Patents by Inventor Nobuyuki Imai

Nobuyuki Imai 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: 20090212983
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes an amplifier circuit that includes first to Nth amplifiers, an A/D converter, first to Nth offset adjustment registers that are provided corresponding to the first to Nth amplifiers and store first to Nth offset adjustment data, first to Nth D/A converters provided corresponding to the first to Nth amplifiers, first to Nth offset value storage sections that store first to Nth offset value data, and a control circuit that calculates the first to Nth offset adjustment data based on the first to Nth offset value data, and sets the first to Nth offset adjustment data in the first to Nth offset adjustment registers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro FUKUZAWA, Nobuyuki IMAI, Satoru ITO
  • Publication number: 20090160693
    Abstract: An A/D conversion circuit includes a continuous-time filter that performs a filtering process on an input signal, an SCF that is provided in a subsequent stage of the continuous-time filter and performs a filtering process utilizing the continuous-time filter as a prefilter, a cut-off frequency of the SCF being variably set corresponding to a frequency band of the input signal, an A/D converter that is provided in a subsequent stage of the SCF and performs an A/D conversion operation utilizing the continuous-time filter and the SCF as prefilters, and a digital filter that is provided in a subsequent stage of the A/D converter and performs a digital filtering process utilizing the continuous-time filter and the SCF as prefilters, a cut-off frequency of the digital filter being variably set corresponding to the frequency band of the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro FUKUZAWA, Nobuyuki IMAI, Satoru ITO
  • Publication number: 20090160692
    Abstract: An A/D conversion circuit includes an amplifier circuit that includes a plurality of amplifiers that are cascaded, a selector that selects one of output signals output from the plurality of amplifiers and outputs the selected output signal as a selector output signal, an A/D converter that A/D-converts the selector output signal output from the selector, a determination circuit that determines whether or not a voltage of the output signal output from each of the plurality of amplifiers is within a determination voltage range specified by a high-potential-side determination voltage and a low-potential-side determination voltage, and a control circuit that instructs the selector to select one of the output signals output from the plurality of amplifiers based on the determination result of the determination circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Fukuzawa, Nobuyuki Imai, Satoru Ito
  • Patent number: 7466057
    Abstract: 2m sets (m being a natural number of 2 or more; and m=2 in embodiments) of teeth (31b to 34b) and 2m?1 slots (41, 42, 43) are disposed alternately in an axial direction; those of windings (36, 37, 38) accommodated in the slots (41, 42, 43), which are each accommodated in the slots (41, 42, 43) spaced apart by m from each other, are connected in line, so that exciting directions are opposite; and phases of magnetic fluxes passed through the teeth (31b to 34b) are displaced by 360°/2m from one another. Therefore, a thin and high-powered claw pole motor can be produced by disusing a portion of the winding which does not contribute to a torque (i.e., a crossover portion) and commonly using a magnetic path in each phase through return passes (31a to 34a). Moreover, a magnetic circuit of a wave winding motor is formed and hence, the output torque can be increased, as compared with a salient pole concentrated winding motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Shin Aoki, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Masahiro Seki, Tadanobu Takahashi, Shigeru Tajima
  • Publication number: 20080265831
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus provided with an inverter for successively commutating the current to a motor using a PWM signal; a PWM signal generating device for generating the PWM signal using a carrier signal; a rotational state quantity sensor for detecting a rotational state quantity; a phase difference detecting device for detecting the phase difference between the carrier signal and the rotational period based on the rotational state quantity; a frequency setting device for setting a frequency of the carrier signal to a value in accordance with a multiplier for one period in terms of electrical angle of the rotational period of the motor, when the rotational frequency is equal to or greater than a specified frequency and the phase difference is equal to or less than a specified value; and a synchronizing device for synchronizing a control period of the carrier signal to the rotational period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Nobuyuki IMAI, Yoshinari Murayama, Junji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7440702
    Abstract: A multiplexer of a transmission section generates a clock signal by multiplying a reference clock signal of a digital image signal by a predetermined number ‘K’. A parallel digital image signal is converted into a serial digital signal on the basis of the clock signal, and the serial digital signal is converted into an optical signal in an optical transmission section for transmitting. A demultiplexer extracts a reception clock signal from a serial digital reception signal which is converted into an electric signal in an optical reception section of a reception section, the serial digital reception signal is converted into a parallel signal and a signal corresponding to the parallel digital image signal on the basis of the reception clock signal, and a clock signal corresponding to the reference clock signal is recovered by multiplying the reception clock signal by ‘1/K’.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Imai
  • Patent number: 7400101
