Patents by Inventor Toshiyuki Suzuki

Toshiyuki Suzuki 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: 11198307
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus including: a transport section that transports a medium in a first direction; a discharge section that discharges a liquid to the medium transported by the transport section; and a heater that is provided downstream of the discharge section in the first direction, and heats the medium, in which the heater includes a ceramic substrate, a heat generating resistor provided on the ceramic substrate, and a protection section that protects the heat generating resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventors: Masaaki Fujimori, Hironori Endo, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Toru Matsuyama, Ryo Hirabayashi, Nobuaki Ito
  • Patent number: 11179930
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus has: a discharging section that discharges a liquid by being driven by a driving signal; a detecting section that detects vibration caused in the discharging section; and an inspecting section that inspects the discharging state of the liquid in the discharging section according to the result of detection by the detecting section. In a first period, the potential of the driving signal is changed from a first reference potential to another potential and back to the first reference potential. In a second period, the potential of the driving signal is changed from the first reference potential to a second reference potential. In a third period, the detecting section detects vibration caused in the discharging section. In a fourth period, the potential of the driving signal is changed from the second reference potential to another potential and back to the second reference potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Masashi Kamiyanagi, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11130332
    Abstract: A head unit comprising: a first line through which a driving signal is supplied; a first discharging section that has a first piezoelectric element having a first electrode, the first discharging section discharging liquid according to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element, the displacement being caused when the driving signal is supplied to the first electrode; a detection circuit that detects the potential of a second line; a first switch that makes a switchover as to whether to electrically couple the first electrode and first line together; a second switch that makes a switchover as to whether to electrically couple the first electrode and second line together; a third switch that makes a switchover as to whether to electrically couple the first line and second line together; and a first resistor provided in series with the third switch between the first line and the second line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Masashi Kamiyanagi, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10913273
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a discharge portion provided with a piezoelectric element that is driven by a driving signal and a compression chamber that discharges a liquid from a nozzle according to the driving of the piezoelectric element, a detection unit detecting residual vibration occurring in the discharge portion, in a detection period after the piezoelectric element is driven and outputting a residual vibration signal indicating a waveform of the residual vibration, a specification unit specifying an initial time from a start time when the detection period starts to a reference time when a residual vibration signal becomes a signal level of a center of an amplitude after the start time of the detection period, and an estimation unit estimating a viscosity of the liquid in the compression chamber, based on the initial time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Daichi Orihara, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200374983
    Abstract: There is provide a printing apparatus including: a transport section that transports a medium in a first direction; a discharge section that discharges a liquid to the medium transported by the transport section; a signal generation section that outputs a first pulse signal; and a heating section that is provided downstream of the discharge section in the first direction, includes a first heater that generates heat in accordance with a first pulse included in the first pulse signal, and heats the medium, in which the signal generation section adjusts the first pulse in accordance with a heating amount for heating the medium by the heating section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Masaaki FUJIMORI, Hironori ENDO, Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Toru MATSUYAMA, Ryo HIRABAYASHI, Nobuaki ITO
  • Publication number: 20200369045
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus including: a transport section that transports a medium in a first direction; a discharge section that discharges a liquid to the medium transported by the transport section; and a heater that is provided downstream of the discharge section in the first direction, and heats the medium, in which the heater includes a ceramic substrate, a heat generating resistor provided on the ceramic substrate, and a protection section that protects the heat generating resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Masaaki FUJIMORI, Hironori ENDO, Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Toru MATSUYAMA, Ryo HIRABAYASHI, Nobuaki ITO
  • Publication number: 20200369044
