Patents by Inventor Makoto Usui

Makoto Usui 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).

  • Publication number: 20160159433
    Abstract: A bicycle control apparatus is provided with a controller for controlling an output of an assist motor according to a manual drive force. The controller is configured to selectively set a first control state and a second control state, in which output states of the assist motor with respect to the manual drive force are different from each other. The controller controls the output of the assist motor so that a response speed of the assist motor with respect to changes in the manual drive force in the first control state will be faster than the response speed of the assist motor with respect to changes in the manual drive force in the second control state, when a crank of a bicycle is rotated from a stopped state and/or when a rotational speed of the crank is less than or equal to a prescribed first speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Yusuke NISHIKAWA, Yasuhiro TSUCHIZAWA, Makoto USUI, Satoshi SHAHANA
  • Publication number: 20160159432
    Abstract: A bicycle detection device is basically provided with a single sensor that is configured to output a first detection signal of a first state in response to a movement of a first operating member. The sensor is configured to output a second detection signal of a second state, which is different from the first state, in response to a movement of a second operating member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Yusuke NISHIKAWA, Yasuhiro TSUCHIZAWA, Makoto USUI, Satoshi SHAHANA
  • Publication number: 20160121730
    Abstract: A bicycle control apparatus is basically provided with a memory device and a control device. The control device is programmed with an automatic switching function and a manual switching function. The automatic switching function automatically switches an assist ratio, which is a ratio of a manual drive force to a drag force of an electric assist motor, based on a relationship between a threshold value that is stored and a reference value that is indicative of one of a bicycle traveling environment and a bicycle traveling state. The manual switching function switches the assist ratio based on a manual operation. The control device is further programmed to update the threshold value is updated based on the reference value when switching the assist ratio by the manual switching function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Junya FUJITA, Makoto USUI, Taihei NISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20160101827
    Abstract: A bicycle transmission control device is basically provided with a transmission controller that is programmed to switch between a first control state and a second control state. The bicycle transmission control device operates in accordance with the first control state for controlling a transmission based on a first signal that is input from a first detector, which detects a rotation of a crank. The bicycle transmission control device operates in accordance with the second control state for controlling the transmission based on a second signal that is input from a second detector, which detects a value reflecting a bicycle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Inventors: Makoto USUI, Jun GAO, Yasuhiro TSUCHIZAWA, Yuki KATAOKA, Akinori HASHIMOTO, Masako ITSUKASHI
  • Publication number: 20160016638
    Abstract: A bicycle control device controls a motor to assist driving of a wheel of a bicycle. The bicycle control device includes an input unit and a controller that switches, when the input unit is operated, between a ride mode that controls the motor in correspondence with manual driving force and a walk mode that drives the motor in correspondence with the operation of the input unit. After switching to the walk mode, the controller drives the motor in correspondence with the operation of the input unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MIYOSHI, Jun GAO, Makoto USUI, Yasuhiro TSUCHIZAWA
  • Patent number: 9234580
    Abstract: A control device for an automatic transmission for a bicycle is provided. The control device comprises a controller configured to instruct the automatic transmission to shift among a plurality of speed stages, each speed stage having an associated cadence range, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a traveling resistance of the bicycle, and if the traveling resistance exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller is configured to adjust at least one of the cadence ranges, and following the adjustment of the at least one cadence range, the controller is further configured to operate the automatic transmission to shift based upon the adjusted cadence range and a detected cadence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Usui, Junya Fujita, Yasuhiro Tsuchizawa
  • Publication number: 20150367750
    Abstract: A bicycle control apparatus is configured to control a drive unit having a motor that assist in manual driving. The bicycle control apparatus includes an operating unit and a control unit. The operating unit is configured to be operated in accordance with first and second operating methods that are different from each other. The control unit is configured to change a setting state of a function that is set in advance without driving the drive unit in response to the operating unit being operated in accordance with the first operating method. The control unit is configured to drive the drive unit in response to the operating unit being operated in accordance with the second operating method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Ryuichiro TAKAMOTO, Jun GAO, Ayumi KATO, Makoto USUI, Taihei NISHIHARA, Yasuhiro TSUCHIZAWA
  • Patent number: 8945631
