Patents by Inventor Minoru Sato
Minoru Sato 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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Patent number: 9125560Abstract: A detecting apparatus includes: a change-over switch for switching on/off display of a scope model on a liquid crystal monitor; a position calculating portion for calculating respective positions of source coils; a scope model generating portion for generating a scope model of an electronic endoscope based on the respective positions of the source coils calculated by the position calculating portion; and a selector for selectively outputting to the liquid crystal monitor a display-pause-time image stored in a display-pause-time image storing portion and a scope model image from the scope model generating portion; and a control portion for controlling each of these portions. The detecting apparatus thus displays an insertion shape of the endoscope at a timing as needed.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshitaka Miyoshi, Fumiyuki Onoda, Hiroshi Niwa, Tomohiko Oda, Minoru Sato, Chieko Aizawa, Kensuke Miyake
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Patent number: 9108207Abstract: Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably supply bubbly water through all nozzle holes and can cause water droplets of large, uniform size to land continuously on the user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein the throttle unit has a flat-shaped throttle channel and water ejected through the throttle channel plunges into an air-liquid interface as a sheet-like stream, thereby producing bubbly water, which is then discharged through the nozzle hole.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2011Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Minoru Sato, Takahiro Ohashi, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Katsuya Nagata
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Patent number: 9074361Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sanitary washing apparatus includes a nozzle including a jetting port and configured to squirt water from the jetting port and to cause the water to impinge on female private parts. The nozzle is operable to switch between a first jetting and a second jetting. The first jetting squirts the water from the jetting port to cause the water to impinge on a first range of the female private parts, and the second jetting squirts the water from the jetting port more diffusively than the first jetting to cause the water to impinge evenly on a second range wider than the first range without moving the jetting port. The water is squirted so that flow velocity in the first range of the first jetting is slower than flow velocity in the second range of the second jetting.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2011Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Masayuki Mochita, Minoru Sato, Masako Numao
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Publication number: 20150108255Abstract: Provided is a shower apparatus which can stably supply bubbly water through all nozzle holes and can cause water droplets of large, uniform size to land continuously on the user so as to allow the user to enjoy a shower with a voluminous feel as if the user were being showered by large drops of rain. The shower apparatus includes a water supply unit, a throttle unit adapted to eject passing water downstream, an aeration unit adapted to produce bubbly water by aerating the water ejected through the throttle unit, and a nozzle unit provided with a plurality of nozzle holes used to discharge the bubbly water, wherein the throttle unit has a flat-shaped throttle channel and water ejected through the throttle channel plunges into an air-liquid interface as a sheet-like stream, thereby producing bubbly water, which is then discharged through the nozzle hole.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2014Publication date: April 23, 2015Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Kiyotake UKIGAI, Minoru SATO, Takahiro OHASHI, Yutaka AIHARA, Minami OKAMOTO, Katsuya NAGATA
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Patent number: 8955772Abstract: The present invention provides a shower apparatus which allows a user to enjoy spray of water with a voluminous feel even when a small volume of water is discharged as well as with a comfortable stimulus sensation of an instantaneous flow rate of the spray varying greatly. The shower apparatus periodically varies a volume of air taken into an aeration unit by periodically changing a traveling direction of a water stream ejected to the aeration unit from a throttle unit and produces pulsating spray by varying the instantaneous flow rate of bubbly water discharged from a nozzle unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2011Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Minoru Sato, Katsuya Nagata
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Patent number: 8944349Abstract: The present invention provides a shower apparatus that allows the user to have a shower stream with a voluminous feel, even when a small volume of water is discharged, and also with a stimulus sensation arising from water being discharged in a pulsating manner. A shower apparatus F1 periodically changes the volume of air taken into an aeration unit 43 by oscillating a main water stream ejected toward the aeration unit 43 from a throttle unit 42 in a direction crossing the direction of the ejection, so that the bubbly water discharged from a water discharge unit 44 creates a pulsating shower stream.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2012Date of Patent: February 3, 2015Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Kiyotake Ukigai, Minoru Sato, Katsuya Nagata
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Publication number: 20150020303Abstract: A water discharge device generates a large air bubble having a cross sectional area larger than a channel sectional area of a jetting port when the inside of a water storage chamber is viewed from the jetting port. The water discharge device intermittently forms the large air bubble to change a flow speed of a jet flow.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2014Publication date: January 22, 2015Applicant: TOTO LTD.Inventors: Hiroshi HASHIMOTO, Minoru SATO, Shuhei HAYATA, Akihiro UEMURA, Yukihiro KOZONO
