Patents by Inventor Masashi Aoki

Masashi Aoki 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: 20060072227
    Abstract: A magnetic transfer method for performing magnetic transfer is provided wherein magnetic transfer is performed by conjoining and holding in surface-to-surface contact by a holder a transfer master medium, on which transfer data is borne, and a slave medium, to which the transfer data is transferred, and by applying a transfer magnetic field to the transfer master medium held in the holder by a magnet disposed facing to a recordable surface of the slave medium. The holder and the magnet are held movable relative to each other in the direction of the normal to the recordable surface of the slave medium. The distance between the holder and magnet as seen in the direction of the normal is adjusted when magnetic transfer is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Inventors: Masashi Aoki, Kazunori Komatsu, Akihisa Kita, Minoru Araki
  • Patent number: 6972915
    Abstract: Information represented by a pattern of a magnetic layer formed on a master information carrier is magnetically transferred to a slave. An initial DC magnetic field is applied to the slave medium with the slave medium supported from one side thereof so that the other side of the slave medium is directly opposed to the magnetic field generator, and a transfer magnetic field is applied to the slave medium and the master information carrier held in close contact with each other by a holder, which covers both the sides of the slave medium/master information carrier assembly, with the magnetic field generator positioned to oppose both the sides of the slave medium/master information carrier assembly so that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator is applied to the slave medium and the master information carrier through the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Komatsu, Masashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 6954317
    Abstract: When a master medium and a slave medium are brought into close contact and a transfer magnetic field is applied thereto to perform magnetic transfer, the leakage magnetic field intensity of the transfer magnetic field is regulated to within a permissible range, making possible the transfer of an exact magnetic pattern. After a magnetic field is applied to the slave face in the track direction thereof to initially magnetize the slave medium in the track direction, the master medium and the slave medium are brought into close contact. When applying a transfer magnetic field in the track direction of the slave face to perform a magnetic transfer, the magnetic field intensity component in the direction opposite that in which the transfer magnetic field is to be applied is regulated to less than or equal to ½ the magnetic coercive force Hcs of the slave medium over the entire slave surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Aoki, Kazunori Komatsu, Masakazu Nishikawa, Junichi Nakamikawa
  • Publication number: 20050213237
    Abstract: A magnetic transfer wherein the exchange of master mediums is made easy to perform is provided, whereby the operational efficiency and transfer efficiency are improved, leading to an overall improvement in productivity in the manufacture of preformatted slave mediums. A master fixing base for determining and supporting the position of a master medium, which bears transfer data, and a conjoining apparatus for conjoining the master medium and the slave medium that is to receive the transfer therefrom are provided. The master medium is exchanged along with the master fixing base. It is preferable that a cleaning means be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Publication date: September 29, 2005
    Inventors: Akito Kamatani, Tsuneo Inui, Masashi Aoki, Masakazu Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20050200995
    Abstract: A magnetic transfer wherein the exchange of master mediums is made easy to perform is provided, whereby the operational efficiency and transfer efficiency are improved, leading to an overall improvement in productivity in the manufacture of preformatted slave mediums. A master fixing base for determining and supporting the position of a master medium, which bears transfer data, and a conjoining apparatus for conjoining the master medium and the slave medium that is to receive the transfer therefrom are provided. The master medium is exchanged along with the master fixing base. It is preferable that a cleaning means be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Inventors: Akito Kamatani, Tsuneo Inui, Masashi Aoki, Masakazu Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20050169681
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having a document feeder for taking up a document from a document bundle placed on a document tray, a controller has a normal mode to perform a normal-size conveyance control by taking up each document from a bundle of documents having the same size, a multi-size mode to perform a multi-size conveyance control by taking up each document from a bundle of documents having various sizes. When the normal mode is carried out, the controller controls to stop the document after the first preset time passes after the trailing edge of the document has been detected, and when multi-size mode is carried out, the controller controls in place of using the first preset time by the second preset time which is set to be a longer time than the first preset time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hata, Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Masashi Aoki, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6915102
