Patents by Inventor Yoichi Yamada

Yoichi Yamada 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: 20110291929
    Abstract: Correspondence data representing correspondence between a plurality of selection target objects and the attitude of an input device is stored in an information processing apparatus. In accordance with attitude/motion data acquired from the input device, the attitude of the input device is calculated. In accordance with the correspondence data, a selection target object corresponding to the attitude of the input device is selected thereby to perform a process based on the selection target object having been selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi YAMADA, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Ryo Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110294574
    Abstract: A first area and a second area are set in a virtual space. Then, based on first configuration information for configuring a first state of a game world, a first object to be placed in the first area is generated. In addition, a second object to be placed in the second area is generated based on second configuration information for configuring a second state different from the first state at a predetermined position in the virtual space to which the first configuration information is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi YAMADA, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Hiromu Takemura, Yutaka Hiramuki
  • Publication number: 20110287842
    Abstract: A game apparatus acquires operation data from an input device at least including a gyroscope, wherein the operation data at least contains angular rate data from the gyroscope. The game apparatus sets a predetermined reference position in a predetermined plane when a player inputs a predetermined instruction, and then calculates a coordinate point based on the angular rate data, wherein the coordinate point represents a position in the predetermined plane relative to the reference position. A game process is performed based on the coordinate point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Hidemaro Fujibayashi
  • Publication number: 20110287843
    Abstract: Angular velocity data for specifying the position and the orientation of the first controller is inputted to a game apparatus. Based on the angular velocity data, the swing direction of the first controller is determined, and whether or not a sword object that acts in a virtual game space will collide with an enemy object is determined. If it has been determined that the sword object will collide with the enemy object, whether or not to perform hitting processing for the enemy object is determined based on the swing direction of the first controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Hidemaro Fujibayashi
  • Patent number: 8032064
    Abstract: A developer apparatus, includes: a container which houses toner; a toner carrier roller that is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner supplied from the container on the surface thereof, and a restriction member that abuts on the surface of the toner carrier roller to form a restriction nip, restricts a thickness of the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller in the restriction nip, and removes the toner layer on the convex sections from among the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller at an upstream-side end of the restriction nip in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8027624
    Abstract: A developer apparatus includes a toner carrier roller with plural rows of convex sections arranged in width and circumferential directions of the roller. Top surfaces of the convex sections coincide with a curved surface of a single cylinder shaped like the roller. Convex section extending surfaces obtained by extending the top surfaces of the convex sections in the width direction overlap between convex sections belong to the same row and do not overlap between convex sections belonging to different rows. A width in the circumferential direction of a restriction nip formed by contact of an elastic abutting member of a restriction member with the roller is smaller than a spacing between two convex sections belonging to convex section rows that are adjacent in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Masahiro Maeda, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8023868
    Abstract: A development roller includes a base unit having a base recess and a base projection that are formed in a predetermined area of a circumference surface of the base unit by pressing a regular pattern in pressure machining, and a surface layer formed on the circumference surface of the base unit and having a recess and a projection formed respectively in accordance with the base recess and the base projection of the base unit. A thickness of the surface layer is larger than a maximum height of a base swollen portion close to the side edge of the base projection from a regular surface of the base projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Masahiro Maeda, Junichi Suzuki, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8010024
    Abstract: A developer apparatus includes a toner carrier roller having convex and concave sections formed thereon. A restriction member including an elastic abutting member having an edge part that abuts the toner carrier roller removes toner from the convex sections such that the concave sections alone carry toner. Within a restriction nip created as the toner carrier roller and the restriction member abut abutting segments where the edge part abuts on the convex sections, and opening segments where the edge part and the concave sections are opposed to each other with a gap between each other, appear alternatingly along the width direction. In the opening segments, the edge part bulges toward bottom surfaces of the concave sections beyond linear lines connecting top surfaces of two adjacent convex sections which are on both sides to the concave sections which are opposed to the edge part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8005407
    Abstract: A developer apparatus, includes: a container which houses toner; a toner carrier roller that is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner on the surface thereof; and a restriction member that abuts on the surface of the toner carrier roller to form a restriction nip, restricts a thickness of the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller in the restriction nip, and removes the toner layer on the convex sections from among the toner layer carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller at an upstream-side end of the restriction nip in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller, wherein a part of toner carried by the concave section moves to the convex sections to cover the convex sections with the toner at a downstream side to the restriction nip in the rotation direction
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110199411
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a transport unit that transports a recording medium; a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid onto the recording medium; a carriage that holds the liquid ejecting head; a charge amount detection unit that detects a charge amount on the recording medium; and a driving control unit. In the case where the charge amount detected by the charge amount detection unit has exceeded a predetermined value, the driving control unit performs at least one of the following: controls the transport unit so that the transport speed of the recording medium becomes relatively slower.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunori Koike, Yoichi Yamada, Narihiro Oki
  • Publication number: 20110193914