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Patent number: 8904574Abstract: A water discharge device generates a large air bubble having a cross sectional area larger than a channel sectional area of a jetting port when the inside of a water storage chamber is viewed from the jetting port. The water discharge device intermittently forms the large air bubble to change a flow speed of a jet flow.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Minoru Sato, Shuhei Hayata, Akihiro Uemura, Yukihiro Kozono
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Patent number: 8875053Abstract: There has been a problem of necessitating a complicated work for establishing a connection capable of intercommunication between a computer as server and a projector as client. When a connection is established between a server 20 and projectors 301 through 30n, a communication command is issued according to UDP-based broadcasting to retrieve connectable projectors 301 through 303. Thereafter, the projector 301 to be connected is selected and is assigned an IP address to establish the connection. In this manner, a user can easily obtain a connection environment capable of intercommunication between the server 20 and the projector 301. A TCP/IP communication command is used to input or output image data, ensuring reliable transmission. Since the authentication can be provided using a keyword projected during the connection establishment, it is possible to prevent an unauthorized access to the projector 301 by an outsider.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2009Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Minoru Sato, Shinji Kubota
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Publication number: 20140317725Abstract: When a connection is established between a server and projectors through, a communication command is issued according to UDP-based broadcasting to retrieve connectable projectors through. Thereafter, the projector to be connected is selected and is assigned an IP address to establish the connection. In this manner, a user can easily obtain a connection environment capable of intercommunication between the server and the projector. A TCP/IP communication command is used to input or output image data, ensuring reliable transmission. Since the authentication can be provided using a keyword projected during the connection establishment, it is possible to prevent an unauthorized access to the projector by an outsider.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Minoru SATO, Shinji KUBOTA
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Publication number: 20140298425Abstract: With a conventional image-display system, a presenter sometimes has difficulty in providing every viewer with an easy-to-see picture. When projecting an image transmitted from a computer operated by the presenter and enabling the viewer to watch the image projected by the projector, the projector receives image data transmitted through two-way communication from the computer operated by the presenter, projects an image represented by the received image data and transmits the received image data to a client computer operated by the viewer through the two-way communication, and the client computer receives the image data transmitted through the two-way communication and displays the image represented by the received image data on its display.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Inventors: Minoru SATO, Shinji KUBOTA, Toru KARASAWA
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Patent number: 8793771Abstract: With a conventional image-display system, a presenter sometimes has difficulty in providing every viewer with an easy-to-see picture. When projecting an image transmitted from a computer operated by the presenter and enabling the viewer to watch the image projected by the projector, the projector receives image data transmitted through two-way communication from the computer operated by the presenter, projects an image represented by the received image data and transmits the received image data to a client computer operated by the viewer through the two-way communication, and the client computer receives the image data transmitted through the two-way communication and displays the image represented by the received image data on its display.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2012Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Minoru Sato, Shinji Kubota, Toru Karasawa
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Publication number: 20140176610Abstract: A system consisting of a plurality of terminals storing image data and an image displaying device which are connected with each other through a network capable of two-way communication has the disadvantage of decreasing in throughput on account of slow image data transfer over the network. The image displaying device performs two-way communications with each of the terminals by a communication means at the display device side. Also, the image displaying device acquires image data from a relevant terminal while instructing other terminals to suspend transmission by the image data acquisition controlling means, thereby suspending transmission of image data. The image displaying device displays images by the image displaying means based on the thus acquired image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2014Publication date: June 26, 2014Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Minoru SATO, Shinji KUBOTA, Tomohiro NOMIZO
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Patent number: 8750083Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes at least: a light emitting element capable of emitting at least first wavelength light and second wavelength light; and a diffraction grating configured to split the first wavelength light into at least a first main beam and a first sub-beam and to split the second wavelength light into at least a second main beam and a second sub-beam, a following expression (1) being satisfied: 1.05 < Yp ? ? 1 Yp ? ? 2 < 2.50 ( 1 ) where: Yp1 is an interval between the first main beam and the first sub-beam when a first media corresponding to the first wavelength light is irradiated with the first main beam and the first sub-beam, and Yp2 is an interval between the second main beam and the second sub-beam when a second media corresponding to the second wavelength light is irradiated with the second main beam and the second sub-beam.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2011Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Minoru Sato, Kiyotaka Eizumi, Shuichi Ichiura
