surface of the wiring substrate and electrically connected to the external connection terminal via a interconnect; and the sealing portion made of thermosetting resin material so as to cover the semiconductor chip and a bonding wire. The sealing portion is formed so that the external connection terminal is exposed. The present invention makes it possible to heighten the strength of IC cards and at the same time, to reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Junichiro Osako, Hirotaka Nishizawa, Kenji Osawa, Akira Higuchi
  • Patent number: 6988668
    Abstract: An IC body is loaded on a case made of a thermoplastic resin material and sealed to the case with a sealing portion made of thermoplastic resin material, whereby an IC card is manufactured. The IC body includes a wiring substrate formed with an external connection terminal at a back surface thereof, a semiconductor chip loaded over a surface of the wiring substrate and electrically connected to the external connection terminal via an interconnect, and a sealing portion made of thermoplastic resin material so as to cover the semiconductor chip and a bonding wire. The sealing portion is formed so that the external connection terminal is exposed. Thus, making it possible to increase the strength of IC cards and, at the same time, to reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi ULSI Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichiro Osako, Hirotaka Nishizawa, Kenji Osawa, Akira Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20050094463
    Abstract: An antenna connection function for a noncontact interface is provided by suppressing a modification in a pin arrangement and a pin shape of a memory card that does not correspond to the noncontact interface. Two antenna connecting pins having the memory card are divided into two areas in which a size of one potential supply pin is the largest and used as a split pin arranged at intervals. Because a size of the two antenna connecting pins is at maximum as large as the size of the potential supply pin, the two antenna connecting pins are provided and the memory card that corresponds to the noncontact interface is obtained by devoting a pin area having the size of the one potential supply pin to the memory card that does not correspond to the noncontact interface. Accordingly, the pin area of the memory card that corresponds to the noncontact interface can be formed without departing from the pin area of the memory card that does not correspond to the noncontact interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Akira Higuchi, Kenji Osawa, Junichiro Osako, Tamaki Wada, Michiaki Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20050082375
    Abstract: An IC card is prevented from falling off readily an electronic device while maintaining the mechanical strength of the IC card. A recess for preventing a memory card from falling off an electronic device is provided at the side of one side of a principal surface of a cap of the memory card which is configured by fitting a memory body in a recess formed on a parts mounting surface of the cap. The bottom of the recess is terminated in the middle of the thickness of the cap. This construction makes it possible to prevent the memory card from falling off readily an electronic device while maintaining the mechanical strength of the memory card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Akira Higuchi, Kenji Osawa, Junichiro Osako, Tamaki Wada
  • Patent number: D504433
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nishizawa, Akira Higuchi, Kenji Osawa, Junichiro Osako, Tamaki Wada