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus accurately detect a rotor angle of a DC brushless motor by using a first-order difference of a detected value of a phase current. A periodic signal causing the total sum of output voltages in three control cycles to become zero is superposed over a drive voltage under current feedback control. The drive voltage is held at a constant level during the three control cycles. The phase difference between an actual value and an estimated value of a rotor angle is calculated, using the first-order differential current in each control cycle, and the estimated value of the rotor angle is calculated by follow-up computation of an observer, using the phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Yutaka Takahashi, Tomohiro Shiraishi, Hajime Kondoh
  • Patent number: 7345395
    Abstract: In a motor stator, teeth radially project from an annular stator core, and a plurality of slots formed between adjacent teeth are skewed. Phase windings alternately pass through slots having different skew directions, wherein the length of bridging portions, which do not contribute to generation of torque, is short and the length of the portions which are located in the slots, and which contribute to the generation of torque, is long. Further, the phase windings are bent at an obtuse angle at opposite ends of the bridging portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Tadanobu Takahashi, Shigeru Tajima, Masahiro Seki, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Shin Aoki
  • Publication number: 20070293325
    Abstract: A coupling apparatus is provided with a first coupling member, a second coupling member and a damper member. The damper member is arranged between the first coupling member and the second coupling member. At least one of the first coupling member and the second coupling member has a tubular circumferential wall surrounding the outer circumference of the damper member. Accordingly, it is easy to control the diameter of an accommodating hole accommodating the coupling apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Matsumoto, Hideyuki Yagi, Kazunobu Kanno, Nobuyuki Imai
  • Patent number: 7258009
    Abstract: A vibration gyro sensor is provided which is capable of generating time information and detecting an angular velocity. A driving signal for driving a tuning fork piezoelectric vibrating reed is generated based on an excitation signal generated by an oscillation circuit. An angular velocity signal is obtained based on a detection signal generated by a detection electrode of the tuning fork piezoelectric vibration reed. The excitation signal generated by the oscillation circuit is input to a divider such that a timer clock signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Imai
  • Publication number: 20070138900
    Abstract: 2m sets (m being a natural number of 2 or more; and m=2 in embodiments) of teeth (31b to 34b) and 2m?1 slots (41, 42, 43) are disposed alternately in an axial direction; those of windings (36, 37, 38) accommodated in the slots (41, 42, 43), which are each accommodated in the slots (41, 42, 43) spaced apart by m from each other, are connected in line, so that exciting directions are opposite; and phases of magnetic fluxes passed through the teeth (31b to 34b) are displaced by 360°/2m from one another. Therefore, a thin and high-powered claw pole motor can be produced by disusing a portion of the winding which does not contribute to a torque (i.e., a crossover portion) and commonly using a magnetic path in each phase through return passes (31a to 34a). Moreover, a magnetic circuit of a wave winding motor is formed and hence, the output torque can be increased, as compared with a salient pole concentrated winding motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Shin Aoki, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Masahiro Seki, Tadanobu Takahashi, Shigeru Tajima
  • Publication number: 20070114871
    Abstract: In this stator, first and second U-phase loop windings and first and second W-phase loop windings are short-pitch wave windings, and the width in the circumferential direction of the slot between the U and V-phases in which the loop windings are disposed and the slot between the V and W-phases in which the loop windings are disposed is set to a value that is ½ the width in the circumferential direction of the slot between the W and U-phases in which the loop windings are disposed. The ratio of the first winding turns number of the loop windings and the second winding turns number of the loop windings is set so that when having added the induced voltages by the loop windings or having added the induced voltages by the loop windings in the slots, the phase difference of the induced voltages obtained by addition is 120 electrical degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Tadanobu Takahashi, Shigeru Tajima, Junji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20070090720
    Abstract: A claw-pole motor includes a rotor having permanent magnets; and a stator having stator rings assigned to three phases, which are coaxially stacked along the same axis. Winding attachment portions are formed between adjacent stator rings, and an annular winding is installed in each winding attachment portion for generating a magnetic field for rotating the rotor. Each stator ring has a main body and claw-shaped induction poles which protrude from the main body in radial directions. The claw-shaped induction poles of the three phases are serially arranged along a circumference of the stator rings and also face the permanent magnets. An interval between adjacent claw-shaped induction poles along the circumference of predetermined two of the stator rings of the three phases is smaller than an interval between adjacent claw-shaped induction poles along the circumference of any other pair of the stator rings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Inventors: Shin Aoki, Nobuyuki Imai, Tadanobu Takahashi, Daijiro Takizawa
  • Patent number: 7135802