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Patent number: 8739532Abstract: An exhaust heat regeneration system includes: an evaporator for cooling engine cooling water; an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant heated through the evaporator so as to generate a driving force; a condenser for cooling the refrigerant passing through the expansion device to condense the refrigerant; and a pump for pressure-feeding the refrigerant cooled through the condenser to the evaporator, in which: the expansion device is coupled to the pump by a shaft, and the expansion device and the pump are housed within the same casing to constitute a pump-integrated type expansion device; and the pump includes a high-pressure chamber through which the refrigerant to be discharged to the evaporator flows, the high-pressure chamber being provided on the expansion device side, or a low-pressure chamber through which the refrigerant flowing from the condenser flows, the low-pressure chamber being provided on the expansion device side.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2010Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kazuhiko Kawajiri, Minoru Sato, Kazunori Tsuchino
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Patent number: 8720795Abstract: Providing a flush bowl capable of discharging a planar shower-like water discharge flow in a wide range while changing the water discharge trajectory is directed. The shower device according to an embodiment of the invention is a shower device including: a water discharger including a plurality of water discharge ports; a rotator including a channel at its center; a coupling section coupling the inside of the water discharger to the channel of the rotator; a receiving section receiving the rotator; a driving mechanism configured to rotate and revolve the rotator in the receiving section; and a decelerating section provided inside the water discharger.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2008Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Toto LtdInventors: Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Minami Okamoto, Kiyotake Ukigai
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Patent number: 8713939Abstract: In a case of a refrigerant amount being short when a Rankine cycle starts operating, because the pressure difference does not occur across a refrigerant pump, refrigerant cannot be injected from a bypass circuit to the Rankine cycle, and therefore super-cooling degree cannot be controlled. An exhaust heat recovery system is provided that can adjust the super-cooling degree even in the case of the pressure difference not occurring across the refrigerant pump. The system includes a refrigerant tank, for storing refrigerant, which is connected by pipes to the low-pressure circuit side and the high-pressure circuit side of the Rankine cycle through a low-pressure-side valve and a high-pressure-side valve, respectively, and a temperature adjuster for adjusting internal temperature of the refrigerant tank.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2009Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kazunori Tsuchino, Kazuhiko Kawajiri, Minoru Sato
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Patent number: 8698702Abstract: A system consisting of a plurality of terminals storing image data and an image displaying device which are connected with each other through a network capable of two-way communication has the disadvantage of decreasing in throughput on account of slow image data transfer over the network. The image displaying device performs two-way communications with each of the terminals by a communication means at the display device side. Also, the image displaying device acquires image data from a relevant terminal while instructing other terminals to suspend transmission by the image data acquisition controlling means, thereby suspending transmission of image data. The image displaying device displays images by the image displaying means based on the thus acquired image data.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2008Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Minoru Sato, Shinji Kubota, Tomohiro Nomizo
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Patent number: 8667621Abstract: A sanitary washing apparatus includes a nozzle having jetting water outlets from which water that pulsates by cyclically changing pressure jets, and a pump and a controller that functions as a flowing water adjuster that adjusts flowing water fed to the jetting water outlets in such a manner that first jetting water and second jetting water alternately occur at peaks of the pulsation of the water. With such an arrangement the first jetting water hits an anus and the private parts of a human body in a smaller area with a higher density than the second jetting water, and the second jetting water hits the anus and the private parts in a larger area with a lower density than the first jetting water.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2010Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Toto Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Minoru Sato
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Patent number: 8561223Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bathtub device including a bathtub 2, a jetting unit 3, a jetting driving unit 4, and a controller 5. The bathtub includes a first bathtub wall surface and a second bathtub wall surface opposed to the first bathtub wall surface. The jetting unit is provided in the second bathtub wall surface and configured to jet a jet flow to a sole of a bather bathing in the bathtub. The jetting driving unit is connected to the jetting unit and configured to adjust jetting flow rate of the jet flow jetted from the jetting unit. The controller is configured to control the jetting driving unit. The controller is configured to control the jetting driving unit to cause the jetting unit to intermittently jet the jet flow with a strength, a leg of the bather being passively bent by the jet flow with the strength.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2009Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Toto LtdInventors: Minoru Sato, Tomohisa Kato, Masako Fujita, Masayuki Mochita