Patents by Inventor Masaki Mizutani

Masaki Mizutani 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: 20240072516
    Abstract: In order to provide an optical module capable of detecting a frequency variation at higher accuracy, an optical module includes a light source that outputs light, a first splitter that splits the light, a band filter that transmits one piece of light split by the first splitter with a periodic frequency characteristic, a transmitted-light detector that detects transmitted-light intensity transmitted through the band filter, a variation device that varies the transmitted-light intensity in a first direction, by varying a parameter of a signal being input to the light source, and a frequency variation detection device that detects a frequency variation of the light from the light source, when a variation of the transmitted-light intensity in a second direction being opposite to the first direction is detected, in a case where the variation device varies the parameter from the first value to the second value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: NEC C orporation
    Inventors: Kenji MIZUTANI, Masaki OE
  • Patent number: 11535569
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sensor element that includes: a pair of electrodes; a ceramic layer having a hollow space that is to be an air introduction hole; and a first layer and a second layer stacked at both surfaces of the ceramic layer, One of the electrodes is in communication with the hollow space, The method includes: preparing an unsintered ceramic sheet, and a burn-out material sheet having a thickness different from that of the unsintered ceramic sheet, the burn-out material sheet having, in a plane orthogonal to the direction of an axial line O, a cross-sectional area substantially identical to a cross-sectional area of the pre-sintering hollow space; placing the burn-out material sheet in the pre-sintering hollow space; pressing the sheets so as to have an identical thickness; and burning out the burn-out material sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Okazaki, Masaki Mizutani, Ai Igarashi
  • Patent number: 11016054
    Abstract: A gas sensor element including: a first ceramic layer (300) including a solid electrolyte (320); a pair of electrode portions (330) and (333) at least partially disposed on opposing surfaces of the solid electrolyte; a support member (341) surrounding a part of an outer peripheral edge of at least one electrode portion (330) of the pair of electrode portions and having a notch (341N), a part of the electrode portion extending in the notch; and a second ceramic layer (242) disposed on a side where the at least one electrode portion (330) is present, so as to be in contact with a surface of the support member, the gas sensor element being obtained by stacking the first ceramic layer (300), the support member (341) and the second ceramic layer (242), wherein the second ceramic layer covers at least a part of the notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nakatsukasa, Masaki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10996193
    Abstract: A gas sensor element includes: an element main body including an oxygen concentration detection cell and an oxygen pump cell; and a protective layer that covers the element main body. The element main body includes a heater section. The heater section is a heating element that heats the oxygen concentration detection cell and the oxygen pump cell. The protective layer includes: a first protective layer including a carrier composed mainly of a white ceramic and a noble metal catalyst supported on the carrier; and a second protective layer that is a layer composed mainly of a white ceramic and supporting no noble metal catalyst. The second protective layer externally covers the first protective layer, and a surface of the second protective layer serves as the outermost surface of the protective layer. The thickness of the second protective layer is smaller than the thickness of the first protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nakatsukasa, Masaki Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20200331809
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a sensor element that includes: a pair of electrodes; a ceramic layer having a hollow space that is to be an air introduction hole; and a first layer and a second layer stacked at both surfaces of the ceramic layer, One of the electrodes is in communication with the hollow space, The method includes: preparing an unsintered ceramic sheet, and a burn-out material sheet having a thickness different from that of the unsintered ceramic sheet, the burn-out material sheet having, in a plane orthogonal to the direction of an axial line O, a cross-sectional area substantially identical to a cross-sectional area of the pre-sintering hollow space; placing the burn-out material sheet in the pre-sintering hollow space; pressing the sheets so as to have an identical thickness; and burning out the burn-out material sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi OKAZAKI, Masaki MIZUTANI, Ai IGARASHI
  • Patent number: 10663867
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to expose a substrate to light includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a mask, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the mask onto the substrate, and a decentering mechanism configured to decenter at least one optical element of the illumination optical system with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system, or to decenter at least one optical element of the projection optical system with respect to an optical axis of the illumination optical system, and rotational asymmetry distortion that occurs at a position defocused from a focus position of the projection optical system is changed by decentering the optical element by the decentering mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaki Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20190250122
