Patents by Inventor Masaharu Urano

Masaharu Urano 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: 9743470
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit for an illuminating lamp includes: a rectifier part that is connected to a ballast to which commercial alternating-current electric power is supplied, and converts the alternating current to direct current; a smoothing capacitor that is provided on an output side of the rectifier part, and removes an alternating-current component included in direct current outputted from the output side; a drive circuit that has a switching element, and performs on-off control on electric current flowing to a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements connected in series to both ends of the smoothing capacitor; and an inductor that is provided in an electric power supply system between the ballast and the smoothing capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Tomiyama, Masaharu Urano, Kazuaki Iseda, Shigemi Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 9560700
    Abstract: An illumination lamp includes: an input portion connectable to any one of power supply portions for two or more starting methods including a rapid-start method; a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a voltage applied from a power supply portion; and a control portion including at least one first voltage supply portion configured to supply a voltage suitably for the rapid-start method to a semiconductor light-emitting device, and at least one second voltage supply portion configured to supply a voltage suitably for the other fluorescent-lamp starting method to the semiconductor light-emitting device. The control portion causes, if the voltage is detected by the voltage detection circuit, the first voltage supply portion to supply a voltage to the semiconductor light-emitting device, but causing, if the voltage is not detected by the voltage detection circuit, the second voltage supply portion to supply a voltage to the semiconductor light-emitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignees: RICOH COMPANY, LTD., O2 MICRO, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Masaharu Urano, Hiroshi Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20160234896
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit for an illuminating lamp includes: a rectifier part that is connected to a ballast to which commercial alternating-current electric power is supplied, and converts the alternating current to direct current; a smoothing capacitor that is provided on an output side of the rectifier part, and removes an alternating-current component included in direct current outputted from the output side; a drive circuit that has a switching element, and performs on-off control on electric current flowing to a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements connected in series to both ends of the smoothing capacitor; and an inductor that is provided in an electric power supply system between the ballast and the smoothing capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Inventors: Hisashi TOMIYAMA, Masaharu URANO, Kazuaki ISEDA, Shigemi HAGIWARA
  • Patent number: 9357599
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit for an illuminating lamp includes: a rectifier part that is connected to a ballast to which commercial alternating-current electric power is supplied, and converts the alternating current to direct current; a smoothing capacitor that is provided on an output side of the rectifier part, and removes an alternating-current component included in direct current outputted from the output side; a drive circuit that has a switching element, and performs on-off control on electric current flowing to a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements connected in series to both ends of the smoothing capacitor; and an inductor that is provided in an electric power supply system between the ballast and the smoothing capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hisashi Tomiyama, Masaharu Urano, Kazuaki Iseda, Shigemi Hagiwara
  • Publication number: 20160119991
    Abstract: An illumination lamp includes: an input portion connectable to any one of power supply portions for two or more starting methods including a rapid-start method; a voltage detection circuit configured to detect a voltage applied from a power supply portion; and a control portion including at least one first voltage supply portion configured to supply a voltage suitably for the rapid-start method to a semiconductor light-emitting device, and at least one second voltage supply portion configured to supply a voltage suitably for the other fluorescent-lamp starting method to the semiconductor light-emitting device. The control portion causes, if the voltage is detected by the voltage detection circuit, the first voltage supply portion to supply a voltage to the semiconductor light-emitting device, but causing, if the voltage is not detected by the voltage detection circuit, the second voltage supply portion to supply a voltage to the semiconductor light-emitting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicants: RICOH COMPANY, LTD., O2 MICRO, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Masaharu Urano, Hiroshi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9271350
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit includes a rectifier connected to an electric ballast to which a commercial AC power is supplied, and configured to convert an AC to a DC, a series light emitter a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements is connected in series, a smoothing capacitor provided in parallel with the series light emitter in a current supply line between the rectifier and the series light emitter, and configured to eliminate an AC component included in the DC from an output side of the rectifier, and a switching control circuit configured to generate an output voltage equal to an output voltage from the electric ballast when a fluorescent lamp starts up upon the connection of the fluorescent lamp to the electric ballast as a startup voltage in the startup of the series light emitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaharu Urano, Hidefumi Nakashima, Shigemi Hagiwara
  • Publication number: 20140152184
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit for an illuminating lamp includes: a rectifier part that is connected to a ballast to which commercial alternating-current electric power is supplied, and converts the alternating current to direct current; a smoothing capacitor that is provided on an output side of the rectifier part, and removes an alternating-current component included in direct current outputted from the output side; a drive circuit that has a switching element, and performs on-off control on electric current flowing to a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements connected in series to both ends of the smoothing capacitor; and an inductor that is provided in an electric power supply system between the ballast and the smoothing capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Hisashi Tomiyama, Masaharu Urano, Kazuaki Iseda, Shigemi Hagiwara
  • Publication number: 20140062320
    Abstract: A lighting control circuit includes a rectifier connected to an electric ballast to which a commercial AC power is supplied, and configured to convert an AC to a DC, a series light emitter a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements is connected in series, a smoothing capacitor provided in parallel with the series light emitter in a current supply line between the rectifier and the series light emitter, and configured to eliminate an AC component included in the DC from an output side of the rectifier, and a switching control circuit configured to generate an output voltage equal to an output voltage from the electric ballast when a fluorescent lamp starts up upon the connection of the fluorescent lamp to the electric ballast as a startup voltage in the startup of the series light emitter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Urano, Hidefumi Nakashima, Shigemi Hagiwara