Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Kitada

Hiroaki Kitada 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: 10120485
    Abstract: An electronic device that provides a number of function modes and operates by selecting one of the function modes. The device includes an audio output unit and a wireless communication unit that execute functions for the function modes. Moreover, a deformation detecting unit that detects deformation of an exterior housing by an external force and a storage unit that stores a correspondence between a deformation pattern and a response operation registered per function mode. The device also includes an operation determining unit that detects the deformation pattern based on the deformation and a control executing unit that reads a response operation of a current function mode associated with the deformation pattern and controls operation states of the audio output unit and the wireless communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada, Takafumi Inoue
  • Patent number: 10120507
    Abstract: When determining that a level of a deformation detection signal is greater than a threshold, a controller assumes that a touch operation is performed at an initially-detected position and virtually at another position different from the position, and outputs a position detection signal to a processor indicating that the two touch positions and separate from each other based on the touch position. Thus, the controller converts the deformation detection signal into the position detection signal corresponding to a pinch-out operation, and outputs the position detection signal to the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masamichi Ando, Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada
  • Patent number: 10120486
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device detects a touch position on a display screen, and detects that the display screen has been pressed and sets a boundary line based on the touch position. The mobile terminal device divides the display screen into first and second screens separated by the boundary line and displays images corresponding to different functions of the mobile terminal device on the first and second screens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada, Takafumi Inoue, Masato Saito, Kenichi Mori
  • Patent number: 10120477
    Abstract: A touch input device includes a touch panel, a push amount calculating unit and a touch detection signal generating unit. The touch panel includes piezoelectric and electrostatic sensors. The piezoelectric sensor outputs to the push amount calculating unit a push signal corresponding to a displacement amount obtained by pushing an operation surface. The electrostatic sensor outputs touch signals, corresponding to a touch and a non-touch, to a touch detection signal generating unit. The touch detection signal generating unit outputs to the push amount calculating unit the touch detection signals binarized according to the touch and non-touch state. The push amount calculating unit integrates differences between push signals and a reference potential during a touch state, generates a push amount detection signal and outputs the push amount detection signal. This unit resets a reference potential during a period in which a touch detection signal indicating a non-touch state is inputted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitada, Toru Ishii
  • Patent number: 10101866
    Abstract: A touch sensor that includes a pressure detection sensor and a position detection sensor. The pressure detection sensor includes a piezoelectric film, a first piezoelectricity detecting electrode adjacent a first principal surface of the piezoelectric film, and a second piezoelectricity detecting electrode adjacent a second principal surface of the piezoelectric film. The position detection sensor includes a dielectric substrate, a plurality of first position detecting electrodes adjacent a first principal surface of the dielectric substrate, and a plurality of second position detecting electrodes adjacent a second principal surface of the dielectric substrate. In the pressure detection sensor, the second piezoelectricity detecting electrode includes an electrode non-forming section in a region where the first position detecting electrode and the second position detecting electrode overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Jun Endo, Takafumi Inoue, Hiroaki Kitada
  • Publication number: 20180239452
    Abstract: An operation detection device includes an operation target that accepts contact operation, an operation detection unit that detects contact operation on the operation target as a voltage, a detection unit that detects a frequency of a change in the voltage; and a determination unit that determines a mode of operation of a living body performed on the operation target based on the frequency detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: MASAMICHI ANDO, Hiroaki Kitada
  • Patent number: 10013093
    Abstract: A touch input device that includes an operation input unit, a control unit, a memory unit and a display unit. The operation input unit includes a pressing sensor and a touch sensor. When obtaining a detected operation position (x, y) based on an operation detection signal from the touch sensor, the control unit compares a signal level DSp of a press detection signal from the pressing sensor and a first threshold THSp. When determining that the signal level DSp is larger than the first threshold THSp, the control unit reads the detected operation position (x, y) obtained immediately before the determination, and fixes the detected operation position (x, y). The control unit determines operation input contents by using the fixed detected operation position (x, y) and a pressing amount based on the signal level DSp obtained at each sampling timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada
  • Patent number: 10007386
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device receives an input of a pressing operation when an operation surface is pressed. A pressing amount detecting unit detects whether or not the operation surface has been pressed. A grip determining unit determines whether or not the housing has been gripped by a user. A threshold adjusting unit adjusts a press detection sensitivity of the pressing amount detecting unit when the housing is gripped by the user and when the housing is not gripped by the user. By this means, it is possible to provide an input device which adequately detects a pressing operation, and a program which is executed by this input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada, Takafumi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9910535
    Abstract: A touch input device includes a touch panel, a press detection signal generating unit and a touch detection signal generating unit. The touch panel is formed by laminating a piezoelectric sensor and a capacitive sensor. The piezoelectric sensor is connected to the press detection signal generating unit, and the capacitive sensor is connected to the touch detection signal generating unit. The piezoelectric sensor includes a piezoelectric film, and first and second press detecting conductors disposed with the piezoelectric film sandwiched therebetween. The piezoelectric film is disposed such that a polarity of electric charges produced by a press in the piezoelectric film, and a polarity of excited electric charges produced in the piezoelectric film when the capacitive sensor detects a touch become reverse polarities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitada, Masamichi Ando
  • Patent number: 9891772
    Abstract: A touch input device that includes a touch sensor and a control unit. The touch sensor includes a base material, a piezoelectric film, a plurality of first detecting conductors and a plurality of second detecting conductors. The base material is a flat plate. The piezoelectric film is made of uniaxially stretched PLLA, and is arranged on one principal surface of the base material. The first detecting conductors are arranged on a surface of the piezoelectric film opposite to the base material. The plurality of second detecting conductors are arranged on a surface opposite to the surface of the base material which abuts on the piezoelectric film. The control unit detects an operation position and a press by using detection signals outputted from the first detecting conductors and the second detecting conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitada, Takafumi Inoue, Hidekazu Kano
  • Publication number: 20180011628
    Abstract: A display device includes a housing, an operation surface, a position sensor, a press sensor, and a display unit. The position sensor detects a touched position on the operation surface. The press sensor detects a press on the operation surface. The display unit displays an image. When the press sensor detects a pressing amount not smaller than a first threshold, a control unit sets, as a rotation axis of a three-dimensional image, a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the touched position detected in the position sensor. The control unit then rotates the three-dimensional image in accordance with the sliding direction of the touched position detected in the position sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Hiroaki Kitada, Nobuhito Tsubaki
  • Publication number: 20170371454
    Abstract: A mobile terminal includes an operation surface, a capacitance sensor having a capacitance that changes in response to a touch operation on the operation surface and a touch-operation detection IC that detects the touch operation based on the change in capacitance in the capacitance sensor. When the operation surface is deformed, the touch-operation detection IC obtains a capacitance of the capacitance sensor which has changed due to the deformation of the operation surface, and grasps the change in capacitance of the capacitance sensor, made due to the touch operation, with the obtained capacitance taken as a new reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: HIROAKI KITADA
  • Publication number: 20170269717
    Abstract: A pointer includes: a pointer tip having a tip configured to point a position; a transmitter configured to emit a signal from the pointer tip; and a main body connected to the pointer tip. The main body includes: an exterior housing forming an exterior; a detector configured to detect displacement of the exterior housing and output a detection signal; and a controller configured to change an operation state of the pointer in accordance with the detection signal. The detector includes: a detection device provided on an inner surface of the exterior housing and configured to detect the displacement; and a signal outputter configured to output the detection signal in the case where the detection device detects the displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicants: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION, MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daigo YAMANO, Shingo WAKIMOTO, Takashi KIHARA, Masamichi ANDO, Hiroaki KITADA, Jun ENDO, Yoshihiro YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9746953
    Abstract: A touch input device has a touch sensor, an operation moving amount detection unit, a pressing force detection unit, and a control unit. The touch sensor has an electrostatic sensor, and a piezoelectric sensor, and outputs an operation position detection signal and a pressing sensing signal. The operation moving amount detection unit detects an operation moving amount from the operation position detection signal. The pressing force detection unit detects a pressing force from the pressing sensing signal. The control unit previously sets threshold value Th of the pressing force, and starts the drag operation when the pressing force is threshold value Th or more. Threshold value Th whose initial value is a maximum value is decreased with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kitada
