Patents by Inventor Masahiro Asai
Masahiro Asai 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).
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Publication number: 20060288387Abstract: There is provided a broadcast reception system in which a broadcast receiver receiving broadcasting signals and a display apparatus displaying images corresponding to the broadcasting signal are interconnected via a transmission line.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2006Publication date: December 21, 2006Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Masahiro Asai
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Patent number: 6973302Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing terminal that makes it possible to readily upgrade software of information processing terminals connected by a network. When a control program stored in a display apparatus 5B is upgraded by a control program stored on a memory card 10, an upgrade program for a base station 1 and the control program for display apparatus 5A and 5C read by the display apparatus 5B are transmitted to the base station 1. The base station 1 upgrades a control program stored therein by the upgrade program received by the base station 1, and also transmits the control program for the display apparatus 5A and 5C to the display apparatus 5A and 5C. The display apparatus 5A and 5C each upgrade a control program stored therein by the upgrade program received by the display apparatus 5A and 5C, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2001Date of Patent: December 6, 2005Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Masahiro Asai, Yoshihiko Owaki, Kazushige Tsurumi
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Publication number: 20050248525Abstract: An information processing device according to the invention is adapted to receive information as input. A software keyboard is assigned to part of a pressure detection panel (4) for key arrangement and only markers are normally displayed in a display (3) to indicate the home position (reference position) of the software keyboard. Characters can be input to the character input section that is displayed on the display (3) by way of the software keyboard without using input devices such as mouse and hardware keyboard.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2003Publication date: November 10, 2005Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventor: Masahiro Asai
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Patent number: 6910331Abstract: To provide a Stirling engine and a control unit for a Stirling engine capable of disposing a displacer unit and a power cylinder unit separately from each other, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of layout thereof. A displacer unit and a power cylinder unit of a Stirling engine E are disposed separately from each other. A compression chamber of the displacer unit is connected to an operation chamber of the power cylinder unit via a pressure conduit. A control actuator capable of arbitrarily controlling the displacer piston of the displacer unit is connected to the displacer piston.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2002Date of Patent: June 28, 2005Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiro Asai, Masaki Ban
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Patent number: 6740439Abstract: To generate mechanical energy and electrical energy efficiently, by combining a Stirling engine and a fuel cell. A solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC is disposed between an air passage for supplying air to a heater of a Stirling engine E and a fuel passage for supplying fuel. Air and the fuel react with each other in the solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC to generate electrical energy, an off gas containing the unreacted fuel discharged from the solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC is supplied to the heater of the Stirling engine E and subjected to catalytic combustion. The resulting heat is used to operate the Stirling engine E to generate mechanical energy. The solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC is arranged in an annular-shape and so disposed as to surround the heater. The heat of reaction generated in the solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC acts on the heater, thereby contributing to elevation of the temperature of the heater.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Ban, Masahiro Asai
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Patent number: 6645252Abstract: A drive unit for a prosthetic limb for driving a prosthetic limb with comfort for a long time. A Stirling engine is composed of a displacer unit mounted at an arbitrary portion other than prosthetic limb bodies and a power cylinder unit mounted between the prosthetic limb bodies and for bending/stretching the prosthetic limb bodies and relative to each other. A compression chamber of the displacer unit is connected to an operation chamber of the power cylinder unit via a flexible pressure conduit. A combustor for heating an expansion chamber disposed in a displacer cylinder of the displacer unit is provided around a head portion of the displacer cylinder. A fuel supply device is connected to the combustor. An actuator for arbitrarily driving a displacer piston of the displacer unit is connected to the displacer piston.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2002Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiro Asai, Masaki Ban
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Patent number: 6578359Abstract: To generate electric power efficiently with a thermoelectromagnetic generator using the heat regenerator of a Stirling engine. When a high-temperature operating gas and a low-temperature operating gas alternately pass through a heat regenerator of a Stirling engine, the temperature of the heat regenerator increases and decreases periodically. A thermoelectromagnetic generator G integrally associated with the heat regenerator has a yoke making up a closed magnetic circuit passing through the heat regenerator, a permanent magnet for supplying magnetic fluxes to the magnetic circuit, and an induction coil responsive to changes in the magnetic fluxes of the magnetic circuit. The heat regenerator which is made of a ferromagnetic material has a Curie temperature which is present in a range of varying temperatures of the heat regenerator.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2002Date of Patent: June 17, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Ban, Masahiro Asai