    Abstract: A gas sensor element including: a first ceramic layer (300) including a solid electrolyte (320); a pair of electrode portions (330) and (333) at least partially disposed on opposing surfaces of the solid electrolyte; a support member (341) surrounding a part of an outer peripheral edge of at least one electrode portion (330) of the pair of electrode portions and having a notch (341N), a part of the electrode portion extending in the notch; and a second ceramic layer (242) disposed on a side where the at least one electrode portion (330) is present, so as to be in contact with a surface of the support member, the gas sensor element being obtained by stacking the first ceramic layer (300), the support member (341) and the second ceramic layer (242), wherein the second ceramic layer covers at least a part of the notch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya NAKATSUKASA, Masaki MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 10279246
    Abstract: A game machine input device mounted on a game machine provided with a playfield; the game machine input device includes: an input unit provided toward the front of the playfield and configured to accept input; and a projection part configured to radiate light toward the playfield to project a first image in a region within the visual field of a player viewing the playfield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Masaki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10232248
    Abstract: A game machine operating device mounted on a game machine with a game board and provided on a front side of the game board includes: an operation unit which receives an operation; and a projection unit which radiates light in a direction toward the game board to project a first image on an area in a field of view of a player viewing the game board. The projection unit includes: a first light source; and a light guide into which light emitted from the first light source is guided. The light guide has a light diffusion pattern formed on one or both of a front surface and a rear surface, wherein light is emitted through the light diffusion pattern to form the first image. A part on which the light diffusion pattern is formed is disposed to be directed in the direction toward the game board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Masaki Mizutani
  • Publication number: 20190064105
    Abstract: A gas sensor element includes: an element main body including an oxygen concentration detection cell and an oxygen pump cell; and a protective layer that covers the element main body. The element main body includes a heater section. The heater section is a heating element that heats the oxygen concentration detection cell and the oxygen pump cell. The protective layer includes: a first protective layer including a carrier composed mainly of a white ceramic and a noble metal catalyst supported on the carrier; and a second protective layer that is a layer composed mainly of a white ceramic and supporting no noble metal catalyst. The second protective layer externally covers the first protective layer, and a surface of the second protective layer serves as the outermost surface of the protective layer. The thickness of the second protective layer is smaller than the thickness of the first protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Takuya NAKATSUKASA, Masaki MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20190033724
    Abstract: An apparatus configured to expose a substrate to light includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a mask, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the mask onto the substrate, and a decentering mechanism configured to decenter at least one optical element of the illumination optical system with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system, or to decenter at least one optical element of the projection optical system with respect to an optical axis of the illumination optical system, and rotational asymmetry distortion that occurs at a position defocused from a focus position of the projection optical system is changed by decentering the optical element by the decentering mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventor: Masaki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10133185
    Abstract: Provided is an illumination optical apparatus for illuminating a mask with light from a light source. The apparatus includes an optical integrator configured to cause a light intensity distribution to be uniform in an emission end surface by reflecting the light incident from an incident end surface in an inner surface a plurality of times, an image forming optical system configured to form an image of the emission end surface of the optical integrator on the mask, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust telecentricity of the light so that a principal ray incident on the mask and a normal line of the mask approach parallelism and configured to be disposed outside the image forming optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10041903
    Abstract: In a cross section of the gas sensor element which is perpendicular to its lengthwise direction and through which all first to fourth lead portions penetrate, when the cross section is bisected into two regions with respect to the width direction of the gas sensor element, the first lead portion and the fourth lead portion are disposed in one of the regions and the second lead portion and the third lead portion are disposed in the other region, and the second lead portion and the third lead portion are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction with no overlap as viewed in a stacking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizutani, Nobuo Furuta
  • Patent number: 9989487