    Abstract: There is provided a printing apparatus including: a transport section that transports a medium in a first direction; a printing section that makes a liquid adhere to the medium transported by the transport section; a heating section provided downstream of the printing section in the first direction, in which the heating section includes a first heater that extends to a first range in a second direction intersecting the first direction and a second range positioned on one side in the second direction from the first range and heats the medium, and a second heater that extends to the first range and a third range positioned on the other side in the second direction from the first range, and heats the medium, and heats the medium by the first heater and the second heater when the printing section made the liquid adhere to the first range on the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Masaaki FUJIMORI, Hironori ENDO, Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Toru MATSUYAMA, Ryo HIRABAYASHI, Nobuaki ITO
  • Publication number: 20200269567
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus has: a discharging section that discharges a liquid by being driven by a driving signal; a detecting section that detects vibration caused in the discharging section; and an inspecting section that inspects the discharging state of the liquid in the discharging section according to the result of detection by the detecting section. In a first period, the potential of the driving signal is changed from a first reference potential to another potential and back to the first reference potential. In a second period, the potential of the driving signal is changed from the first reference potential to a second reference potential. In a third period, the detecting section detects vibration caused in the discharging section. In a fourth period, the potential of the driving signal is changed from the second reference potential to another potential and back to the second reference potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Osamu SHINKAWA, Masashi KAMIYANAGI, Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20200269570
    Abstract: A head unit comprising: a first line through which a driving signal is supplied; a first discharging section that has a first piezoelectric element having a first electrode, the first discharging section discharging liquid according to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element, the displacement being caused when the driving signal is supplied to the first electrode; a detection circuit that detects the potential of a second line; a first switch that makes a switchover as to whether to electrically couple the first electrode and first line together; a second switch that makes a switchover as to whether to electrically couple the first electrode and second line together; a third switch that makes a switchover as to whether to electrically couple the first line and second line together; and a first resistor provided in series with the third switch between the first line and the second line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Osamu SHINKAWA, Masashi KAMIYANAGI, Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10730289
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection unit that ejects a liquid by a piezoelectric element being driven, a drive signal generation unit that generates a drive signal for driving the piezoelectric element, a residual vibration detection unit that detects a residual vibration of the ejection unit after the drive signal is applied to the piezoelectric element, and an inspection control signal generation unit that generates an inspection control signal for instructing start of detection of the residual vibration by the residual vibration detection unit. The inspection control signal when a temperature of the ejection unit is a first temperature differs from the inspection control signal when the temperature of the ejection unit is a second temperature lower than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200224259
    Abstract: A method for determining pregnancy in a ruminant includes measuring an expression level of molecules induced in response to IFN-? in mucosal epithelial cells using a sample containing the mucosal epithelial cells, and determining pregnancy in the test ruminant animal by comparing the expression level with an expression level of the molecules in corresponding mucosal epithelial cells of a non-pregnant ruminant animal of the same species.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: National University Corporation Hokkaido University
    Inventors: Masashi TAKAHASHI, Hiroki KUNII, Tsukino ITO, Manabu KAWAHARA, Hanako BAI, Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10603908
    Abstract: A first drive waveform for causing a liquid to be discharged from a first discharge unit and performing printing becomes a first potential during a first period, becomes a fourth potential during a second period, and becomes the first potential during a third period. A second drive waveform for inspecting the first discharge unit becomes a second potential during a fourth period, becomes a third potential during a fifth period, and becomes the second potential during a sixth period, where the third potential is lower than the fourth potential and the first potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200094554
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a discharge portion provided with a piezoelectric element that is driven by a driving signal and a compression chamber that discharges a liquid from a nozzle according to the driving of the piezoelectric element, a detection unit detecting residual vibration occurring in the discharge portion, in a detection period after the piezoelectric element is driven and outputting a residual vibration signal indicating a waveform of the residual vibration, a specification unit specifying an initial time from a start time when the detection period starts to a reference time when a residual vibration signal becomes a signal level of a center of an amplitude after the start time of the detection period, and an estimation unit estimating a viscosity of the liquid in the compression chamber, based on the initial time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Daichi ORIHARA, Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10562299
