Patents by Inventor Masafumi Yamamoto

Masafumi Yamamoto 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: 20120161649
    Abstract: An LED lighting device includes a power converter for outputting a variable output voltage, two LED lamps being connected in series between output terminals of the power converter; a current detector for detecting an output current from the power converter; a first detector for detecting the output voltage of the power converter and generating a first detection voltage corresponding to the output voltage; a second detector for detecting an applied voltage to one of the two LED lamps and generating a second detection voltage corresponding to the applied voltage; and a controller for controlling the power converter to adjust the output voltage to thereby make the output current coincide with a target value. The controller controls the power converter to decrease the output voltage if at least one of the second detection voltage and the deference between the first and the second detection voltage does not fall within a range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katunobu HAMAMOTO, Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Keisuke UEDA, Hisaya TAKIKITA
  • Publication number: 20120153863
    Abstract: An LED lighting device includes a converter for converting a power source voltage into a DC voltage and outputting it to an LED unit; and a controller for controlling an output of the converter. The converter has a chopper circuit including a series circuit of an inductance element and a capacitor; a switching element connected to the inductance element in series and turned on/off by the controller; and a diode as discharging path of the inductance element during an OFF state of the switching element. The controller controls an on/off time of the switching element such that a current supplied to the LED unit during a specific time period after a lighting operation is started becomes smaller than a current supplied to the LED unit in a steady state by using a voltage generated in a secondary coil of the inductance coil as an operating voltage thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katunobu HAMAMOTO, Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Keisuke UEDA, Hisaya TAKIKITA
  • Publication number: 20120153832
    Abstract: An LED lighting device includes a step-up chopper which includes a first switching element and increases an output voltage applied from a DC power supply, a step-down chopper which includes a second switching element and decreases the output voltage from the step-up chopper to apply the decreased output voltage to a light source unit having light emitting diodes, a controller which controls operations of the first and the second switching element, a current limiter which includes a current limiting element and a switch; and a voltage detection unit. The controller stops an operation of the first switching element when the voltage detection unit detects the voltage applied to the light source unit exceeding a predetermined voltage value, and the switch allows a current to flow through the path passing through the current limiting element when the operation of the first switching element is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katunobu Hamamoto, Masafumi Yamamoto, Keisuke Ueda, Hisaya Takikita
  • Patent number: 8203282
    Abstract: An electronic ballast A includes an inverter circuit for converting a DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage, a resonant circuit which is connected between outputs of the inverter circuit and lights a discharge lamp at a high frequency by a resonant action, a dimming circuit for changing an output voltage to the discharge lamp by changing an operating frequency of the inverter circuit, a DC component detecting circuit for detecting a DC voltage component of the discharge lamp and a control operating circuit which detects an output signal of the DC component detecting circuit for every predetermined period to reduce or stop an output to the discharge lamp in the case where the output signal exceeds a predetermined reference value and to prohibit the protection operation when periodic change amount in the output signal reaches a predetermined value or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamamoto, Tetsuya Hamana, Hiroyuki Asano
  • Patent number: 8193727
    Abstract: A electronic ballast includes an inverter circuit for converting a DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage, a resonant circuit connected between outputs of the inverter circuit so as to light a discharge lamp by a resonant action, a control circuit for controlling the inverter circuit, a dimming circuit for continuously changing an output voltage to the discharge lamp by changing an operation frequency in the inverter circuit, a DC component detection circuit and a voltage comparator for detecting whether or not the discharge lamp is at the end of the life at predetermined intervals and outputting an end of life detection signal upon detection of the end of the life state, and a frequency control circuit and a driving circuit for reducing or stopping an output to the discharge lamp by controlling switching elements in response to a life end detection signal inputted from the voltage comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hamana, Hiroyuki Asano, Masafumi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120129667
    Abstract: The transfer member according to the present invention is a transfer member employed for transferring toner in an image forming apparatus utilizing electrophotography, made of a rubber composition at least containing styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber and epichlorohydrin rubber as rubber components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Yoshihisa MIZUMOTO, Naoyuki SATOYOSHI, Kiyotaka OKUDA, Masafumi YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20120084014
