Patents by Inventor Shinji Suminoe

Shinji Suminoe 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: 20250069569
    Abstract: A vibration plate for a musical instrument includes: a plate-shaped vibration plate main body that has a deformation anisotropy property; a first elongated reinforcing member disposed on a first face of the vibration plate main body, and that projects outwardly from the first face and extends along the first face in a direction that prevents the vibration plate main body from deforming; and a second elongated reinforcing member disposed on a second face of the vibration plate main body, and that projects outwardly from the second face and extends along the second face in the direction that prevents the vibration plate main body from deforming. As viewed from a thickness direction of the vibration plate main body, at least part of the first elongated reinforcing member overlaps with at least part of the second elongated reinforcing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2024
    Publication date: February 27, 2025
    Inventors: Banri ABE, Ichiro OSUGA, Masatsugu OKAZAKI, Shinji SUMINO, Taishi SHINOHARA, Takashi KITAGAWA, Takuya ABE
  • Patent number: 12183312
    Abstract: A vibration plate for a musical instrument includes: a plate-shaped vibration plate main body that has a deformation anisotropy property; a first elongated reinforcing member disposed on a first face of the vibration plate main body, and that projects outwardly from the first face and extends along the first face in a direction that prevents the vibration plate main body from deforming; and a second elongated reinforcing member disposed on a second face of the vibration plate main body, and that projects outwardly from the second face and extends along the second face in the direction that prevents the vibration plate main body from deforming. As viewed from a thickness direction of the vibration plate main body, at least part of the first elongated reinforcing member overlaps with at least part of the second elongated reinforcing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Banri Abe, Ichiro Osuga, Masatsugu Okazaki, Shinji Sumino, Taishi Shinohara, Takashi Kitagawa, Takuya Abe
  • Publication number: 20240321245
    Abstract: A method for controlling sound according to an embodiment includes: acquiring key position data corresponding to a keypress amount; inputting operation data obtained by the key position data and an acquisition timing of the key position data to a learned model that has learned a corresponding relationship between operation data configured to be used as learning data related to a time series of a keypress amount and action data configured to be used as learning data related to an action of an action mechanism on a sounding body accompanied with a keypress; and outputting sound generation instruction data configured to generate a sound signal in a signal generation unit based on action data output from the learned model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Haruki OHKAWA, Shinji SUMINO, Tomoya SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20240312437
    Abstract: A musical instrument 1 according to an embodiment includes a sound board 7 configured to transmit a vibration of a sound source, and an exciter device 50 configured to vibrate the sound board 7 based on an input signal. The exciter device 50 includes a vibration exciter 51 disposed in contact with the sound board 7 and configured to vibrate the sound board 7, and a support part 52 attached to the sound board 7 and supporting the vibration exciter 51. The support part 52 includes an elastic displacement part 521 configured to be elastically displaced with respect to the sound board 7. The elastic displacement part 521's natural frequency is equal to or lower than a frequency corresponding to a highest peak among a plurality of peaks in a frequency characteristic of the vibration exciter 51.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Shinji SUMINO, Yoshiya MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20230169940
    Abstract: A vibration plate for a musical instrument includes: a plate-shaped vibration plate main body that has a deformation anisotropy property; a first elongated reinforcing member disposed on a first face of the vibration plate main body, and that projects outwardly from the first face and extends along the first face in a direction that prevents the vibration plate main body from deforming; and a second elongated reinforcing member disposed on a second face of the vibration plate main body, and that projects outwardly from the second face and extends along the second face in the direction that prevents the vibration plate main body from deforming. As viewed from a thickness direction of the vibration plate main body, at least part of the first elongated reinforcing member overlaps with at least part of the second elongated reinforcing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Banri ABE, Ichiro OSUGA, Masatsugu OKAZAKI, Shinji SUMINO, Taishi SHINOHARA, Takashi KITAGAWA, Takuya ABE
  • Patent number: 10984760
    Abstract: Provided is a musical instrument including a vibratable body; and a vibrator. The vibrator includes a vibrating body that vibrates in a predetermined direction; and a coupling member coupling the vibrating body and the vibratable body and that transmits vibration of the vibrating body to the vibratable body. The coupling member includes a shaft extending between the vibrating body and the vibratable body; a first wire rod coupling one end portion of the shaft and the vibrating body; and a second wire rod coupling another end portion of the shaft and the vibratable body. A resonance frequency of each of the shaft, the first wire rod, and the second wire rod is at least 10 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Banri Abe, Masatsugu Okazaki, Ichiro Osuga, Shinji Sumino, Takuya Abe, Takashi Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 10891923
