Patents by Inventor Nozomu HIROKUBO

Nozomu HIROKUBO 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: 20190285871
    Abstract: A spectroscopic measurement apparatus includes a fixed substrate, a movable substrate, and a wavelength variable interference filter which includes an electrostatic actuator for changing the gap dimension between the substrates, a vibration disturbance detection unit which detects vibration added to the wavelength variable interference filter, and a bias driving unit which applies a feed-forward voltage based on a detected value of the vibration disturbance detection unit to the electrostatic actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventor: Nozomu HIROKUBO
  • Publication number: 20190265103
    Abstract: A spectroscopic apparatus includes: a spectroscopic module; a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the spectroscopic module; and a module controller that controls the spectroscopic module, in which the spectroscopic module includes an interference filter that has a gap changing unit which changes a dimension of a gap between a pair of reflection films, and a capacity detection circuit that outputs a detection signal in accordance with an electrostatic capacity between the pair of reflection films, and in which the module controller corrects a target value of the detection signal that is output from the capacity detection circuit, based on a temperature characteristic of the spectroscopic module and a detection temperature that is detected by the temperature detector, and controls the voltage that is to be applied to the gap changing unit, that the detection signal that is output from the capacity detection circuit is the corrected target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventor: Nozomu HIROKUBO
  • Patent number: 10330917
    Abstract: An optical filter device includes a wavelength variable interference filter that includes a pair of reflective films which face each other, and a fixed substrate in which one of the pair of reflective films is provided; a base to which the fixed substrate is fixed; and a fixing member which fixes one place on the fixed substrate to the base, a surface which is on other place of the one place of the substrate and the base are disposed with a gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Saito, Satoshi Fujisawa, Yasushi Matsuno, Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Publication number: 20190146206
    Abstract: An optical filter device includes a wavelength variable interference filter that includes a pair of reflective films which face each other, and a fixed substrate in which one of the pair of reflective films is provided; a base to which the fixed substrate is fixed; and a fixing member which fixes one place on the fixed substrate to the base, a surface which is on other place of the oneplace of the substrate and the base are disposed with a gap therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Daisuke SAITO, Satoshi FUJISAWA, Yasushi MATSUNO, Nozomu HIROKUBO
  • Publication number: 20180321643
    Abstract: An actuator apparatus includes a pair of substrates facing each other; a plurality of bias actuators that each vary a gap dimension of a gap between the pair of substrates; a gap detection portion that detects the gap dimension; and a voltage control unit that controls driving of each of the bias actuators on the basis of the detected gap dimension. The bias actuators are located asymmetric relative to a driving central axis and are mutually independently driven; and the voltage control unit derives driving parameters for use in driving the bias actuators, on the basis of voltages and gap dimensions obtained by sequentially switching and driving the bias actuators on by one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventor: Nozomu HIROKUBO
  • Patent number: 10113909
    Abstract: A variable wavelength interference filter is fixed to the base, and the fixing material fixes at least one of the substrates to the base via at least one location of one surface side along a substrate thickness direction. A first order resonance frequency of the variable wavelength interference filter in which a fixing position of the fixing material is used as a fixed end is less than or equal to half a value of a first order resonance frequency of the movable section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Hirokubo, Yasushi Matsuno
  • Publication number: 20180255208
    Abstract: A color measurement apparatus includes a color measurement portion, a carriage, and a movement mechanism the color measurement portion starts color measurement after a predetermined initialization process, a moving section between patches from a point P1 to a point P3 overlaps an initialization section where the spot moves at the time of performing the initialization process, and the moving section between the patches is a section between a forward point having a distance as a radius of the spot with respect to the X direction and a backward point having a distance as a radius of the spot with respect to the X direction, based on a boundary of the patches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventor: Nozomu HIROKUBO
  • Publication number: 20180157026
    Abstract: An optical filter device includes a wavelength variable interference filter that has a fixed substrate provided with a fixed reflective film and a movable substrate provided with a movable reflective film, a casing that has an inner space for storing the wavelength variable interference filter therein, and a fixation portion that fixes the wavelength variable interference filter to the casing. In addition, the fixation portion is provided between a side surface of the fixed substrate and an inner surface of the casing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventor: Nozomu HIROKUBO
  • Patent number: 9992383
    Abstract: A color measurement apparatus includes a color measurement portion, a carriage, and a movement mechanism the color measurement portion starts color measurement after a predetermined initialization process, a moving section between patches from a point P1 to a point P3 overlaps an initialization section where the spot moves at the time of performing the initialization process, and the moving section between the patches is a section between a forward point having a distance as a radius of the spot with respect to the X direction and a backward point having a distance as a radius of the spot with respect to the X direction, based on a boundary of the patches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Publication number: 20180088316
    Abstract: An optical module includes a wavelength variable interference filter having a fixed reflective film, a movable reflective film which faces the fixed reflective film with a gap between reflective films interposed therebetween, and an electrostatic actuator that changes the gap between reflective films, and a gap control unit that controls the electrostatic actuator. The gap control unit controls the electrostatic actuator on the basis of an order which is set in accordance with a wavelength to be measured, and changes the gap between the reflective films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Tomonori Matsushita, Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9910262