    Abstract: A modeling device is disclosed that easily projects characteristic information obtained from an object onto a differently-shaped object, even if the object, from which the characteristic information is obtained, has a complex shape. A modeling device in one embodiment of the present invention includes a virtually electrifying section to calculate an electric potential at a spot in a heart at the time when a predetermined voltage is applied to the heart, and a projecting section to project a fiber orientation onto a heart model created on the basis of shape information that is input to the input section. The projecting section specifies a spot to be a target of projection on the basis of the electric potential obtained by the virtually electrifying section. Use of the electric potential in specifying the spot makes it possible to easily project the fiber orientation onto any heart having complex and various shapes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hisada, Hiroshi Kurokawa, Nobuhiko Oshida, Masafumi Yamamoto, Takumi Washio, Jun-ichi Okada, Hiroshi Watanabe, Seiryo Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20120071249
    Abstract: Provided are a tripod constant velocity joint, and a method and a device for assembling the joint. The opening of a through-hole formed in an inner member of the tripod constant velocity joint has formed therein a tapered, reduced diameter section having a diameter tapered from the opening toward the inside. A first annular groove is formed in the side wall of a driving power transmission shaft, and a clip serving as an engaging member is engaged with the first annular groove. A second annular groove is formed in the inner wall of the through-hole in the inner member. In inserting the driving power transmission shaft through the through-hole in the inner member, the tapered, reduced diameter section guides the shaft in such a manner that the clip is contracted toward the bottom surface of the first annular groove. The clip expands and contracts due to the elasticity thereof when the positions of the first annular groove and the second annular groove coincide with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Tokuda, Masafumi Yamamoto, Masanori Takahashi, Hideki Kobayashi, Kaoru Tanaka, Yuki Funaki, Tomohiko Yamamoto, Tetsuya Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20120024392
    Abstract: This lubricating device 1 is equipped with an oil pan 2 that stores therein lubricating oil, a micro bubble generator 4 that mixes the lubricating oil with air to produce micro bubbles and supplies the lubricating oil in the oil pan 2 with the micro bubbles, and an oil pump 3 that pressurizes the lubricating oil in the oil pan 2 to supply the micro bubble generator 4 therewith. Further, in this lubricating device 1, the micro bubble generator 4 has an air inlet portion 431 disposed inside the oil pan 2 at a predetermined position with respect to an oil surface height (oil level) of the lubricating oil in the oil pan 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventors: Akira Murakami, Shuji Moriyama, Daisuke Tomomatsu, Daisuke Tokozakura, Masafumi Yamamoto, Keisuke Ichige, Masanori Iritani, Hiroyuki Nishizawa, Hideyuki Suzuki, Yasusi Hirano
  • Patent number: 8095321
    Abstract: A modeling device is disclosed that easily projects characteristic information obtained from an object onto a differently-shaped object, even if the object, from which the characteristic information is obtained, has a complex shape. A modeling device in one embodiment of the present invention includes a virtually electrifying section to calculate an electric potential at a spot in a heart at the time when a predetermined voltage is applied to the heart, and a projecting section to project a fiber orientation onto a heart model created on the basis of shape information that is input to the input section. The projecting section specifies a spot to be a target of projection on the basis of the electric potential obtained by the virtually electrifying section. Use of the electric potential in specifying the spot makes it possible to easily project the fiber orientation onto any heart having complex and various shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Toshiaki Hisada, Hiroshi Kurokawa, Nobuhiko Oshida, Masafumi Yamamoto, Takumi Washio, Jun-ichi Okada, Hiroshi Watanabe, Seiryo Sugiura
  • Patent number: 7967687
    Abstract: A flexible section is provided between a small-diameter tube section and a bellows section of a boot for a joint, and the flexible section has a greater flexibility than the small-diameter tube section. When a spline shaft is displaced so as to incline relative to a constant velocity joint, deformation stress acting in the boot is relaxed by allowing the flexible section to deflect (bend). This inhibits the inner wall surface of the small-diameter tube section from separating from the sidewall surface of the spline shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20110095698
    Abstract: An illumination lighting apparatus is connected to, as an external apparatus, any of a human body sensing sensor configured to detect presence/absence of a person, an illuminance sensor configured to detect space illuminance, and a dimmer which arbitrarily adjusts the space illuminance, and is configured to produce an output control signal for controlling an optical output of a light source based on a signal output from the external apparatus. The illumination lighting apparatus includes: an external apparatus determining unit configured to determine which kind of the external apparatus is connected based on the signal output from the external apparatus; and a signal processing unit configured to produce the output control signal based on the signal output from the external apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Inventors: Tomohiro Sasakawa, Naoki Onishi, Masafumi Yamamoto, Keisuke Ueda, Katsunobu Hamamoto, Kei Mitsuyasu
  • Patent number: 7775891
    Abstract: A boot for a joint, wherein an equal-diameter part and thick-walled parts are formed on the inner peripheral wall of a large diameter tube part. A first tapered part extending from the equal-diameter part is continued with a second tapered part formed at the thick-walled parts in the circumferential direction. The diameter reducing ends of the first tapered part and the second tapered part are located at the same position, and a thin-walled part engaged with an annular groove formed in the outer member of a constant-velocity joint is continued with the diameter reducing end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamamoto, Seiichi Sekito, Hideki Kobayashi, Yuuki Miyashita