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Patent number: 6543216Abstract: To provide a heating device for an external combustion engine, which is capable of improving the stabilization of combustion in a controlled state with a relatively small quantity of heat and for controlling the properties of an exhaust gas. An increased long-time operation of the external combustion engine is achieved by the present invention. A heating device for an external combustion engine includes a combustion housing provided for surrounding a heating portion of an external combustion engine. An fuel-air mixer is provided at one end of the combustion housing and an exhaust pipe provided at the other end of the combustion housing. An oxidation catalyst is disposed in the combustion housing for accelerating the combustion of a fuel-air mixture of fuel and air supplied through the fuel-air mixer.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2002Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiro Asai, Masaki Ban
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Patent number: 6536386Abstract: An assist gas fuel injection mechanism for a 2-cycle internal combustion engine includes a chamber communicated to a combustion chamber through a communicating passage. A rotary valve is provided in the communicating passage for controlling the opening and closing of the communicating passage. A fuel injection device is provided in the communicating passage between the rotary valve and the chamber. With this configuration, a highly compressed gas from the chamber, and fuel from the fuel injection device, are mixed with each other, and a concentrated mixture gas is supplied to the combustion chamber through the communicating passage. A protective layer is provided on the outside surface of the valve body of the rotary valve by using a material which is softer than the valve body of the rotary valve and the housing of the rotary valve and which is susceptible to plastic deformation.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2001Date of Patent: March 25, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masahiro Asai, Yuji Marui
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Patent number: 6513363Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a housing having an accommodation hole in which the sensor element is disposed. The housing has at an axial end thereof a cold crimped portion which cooperates with a shoulder portion of the accommodation hole to fixedly hold therebetween the sensor element. The cold crimped portion has an inward flange section, a hollow cylindrical section and a bent section between the inward flange section and the cylindrical section. The cold crimped portion is shaped so as to vary in thickness suddenly at or adjacent the bent section so that the cold crimped portion is assuredly bent at a predetermined position. A method of producing a gas sensor is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2002Date of Patent: February 4, 2003Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Satoshi Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20030003955Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing terminal that makes it possible to readily upgrade software of information processing terminals connected by a network. When a control program stored in a display apparatus 5B is upgraded by a control program stored on a memory card 10, an upgrade program for a base station 1 and the control program for display apparatus 5A and 5B read by the display apparatus 5B are transmitted to the base station 1. The base station 1 upgrades a control program stored therein by the upgrade program received by the base station 1, and also transmits the control program for the display apparatus 5A and 5C to the display apparatus 5A and 5C. The display apparatus 5A and 5C each upgrade a control program stored therein by the upgrade program received by the display apparatus 5A and 5C, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2002Publication date: January 2, 2003Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Yoshihiko Owaki, Kazushige Tsurumi
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Patent number: 6500322Abstract: A gas sensor including a detecting element having electrodes on first and second surfaces of an oxygen ion conductive solid-state electrolyte; a main fitting having a fitting portion to be fitted into a mounting hole formed on a wall of the pipe defining a flow path for a gas-to-be-measured for holding the detecting element in such manner that the first surface is disposed via the mounting hole at an inner position of the pipe with respect to the fitting portion; a cylindrical cover of which one end is connected to an outer position of the pipe with respect to the fitting portion of the main fitting and the other end is provided with a cylindrical sealing member having an air hole for introducing air to the second surface on one end and a through hole through which a lead connected to both electrodes of the detecting element passes on the other end; and a water repellant filter having gas permeability for closing the air hole, characterized in that the water repellant filter is formed in a sheet shape and mouType: GrantFiled: December 5, 2000Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shoji Akatsuka, Kouji Matsuo, Masahiro Asai, Satoshi Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20020178788Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a housing having an accommodation hole in which the sensor element is disposed. The housing has at an axial end thereof a cold crimped portion which cooperates with a shoulder portion of the accommodation hole to fixedly hold therebetween the sensor element. The cold crimped portion has an inward flange section, a hollow cylindrical section and a bent section between the inward flange section and the cylindrical section. The cold crimped portion is shaped so as to vary in thickness suddenly at or adjacent the bent section so that the cold crimped portion is assuredly bent at a predetermined position. A method of producing a gas sensor is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2002Publication date: December 5, 2002Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Satoshi Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20020152750Abstract: To provide a Stirling engine and a control unit for a Stirling engine capable of disposing a displacer unit and a power cylinder unit separately from each other, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of layout thereof. A displacer unit and a power cylinder unit of a Stirling engine E are disposed separately from each other. A compression chamber of the displacer unit is connected to an operation chamber of the power cylinder unit via a pressure conduit. A control actuator capable of arbitrarily controlling the displacer piston of the displacer unit is connected to the displacer piston.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2002Publication date: October 24, 2002Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Masaki Ban
