Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Sato

Kazuhiro Sato 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).

  • IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING SYSTEM, IMAGING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM
    Publication number: 20150249788
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a first communication control unit that receives action instruction information from an external communication device; and a pseudo image generating unit that generates a pseudo image simulatively expressing an action by a user of the imaging apparatus according to an action instruction based on the action instruction information. The action instruction information includes angle change instruction information and shooting instruction information. The pseudo image generating unit generates, based on a position information and a first orientation information respectively acquired upon receipt of the shooting instruction information, as well as on the shooting instruction information, a first pseudo image, and generates, based on the angle change instruction information, a second pseudo image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sato, Mai Yamaguchi, Yuiko Uemura, Tomomi Uemura, Sachie Yamamoto, Osamu Nonaka
  • Method of manufacturing disk drive apparatus
    Patent number: 9083224
    Abstract: A disk drive apparatus includes a rotor hub including an outer surface with a hub screw groove and a hub information mark indicative of a start position of the hub screw groove. A method of manufacturing the disk drive apparatus includes the steps of preparing a spindle motor including the rotor hub, preparing a clamper including a clamper screw groove, and fitting a recording disk to the spindle motor. The method further includes the steps of detecting a position of the hub information mark and, based on the detected position of the hub information mark, positioning each of the clamper and the spindle motor in a circumferential direction, and screwing the clamper to the spindle motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Shiraishi, Kazuhiro Sato, Tsuyoshi Morita
  • Spindle motor and disk drive apparatus
    Patent number: 9064529
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a recording disk and a clamper. A cylindrical portion includes a first screw portion positioned in an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion. The clamper includes an annular raised portion configured to be fitted in a through hole of the recording disk. An inner circumferential portion of the clamper includes a second screw portion configured to be screwed to the first screw portion. At least a portion of the second screw portion is positioned in an inner circumferential portion of the annular raised portion. Each of the first screw portion and the second screw portion includes at least one of a screw groove and a screw thread. An axial position of at least a portion of the second screw portion overlaps with an axial position of the recording disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuya Takahashi, Yuki Tajima, Kazuhiro Sato, Yuya Saito, Hironori Ando, Masahiro Shiraishi
  • Motor and disk drive apparatus
    Patent number: 9064530
    Abstract: A stator includes a stator core and a plurality of coils. The stator core includes a core-back, a plurality of teeth portions, and a plurality of lug portions. Each of the plurality of teeth portions includes a coil winding portion and a tip end portion. The core-back includes a slanted portion. An axial position of a magnetic center of the rotor magnet radially outward of the stator overlaps with an axially extending range of the tip end portion. A thickness of the slanted portion in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the slanted portion is smaller than an axial thickness of the coil winding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe, Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiro Sato
  • MOTOR AND DISK DRIVE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20150170701
    Abstract: A stator includes a stator core and a plurality of coils. The stator core includes a core-back, a plurality of teeth portions, and a plurality of lug portions. Each of the plurality of teeth portions includes a coil winding portion and a tip end portion. The core-back includes a slanted portion. An axial position of a magnetic center of the rotor magnet radially outward of the stator overlaps with an axially extending range of the tip end portion. A thickness of the slanted portion in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the slanted portion is smaller than an axial thickness of the coil winding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroyuki ABE, Takehito TAMAOKA, Kazuhiro SATO
  • SPINDLE MOTOR AND DISK DRIVE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20150138670
    Abstract: A base member includes a base through-hole which interconnects an upper opening and a lower opening. An insulating sheet portion is disposed at a lower surface side of the base member. The insulating sheet portion covers at least a portion of the lower opening. Lead wires extending from coils extend to the lower surface side of the base member through the base through-hole. The lead wires extend radially outward along a lower surface of the insulating sheet portion while making contact with the insulating sheet portion. The lead wires are soldered to land portions of a circuit substrate. The lower opening is covered with a sealing material. The circuit substrate includes a first region. The insulating sheet portion is defined by a smaller number of layers than the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SATO, Masahiro SHIRAISHI, Takayuki ISHINO, Akihiro YUDATE, Takuro MATSUMOTO, Toshihiro AKIYAMA
  • MOTOR AND DISK DRIVE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20150108861
    Abstract: A motor includes a stationary unit and a rotary unit. The stationary unit includes a stator, a base portion having at least one hole extending in the up-down direction, and a flexible wiring substrate. The flexible wiring substrate reaches a position higher than a lower surface of the base portion through at least one hole and is arranged to supply electric power to the stator. The flexible wiring substrate includes a connection portion arranged higher than the lower surface of the base portion and connected to the stator. The connection portion includes a solder portion arranged on a lower surface thereof to cover a portion of a lead wire extending from a coil of the stator. At least a portion of the solder portion is positioned within the hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Yoichi SEKII, Takehito TAMAOKA, Kazuhiro SATO, Kazuhiko FUKUSHIMA, Hiroyuki ABE