    Abstract: A document sheet conveyance device includes a sheet feeding tray on which document sheets are stacked, a stopping member against which leading edges of the stacked document sheets hit, a sheet feeding member for feeding the document sheets in the order from a top thereof, a separation member for separating a sheet from the fed document sheets and feeding, a stopper provided between the sheet feeding member and the separation member, for preventing the document sheet from moving toward the separation member, a switching member provided downstream of the separation member, for switching a conveyance path of the document sheet, a working member for enabling the stopper to move from a sheet stop position to a sheet releasing position, an interlocking member for moving the working member when the switching member is operated, and a drive member for driving the working member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masashi Aoki, Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Kiyoshi Hata, Satoru Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6906874
    Abstract: A magnetic transfer wherein the exchange of master mediums is made easy to perform is provided, whereby the operational efficiency and transfer efficiency are improved, leading to an overall improvement in productivity in the manufacture of preformatted slave mediums. A master fixing base for determining and supporting the position of a master medium, which bears transfer data, and a conjoining apparatus for conjoining the master medium and the slave medium that is to receive the transfer therefrom are provided. The master medium is exchanged along with the master fixing base. It is preferable that a cleaning means be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akito Kamatani, Tsuneo Inui, Masashi Aoki, Masakazu Nishikawa
  • Publication number: 20050059325
    Abstract: A wafer processing method for dividing a wafer having optical devices that are formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, along the dividing lines, which comprises a laser beam application step of applying a laser beam to the wafer along the dividing lines from the side of back surface thereof to form grooves having a predetermined depth in the back surface; a protective sheet affixing step of affixing a protective sheet to the front surface of the wafer having the grooves in the back surface; a dividing step of dividing the wafer having the protective sheet affixed to the front surface along the grooves; and a grinding step of grinding the back surface of the wafer divided along the grooves in a state of the protective sheet being affixed to the wafer, to remove the grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Yusuke Nagai, Masashi Aoki, Hitoshi Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20050058477
    Abstract: A document sheet conveyance device includes a sheet feeding tray on which document sheets are stacked, a stopping member against which leading edges of the stacked document sheets hit, a sheet feeding member for feeding the document sheets in the order from a top thereof, a separation member for separating a sheet from the fed document sheets and feeding, a stopper provided between the sheet feeding member and the separation member, for preventing the document sheet from moving toward the separation member, a switching member provided downstream of the separation member, for switching a conveyance path of the document sheet, a working member for enabling the stopper to move from a sheet stop position to a sheet releasing position, an interlocking member for moving the working member when the switching member is operated, and a drive member for driving the working member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Masashi Aoki, Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Kiyoshi Hata, Satoru Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20050059183
    Abstract: A wafer processing method for dividing a wafer having optical devices that are formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, along the dividing lines, comprising a laser beam application step of applying a laser beam capable of passing through the wafer along the dividing lines to form deteriorated layers having a predetermined depth from the back surface of the wafer; a protective sheet affixing step of affixing a protective sheet to the front surface of the wafer having the deteriorated layers formed therein; a dividing step of dividing the wafer having the protective sheet affixed to the front surface along the deteriorated layers; and a grinding step of grinding the back surface of the wafer divided along the deteriorated layers in a state of the protective sheet being affixed to the wafer, to remove the deteriorated layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Inventors: Yusuke Nagai, Masashi Aoki, Satoshi Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20040211752
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium having a disc-shaped flexible slave medium accommodated in a case, onto which servo signals are effectively recorded by a magnetic transfer method with high quality. The method includes a slitting step for cutting an original sheet into discrete webs; a punching step for obtaining a disc-shaped slave medium; a thermo step for removing distortion; a burnishing step for smoothing a surface of the slave medium; a center core attachment step; a magnetic transfer step for performing a magnetic transfer while a master medium is allowed to be brought into close contact with one of the web and the slave medium; an assembly step for incorporating slave medium into the case; a cleaning step for cleaning a surface of the slave medium; a verifying step for checking the servo signals; and a packing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 6804070
    Abstract: A magnetic transfer apparatus capable of enhancing the quality of a transfer signal by improving close contact property between master and slave media in magnetic transfer carried out to magnetically transfer an information signal such as a servo signal from the master medium to the slave medium. In the magnetic transfer specifically carried out by applying a transfer magnetic field in a close contact state of the master medium bearing information and the slave medium, the master and slave media are closely contacted with each other in a state where the backside of the master medium is adsorbed and held on the flat adsorbing surface of an adsorbing member to heighten the flatness of the master medium. In the case of one-surface transfer, preferably, an elastic body is closely contacted with the surface opposite to the master medium on the slave medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Aoki, Akito Kamatani