    Abstract: Provided are: a liquid for treatment of Citrus greening disease, which is capable of curing citrus trees with Citrus greening disease; and a treatment method using the liquid. The liquid for treatment of Citrus greening disease contains Fe ions and at least some of the Fe ions are present in the form of Fe2+ ions. This treatment liquid contains a predetermined amount of Fe ions and an acid. Citrus greening disease is able to be cured by spraying the treatment liquid onto leaves of citrus trees infected with Citrus greening disease or by pouring the treatment liquid on the roots of citrus trees infected with Citrus greening disease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignees: Hiroshima University, Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshikuni Masaoka, Makoto Usui, Tomoya Matsuyama
  • Publication number: 20140198629
    Abstract: A storage device 101 in one aspect of the present invention records/reproduces data to/from a plurality of exchangeable recording media 105 using a plurality of drive units 111. The plurality of recording media are stored in magazines 104, and are attached/detached to/from the storage device in a magazine-by-magazine manner. The storage device includes a transport section 108 for transporting a plurality of recording media between the magazine attached to the storage device and the plurality of drive units, and a RAID control section 103 for dividing data depending on a predetermined RAID to be formed by a plurality of recording media and recording in parallel the data to the plurality of recording media using two or more of the drive units, wherein one RAID is formed by one magazine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Takagi, Yoshihisa Takahashi, Makoto Usui
  • Publication number: 20140075116
    Abstract: Recording failure area information includes information indicating an optical disk having a recording failure area in which data is missing, and indicating a position of the recording failure area in the optical disk, out of the optical disks constituting a disk array. A controller (110) includes a recording controller (121) which records data in data blocks of the optical disks by striping the data, and records, in at least one parity block, at least one parity data for use in recovering data in a data block in which the data is missing, out of the data blocks; and a management information updater (125) which records recording failure area information in a management information area of at least one of the optical disks, in the case where data is missing in at least one of optical disk drives at the time of data recording.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Takahashi, Kenji Takauchi, Atsushi Kiyomura, Makoto Usui
  • Publication number: 20130259954
    Abstract: Provided are: a liquid for treatment of Citrus greening disease, which is capable of curing citrus trees with Citrus greening disease; and a treatment method using the liquid. The liquid for treatment of Citrus greening disease contains Fe ions and at least some of the Fe ions are present in the form of Fe2+ ions. This treatment liquid contains a predetermined amount of Fe ions and an acid. Citrus greening disease is able to be cured by spraying the treatment liquid onto leaves of citrus trees infected with Citrus greening disease or by pouring the treatment liquid on the roots of citrus trees infected with Citrus greening disease.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicants: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION, HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoshikuni Masaoka, Makoto Usui, Tomoya Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 8363529
    Abstract: Provided are an optical disc recording device and a recording signal generating device which enable to correct displacement between a reproducing position of a reproduction signal from a concave-convex mark preformed in an optical disc, and a recording position of second information to be recorded in synchronism with the reproduction signal, and stably and speedily record the second information. A digital signal processor (202) specifies a reproducing position in the concave-convex mark, using a reproduction signal and a channel clock. A recording signal generator (211) generates a recording signal alternately including a plurality of additionally recordable data, each of which includes second information and has a predetermined length, and a plurality of dummy data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toyoji Gushima, Makoto Usui, Yuji Takagi
  • Patent number: 8351312
    Abstract: An optical disc recording apparatus (10) is provided with a tracking servo (13) for tracking a spiral track of concave and convex marks, an analog signal processor (14) for extracting a reproduction signal corresponding to the concave and convex marks, a digital signal processor (15) for extracting a channel clock synchronized with a channel bit length of the concave and convex marks, and a sub-information recording section (30) for recording sub-information by irradiating laser light based on the tracking to the spiral track. The sub-information recording section (30) records all the sub-information by repeating a process of recording a part of the sub-information by discretely irradiating laser light at a specified interval and with a specified frequency in synchronism with a channel clock by one tracking to form recordable marks on a reflective film a plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Yamaoka, Yuji Takagi, Takeharu Yamamoto, Makoto Usui
  • Patent number: 8305856
