Patents by Inventor Tamami Sobagaki

Tamami Sobagaki 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: 8172423
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a light source unit having solid light-emitting elements and a sensor unit having a wave transmission portion for transmitting energy waves of specified frequency and a wave reception portion for receiving the energy waves reflected from an object. The sensor unit outputs a detection signal by detecting the object within a detection range based on the difference in frequency between the transmitted and received energy waves. The illumination apparatus further includes a control unit responsive to the detection signal from the sensor unit for performing a control operation to turn on the light source unit, and a power source unit for supplying electric power to the light source unit. The power source unit is arranged outside the detection range of the sensor unit. The sensor unit is provided on the opposite side to the direction of light irradiated from the light source unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamami Sobagaki, Shigeo Gotou, Tadashi Murakami
  • Patent number: 8058819
    Abstract: An illumination system includes a plurality of illumination devices and a number of sensor blocks. In each of the sensor blocks, an active sensor is provided to detect a moving object traveling within a detection area thereof and plural amplifier circuits is provided to divide a detection signal transmitted from the active sensor into plural frequency bands and for amplifying signal components of the frequency bands. Provided in a one-to-one relationship with the amplifier circuits is plural judgment units that, based on the amplified signal components of the frequency bands provided from the amplifier circuits, judges whether the moving object is travelling at a travel velocity corresponding to any one of the frequency bands. A control unit is also provided to perform a turn-on control on at least one of the illumination devices based on judgment results made by the judgment units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Murakami, Tamami Sobagaki, Shigeo Gotou
  • Publication number: 20100295479
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a lamp load; a lighting circuit unit for turning on the lamp load; a sensor unit; an amplifier circuit unit for; a control unit for controlling the lighting circuit unit to turn on or off the lamp load depending on presence or absence of a human body; and a power supply unit. The control unit determines that a human body is present when a voltage of the. amplified detection signal exceeds a first threshold voltage while the lighting circuit unit is not operated and the lamp load is turned off, and determines that a human body is present if a voltage of the amplified detection signal exceeds a second threshold voltage while the lighting circuit unit is operated and the lamp load is turned on, a magnitude of the second threshold voltage being set to be higher than a magnitude of the first threshold voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamami Sobagaki, Shigeo Gotou, Tadashi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20100102758
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus includes a light source unit having solid light-emitting elements and a sensor unit having a wave transmission portion for transmitting energy waves of specified frequency and a wave reception portion for receiving the energy waves reflected from an object. The sensor unit outputs a detection signal by detecting the object within a detection range based on the difference in frequency between the transmitted and received energy waves. The illumination apparatus further includes a control unit responsive to the detection signal from the sensor unit for performing a control operation to turn on the light source unit, and a power source unit for supplying electric power to the light source unit. The power source unit is arranged outside the detection range of the sensor unit. The sensor unit is provided on the opposite side to the direction of light irradiated from the light source unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamami Sobagaki, Shigeo Gotou, Tadashi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20100052571
    Abstract: An illumination system includes a plurality of illumination devices and a number of sensor blocks. In each of the sensor blocks, an active sensor is provided to detect a moving object traveling within a detection area thereof and plural amplifier circuits is provided to divide a detection signal transmitted from the active sensor into plural frequency bands and for amplifying signal components of the frequency bands. Provided in a one-to-one relationship with the amplifier circuits is plural judgment units that, based on the amplified signal components of the frequency bands provided from the amplifier circuits, judges whether the moving object is travelling at a travel velocity corresponding to any one of the frequency bands. A control unit is also provided to perform a turn-on control on at least one of the illumination devices based on judgment results made by the judgment units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Murakami, Tamami Sobagaki, Shigeo Gotou