Patents by Inventor Minoru Sekine

Minoru Sekine 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).

  • Patent number: 8956057
    Abstract: An optical fiber connector comprises a ferrule having a rear end, a chuck located rearward of the ferrule, a ring having a front end, and a coil spring. The ring is attached to the chuck so as to surround the chuck. The optical fiber connector holds an optical fiber which is inserted from a rear end of the optical fiber connector. In detail, when the optical fiber is inserted into the optical fiber connector, an end of the optical fiber passes through the chuck to be accommodated in the ferrule. The coil spring presses the ring forward (toward the ferrule) so that the chuck is squeezed to hold the inserted optical fiber. When the ring is moved rearward by a stopper inserted between the rear end of the ferrule and the front end of the ring, the chuck is released to release the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignees: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited, Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Imaki, Hideto Shimazu, Yuji Watanabe, Minoru Sekine
  • Publication number: 20130264555
    Abstract: A translucent substrate may include a transparent support substrate, and a light extracting layer formed on the transparent support substrate, including a glass material having a first refractive index in a range of 1.6 to 2.2 for D line, and a scattering material having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index for the D line. The light extracting layer may have a surface formed with a plurality of projections including at least one of an approximately pyramid-shaped projection having one peak point and an approximately triangular prism-shaped projection having one peak edge. An inclination angle formed by an edge and a base edge of an approximate triangle, obtained in a vertical cross section passing through the peak point or the peak edge of the projection, may be in a range of 10° to 60°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventors: Nao Ishibashi, Nobuhiro Nakamura, Minoru Sekine, Hisao Inokuma, Yumiko Aoki
  • Publication number: 20130247728
    Abstract: An optical fiber cutter/coating material remover apparatus includes an optical fiber cutter unit and a coating material remover unit, the apparatus being configured such that the end portion of the multi-core optical fiber is cut while the optical fiber cutter unit is apart from the coating material remover unit, the cut end portion of the multi-core optical fiber is inserted into the coating material remover unit by sliding the optical fiber cutter unit or the coating material remover unit so that the optical fiber cutter unit and the coating material remover unit are in contact with each other, and then the coating material is removed by sliding the optical fiber cutter unit or the coating material remover unit so that the optical fiber cutter unit is apart from the coating material remover unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Minoru SEKINE, Yuji Watanabe, Yoshimi Iijima
  • Patent number: 8478522
    Abstract: A map-updating-data creating apparatus performs, for each old map file, creating a map-updating file for rewriting the map file to a new map file, determining the serial number of each of the updated map files, creating a serial number management file in which marks are respectively written at positions corresponding to the serial numbers, and generating, as map-updating data, the map-updating file and the serial number management file. A navigation apparatus performs map-updating processing and determines, by referring to the serial number management file, whether a map file has already been updated. The navigation apparatus uses the map-updating file to execute navigation control if the map file has already been updated, and updates the map file and subsequently executes the navigation control if the map file has not been updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignees: Alpine Electronics, Inc., Mobilemedia Brain Association, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Ohira, Minoru Sekine
  • Patent number: 8239355
    Abstract: A map data update method for updating nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data is disclosed. This method has a step of creating route-specific update data, comprising update data for all routes which have been newly opened since the time of release of the nationwide updated version map data; a step of storing a plurality of route-specific update data sets with different creation dates; a step of, when updating the nationwide updated version map data of the time of release stored in a navigation apparatus in use of a prescribed first route-specific update data which has been stored, storing pre-update map files necessary to restore the nationwide updated version map data; and a step of using the first route-specific update data to update the nationwide updated version map data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Alpine Electronics, Inc., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Mobilemedia Brain Association, Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira, Hirofumi Otsuka, Hitoshi Konishi, Masayuki Arai, Toshihide Yofu, Yuji Yokota
  • Patent number: 7890252
    Abstract: A map-data-generation device and a map-generation method used therefor, and a navigation device and a route-search method used therefor are provided. The map-data-generation device generates hierarchical guide-route-search-map data by using information about a road link of level 2 (reference level), the road link generating a guide-object road. A first upper-level-link-determination unit determines a level-3 link by performing level-raising processing by using level-2-link information. A second-upper-level-link-determination unit acquires a plurality of links of levels (levels 4 to 8) higher than level 3 by performing the level-raising processing by using information about the level-3 link, and specifies an upper level map to which the link belongs on the basis of the range of a distance between a departure-point link and a destination-point link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira
  • Patent number: 7872281