  • Information processing apparatus, program, and information processing method
    Patent number: 9001034
    Abstract: According to an illustrative embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an imaging unit; and an image generation unit to generate a display image based on a distance between the imaging unit and an object, wherein the distance is detected by using a plurality of images obtained by the imaging unit at respective focus distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Sato
  • Motor with stator teeth having an increased width and slanted portion
    Patent number: 9001459
    Abstract: A stator includes a stator core and a plurality of coils. The stator core includes a core-back and a plurality of teeth portions. Each of the teeth portions includes a coil winding portion, a tip end portion, and an increased width portion. The tip end portion has a circumferential width larger than a smallest width of the coil winding portion. The increased width portion has a circumferential width larger than the smallest width of the coil winding portion. The increased width portion includes a slanted portion extending radially outward and upward. An axial position of a magnetic center of the rotor magnet positioned radially outward of the stator overlaps with an axially extending range of the tip end portion. A thickness of the slanted portion in a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the slanted portion is smaller than an axial thickness of the coil winding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe, Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiro Sato
  • Imaging apparatus and image communication method
    Patent number: 8982264
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a communication unit, a display unit, a selecting unit, an imaging unit, and a control unit. The communication unit acquires image data of a connection partner from an external apparatus of the imaging apparatus. The display unit displays an image in accordance with the acquired image data of the connection partner. The selecting unit selects, as a connection side, one of sides of the image displayed on the display unit. The imaging unit images a subject to acquire image data to be connected to the image data of the connection partner after the connection side is selected by the selecting unit. The control unit records the image data acquired by the imaging unit in a recording unit together with information indicating the position of the connection side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sato, Izumi Sakuma, Tomomi Uemura, Osamu Nonaka
  • Measuring apparatus, imprint system, measuring method, and device manufacturing method
    Patent number: 8976370
    Abstract: An measuring apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store a relationship, regarding an irradiation condition predetermined based on a correlation between a characteristic of each of beams of reflected light obtained from a plurality of patterns different from one another in a thickness of a residual layer in a recessed portion and the thickness of the residual layer of each of the plurality of patterns, between the characteristic of the reflected light from each pattern and the thickness of the residual layer of the pattern; and a processing unit configured to, based on a characteristic of reflected light from a pattern formed on a substrate irradiated with light under the irradiation condition and the relationship stored in the storage unit, obtain a thickness of a residual layer in a recessed portion of the pattern formed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Miyakawa, Kazuhiro Sato, Ken Minoda, Hideki Ina
  • Planetary gear reducer
    Patent number: 8968148
    Abstract: Provided is a planetary gear reducer including: a sun gear fixed concentrically to a power input shaft; a plurality of planet gears meshing with the sun gear; a ring gear meshing with the planet gears; a planet carrier configured to support a plurality of planet shafts, each of which is a rotational axis of a corresponding one of the planet gear, and to output revolution of the plurality of planet gears as first power; and a cylindrical support connected to the ring gear, non-rotatable relative to the ring gear, and configured to output rotation of the ring gear as second power. The cylindrical support includes, at one part along the direction of a central axis, a flexible structure which is curved radially inward and has a V-shaped longitudinal section. This configuration improves rigidity and prevents misalignment without increasing the weight of the gear reducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Matsuoka, Hiroyasu Nishikawa, Kazuhiro Sato, Hideyuki Imai, Tatsuhiko Goi
  • SPINDLE MOTOR AND DISK DRIVE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20150055248
    Abstract: A spindle motor includes a recording disk and a clamper. A cylindrical portion includes a first screw portion positioned in an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion. The clamper includes an annular raised portion configured to be fitted in a through hole of the recording disk. An inner circumferential portion of the clamper includes a second screw portion configured to be screwed to the first screw portion. At least a portion of the second screw portion is positioned in an inner circumferential portion of the annular raised portion. Each of the first screw portion and the second screw portion includes at least one of a screw groove and a screw thread. An axial position of at least a portion of the second screw portion overlaps with an axial position of the recording disk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Katsuya TAKAHASHI, Yuki TAJIMA, Kazuhiro SATO, Yuya SAITO, Hironori ANDO, Masahiro SHIRAISHI
  • PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS, PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PHOTOGRAPHING PROGRAM OF PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20150022627
    Abstract: A photographing apparatus includes a photographing module, an image processor, a line-of-sight direction determination module, a main subject determination module, and an emphasis processor. The line-of-sight direction determination module determines a line-of-sight direction of the photographer by comparing with the reference line-of-sight direction of the photographer in the image data acquired by the image processor. The main subject determination module determines a main subject to be photographed by the photographer, based on the line-of-sight direction determined by the line-of-sight direction determination module. The emphasis processor executes an emphasis process on the main subject determined by the main subject determination module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicants: OLYMPUS CORPORATION, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SATO, Sachie YAMAMOTO, Kyoichi NUMAJIRI, Osamu NONAKA