    Abstract: A drive signal generating unit generates a drive signal during a printing process including a first drive waveform for driving a discharger to discharge a liquid and a first micro-vibration waveform, and generates a drive signal during a discharging state determination process including a second drive waveform for driving the discharger to inspect the discharger, and a second micro-vibration waveform. The first drive waveform becomes a first potential during a first period, becomes a fourth potential during a second period, and becomes the first potential during a third period. The second drive waveform becomes a second potential during a fourth period, becomes a third potential during a fifth period, and becomes the second potential during a sixth period. The first micro-vibration waveform and the second micro-vibration waveform are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10535233
    Abstract: A checkout system includes a plurality of settlement apparatuses and a registration apparatus. The registration apparatus includes a scanner, a storage unit, a communication interface, and a processor. The processor controls the scanner, the storage unit and the communication interface to identify a commodity corresponding to a scanned code, generate the settlement information, and transmit the settlement information to a selected one of the plurality of settlement apparatuses. The selected one of the plurality of settlement apparatuses determines, with respect to itself, whether a settlement processing is currently being performed and whether a settlement processing was completed within a preceding predetermined amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10464313
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejecting apparatus includes a liquid droplet ejecting head that includes a pressure chamber to which a liquid is supplied from a liquid supply source, a nozzle that communicates with the pressure chamber, and an actuator that vibrates the pressure chamber, and discharges a liquid droplet from the nozzle by driving of the actuator, a cap designed to make a capping state where the cap is in contact with the liquid droplet ejecting head to form a space where the nozzle opens and a non-capping state where the cap is separated from the liquid droplet ejecting head, and a detection unit designed to detect a state in the pressure chamber, in which in the capping state, the detection unit detects the state in the pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiro Shinbara, Toshio Nakata, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10406805
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus includes a plurality of dischargers that discharge a liquid, a determination portion that determines discharge states of the liquid in the dischargers, and a controller that controls the plurality of dischargers, in which, in a case in which the determination portion determines that the discharge state of the liquid in one discharger is abnormal, the controller controls the plurality of dischargers so as to cause the liquid to be discharged from another discharger instead of causing the liquid to be discharged from the one discharger until a predetermined time has elapsed since determination, and controls the plurality of dischargers so that a repair operation, which repairs the discharge state of the liquid in the one discharger to normal, is caused to be executed after the predetermined time has elapsed since the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Hosokawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20190202202
    Abstract: A first drive waveform for causing a liquid to be discharged from a first discharge unit and performing printing becomes a first potential during a first period, becomes a fourth potential during a second period, and becomes the first potential during a third period. A second drive waveform for inspecting the first discharge unit becomes a second potential during a fourth period, becomes a third potential during a fifth period, and becomes the second potential during a sixth period, where the third potential is lower than the fourth potential and the first potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventor: Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20190202203
    Abstract: A drive signal generating unit generates a drive signal during a printing process including a first drive waveform for driving a discharger to discharge a liquid and a first micro-vibration waveform, and generates a drive signal during a discharging state determination process including a second drive waveform for driving the discharger to inspect the discharger, and a second micro-vibration waveform. The first drive waveform becomes a first potential during a first period, becomes a fourth potential during a second period, and becomes the first potential during a third period. The second drive waveform becomes a second potential during a fourth period, becomes a third potential during a fifth period, and becomes the second potential during a sixth period. The first micro-vibration waveform and the second micro-vibration waveform are different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Inventor: Toshiyuki SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20190193394
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejection unit that ejects a liquid by a piezoelectric element being driven, a drive signal generation unit that generates a drive signal for driving the piezoelectric element, a residual vibration detection unit that detects a residual vibration of the ejection unit after the drive signal is applied to the piezoelectric element, and an inspection control signal generation unit that generates an inspection control signal for instructing start of detection of the residual vibration by the residual vibration detection unit. The inspection control signal when a temperature of the ejection unit is a first temperature differs from the inspection control signal when the temperature of the ejection unit is a second temperature lower than the first temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventor: Toshiyuki SUZUKI