    Abstract: A glass-coated light-emitting element 10 of the invention has a semiconductor light-emitting element 2 having a surface on which no electrode is formed is coated with a glass 1, in which a surface of the glass 1 constitutes a part of a spherical surface broader than a hemispherical surface, the refractive index of the glass 1 at an emission peak wavelength of the semiconductor light-emitting element 2 is 1.7 or more, and the ratio of the diameter of the above-mentioned spherical surface to the maximum diameter of a surface of the semiconductor light-emitting element 2 on which electrodes are formed is 1.8 to 3.5, whereby light emitted from the light-emitting element can be efficiently introduced into a light control unit, and alignment with a lens or a light pipe, which has hitherto been made, becomes unnecessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Nakamura, Minoru Sekine, Syuji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7860029
    Abstract: A subscriber line accommodation device and packet filtering method is provided. In response to a request for acquisition of an IP address from a user terminal, a DHCP server in the subscriber line accommodation device allocates an IP address, registers a set of the allocated IP addresses, a MAC address of the user terminal, and a line number in a DHCP management table. The subscriber line accommodation device sets the registered information in an input filter section as a packet passing condition. Among packets sent from user terminals, the input filter section sends only those packets satisfying registered conditions toward a bridge forwarder and discards those packets not satisfying the conditions. Even when access is attempted by illegally using an IP address, the packet concerned is discarded unless the line number or a MAC address agrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, So Sato
  • Patent number: 7711473
    Abstract: A navigation apparatus is disclosed comprising update functions to update nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data, and to update the nationwide updated version map data to the next nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data. A map update processing portion of this navigation apparatus performs updates of map data in the background of navigation control, gives priority to update processing using the route-specific update data over update processing using the nationwide update data, and, if map files to be updated using route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data have not been updated using the nationwide update data, performs updates using the nationwide update data, and then performs updates using route-specific update files.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignees: Alpine Electronics, Inc., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Mobilemedia Brain Association, Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Kohei Otsuki, Takashi Wakasugi, Hitoshi Konishi, Masayuki Arai
  • Publication number: 20090239318
    Abstract: A glass-coated light-emitting element 10 of the invention has a semiconductor light-emitting element 2 having a surface on which no electrode is formed is coated with a glass 1, in which a surface of the glass 1 constitutes a part of a spherical surface broader than a hemispherical surface, the refractive index of the glass 1 at an emission peak wavelength of the semiconductor light-emitting element 2 is 1.7 or more, and the ratio of the diameter of the above-mentioned spherical surface to the maximum diameter of a surface of the semiconductor light-emitting element 2 on which electrodes are formed is 1.8 to 3.5, whereby light emitted from the light-emitting element can be efficiently introduced into a light control unit, and alignment with a lens or a light pipe, which has hitherto been made, becomes unnecessary.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: ASAHI GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Nakamura, Minoru Sekine, Syuji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7490006
    Abstract: A method of generating map update process data used for updating old map data including a great number of files to new map data includes the steps of using an old map file to be updated and a new map file to generate differential data; calculating a relative size of the differential data; and using the new map file if the relative size is higher than a predetermined value and using the differential data if the relative size is lower than the predetermined value to form the map update process data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira
  • Publication number: 20090037490
    Abstract: A map-updating-data creating apparatus performs, for each old map file, creating a map-updating file for rewriting the map file to a new map file, determining the serial number of each of the updated map files, creating a serial number management file in which marks are respectively written at positions corresponding to the serial numbers, and generating, as map-updating data, the map-updating file and the serial number management file. A navigation apparatus performs map-updating processing and determines, by referring to the serial number management file, whether a map file has already been updated. The navigation apparatus uses the map-updating file to execute navigation control if the map file has already been updated, and updates the map file and subsequently executes the navigation control if the map file has not been updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Masaaki Ohira, Minoru Sekine
  • Patent number: 7395150
    Abstract: A map-updating-data creating apparatus performs, for each old map file, creating a map-updating file for rewriting the map file to a new map file, determining the serial number of each of the updated map files, creating a serial number management file in which marks are respectively written at positions corresponding to the serial numbers, and generating, as map-updating data, the map-updating file and the serial number management file. A navigation apparatus performs map-updating processing and determines, by referring to the serial number management file, whether a map file has already been updated. The navigation apparatus uses the map-updating file to execute navigation control if the map file has already been updated, and updates the map file and subsequently executes the navigation control if the map file has not been updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Ohira, Minoru Sekine