    Abstract: A spectroscopic measurement apparatus includes an electrostatic actuator that is driven by applying a drive voltage, a gap detector that detects a dimension of a gap, a closed loop system that controls the drive voltage applied to the electrostatic actuator depending on a detection signal from the gap detector, and a gain setting unit that sets a gain in the closed loop system depending on drive characteristics of electrostatic actuator based on the detection signal of the gap detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9891424
    Abstract: An actuator drive system includes electrostatic actuators and a voltage controller that applies drive voltages to the electrostatic actuators, and the voltage controller includes a digital control device that splits an 8-bit drive variable corresponding to an overall displacement amount provided by the electrostatic actuators into 4-bit individual drive variables, a first DAC that produces a first drive voltage signal based on a first individual drive variable, and a second DAC that produces a second drive voltage signal based on a second individual drive variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Nozomu Hirokubo, Akira Sano
  • Patent number: 9880055
    Abstract: A spectroscopic camera is provided with a pair of reflecting films, and a wavelength variable interference filter including an electrostatic actuator which can change a size of the gap between the pair of reflecting films, an imaging unit which includes a plurality of pixels which is disposed in a two-dimensional array structure, and receives the light transmitted to the wavelength variable interference filter, and a received-light wavelength acquiring unit which acquires a central wavelength of the light which is incident on the pixel with respect to each of the pixels in the imaging unit, in which the received-light wavelength acquiring unit acquires the central wavelength based on an incidence angle in a position where the light which is received in each of the pixels is incident to the pair of reflecting films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Sano, Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9797774
    Abstract: A spectrometry system includes an imaging apparatus that includes an imaging element which captures an image, and a spectroscopic module that includes a wavelength variable interference filter and an attachment unit which holds the wavelength variable interference filter, is provided to be attachable to and detachable from the imaging apparatus, and can dispose the wavelength variable interference filter on an optical path of incident light to the imaging element during attachment to the imaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Sano, Takashi Nagate, Kazunori Sakurai, Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9739999
    Abstract: An etalon is provided with a fixed substrate and a movable substrate opposed to the fixed substrate. The fixed substrate is provided with a first bonding surface to be bonded to the movable substrate via a bonding film and a first electrode surface on which a part of the first electrode is formed. The movable substrate is provided with a second bonding surface to be bonded to the first bonding surface via the bonding film and a second electrode surface on which a part of the second electrode is formed. In the state in which the fixed substrate and the movable substrate are bonded to each other with the bonding film, the first electrode formed on the first electrode surface and the second electrode formed on the second electrode surface have contact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Sano, Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9658446
    Abstract: An interference filter includes a first substrate on which a fixed reflection film is provided, a second substrate which faces the first substrate and on which a movable reflection film is provided, a first bonding film that bonds the first substrate and the second substrate to each other, and a sealer that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate in a first interspace that allows a first internal space sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate to communicate with a space outside the interference filter, the sealer sealing the first internal space, and an inter-substrate distance between the first substrate and the second substrate in the first interspace decreases in a direction from outer circumferential edges of the substrates toward an inner portion of the first interspace in a plan view viewed in a substrate thickness direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9641727
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a color measurement portion which applies a spot of light to a color chart in which a plurality of patches are arranged in the X direction and in the Y direction, and measures a color of each of the plurality of patches using reflected light from the spot, a carriage that includes the color measurement portion mounted thereon, and a moving mechanism which relatively moves the carriage with respect to the color chart in the X direction, and a width of each of the plurality of patches in the X direction is obtained using a predetermined expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9482857
    Abstract: A tunable interference filter includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; a first drive electrode provided on the first substrate; a second drive electrode provided on the second substrate; a first detection electrode provided on the first substrate; a second detection electrode provided on the second substrate, wherein the first drive electrode includes a first partial drive electrode and a second partial drive electrode, a first lead drive electrode extending from the first partial drive electrode and a second lead drive electrode extending from the second partial drive electrode are provided on the first substrate, the first detection electrode includes a first partial detection electrode and a second partial detection electrode provided along a virtual circle, a first lead detection electrode extending from the first partial detection electrode and a second lead detection electrode extending from the second partial detection electrode are provided on the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Patent number: 9389350
    Abstract: A optical module includes, a wavelength variable interference filter which include reflection films opposite to each other and an electrostatic actuator portion including a first electrostatic actuator and a second electrostatic actuator and changing a gap between the reflection films, and a voltage control portion which controls voltage which is applied to the electrostatic actuator portion, the voltage control portion includes, a bias driving portion which applies bias voltage to the first electrostatic actuator, a gap detector, and a feedback control portion which applies feedback voltage corresponding to a detected gap amount to the second electrostatic actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Nozomu Hirokubo
  • Publication number: 20160187197
    Abstract: A variable wavelength interference filter is fixed to the base, and the fixing material fixes at least one of the substrates to the base via at least one location of one surface side along a substrate thickness direction. A first order resonance frequency of the variable wavelength interference filter in which a fixing position of the fixing material is used as a fixed end is less than or equal to half a value of a first order resonance frequency of the movable section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Nozomu Hirokubo, Yasushi Matsuno