Patents by Inventor Tadashi Kotani

Tadashi Kotani 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: 20210204795
    Abstract: A control device includes: a light source configured to generate light by drive current applied; a light source controller configured to apply the drive current to the light source; a signal generator configured to generate a signal according to light received; an optical path switch configured to switch an optical path of light generated by the light source; a determination circuit configured to determine whether a signal generated by the signal generator is a periodic signal that periodically changes in signal intensity; and a function controller configured to perform control in which performance of a predetermined function is prohibited when the determination circuit determines that the signal is not the periodic signal and in which the performance of the predetermined function is permitted when the determination circuit determines that the signal is the periodic signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi KOTANI
  • Patent number: 10324280
    Abstract: Provided is a microscope system including: an optical fiber in which laser light emitted from a light-source apparatus propagates; a microscope that irradiates a specimen with the laser light propagated in the optical fiber and that obtains an image of the specimen; a mode-scrambling device portion that causes elastic waves to propagate in the optical fiber to form elastic wave interference fringes in the optical fiber; and a control device that controls the driving of the mode-scrambling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20170329117
    Abstract: Provided is a microscope system including: an optical fiber in which laser light emitted from a light-source apparatus propagates; a microscope that irradiates a specimen with the laser light propagated in the optical fiber and that obtains an image of the specimen; a mode-scrambling device portion that causes elastic waves to propagate in the optical fiber to form elastic wave interference fringes in the optical fiber; and a control device that controls the driving of the mode-scrambling device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi KOTANI
  • Patent number: 9401221
    Abstract: Sampling is continuously performed at high speed with a simple sampling circuit including a polarity switcher to invert or non-invert the polarity of an input signal; an integrating circuit to integrate the signal output from the polarity switcher to output integrated values corresponding to the amount of charge stored in a capacitor; a computing section configured to compute a sampling value every sampling period in such a manner that a difference between one of the integrated values output from the integrating circuit at the start of the sampling period and another one of the integrated values output from the integrating circuit at the end of the sampling period is multiplied by a sign corresponding to the polarity set by the polarity switcher; and a control section configured to control the polarity switcher to alternately invert the polarity of the input signal every sampling period in synchronization with a sampling cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20160012912
    Abstract: Sampling is continuously performed at high speed with a simple sampling circuit including a polarity switcher to invert or non-invert the polarity of an input signal; an integrating circuit to integrate the signal output from the polarity switcher to output integrated values corresponding to the amount of charge stored in a capacitor; a computing section configured to compute a sampling value every sampling period in such a manner that a difference between one of the integrated values output from the integrating circuit at the start of the sampling period and another one of the integrated values output from the integrating circuit at the end of the sampling period is multiplied by a sign corresponding to the polarity set by the polarity switcher; and a control section configured to control the polarity switcher to alternately invert the polarity of the input signal every sampling period in synchronization with a sampling cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi KOTANI
  • Patent number: 7924277
    Abstract: A three-dimensional model modification system for modifying a three-dimensional model, defined by a plurality of surfaces and representing an arbitrary object is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Hattori, Hitoshi Misawa, Junji Ishida, Tadashi Kotani, Takaya Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20090207168
    Abstract: A three-dimensional model modification system for modifying a three-dimensional model, defined by a plurality of surfaces and representing an arbitrary object is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Hattori, Hitoshi Misawa, Junji Ishida, Tadashi Kotani, Takaya Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7265825
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring fluorescence lifetime includes a pulse laser source that generates a pulse excitation light, a detector that detects a fluorescence generated from a sample by irradiating the pulse excitation light, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the fluorescence, a measurement unit that measures number of photons emitted in a predetermined time gate based on the detection signal, a correction unit that corrects the number of photons measured based on Poisson distribution, and a calculation unit that calculates the fluorescence lifetime of the sample based on the number of photons corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 7215421
    Abstract: A fluorescence lifetime measurement apparatus includes a first controller controlling a total gate length and a second controller controlling a start gate length of a plurality of gate lengths into which the total gate length is divided. The start gate length is a time window whose start time is when measurement of the number of fluorescence photons of a specimen starts. The apparatus also includes a measurer measuring the number of fluorescence photons for each of the gate lengths; a processor calculating a fluorescence lifetime the specimen based on the start gate length and the number of fluorescence photons; and a third controller causing, when the fluorescence lifetime does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the first and second controllers to change the start gate length and the total gate length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 7167134