    Abstract: A vibrator includes: a movable portion connected to a vibratable member; a driver configured to drive the movable portion to cause vibration of the movable portion to vibrate the vibratable member; and a driver supporter secured to a support member and configured to support the driver such that the driver is pivotable about an axis extending in a direction intersecting a movable direction of the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masatsugu Okazaki, Ichiro Osuga, Banri Abe, Shinji Sumino, Takashi Kitagawa, Takuya Abe
  • Publication number: 20200184935
    Abstract: Provided is a musical instrument including a vibratable body; and a vibrator. The vibrator includes a vibrating body that vibrates in a predetermined direction; and a coupling member coupling the vibrating body and the vibratable body and that transmits vibration of the vibrating body to the vibratable body. The coupling member includes a shaft extending between the vibrating body and the vibratable body; a first wire rod coupling one end portion of the shaft and the vibrating body; and a second wire rod coupling another end portion of the shaft and the vibratable body. A resonance frequency of each of the shaft, the first wire rod, and the second wire rod is at least 10 kHz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Banri ABE, Masatsugu OKAZAKI, Ichiro OSUGA, Shinji SUMINO, Takuya ABE, Takashi KITAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20200152160
    Abstract: A vibrator includes: a movable portion connected to a vibratable member; a driver configured to drive the movable portion to cause vibration of the movable portion to vibrate the vibratable member; and a driver supporter secured to a support member and configured to support the driver such that the driver is pivotable about an axis extending in a direction intersecting a movable direction of the movable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Masatsugu OKAZAKI, Ichiro OSUGA, Banri ABE, Shinji SUMINO, Takashi KITAGAWA, Takuya ABE
  • Patent number: 9779711
    Abstract: An installation structure for an acoustic transducer configured to vibrate a vibrated body in a first direction so as to permit the vibrated body to generate sounds, wherein the acoustic transducer includes: a magnetic-path forming portion that forms a magnetic path; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate in the first direction; and a connecting unit connecting the vibrating unit and the vibrated body to transmit vibration of the vibrating unit to the vibrated body, wherein the magnetic-path forming portion has a through-hole penetrating therethrough in the first direction from a first opening to a second opening, the connecting unit passing through the through-hole, wherein the vibrating unit is disposed on a first-opening side of the magnetic-path forming portion and is fixed to the connecting unit on the first-opening side, and wherein the vibrated body is connected to the connecting unit on a second-opening side of the magnetic-path forming portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta Ohnishi, Shinji Sumino
  • Publication number: 20170125001
    Abstract: An installation structure for an acoustic transducer configured to vibrate a vibrated body in a first direction so as to permit the vibrated body to generate sounds, wherein the acoustic transducer includes: a magnetic-path forming portion that forms a magnetic path; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate in the first direction; and a connecting unit connecting the vibrating unit and the vibrated body to transmit vibration of the vibrating unit to the vibrated body, wherein the magnetic-path forming portion has a through-hole penetrating therethrough in the first direction from a first opening to a second opening, the connecting unit passing through the through-hole, wherein the vibrating unit is disposed on a first-opening side of the magnetic-path forming portion and is fixed to the connecting unit on the first-opening side, and wherein the vibrated body is connected to the connecting unit on a second-opening side of the magnetic-path forming portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta OHNISHI, Shinji SUMINO
  • Patent number: 9269335
    Abstract: An installation structure for an acoustic transducer configured to push and pull a vibrated body and having a magnetic-path forming portion; a vibrating unit; and a connector having at least one joint portion configured to connect two members such that axes of the two members are inclined relative to each other by bending at the at least one joint portion, the at least one joint portion having an urging portion configured to generate an urging force by which a pushing-side driving portion of a first member connected to one side of the at least one joint portion urges a pushing-side driven portion of a second member connected on another side of the at least one joint portion in a pushing direction and an urging force by which a pulling-side driving portion of the first member urges a pulling-side driven portion of the second member in a pulling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Ohnishi, Tadaharu Kato, Hiroyuki Murakami, Yuji Takahashi, Yoshiya Matsuo, Shinji Sumino
  • Patent number: 9158151
    Abstract: A surface light-emitting unit of the present invention is an LED module (30) for emitting light from an LED chip (6) of a light-emitting element part (1) via a light flux control section (22) of a light flux control part (2), the light flux control section (22) being fixed by a plurality of columnar sections (21) above a fixing surface of a substrate (4) on which fixing surface the light-emitting element part (1)is fixed. This provides an appropriate gap between the light-emitting element part (1) and the light flux control section (22) for heat release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Ogata, Mitsuru Hineno, Shinji Suminoe
  • Publication number: 20150206514