  • Patent number: 6772507
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording medium having a disc-shaped flexible slave medium accommodated in a case, onto which servo signals are effectively recorded by a magnetic transfer method with high quality. The method includes a slitting step for cutting an original sheet into discrete webs; a punching step for obtaining a disc-shaped slave medium; a thermo step for removing distortion; a burnishing step for smoothing a surface of the slave medium; a center core attachment step; a magnetic transfer step for performing a magnetic transfer while a master medium is allowed to be brought into close contact with one of the web and the slave medium; an assembly step for incorporating slave medium into the case; a cleaning step for cleaning a surface of the slave medium; a verifying step for checking the servo signals; and a packing step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 6775513
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image reading unit, document convey unit, display/operating portion, and hinge. The image reading unit has a slit glass plate for conveying and scanning a document, and a platen glass plate for fixing and scanning the document. The document convey unit is set above glass surfaces of the slit glass plate and platen glass plate. The display/operating portion is provided to one side of the glass surfaces. The hinge is provided to the other side of the glass plates and serves to attach the document convey unit to be openable and closeable with respect to the glass surfaces. The hinge has an angle stopper with which the document convey unit can be opened at one desired open angle selected from at least two different open angles with respect to the glass surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hata, Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Masashi Aoki, Nobutaka Kato, Osamu Kato
  • Patent number: 6678101
    Abstract: A magnetic transfer method for magnetically transferring information signals such as servo signals from a master medium to a slave medium, capable of reducing a range of signal missing due to insufficient contact of the two mediums originating from an adhering substance, thus enhancing signal quality. When the master medium bearing an information signal and the slave medium are brought into close contact with each other, a transferring magnetic field is applied thereto, thus magnetically transferring the information signal from the master medium to the slave medium. An elastic member made of a material having an elastic property so as to deform in accordance with a surface shape of the slave medium during contact pressure application and to restore to an original surface shape thereof during release of the slave medium from the master medium can be interposed between a back of the slave medium and a pressing surface of a pressing support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Nishikawa, Kazuyuki Usuki, Masashi Aoki
  • Patent number: 6673909
    Abstract: A novel gene and the protein encoded therein, i.e., dysferlin, are disclosed. This gene and its expression products are associated with muscular dystrophy, e.g., Miyoshi myopathy and limb girdle musclular dystrophy 2B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Brown, Jr., Jing Liu, Masashi Aoki, Meng F. Ho, Chie Matsuda-Asada
  • Publication number: 20030226435
    Abstract: Slitting knife arrangement in a slitter is controlled by a controller by use of a fixed common program without changing the program when a new setting of slitting knife arrangement is specified. To derive a series of signals to move slitting knives in the slitter, the controller requires input of a next slitting width and the number of slitting knives to be used next. In addition to the two input parameters, additional parameters of current positions of the slitting knives and the number of slitting knives currently used can be acquired from memory in the controller for deriving the series of signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masashi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20030192413
    Abstract: A slitter slits a wide sheet into a plurality of narrow strips by use of a plurality of cutting knives mounted on a shaft extending in a direction substantially normal to the direction in which the wide sheet is fed. Cutting knife arrangements are switched by controlling a knife moving mechanism to move the cutting knives along the shaft so that one of n-sorts of cutting knife arrangements in each of which the cutting knives are arranged in regular intervals is obtained. n-sets of knife positioning programs each for moving the cutting knives from respective origin positions to positions for the corresponding cutting knife arrangement and n-sets of knife returning programs each for returning the cutting knives from positions for the corresponding cutting knife arrangement to the respective origin positions are stored in a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masashi Aoki
  • Publication number: 20030161060
    Abstract: Information represented by a pattern of a magnetic layer formed on a master information carrier is magnetically transferred to a slave. An initial DC magnetic field is applied to the slave medium with the slave medium supported from one side thereof so that the other side of the slave medium is directly opposed to the magnetic field generator, and a transfer magnetic field is applied to the slave medium and the master information carrier held in close contact with each other by a holder, which covers both the sides of the slave medium/master information carrier assembly, with the magnetic field generator positioned to oppose both the sides of the slave medium/master information carrier assembly so that the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator is applied to the slave medium and the master information carrier through the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazunori Komatsu, Masashi Aoki