    Abstract: In one antenna unit, a non-electrically conductive resin layer is provided on a core portion of electrically conductive material and a winding portion is configured by a coil wound on the layer. The antenna unit is housed in a band attaching portion of a watch case of a watch, and a watch module is housed in the watch case. In another antenna unit, a core portion and a winding portion wound on the core portion are arranged in a cover case. Openings are formed in side walls of the cover case oppositely positioned to each other, and parts of the outer circumferential surface of the winding portion are arranged in the openings. The winding portion together with the core portion is supported to the inner surface of the cover case by adhesive portions interposed between the cover case and the winding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Narutoshi Minami, Takashi Sano, Soh Kimura, Tadashi Kotani
  • Patent number: 7061439
    Abstract: An antenna includes an elongate laminated core, a core case having an electrical insulating property and housing the core, and a coil wound around the core between both end portions of the core through the case. The core has a first and second groups, each including thin plates of amorphous soft magnetic alloy laminated with each other, and is configured by stacking the first and second groups one another. Each of the thin plates of the core includes flanges provided at both end portions thereof, and a coil wound portion between the both end portions, and the case includes projections, which push the both end portions of the thin plates of the second group to separate from the both end portions of the thin plates of the first group in the laminating direction of the thin plates of the core while the core is housed in the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignees: Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Hitachi Ferrite Electronics, Ltd., Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Narutoshi Minami, Takashi Sano, Soh Kimura, Hirokazu Araki, Masahiro Mita, Tadashi Kotani, Takayuki Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20060114162
    Abstract: An antenna includes an elongate laminated core, a core case having an electrical insulating property and housing the core, and a coil wound around the core between both end portions of the core through the case. The core has a first and second groups, each including thin plates of amorphous soft magnetic alloy laminated with each other, and is configured by stacking the first and second groups one another. Each of the thin plates of the core includes flanges provided at both end portions thereof, and a coil wound portion between the both end portions, and the case includes projections, which push the both end portions of the thin plates of the second group to separate from the both end portions of the thin plates of the first group in the laminating direction of the thin plates of the core while the core is housed in the case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Applicants: Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Hitachi Ferrite Electronics, Ltd., Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Narutoshi Minami, Takashi Sano, Soh Kimura, Hirokazu Araki, Masahiro Mita, Tadashi Kotani, Takayuki Ishimoto
  • Publication number: 20050116872
    Abstract: In one antenna unit, a non-electrically conductive resin layer is provided on a core portion of electrically conductive material and a winding portion is configured by a coil wound on the layer. The antenna unit is housed in a band attaching portion of a watch case of a watch, and a watch module is housed in the watch case. In another antenna unit, a core portion and a winding portion wound on the core portion are arranged in a cover case. Openings are formed in side walls of the cover case oppositely positioned to each other, and parts of the outer circumferential surface of the winding portion are arranged in the openings. The winding portion together with the core portion is supported to the inner surface of the cover case by adhesive portions interposed between the cover case and the winding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Narutoshi Minami, Takashi Sano, Soh Kimura, Tadashi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20050072936
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring fluorescence lifetime includes a pulse laser source that generates a pulse excitation light, a detector that detects a fluorescence generated from a sample by irradiating the pulse excitation light, and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the fluorescence, a measurement unit that measures number of photons emitted in a predetermined time gate based on the detection signal, a correction unit that corrects the number of photons measured based on Poisson distribution, and a calculation unit that calculates the fluorescence lifetime of the sample based on the number of photons corrected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20050030532
    Abstract: A fluorescence lifetime measurement apparatus includes a first controller controlling a total gate length and a second controller controlling a start gate length of a plurality of gate lengths into which the total gate length is divided. The start gate length is a time window whose start time is when measurement of the number of fluorescence photons of a specimen starts. The apparatus also includes a measurer measuring the number of fluorescence photons for each of the gate lengths; a processor calculating a fluorescence lifetime the specimen based on the start gate length and the number of fluorescence photons; and a third controller causing, when the fluorescence lifetime does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the first and second controllers to change the start gate length and the total gate length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani
  • Publication number: 20040066519
    Abstract: Motors are driven to sequentially move a fixed mirror from an origin or a current position thereby to measure amplitudes of a laser fringe by a photo detector. When a signal satisfying a reference value is obtained at some position, amplitudes are measured on a circle around the position as a center. A point having the largest amplitude among all the measured points on the circle is set as the center of a next circle and so the similar measurement is repeated until the amplitude at the center of a circle becomes maximum among all the measured points on the circle. When the amplitude at the center of the circle becomes maximum among all the measured points on the circle, the motors are driven so that phase differences of a vertical side signal and a horizontal side signal from a reference signal approach a target phase difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tadashi Kotani