Patents by Inventor Akira Morisada

Akira Morisada 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: 7197932
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a failure detecting system that enables the detection of a break in a rail and the like by a simple network configuration. Detecting units (20 and 50), relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C) and terminal units (40 and 70) are arranged along rails (11, 11A and 11B). Using the rails (11, 11A and 11B) as transmission media, ultrasonic waves transmitted from the detecting units (20 and 50) are transmitted to the terminal units (40 and 70) by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and when the terminal units (40 and 70) receive the ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves are returned from the terminal units (40 and 70), relayed by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and transmitted to the detecting units (20 and 50). Thus, it is judged whether there is a break in the rails (11, 11A and 11B), based on the ultrasonic wave reception state in the detecting units (20 and 50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada
  • Publication number: 20060010979
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a failure detecting system that enables the detection of a break in a rail and the like by a simple network configuration. Detecting units (20 and 50), relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C) and terminal units (40 and 70) are arranged along rails (11, 11A and 11B). Using the rails (11, 11A and 11B) as transmission media, ultrasonic waves transmitted from the detecting units (20 and 50) are transmitted to the terminal units (40 and 70) by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and when the terminal units (40 and 70) receive the ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves are returned from the terminal units (40 and 70), relayed by the relay units (30A, 30B, 60A through 60C), and transmitted to the detecting units (20 and 50). Thus, it is judged whether there is a break in the rails (11, 11A and 11B), based on the ultrasonic wave reception state in the detecting units (20 and 50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Applicant: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada
  • Patent number: 6459656
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information generating apparatus for transmitting and receiving elastic waves through a rail for a train. The information generating apparatus comprises elastic wave transmitting means for transmitting elastic waves to said rail, elastic wave receiving means for receiving elastic waves transmitted from said elastic wave transmitting means through said rail, and information generating means for generating information that is necessary for controlling/monitoring associated elements of a control system for performing control operations on said train, based on an elastic wave reception signal received by said elastic wave receiving means. The information generating means has detection means for detecting presence/absence of said train in said rail, based on a reception condition of an elastic wave received by said elastic wave receiving means and for generating information representing presence/absence of said train in said rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Futsuhara, Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada, Hitoshi Nozawa, Katsuichi Inose
  • Publication number: 20020027831
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information generating apparatus for transmitting and receiving elastic waves through a transmission medium and for generating information which is necessary for controlling/monitoring associated elements of a control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Applicant: Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Futsuhara, Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada, Hitoshi Nozawa, Katsuichi Inose
  • Patent number: 6292432
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information generating apparatus for transmitting and receiving elastic waves through a rail for a train. The information generating apparatus comprises elastic wave transmitting means for transmitting elastic waves to said rail, elastic wave receiving means for receiving elastic waves transmitted from said elastic wave transmitting means through said rail, and information generating means for generating information that is necessary for controlling/monitoring associated elements of a control system for performing control operations on said train, based on an elastic wave reception signal received by said elastic wave receiving means. The information generating means has judgment means for making a judgment on presence/absence of rupture in said rail, based on a reception condition of an elastic wave received by said elastic wave receiving means compared with a predetermined condition and for generating information representing presence/absence of rupture in said rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Futsuhara, Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada, Hitoshi Nozawa, Katsuichi Inose
  • Patent number: 6031790
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information generating apparatus for transmitting and receiving elastic waves through a transmission medium and for generating information which is necessary for controlling/monitoring associated elements of a control system.Elastic waves are transmitted and received by using the movement path (2, 111, 112, 211, 211') of a mobile unit (1, 151, 213) as a transmission medium. Based on a change in the level of a received elastic wave or on reception conditions, such as propagation time, of elastic waves, information on the timing of starting a sounding operation in a railroad crossing, information on the presence/absence of a mobile unit on a movement path, information on the presence/absence of rupture in a movement path or information for automatically controlling a train is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: The Nippon Signal Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Futsuhara, Masayoshi Sakai, Toshihito Shirai, Akira Morisada, Hitoshi Nozawa, Katsuichi Inose