    Abstract: To record specific information to a disk-shaped record medium and reproduce the recorded specific information without any influence on the error correction capability. Copy protection information (CPID) having an error correction code appended thereto, shuffled and otherwise treated is sent as a CPID bit block to an EDC rewrite circuit (14). The EDC rewrite circuit (14) rewrites an error detection code appended to user data in each sector in accordance with bit information in the CPID bit block. Thereafter, the data in each sector is scrambled, and an ECC block including a plurality of sectors is modulated with an error correction code and sync signal appended thereto. The modulated signal is recorded in a reserve area of a lead-in area of the disk-shaped record medium. During reproduction, CPID is restored based on the result of error detection of each sector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Shoei Kobayashi, Tamotsu Yamagami, Yuji Takagi, Makoto Usui, Paulus Gijsbertus Petrus Weijenbergh, Bart Van Rompaey
  • Patent number: 8295135
    Abstract: An optical disc includes a reflective film formed on concave and convex marks after the concave and convex marks are synchronized with the integral multiple of a channel bit length and formed in accordance with modulated main information. Thereafter, continuous or intermittent laser light synchronized with the integral multiple of the channel bit length is irradiated at intervals longer than the longest one of the concave and convex marks in accordance with a spiral track formed in a circumferential direction of the concave and convex marks, whereby an optical characteristic of the reflective film is changed to form a recordable mark and sub-information necessary to reproduce the main information is recorded in a superimposition manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Yamaoka, Mamoru Shoji, Keiji Nishikiori, Makoto Usui, Mitsuro Moriya
  • Patent number: 8270285
    Abstract: An optical disc includes a reflective film formed on concave and convex marks after the concave and convex marks are synchronized with the integral multiple of a channel bit length and formed in accordance with modulated main information. Thereafter, continuous or intermittent laser light synchronized with the integral multiple of the channel bit length is irradiated at intervals longer than the longest one of the concave and convex marks in accordance with a spiral track formed in a circumferential direction of the concave and convex marks, whereby an optical characteristic of the reflective film is changed to form a recordable mark and sub-information necessary to reproduce the main information is recorded in a superimposition manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Yamaoka, Mamoru Shoji, Keiji Nishikiori, Makoto Usui, Mitsuro Moriya
  • Patent number: 8270268
    Abstract: A recording medium comprising a recording area, the recording area includes a first area and a second area, the first area includes a frame area, the frame area includes an area in which a second synchronization code sequence and at least a portion of data are to be recorded, and the second area includes an area of linking frames in which a third synchronization code sequence and a fourth synchronization code sequence are to be recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toyoji Gushima, Shigeru Furumiya, Takashi Ishida, Hiromichi Ishibashi, Hironori Deguchi, Atsushi Nakamura, Junichi Minamino, Makoto Usui, Takeshi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8254233
    Abstract: An information recording device, an information reproducing device, and an information recording medium securely protect copyright of main information, and prevent illegal access to the recorded main information. The information recording device includes a medium unique information generating section that generates second sub information by data-converting stamper unique information based on disc identification information that differs for each optical disc after transferring main information and first sub information from a stamper having the main information and the first sub information recorded thereon onto an optical disc, and a medium unique information recording section that records the second sub information on the optical disc having recorded thereon in advance the main information and the first sub information in a form different from the forms of the main information and the first sub information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Yamaoka, Yuji Takagi, Makoto Usui
  • Patent number: 8250415
    Abstract: Provided is an optical disk reproduction apparatus capable of preventing information that is different from the original sub information from being subjected to error correction erroneously, and of stably reproducing the sub information. The optical disk reproduction apparatus (1) has an optical head (301) for reading a reproduction signal including main information and sub information based on a recording mark formed on an optical disk (300), a main information extraction unit (4) for extracting the main information from the reproduction signal, and a sub information extraction unit (2) for extracting the sub information from the reproduction signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Yamaoka, Yuji Takagi, Makoto Usui
  • Patent number: 8243567
    Abstract: Provided is an optical disc having main information to be decrypted using sub information recorded thereon by arranging concave or convex recording marks in a spiral track wherein a reflective film is formed on the recording marks. First sub information is recorded and superimposed on the main information by shifting/deforming the recording marks or altering a pattern of the recording marks. Second sub information is recorded and superimposed on the main information by changing a reflectivity of the reflective film. The first and second sub information are recorded in an area from which the first and second sub information are to be read simultaneously. The second sub information is recorded in a manner to be associated with the first sub information. The first and second sub information are associated with each other and are recorded in the same area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Yamaoka, Makoto Usui