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes: a fluid ejecting head in which nozzles that eject fluid are provided; a wiper that wipes a nozzle formation face, in which nozzle orifices of the nozzles are formed, in the fluid ejecting head; and a pressurization mechanism which changes the curvature of a concave liquid surface formed in the nozzle, in the nozzle by performing pressurization on the fluid in the fluid ejecting head at the time of the wiping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Masaru Kobashi, Kiyoteru Katsuki
  • Publication number: 20110192913
    Abstract: A method for cleaning a fluid ejecting apparatus is provided. The fluid ejecting apparatus includes a fluid ejecting head that has a plurality of nozzle openings through which fluid is ejected, a fluid supply passage through which the fluid is supplied toward the fluid ejecting head, an open/close valve that is provided on the fluid supply passage, and a pressure reduction mechanism that generates negative pressure in a space outside the nozzle openings. The cleaning method includes a valve-closing operation of putting the open/close valve into a closed state and a pressure reduction operation of generating negative pressure in the space by using the pressure reduction mechanism after the valve-closing operation to cause the fluid to bulge outward at the nozzle openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Matsumoto, Masaru Kobashi, Yoichi Yamada
  • Publication number: 20110193918
    Abstract: A printer includes: a fluid ejecting head provided with multiple nozzles that eject ink; an ink supply tube that supplies the ink to the fluid ejecting head; and a pressure application mechanism that pressurizes the ink to swell from the nozzles by pressurizing the ink within the ink supply tube and then depressurizes the interior of the ink supply tube while the ink is swelling from the nozzles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Kobashi, Yoichi Yamada, Daisuke Matsumoto, Tomohiro Aruga, Kiyoteru Katsuki
  • Patent number: 7991329
    Abstract: A developer apparatus, includes: a container which houses toner; a toner carrier roller which is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections which are regularly arranged and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner supplied from the container on the surface thereof; and a restriction member which abuts on the toner layer on the surface of the toner carrier roller to restrict a thickness of the toner layer, and restricts the toner layer carried by the convex sections within the surface of the toner carrier roller to one layer or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 7983591
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: an image carrier that carries an electrostatic latent image; a toner carrier roller that is provided, on a surface thereof, with a plurality of convex sections and a concave section which surrounds the convex sections, is shaped approximately like a cylinder, is arranged opposed to the image carrier, and rotates while carrying a toner layer of charged toner on the surface thereof; a bias applier that applies a developing bias voltage to the toner carrier roller; a toner collector that collects the toner carried on the surface of the toner carrier roller at a place downstream to an opposed position facing the image carrier in a rotation direction of the toner carrier roller; a seal member that is interposed between the toner carrier roller and the toner collector, and abuts on the surface of the toner carrier roller to prevent leakage of toner from the toner collector; and a controller that is adapted to perform a toner removal operation which removes toner adherent to the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 7979012
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: a latent image carrier; a charging unit; a latent image forming unit; a developing unit; a transferring unit; and a control unit that performs an image forming process by controlling the latent image carrier, the charging unit, the latent image forming unit, the developing unit and the transferring unit, wherein, during execution of the image forming process, the latent image carrier circulates by passing through the charging position, the developing position and the transferring position in a state in which at least one of toner, which is charged with a polarity opposite to the regular charging polarity, and external additive agent, which is separated from the toner and charged with a polarity opposite to the regular charging polarity, is distributed and adhered to the surface of the latent image carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Atsunori Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 7967680
    Abstract: A first collision determination area and a second collision determination area moving concurrently with a motion of a player character are set, and a collision of the first or second collision determination area against an object is detected. Each time a collision of the first collision determination area against an object is detected, an influence to be exerted on the object which has collided against the first collision determination area is determined as being one of a plurality of preset influences at a predetermined probability. Each time a collision of the second collision determination area against an object is detected, an influence to be exerted on the object which has collided against the second collision determination area is determined as being a predetermined influence. The display state of each object is changed to a display state in accordance with the respectively determined influence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Hideya Akasaka, Masaaki Tatsumi
  • Patent number: 7965965
    Abstract: Provided is a development device including: a development roller in which continuous spiraling inclined grooves having different inclinations with respect to an axial direction are formed so as to cross each other; and a feed roller which is in contact with the development roller and feeds toner to the development roller, wherein transportation force, which is used for transporting the toner on the development roller from one side to the other side of the axial direction of the development roller, is generated by the rotation of the feed roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Maeda, Yoichi Yamada, Yoshiyuki Kurebayashi, Daisuke Matsumoto, Masaru Kobashi, Takatomo Fukumoto
  • Publication number: 20110122200
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejection unit that ejects a liquid onto an ejection target medium, a conductive brush provided adjacent to the liquid ejection unit and whose tip opposes the ejection target medium, and a same potential formation unit that sets the conductive brush and a predetermined portion of the liquid ejection unit to the same potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoteru KATSUKI, Yoichi YAMADA, Masaru KOBASHI, Daisuke MATSUMOTO, Yasunori KOIKE, Narihiro OKI
  • Publication number: 20110115865
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto a medium serving as an ejection target, a medium support unit that is disposed so as to face the liquid ejecting unit and supports the medium, a medium transportation unit that is first located at an upstream side of the liquid ejecting unit in a transportation direction of the medium and transports the medium to a downstream side, a medium contact section that makes contact with the medium between the medium transportation unit and the liquid ejecting unit in the transportation direction of the medium, and a same potential setting unit that sets the medium contact section and a predetermined section of the liquid ejecting unit to have the same potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoteru KATSUKI, Yoichi YAMADA, Masaru KOBASHI, Daisuke MATSUMOTO