    Abstract: A claw pole motor stator includes teeth for N phases (N being a natural number of 3 or more), for example, U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase teeth juxtaposed in an axial direction, return paths for interconnecting the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase teeth, and (N?1) annular slots formed between the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase teeth. A U-phase coil and one V-phase coil are housed in one annular slot, and another V-phase coil and a W-phase coil are housed in the other annular slot. In this way, only N sets of teeth and N?1 annular slots are provided for N phases, and thus it is possible to minimize the thickness in the axial direction of the stator compared with a conventional stator which requires 2N sets of teeth and N annular slots for N phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Seki, Nobuyuki Imai, Shin Aoki, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Tadanobu Takahashi, Shigeru Tajima
  • Patent number: 7108087
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power transmitting apparatus that uses a small configuration to efficiently carry out various forms of propulsions such as a speed change propulsion and even an EV propulsion (electric propulsion) including a series type EV propulsion. The power transmitting apparatus includes a clutch 8 that connects and disconnects rotation transmissions between an output shaft 1a of an engine 1 and an input shaft 4r of one 4 of two power distributors 4 and 5 to which a rotational drive force is transmitted by the engine 1, a clutch 9 that connects and disconnects rotation transmissions between one of two output shafts 5c, 5c of the power distributor 5 and a power output shaft 12, and rotation regulating means 10 and 11 that properly inhibit rotation of the input shaft 4r of the power distributor 4 and rotation of the output shaft 5c of the power distributor 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Imai
  • Publication number: 20060197397
    Abstract: A stator includes mutually independent annular coils and of two phases and teeth and of three phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventors: Tadanobu Takahashi, Nobuyuki Imai, Shin Aoki, Daijiro Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20060132615
    Abstract: An image pickup device includes an electronic image pickup portion for picking up an image of a subject and generating image data, an angular velocity detecting portion for detecting an angular velocity of the electronic image pickup portion, an rotational angle detecting portion for detecting a rotational angle of the image pickup device on the basis of the angular velocity detected by the angular velocity detecting portion, a hand-waggling level judging portion for judging the level of hand-waggling on the basis of the rotational angle detected by the rotational angle detecting portion, and a hand-waggling level display portion for displaying a judgment result of the hand-waggling level judging portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Hiroyuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7064504
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a brushless DC motor that rotatably drives the brushless DC motor including a rotor having a permanent magnet, and a stator having stator windings of a plurality of phases that generate a rotating magnetic field for rotating the rotor, by a current passage switching device constituted by a plurality of switching elements and performing successive commutation of current to the stator windings. The control apparatus includes: an angular error calculation device for calculating a sine value and a cosine value of an angular difference between an estimated rotation angle with respect to the rotation angle of the rotor and an actual rotation angle, based on a line voltage that is a difference between phase voltages of the plurality of phases on an input side of the stator winding and phase currents of the plurality of phases; and an observer for calculating the rotation angle of the rotor based on the sine value and the cosine value of the angular difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Yutaka Takahashi, Masato Miyauchi
  • Patent number: 7034481
    Abstract: To provide a power transmission device that can increase the range of speed variation between an engine and a power output shaft and effectively achieve reduction in size and cost of the device arrangement. The speed reduction ratios from an engine 1 to first output shaft 4c, 5c of first and second power distributors 4, 5 are different from each other. A speed change unit 10 is provided between the first output shaft 4c of the first power distributor 4 and a power output shaft 11 linked with driving wheels 2, 2 of the vehicle, and rotation transmission therebetween is achieved at a plurality of stages of speed reduction ratio. The rotation transmission from the first output shaft 5c of the second power distributor 5 to the power output shaft 11 is achieved via gears 20, 15b or rotation transmission mechanisms 15, 14 of a speed change unit 10 at a plurality of stages of speed reduction ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Imai
  • Publication number: 20060082335
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus accurately detect a rotor angle of a DC brushless motor by using a first-order difference of a detected value of a phase current. A periodic signal causing the total sum of output voltages in three control cycles to become zero is superposed over a drive voltage under current feedback control. The drive voltage is held at a constant level during the three control cycles. The phase difference between an actual value and an estimated value of a rotor angle is calculated, using the first-order differential current in each control cycle, and the estimated value of the rotor angle is calculated by follow-up computation of an observer, using the phase difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Imai, Yutaka Takahashi, Tomohiro Shiraishi, Hajime Kondoh