  • Publication number: 20170242510
    Abstract: A touch sensor that includes a pressure detection sensor and a position detection sensor. The pressure detection sensor includes a piezoelectric film, a first piezoelectricity detecting electrode adjacent a first principal surface of the piezoelectric film, and a second piezoelectricity detecting electrode adjacent a second principal surface of the piezoelectric film. The position detection sensor includes a dielectric substrate, a plurality of first position detecting electrodes adjacent a first principal surface of the dielectric substrate, and a plurality of second position detecting electrodes adjacent a second principal surface of the dielectric substrate. In the pressure detection sensor, the second piezoelectricity detecting electrode includes an electrode non-forming section in a region where the first position detecting electrode and the second position detecting electrode overlap each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Jun Endo, Takafumi Inoue, Hiroaki Kitada
  • Patent number: 9690414
    Abstract: A touch sensor that includes a pressure detection sensor and a position detection sensor. The pressure detection sensor includes a piezoelectric film, a first piezoelectricity detecting electrode adjacent a first principal surface of the piezoelectric film, and a second piezoelectricity detecting electrode adjacent a second principal surface of the piezoelectric film. The position detection sensor includes a dielectric substrate, a plurality of first position detecting electrodes adjacent a first principal surface of the dielectric substrate, and a plurality of second position detecting electrodes adjacent a second principal surface of the dielectric substrate. In the pressure detection sensor, the second piezoelectricity detecting electrode includes an electrode non-forming section in a region where the first position detecting electrode and the second position detecting electrode overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kano, Jun Endo, Takafumi Inoue, Hiroaki Kitada
  • Publication number: 20170177156
    Abstract: A touch input device includes a position detecting sensor which detects a touch position on an operation surface. A press detecting sensor detects a press on the operation surface. A position detecting sensor alternatively and repeatedly applies and stops applying a drive signal to the position detecting sensor. The position detecting sensor detects a position detection signal output from the position detecting sensor and discharges a charge of the position detecting sensor during the period in which the drive signal is not applied to the position detecting sensor. A press signal detector detects a press detection signal outputted from the press detecting sensor during a period during which the drive signal is not applied to the position detecting sensor. Consequently, it is possible to detect a pressing amount without being influenced by touch position detection processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventor: HIROAKI KITADA
  • Publication number: 20170176268
    Abstract: A device for detecting a holding state of an object. The device includes a housing for the object that has a shape that can be held by an operator and a piezoelectric sensor attached to the housing. Moreover, a detecting unit can detects a holding state of the housing by using a fluctuation amount of an output voltage of the piezoelectric sensor. The housing has a shape having a hollow space and the piezoelectric sensor has a flat film shape and is disposed in contact with an inner wall surface of the housing. The piezoelectric film produces charges when stretched and contracted in response to a displacement of the housing that are outputted as a voltage to the detecting unit. When detecting that the output voltage significantly fluctuates, the detecting unit identifies that the object is being held.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: TAKASHI KIHARA, Masamichi Ando, Hiroaki Kitada, Jun Endo, Yoshihiro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9658677
    Abstract: A touch input device includes a touch sensor and a wake-up control unit. The touch sensor includes a piezoelectric sensor and a detection signal generating unit. The touch sensor outputs sensing signals corresponding to displacement amount of a push and relaxation of the push of an operation surface, and a displacement direction. The detection signal generating unit outputs a displacement detection signal from the sensing signal. The wake-up control unit detects a push from a change in a voltage of the displacement detection signal. The wake-up control unit starts clocking upon detection of the push, and generates and outputs a wake-up signal when detecting relaxation of the push based on the change in the voltage of the displacement detection signal within a detection time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kitada
  • Patent number: 9582654
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a housing, a sensor and a deformation detecting IC which detect deformation of the housing, a memory which stores a pattern database in which patterns of the deformation of the housing are registered in advance, and an authentication unit which performs authentication based on whether or not the deformation of the housing detected by the sensor and the deformation detecting IC corresponds to a pattern registered in the pattern database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitada, Hidekazu Kano, Takafumi Inoue