  • INFORMATION DEVICE, SERVER, RECORDING MEDIUM WITH IMAGE FILE RECORDED THEREON, IMAGE FILE GENERATING METHOD, IMAGE FILE MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM
    Publication number: 20140372390
    Abstract: The information device includes an imaging unit that images a subject and generates image data of the subject, a meta information generating unit that generates meta information related to the image data generated by the imaging unit, a possibility information generating unit that generates, with respect to the meta information, possibility information setting whether or not change of original information is possible by an external device when the meta information is transmitted to the external device, and an image file generating unit that generates an image file associating the image data generated by the imaging unit, the meta information generated by the meta information generating unit, and the possibility information generated by the possibility information generating unit with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicants: OLYMPUS CORPORATION, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
    Inventors: Yoshinori MATSUZAWA, Sumio KAWAI, Kazuhiro SATO, Osamu NONAKA
  • MOTOR AND DISK DRIVE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20140334034
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotating portion and a stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a shaft component which includes an inner shaft portion and an outer shaft portion, an upper plate portion, and a lower plate portion. The upper plate portion is disposed in one side of the shaft component and extends radially outward from the one side of the shaft component. The lower plate portion is disposed on the other side of the shaft component and extends radially outward from the other side of the shaft component. The rotating portion includes a sleeve portion. The inner shaft portion and the outer shaft portion are fixed by an adhesive. An adhesive retaining portion is provided between an outer peripheral portion of the inner shaft portion and an inner peripheral portion of the outer shaft portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Shuji IWASAKI, Yoichi SEKII, Takehito TAMAOKA, Hideki NISHIMURA, Kazuto MIYAJIMA, Takuro IGUCHI, Kazuhiro SATO, Takeyuki SHUTO
  • MOTOR AND DISK DRIVE APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20140334035
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotating portion including a sleeve portion and a stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a shaft component which includes an inner shaft portion and an outer shaft portion. A radial dynamic pressure generating groove array is provided on at least one surface of an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion and an outer circumferential surface of the outer shaft portion, which define the radial gap. The radial dynamic pressure generating groove array includes an upper radial dynamic pressure generating groove array and a lower radial dynamic pressure generating groove array. A range of a fixing region in an axial direction between the inner shaft portion and the outer shaft portion in an interference fit state is included in a range between the upper radial dynamic pressure generating groove array and the lower radial dynamic pressure generating groove array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Shuji IWASAKI, Yoichi SEKII, Takehito TAMAOKA, Hideki NISHIMURA, Kazuto MIYAJIMA, Takuro IGUCHI, Kazuhiro SATO, Takeyuki SHUTO
  • Motor and disk drive apparatus
    Patent number: 8879204
    Abstract: A motor includes a stationary unit and a rotary unit. The stationary unit includes a stator, a base portion having at least one hole, and a flexible wiring substrate. The flexible wiring substrate reaches a position higher than a lower surface of the base portion through at least one hole and is arranged to supply electric power to the stator. The flexible wiring substrate includes a connection portion arranged higher than the lower surface of the base portion and connected to the stator. The connection portion includes a solder portion arranged on a lower surface thereof to cover a portion of a lead wire extending from a coil of the stator. At least a portion of the solder portion is positioned within the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Sekii, Takehito Tamaoka, Kazuhiro Sato, Kazuhiko Fukushima, Hiroyuki Abe
  • Motor and disk drive apparatus
    Patent number: 8873197
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotating portion and a stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a shaft component which includes an inner shaft portion and an outer shaft portion, an upper plate portion, and a lower plate portion. The upper plate portion is disposed in one side of the shaft component and extends radially outward from the one side of the shaft component. The lower plate portion is disposed on the other side of the shaft component and extends radially outward from the other side of the shaft component. The rotating portion includes a sleeve portion. The inner shaft portion and the outer shaft portion are fixed by an adhesive. An adhesive retaining portion is provided between an outer peripheral portion of the inner shaft portion and an inner peripheral portion of the outer shaft portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Iwasaki, Yoichi Sekii, Takehito Tamaoka, Hideki Nishimura, Kazuto Miyajima, Takuro Iguchi, Kazuhiro Sato, Takeyuki Shuto
  • Motor and disk drive apparatus
    Patent number: 8873198
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotating portion including a sleeve portion and a stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a shaft component which includes an inner shaft portion and an outer shaft portion. A radial dynamic pressure generating groove array is provided on at least one surface of an inner circumferential surface of the sleeve portion and an outer circumferential surface of the outer shaft portion, which define the radial gap. The radial dynamic pressure generating groove array includes an upper radial dynamic pressure generating groove array and a lower radial dynamic pressure generating groove array. A range of a fixing region in an axial direction between the inner shaft portion and the outer shaft portion in an interference fit state is included in a range between the upper radial dynamic pressure generating groove array and the lower radial dynamic pressure generating groove array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Shuji Iwasaki, Yoichi Sekii, Takehito Tamaoka, Hideki Nishimura, Kazuto Miyajima, Takuro Iguchi, Kazuhiro Sato, Takeyuki Shuto