  • Publication number: 20070250264
    Abstract: A map-data-generation device and a map-generation method used therefor, and a navigation device and a route-search method used therefor are provided. The map-data-generation device generates hierarchical guide-route-search-map data by using information about a road link of level 2 (reference level), the road link generating a guide-object road. A first upper-level-link-determination unit determines a level-3 link by performing level-raising processing by using level-2-link information. A second-upper-level-link-determination unit acquires a plurality of links of levels (levels 4 to 8) higher than level 3 by performing the level-raising processing by using information about the level-3 link, and specifies an upper level map to which the link belongs on the basis of the range of a distance between a departure-point link and a destination-point link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira
  • Publication number: 20070179708
    Abstract: A method for creating map data for navigation includes setting a plurality of levels corresponding to levels of detail, stratifying meshes at the individual levels, and creating map data that includes road information of the individual meshes at the individual levels. The map data includes, for individual combinations of two meshes at a predetermined level, data for identifying meshes at the predetermined level that are used to search for routes from one mesh in each of the combinations of two meshes to the other mesh in each of the combinations of two meshes as search range data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira
  • Publication number: 20070156759
    Abstract: A navigation apparatus is disclosed comprising update functions to update nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data, and to update the nationwide updated version map data to the next nationwide updated version map data using nationwide update data. A map update processing portion of this navigation apparatus performs updates of map data in the background of navigation control, gives priority to update processing using the route-specific update data over update processing using the nationwide update data, and, if map files to be updated using route-specific update files included in the route-specific update data have not been updated using the nationwide update data, performs updates using the nationwide update data, and then performs updates using route-specific update files.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Kohei Otsuki, Takashi Wakasugi, Hitoshi Konishi, Masayuki Arai
  • Publication number: 20070143014
    Abstract: A map data update method for updating nationwide updated version map data using route-specific update data is disclosed. This method has a step of creating route-specific update data, comprising update data for all routes which have been newly opened since the time of release of the nationwide updated version map data; a step of storing a plurality of route-specific update data sets with different creation dates; a step of, when updating the nationwide updated version map data of the time of release stored in a navigation apparatus in use of a prescribed first route-specific update data which has been stored, storing pre-update map files necessary to restore the nationwide updated version map data; and a step of using the first route-specific update data to update the nationwide updated version map data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira, Hirofumi Otsuka, Hitoshi Konishi, Masayuki Arai, Toshihide Yofu, Yuji Yokota
  • Patent number: 7123424
    Abstract: An objective lens capable of recording or reproducing informations of HD, DVD and CD is provided. A reference lens 2a and a close-contact lens 2b are closely in contact and bonded, the material of the close-contact lens 2b is different from the material of the reference lens 2a, a lens surface of the reference lens and a lens surface of the close-contact lens have aspherical shapes, the reference lens has a light-converging function, and the close-contact lens has a region providing a positive refractive power and a region providing a negative refractive power to construct an objective lens for optical information recording media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventor: Minoru Sekine
  • Publication number: 20060190166
    Abstract: A map-updating-data creating apparatus performs, for each old map file, creating a map-updating file for rewriting the map file to a new map file, determining the serial number of each of the updated map files, creating a serial number management file in which marks are respectively written at positions corresponding to the serial numbers, and generating, as map-updating data, the map-updating file and the serial number management file. A navigation apparatus performs map-updating processing and determines, by referring to the serial number management file, whether a map file has already been updated. The navigation apparatus uses the map-updating file to execute navigation control if the map file has already been updated, and updates the map file and subsequently executes the navigation control if the map file has not been updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Masaaki Ohira, Minoru Sekine
  • Publication number: 20060190507
    Abstract: A method of generating map update process data used for updating old map data including a great number of files to new map data includes the steps of using an old map file to be updated and a new map file to generate differential data; calculating a relative size of the differential data; and using the new map file if the relative size is higher than a predetermined value and using the differential data if the relative size is lower than the predetermined value to form the map update process data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Minoru Sekine, Masaaki Ohira