    Abstract: An installation structure for an acoustic transducer configured to push and pull a vibrated body and having a magnetic-path forming portion; a vibrating unit; and a connector having at least one joint portion configured to connect two members such that axes of the two members are inclined relative to each other by bending at the at least one joint portion, the at least one joint portion having an urging portion configured to generate an urging force by which a pushing-side driving portion of a first member connected to one side of the at least one joint portion urges a pushing-side driven portion of a second member connected on another side of the at least one joint portion in a pushing direction and an urging force by which a pulling-side driving portion of the first member urges a pulling-side driven portion of the second member in a pulling direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Kenta Ohnishi, Tadaharu Kato, Hiroyuki Murakami, Yuji Takahashi, Yoshiya Matsuo, Shinji Sumino
  • Patent number: 8514345
    Abstract: A backlight unit comprising: a light guide plate for causing light to exit in a planar manner from an upper surface of the light guide plate, the light having entered the light guide plate from an LED; a substrate provided along an end surface of the light guide plate and having an LED mounted on a counter surface of the substrate, the counter surface facing the end surface of the light guide plate; a frame provided along the substrate and attached to the substrate on a rear surface of the substrate, the rear surface being opposite to the counter surface; and one or a plurality of insulating members arranged in such a manner that the one or the plurality of insulating members and the frame sandwich the substrate, the one or the plurality of insulating members each fixing a screw point of a screw inserted from the frame into a through-hole provided through the frame and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Onoue, Shinji Suminoe, Koji Sakai
  • Patent number: 8297784
    Abstract: A surface-emission unit to prevent irregularity in brightness from being generated is provided. The surface-emission unit is composed of light-emission element parts each having a light-emission element, aligned and arranged on a substrate two-dimensionally, and optical lenses each arranged on the substrate with respect to each light-emission element part, to diffuse light from the light-emission element, and a support part to fix the optical lens onto the substrate is arranged so as not overlap a line connecting the light-emission element part corresponding to the optical lens fixed by the support part, to another light-emission element part adjacent to the light-emission element part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiya Ishio, Mitsuru Hineno, Nobuo Ogata, Shinji Suminoe
  • Publication number: 20120206673
    Abstract: A surface light-emitting unit of the present invention is an LED module (30) for emitting light from an LED chip (6) of a light-emitting element part (1) via a light flux control section (22) of a light flux control part (2), the light flux control section (22) being fixed by a plurality of columnar sections (21) above a fixing surface of a substrate (4) on which fixing surface the light-emitting element part (1)is fixed. This provides an appropriate gap between the light-emitting element part (1) and the light flux control section (22) for heat release.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuo Ogata, Mitsuru Hineno, Shinji Suminoe
  • Publication number: 20120126711
    Abstract: A sensor circuit or a display apparatus from which a highly accurate sensor output can be obtained includes a photodiode, a capacitor that is connected to the photodiode via an accumulation node and accumulates charges according to an electric current in the photodiode; a sensor switching element transistor that causes the accumulation node and an output line to be conductive with respect to each other in response to a readout signal and outputs an output signal according to the potential of the accumulation node to the output line; a variable capacitor that is provided between the accumulation node and an input electrode, and whose capacitance varies when a pressure is applied by a touching operation; and a control switching element transistor to which a control signal for switching conduction and non-conduction between the variable capacitor and the accumulation node is input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Suminoe, Mitsuru Hineno, Masato Onoue
  • Patent number: 8111371
    Abstract: An illumination device includes an LED package, an LED driver including an FET, and a thermistor disposed on a substrate. A plurality of such LED packages are disposed on the substrate such that a first area and a second area, each determined by vertices corresponding to LED packages, are defined on the substrate. The thermistor is disposed in the first area, and the FET is disposed in the second area, which is outside of the first area. The thermistor detects a temperature in the first area. Such a configuration allows the thermistor to detect, in accordance with the temperature in the area, the temperature of heat transferred from the LED packages, without being affected by heat generated by the FET. This makes it possible to efficiently make temperature corrections to stabilize color temperature and luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinji Suminoe, Tomohiko Yamamoto, Akira Tomiyoshi, Naoto Inoue
  • Publication number: 20110285937
    Abstract: A backlight unit comprising: a light guide plate for causing light to exit in a planar manner from an upper surface of the light guide plate, the light having entered the light guide plate from an LED; a substrate provided along an end surface of the light guide plate and having an LED mounted on a counter surface of the substrate, the counter surface facing the end surface of the light guide plate; a frame provided along the substrate and attached to the substrate on a rear surface of the substrate, the rear surface being opposite to the counter surface; and one or a plurality of insulating members arranged in such a manner that the one or the plurality of insulating members and the frame sandwich the substrate, the one or the plurality of insulating members each fixing a screw point of a screw inserted from the frame into a through-hole provided through the frame and the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Masato ONOUE, Shinji Suminoe, Koji Sakai