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Publication number: 20020127449Abstract: To generate mechanical energy and electrical energy efficiently, by combining a Stirling engine and a fuel cell. A solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC is disposed between an air passage for supplying air to a heater of a Stirling engine E and a fuel passage for supplying fuel. Air and the fuel react with each other in the solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC to generate electrical energy, an off gas containing the unreacted fuel discharged from the solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC is supplied to the heater of the Stirling engine E and subjected to catalytic combustion. The resulting heat is used to operate the Stirling engine E to generate mechanical energy. The solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC is arranged in an annular-shape and so disposed as to surround the heater. The heat of reaction generated in the solid electrolyte type fuel cell FC acts on the heater, thereby contributing to elevation of the temperature of the heater.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2002Publication date: September 12, 2002Inventors: Masaki Ban, Masahiro Asai
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Publication number: 20020124561Abstract: To generate electric power efficiently with a thermoelectromagnetic generator using the heat regenerator of a Stirling engine. When a high-temperature operating gas and a low-temperature operating gas alternately pass through a heat regenerator of a Stirling engine, the temperature of the heat regenerator increases and decreases periodically. A thermoelectromagnetic generator G integrally associated with the heat regenerator has a yoke making up a closed magnetic circuit passing through the heat regenerator, a permanent magnet for supplying magnetic fluxes to the magnetic circuit, and an induction coil responsive to changes in the magnetic fluxes of the magnetic circuit. The heat regenerator which is made of a ferromagnetic material has a Curie temperature which is present in a range of varying temperatures of the heat regenerator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2002Publication date: September 12, 2002Inventors: Masaki Ban, Masahiro Asai
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Patent number: 6446489Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a housing having an accommodation hole in which the sensor element is disposed. The housing has at an axial end thereof a cold crimped portion which cooperates with a shoulder portion of the accommodation hole to fixedly hold therebetween the sensor element. The cold crimped portion has an inward flange section, a hollow cylindrical section and a bent section between the inward flange section and the cylindrical section. The cold crimped portion is shaped so as to vary in thickness suddenly at or adjacent the bent section so that the cold crimped portion is assuredly bent at a predetermined position. A method of producing a gas sensor is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2000Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Satoshi Ishikawa
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Publication number: 20020103543Abstract: A drive unit for a prosthetic limb for driving a prosthetic limb with comfort for a long time. A Stirling engine is composed of a displacer unit mounted at an arbitrary portion other than prosthetic limb bodies and a power cylinder unit mounted between the prosthetic limb bodies and for bending/stretching the prosthetic limb bodies and relative to each other. A compression chamber of the displacer unit is connected to an operation chamber of the power cylinder unit via a flexible pressure conduit. A combustor for heating an expansion chamber disposed in a displacer cylinder of the displacer unit is provided around a head portion of the displacer cylinder. A fuel supply device is connected to the combustor. An actuator for arbitrarily driving a displacer piston of the displacer unit is connected to the displacer piston.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2002Publication date: August 1, 2002Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Masaki Ban
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Publication number: 20020100270Abstract: To provide a heating device for an external combustion engine, which is capable of improving the stabilization of combustion in a controlled state with a relatively small quantity of heat and for controlling the properties of an exhaust gas. An increased long-time operation of the external combustion engine is achieved by the present invention. A heating device for an external combustion engine includes a combustion housing provided for surrounding a heating portion of an external combustion engine. An fuel-air mixer is provided at one end of the combustion housing and an exhaust pipe provided at the other end of the combustion housing. An oxidation catalyst is disposed in the combustion housing for accelerating the combustion of a fuel-air mixture of fuel and air supplied through the fuel-air mixer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2002Publication date: August 1, 2002Inventors: Masahiro Asai, Masaki Ban
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Publication number: 20020088006Abstract: An information processing apparatus in which television channel setting processing and provider setting processing can be completed expeditiously. To this end, the information processing apparatus 4 has the function of connecting to the Internet 2 and the function of receiving television broadcast from the broadcasting stations 5-1 to 5-3. If, when the broadcast territory of using the information processing apparatus 4 is set and registered, the Internet service provider is to be set, the Internet service providers are demonstrated in the display unit of the information processing apparatus 4 beginning from those geographically closest to the user's territory.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2001Publication date: July 4, 2002Inventors: Natsuko Yotsumoto, Masahiro Asai, Mami Uchida, Takaaki Miura, Katsuhisa Takata