    Abstract: A gas sensor element of an air/fuel ratio sensor includes a plurality of through holes formed in an insulating substrate at forward end regions of corresponding electrode pads to which the through holes are connected. In the gas sensor element, the through holes are not formed within the longitudinal rear end regions and center regions of the electrode pads. Since in each of the electrode pads, the region of the electrode pad other than its forward end region occupies a greater area than that of the forward end region, it is easy to bring connection terminals into contact with the regions of the electrode pads other than their forward end regions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connection terminals from coming into contact with the through holes, so as to thereby prevent occurrence of an electrical connection failure between the connection terminals and the electrode pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizutani, Yuta Oishi, Masaki Onkawa
  • Patent number: 9976979
    Abstract: A gas sensor element (10) includes a first composite ceramic layer (111) having a plate-shaped first surrounding portion (112) formed of an insulating ceramic and including a through hole inner-perimetric-surface (115) which defines a through hole (112h), and a plate-shaped first electrolyte portion (121) formed of a solid electrolyte ceramic, disposed in the through hole (112h), and including an electrolyte outer-perimetric-surface (125) in contact with the through hole inner-perimetric-surface (115). The electrolyte outer-perimetric-surface (125) of the first electrolyte portion (121) is sloped toward an exterior of the first electrolyte portion (121) as it approaches one side DT1. The through hole inner-perimetric-surface (115) and the electrolyte outer-perimetric-surface 125 are in close contact with each other along their entire perimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Okazaki, Akinori Kojima, Masaki Mizutani, Nobuo Furuta, Ai Igarashi
  • Publication number: 20180056177
    Abstract: A game machine input device mounted on a game machine provided with a playfield; the game machine input device includes: an input unit provided toward the front of the playfield and configured to accept input; and a projection part configured to radiate light toward the playfield to project a first image in a region within the visual field of a player viewing the playfield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi SAKAMOTO, Masaki MIZUTANI
  • Publication number: 20180056176
    Abstract: A game machine operating device mounted on a game machine with a game board and provided on a front side of the game board includes: an operation unit which receives an operation; and a projection unit which radiates light in a direction toward the game board to project a first image on an area in a field of view of a player viewing the game board. The projection unit includes: a first light source; and a light guide into which light emitted from the first light source is guided. The light guide has a light diffusion pattern formed on one or both of a front surface and a rear surface, wherein light is emitted through the light diffusion pattern to form the first image. A part on which the light diffusion pattern is formed is disposed to be directed in the direction toward the game board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi SAKAMOTO, Masaki MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 9841545
    Abstract: The optical film with a pressure sensitive adhesive on both sides includes a first pressure sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 3 ?m to 30 ?m on first main surface of an optical film, and a second pressure sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 50 ?m or more on second main surface of the optical film. A first protective sheet and a second protective sheet are releasably attached on the first pressure sensitive adhesive layer and the second pressure sensitive adhesive layer, respectively. The residual stress of the second pressure sensitive adhesive layer S2 (N/cm2), the thickness of the first protective sheet Y (?m); and the thickness of the second protective sheet Z (?m) satisfy the following relationship: 20?Y?80; 45?Z; and Y+0.17 Z+10.6 S2?63.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: NITTO DENKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Mizutani, Shou Takarada, Atsushi Yasui
  • Patent number: 9841589
    Abstract: Provided is an illumination optical apparatus that illuminates the surface with light from a light source and includes an optical integrator (the integrator) configured to form a plurality of secondary source images (the images); a adjuster having a plurality of adjusting elements for adjusting a light of the images; and a consensor configured such that the adjuster is in a conjugate relationship with the end surface of the integrator, wherein the element is located at positions, which corresponds to a secondary source formed by an odd reflection times in the first direction by the integrator and a secondary source formed by an even times and a secondary source formed by an odd times in the second direction and a secondary source formed by an even times, wherein the element is not located at a position which corresponds to a secondary source formed by no reflection in the integrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaki Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9829462
    Abstract: A gas sensor element includes a laminate formed of a detecting element section and a heater section, and a porous protection layer covering a forward end portion of the laminate. The detecting element section has one or more cells having a solid electrolyte body and a pair of electrodes. The heater section has a heater. Side surfaces of the solid electrolyte bodies in parallel with the direction of lamination are covered with dense insulating members. The cell-to-be-controlled is temperature controlled by the heater to 600° C. to 830° C. The porous protection layer is formed on the laminate from a forward end portion to a region which has a temperature of 500° C. or higher when the temperature control is performed, and the porous protection layer is not formed in a region which has a temperature of 300° C. or lower when the temperature control is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Syun Sakuma, Masaki Onkawa, Yuta Oishi, Nobuo Furuta, Masaki Mizutani