  • Publication number: 20100033101
    Abstract: A control means has an adjustment function in a microprocessor to adjust variations in an output to a discharge lamp due to variations in components by correcting a duty ratio of a PWM signal for varying an operating frequency of an inverter circuit so that a detected value of a second detection circuit falls within a target range. The microprocessor switches paths to transmit the PWM signal between a path passing through a feedback circuit and a path passing through a voltage follower circuit by switches a switch circuit to supply the signal through the path passing through the voltage follower circuit in adjusting output variations in the preheating mode and the starting mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamamoto, Tetsuya Hamana, Hiroyuki Asano
  • Publication number: 20100024409
    Abstract: A control system for a variable displacement pump-motor type transmission includes: a judging mechanism judging a fact that the discharging amount of any one of the variable displacement pump-motors is zero; and a speed change controller carrying out a control to disable one of the transmission mechanism to transmit the power from the prime mover to the output member by actuating a synchronizer, in case the judging mechanism judges that the discharging amount of the one of the pump-motors functioning to transmit the power from the prime mover to the output member through the one of the transmission mechanism is zero. The control system can carry out a speed change operation of a variable displacement pump-motor type transmission without raising the speed of the prime mover abruptly, by judging a fixed stage set by locking one of the pump-motors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Shiina, Makoto Funahashi, Akira Murakami, Masafumi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20100001649
    Abstract: An electronic ballast A includes an inverter circuit for converting a DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage, a resonant circuit which is connected between outputs of the inverter circuit and lights a discharge lamp at a high frequency by a resonant action, a dimming circuit for changing an output voltage to the discharge lamp by changing an operating frequency of the inverter circuit, a DC component detecting circuit for detecting a DC voltage component of the discharge lamp and a control operating circuit which detects an output signal of the DC component detecting circuit for every predetermined period to reduce or stop an output to the discharge lamp in the case where the output signal exceeds a predetermined reference value and to prohibit the protection operation when periodic change amount in the output signal reaches a predetermined value or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamamoto, Tetsuya Hamana, Hiroyuki Asano
  • Publication number: 20100001650
    Abstract: A electronic ballast includes an inverter circuit for converting a DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage, a resonant circuit connected between outputs of the inverter circuit so as to light a discharge lamp by a resonant action, a control circuit for controlling the inverter circuit, a dimming circuit for continuously changing an output voltage to the discharge lamp by changing an operation frequency in the inverter circuit, a DC component detection circuit and a voltage comparator for detecting whether or not the discharge lamp is at the end of the life at predetermined intervals and outputting an end of life detection signal upon detection of the end of the life state, and a frequency control circuit and a driving circuit for reducing or stopping an output to the discharge lamp by controlling switching elements in response to a life end detection signal inputted from the voltage comparator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hamana, Hiroyuki Asano, Masafumi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7531286
    Abstract: 1. A radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising: (A) a resin insoluble or scarcely soluble in alkali, but becomes alkali soluble by the action of an acid and (B) a photoacid generator. The resin comprises (a) at least one recurring unit of the following formula (1-1) or (1-2), and (b) at least one recurring unit for the following formula (2-1), (2-2), or (2-3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: JSR Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Nishimura, Hiroyuki Ishii, Masafumi Yamamoto, Isao Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20090104999
    Abstract: A flexible section is provided between a small-diameter tube section and a bellows section of a boot for a joint, and the flexible section has a greater flexibility than the small-diameter tube section. When a spline shaft is displaced so as to incline relative to a constant velocity joint, deformation stress acting in the boot is relaxed by allowing the flexible section to deflect (bend). This inhibits the inner wall surface of the small-diameter tube section from separating from the sidewall surface of the spline shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20090090829
    Abstract: A wall-mounted device (1) which ensures easy confirmation of the mounting of a to-be-mounted-on-wall object on a wall surface or the like, and can prevent the to-be-mounted-on-wall object from falling off, and a timepiece having the device are provided. First, an attachment fitting (30) is fixed to the wall surface or the like by screws. Then, a hook part (30a) of the attachment fitting (30) is hooked on a hanging part (13) of the wall-mounted device (1) while deforming an elastic plate member (10) inward. When deformation of the elastic plate member (10) is released, vibration occurs together with generation of a light impact sound at the time the elastic plate member returns from the deformed state to the original state. With a first bent part (10a) of the elastic plate member (10) being in abutment with the hook part (30a) of the attachment fitting (30), the to-be-mounted-on-wall object is mounted on the wall surface or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamamoto