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).

  • Publication number: 20070238922
    Abstract: A driving signal is supplied from a transmission block to a magnetic-field generating element arranged on either one of an inside of an endoscope insertion portion and an outside of an endoscope. A magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field generating element is detected by a magnetic-field detecting element arranged on the other and the signal is received by a receiving block. For the signal from the receiving block, control processing including processing for calculating the shape of the endoscope insertion portion is carried out from position information of the magnetic-field generating element or the magnetic-field detecting element arranged inside the endoscope insertion portion. The receiving block provided with an amplification circuit for at least amplifying the signal detected by the magnetic-field detecting element is formed separately from the transmission block and the control block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Oda, Hiroshi Niwa, Fumiyuki Onoda, Minoru Sato, Kensuke Miyake, Yoshitaka Miyoshi, Chieko Aizawa
  • Publication number: 20070232854
    Abstract: An endoscope inserted-shape detecting apparatus 8 includes a sense coil unit 23 in which multiple sense coil groups of sense coil groups 23A to 23I for detecting magnetic fields generated by multiple source coils 21 in an inserted-shape detecting probe 6 are placed as a part of the endoscope inserted-shape detecting apparatus 8, a signal detecting section 33, a source coil position analyzing section 35 and a signal control section 37 that selects a magnetic-field detecting element to be used for detection of a magnetic field signal based on the magnetic field generated by each of the source coils 21 from the sense coil groups 23A to 231I in a control section based on positional information signals outputted from the source coil position analyzing section 35.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Kensuke Miyake, Yoshitaka Miyoshi, Chieko Aizawa, Fumiyuki Onoda, Minoru Sato, Hiroshi Niwa, Tomohiko Oda
  • Publication number: 20070226895
    Abstract: A shower bathing apparatus includes: a concave seat; and a water discharger provided rearwardly and upwardly to the seat and configured to discharge water in a forward direction of the seat. A water discharge direction from the water discharger and positional relationship between the water discharger and the seat are adjusted so that at least part of the discharged water directly reaches the seat with no seat occupant seated on the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru SATO, Yutaka AIHARA, Tomohisa KATO, Hiroyoshi MATSUSHITA, Minami OKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20070226894
    Abstract: A shower bathing apparatus includes a seat; and a first water discharger provided rearwardly and upwardly to the seat and configured to discharge water in a direction forward of the seat. A water discharge direction from the first water discharger and positional relationship between the first water discharger and the seat are adjusted so that the water discharged from the first water discharger reaches the seat or forward of the seat. The water discharged from the first water discharger reaches from rearward of a seat occupant seated on the seat occupant's shoulder to the seat occupant's leg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: TOTO LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Yutaka Aihara, Tomohisa Kato
  • Publication number: 20070219410
    Abstract: A source coil drive circuit section of an endoscope shape detection device includes, an oscillator that generates a sine wave and an amplifier that amplifies the sine wave and generates (drives) an alternating magnetic field to source coils through a switch section. The switch section is configured to switch a direct current to an output of the amplifier and supply to the source coils. In the source coil drive circuit section, a direct current resistance value detection section for measuring a direct current resistance value of the source coils by voltage drop when the switch section is supplying the direct current to the source coils is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicants: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP., OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Onoda, Hiroshi Niwa, Tomohiko Oda, Minoru Sato, Kensuke Miyake, Yoshitaka Miyoshi, Kazutaka Tuji, Chieko Aizawa
  • Publication number: 20070208222
    Abstract: A driving block includes a plurality of magnetic-field generating elements and a driving signal generating section, and the magnetic field generated by the plurality of magnetic-field generating elements is detected by a plurality of magnetic-field detecting elements. A shape calculating block calculates a shape of an insertion portion of an endoscope based on a frequency component corresponding to a frequency of the driving signal in a detection signal detected by the plurality of magnetic-field detecting elements. Oscillation frequency of the reference clock for deciding the frequency of the driving signal is changeably set by the frequency setting section, and the reference clock with oscillation frequency set by the frequency setting section is supplied to both of the driving block and the shape calculating block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Miyoshi, Chieko Aizawa, Kensuke Miyake, Fumiyuki Onoda, Minoru Sato, Hiroshi Niwa, Tomohiko Oda
  • Publication number: 20070088780
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Shinji Kubota
  • Publication number: 20070085362
    Abstract: An operation means box device that is disposed on the side of an operator seat; in which an operation means box that has operation means on the upper surface is freely movably installed in the front-rear direction relative to the operator seat; and which comprises locking means for fixing the operation box at a prescribed position, that can minimize the operator's fatigue in operating the operation means provided in the operation means box, in which an unlocking handle for unlocking the locking means is disposed in a location other than the upper surface of the operation means box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Applicant: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Minoru Sato
  • Patent number: 7200349
    Abstract: A part is designed so that a plurality of parts each identical to the part are arranged in the same attitude in parallel with a part moving direction on a guide (40), and includes projections (10f5, 10f6) for pushing an abutment surface (10f7) provided on a preceding part placed on the guide, while maintaining the attitude of the preceding part, and an abutment surface (10f7) to be pushed by projections (10f5, 10f6) provided on a succeeding part placed on the guide. The projections and the abutment surface are provided in an area of the part, which area is selected to avoid an area required to have dimensional precision whereby it is possible to supply the part to an assembly process without causing damage to the area required to have dimensional precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Yoshiyuki Batori, Takeshi Arimitsu, Masanari Morioka
  • Patent number: 7155140
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the process cartridge being transportable with the electrophotographic image forming apparatus while being set in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the photosensitive drum; a protection shutter movable between an exposing position for opening an opening provided in the frame to expose the photosensitive drum, and a protecting position for closing the opening to protect the photosensitive drum; and a protecting member for interposing between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, provided in the main assembly, for transferring a toner image onto the recording material, upon transportation of the process cartridge set in the main assembly together with the main assembly, wherein the protecting member is mounted on the frame to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Arimitsu, Minoru Sato
  • Publication number: 20060285878
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the process cartridge being transportable with the electrophotographic image forming apparatus while being set in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the photosensitive drum; a protection shutter movable between an exposing position for opening an opening provided in the frame to expose the photosensitive drum, and a protecting position for closing the opening to protect the photosensitive drum; and a protecting member for interposing between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, provided in the main assembly, for transferring a toner image onto the recording material, upon transportation of the process cartridge set in the main assembly together with the main assembly, wherein the protecting member is mounted on the frame to
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Arimitsu, Minoru Sato
  • Patent number: 7119561
    Abstract: The electrical connecting apparatus according to the present invention includes first, second and third plate members having plate-like portions at intervals from each other in the thickness direction, each plate-like member having a plurality of through holes in the plate-like portions; and a plurality of probes having projected portions passed through the through holes of the first, second and third plate-like members, the probes including projected portions between said first and second plate-like members. Each through hole of the first and second plate-like members has a small diameter portion for preventing the projected portion of the probe from passing and a large diameter portion communicated to the small diameter portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon Micronics
    Inventor: Minoru Sato
  • Publication number: 20060062101
    Abstract: An optical pickup device comprises a light emitting element which emits laser light, a photodetector which monitors a state of the laser light emitted from the light emitting element and applies feedback to a control of the light emitting element, and a reflect mirror which allows a portion of the laser light emitted from the light emitting element to be irradiated to the photodetector, wherein a rough surface portion is provided on a surface of the reflect mirror to avoid an erroneous operation of the optical pickup device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Negishi, Sadao Iizuka, Minoru Sato
  • Patent number: 6937832
    Abstract: A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic. The cartridge includes a photosensitive drum; a process device; and a first contact portion provided on a bottom surface of a cartridge frame provided at one longitudinal. The first contact portion is guided by a first assembly side guide when the cartridge is mounted. The cartridge also includes a cartridge coupling disposed above the first portion, the coupling being engageable with an assembly side coupling to receive a rotational force from the assembly; and a second contact portion disposed behind the first portion with respect to the mounting direction. The second portion limits rotation of the cartridge. The cartridge also includes; a positioning portion projected outwardly and provided at the other longitudinal end of the drum, the positioning portion being guided by a second assembly side guide, and being positioned to a second assembly side receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Satoshi Kurihara, Yoshiyuki Batori, Masanari Morioka
  • Patent number: 6925659
    Abstract: A cleaning water jetting device 40 formed so as to rotate a nozzle by a fluid pressure and capable of reducing the size of the drive part of a pump for feeding fluid to a chamber and an operation cost, comprising an upper side through-hole 6A recessedly formed in edge shape provided in the ceiling of the chamber 2 and a bottomed concave part 43 formed in round hole shape provided in the bottom surface thereof, wherein the nozzle 4 is installed by inserting a reduced diameter part 7 on a nozzle tip side at the nozzle tip side into the upper side through-hole 6A and the bottom portion 44 into the concave part 43, and kept in such a state in the upper side through-hole 6A as to face a cleaning fluid jetting port 5 toward the outside of the through-hole, to be rotated, and to allow the position thereof to be changed in a nozzle axis O direction, and can be revolved around the center axis thereof in the tilted attitude relative to the center axis P of the upper side through-hole 6A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Makoto Hatakeyama, Yasuo Hamada, Yoshiyuki Kioi
  • Publication number: 20050169664
    Abstract: A process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the process cartridge being transportable with the electrophotographic image forming apparatus while being set in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including a frame; an electrophotographic photosensitive drum; process means actable on the photosensitive drum; a protection shutter movable between an exposing position for opening an opening provided in the frame to expose the photosensitive drum, and a protecting position for closing the opening to protect the photosensitive drum; and a protecting member for interposing between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, provided in the main assembly, for transferring a toner image onto the recording material, upon transportation of the process cartridge set in the main assembly together with the main assembly, wherein the protecting member is mounted on the frame to
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Arimitsu, Minoru Sato
  • Publication number: 20050124144
    Abstract: The electrical connecting apparatus according to the present invention includes first, second and third plate members having plate-like portions at intervals from each other in the thickness direction, each plate-like member having a plurality of through holes in the plate-like portions; and a plurality of probes having projected portions passed through the through holes of the first, second and third plate-like members, the probes including projected portions between said first and second plate-like members. Each through hole of the first and second plate-like members has a small diameter portion for preventing the projected portion of the probe from passing and a large diameter portion communicated to the small diameter portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Inventor: Minoru Sato
  • Patent number: 6897864
    Abstract: A VOXEL model generating unit generates a VOXEL model of an analysis object, and an inertia principal axes computing unit computes a center of gravity and principal axes of inertia. A three-dimensional CAD data rotating unit rotates the VOXEL model around one axis of the principal axes of inertia to generate the rotated VOXEL models, thereby finding the VOXEL model with the least volume error between an actual volume Vc of an analysis object calculated for a three-dimensional CAD model and a volume Vv of the VOXEL model. The coordinate system of the VOXEL model at this time is defined for VOXEL coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Nagano Systems Engineering Limited
    Inventor: Minoru Sato
  • Patent number: 6898399
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive drum is for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image-forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes a charging roller for electrically charging the photosensitive drum and a developing roller for developing a latent image formed on the drum. The drum includes a drum helical gear, mounted to one end of the cylinder, for transmitting a rotational driving force to a transfer roller provided in a main assembly, and for transmiting a rotational driving force to the charging roller and the developing roller. A shaft portion is provided at a central portion of the drum helical gear at a position where it is completely overlapped with teeth of the drum helical gear with respect to a longitudinal direction of the cylinder. A gap is provided between the teeth and a peripheral surface of the shaft portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanari Morioka, Minoru Sato, Takeshi Arimitsu
  • Patent number: D540352
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Sato, Minoru Sato, Toshimitsu Honda, Teruhisa Iwata