Patents Assigned to Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11320498
    Abstract: A magnetic-field-applying bias film having strong-magnetic-field resistance includes an exchange coupling film. The exchange coupling film includes a ferromagnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked on the ferromagnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic layer includes an X(Cr—Mn) layer containing Mn, Cr, and one or more elements X selected from the group consisting of platinum-group elements and Ni. The X(Cr—Mn) layer has a first region relatively close to the ferromagnetic layer and a second region relatively far from the ferromagnetic layer. The Mn content in the first region is higher than the Mn content in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masamichi Saito
  • Patent number: 11309143
    Abstract: A push switch including a pressing member, a movable contact, an interposed member, a first fixed contact, and a second fixed contact is provided. The pressing member includes a pressing portion configured to be pressed, and includes an elastically deformable peripheral wall portion having a lower end portion and extending downward and outward from the outer periphery of the pressing portion. The movable contact has a dome shape and is disposed below the pressing member. The interposed member is disposed between the pressing member and the movable contact, and is configured to press the movable contact by receiving and being pressed by the lower end portion of the peripheral wall portion of the pressing member. The lower end portion of the peripheral wall portion of the pressing member presses the interposed member while the peripheral wall portion is subjected to elastic deformation in response to the pressing portion being pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Miyamoto, Toshiaki Mizukoshi, Akizumi Saito
  • Patent number: 11300459
    Abstract: A temperature sensor includes a polymer layer, a relative permittivity of the polymer layer varying in accordance with temperature, the polymer layer being formed of a flexible material; at least one first electrode disposed on one surface of the polymer layer; at least one second electrode disposed on another surface of the polymer layer; and a measuring unit configured to measure a temperature of an object based on capacitance of at least one region between the first electrode and the second electrode that are separated by the polymer layer, the first electrode being closer than the second electrode to a surface of the object that contacts the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Suguru Wada
  • Patent number: 11287450
    Abstract: A current sensor that can be downsized without lowering measurement precision has bus bars, magnetic sensors, each of which measures an induced magnetic field generated from one bus bar, a circuit board on which the magnetic sensors are mounted, a case that fixes the bus bars and circuit board, a lid that closes the case, and in-side magnetic shields provided in the lid. The in-side magnetic shield has cutouts along its circumferential edges. Hole are formed in the lid. From each hole, the outer edges of the cutout of the in-side magnetic shield are exposed. Therefore, when the lid is formed, the distance between adjacent in-side magnetic shields can be shortened when the in-side magnetic shield is positioned by pressing portions in a mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Tamura, Naoki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11289987
    Abstract: A motor module includes a motor and a rotation angle detector including a rotation angle calculator that calculates a rotation angle based on a voltage and an electric current of the motor, a first signal generator that generates a first signal based on a ripple component included in the electric current, an operation part that corrects the rotation angle based on the first signal and the rotation angle, and a rotation information calculator that calculates information on rotation of the motor based on an output from the operation part. The operation part outputs, to the rotation angle calculator, a command to correct the rotation angle when the first signal is generated for the first time while the rotation angle is within a predetermined angle range, and ignores the first signal that is generated for the second or subsequent time while the rotation angle is within the predetermined angle range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ikuyasu Miyako, Tsutomu Abe
  • Patent number: 11289285
    Abstract: A switching device includes a housing, an operation member, a plurality of fixed contacts, a plurality of movable contacts, and a snap action mechanism for causing the movable contacts to operate. The snap action mechanism includes a plurality of first drivers in each of which a fulcrum that serves as a pivot point is formed on one end side of a given first driver and in which a given movable contact from among the movable contacts is provided on another end side of the given first driver; a second driver in which a pressing member to be pressed through the operation member is formed on one end side of the second driver and in which fulcrums that serve as pivot points are each formed on another end side of the second driver; and a coupling member integrally coupling the plurality of first drivers to constitute a first drive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeki Uozumi, Toru Nishioka, Toshihisa Matsushita
  • Patent number: 11287451
    Abstract: A current sensor sending an output to the outside through a connector does not affect the precision of the sensor even when an external connector is inserted or removed. The current sensor has a bus bar and a case housing part of the bus bar. The case has an open upper surface and a lid covering the upper surface. A circuit board is fixed to the case body with three caulking portions. The circuit board includes a fixed area enclosed by these caulking portions and an extended portion extending from two of these caulking portions. The lid is provided with two lid-side stoppers. Inside the case body, case-body-side stoppers are provided at three positions. When an external connector is connected to or removed from the connector, the warp of the extended portion is suppressed by the case-body-side stoppers and lid-side stoppers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Tamura, Naoki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20220093099
    Abstract: A voice information processing apparatus sequentially converts an utterance of a user into text during a voice reception period that is a period in which an uttered voice to be converted into text is received from a user, and in a case where it can be regarded that the utterance of the user has been interrupted, the voice information processing apparatus automatically causes utterance content already uttered by the user to be output by a voice during the voice reception period. As a result, the voice information processing apparatus can cause the user to recognize a content of a sentence that has been uttered by the user so far and converted into text, when it can be regarded that the utterance of the user has been interrupted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hongda Zheng
  • Patent number: 11284520
    Abstract: An input device includes a sensor unit, an optical layer superimposed on the sensor unit, and a flexible wiring substrate having a connection region held between the optical layer and support base member. The flexible wiring substrate has a flexible base member on which an electrode layer is provided and a wiring end that is an end of the electrode layer and is conductive with the terminal part with a conductive joining member. The wiring end is set back from an end of the flexible base member, so that the flexible base member has a protruding part protruding toward the sensing region. Since the input device has, on the sensing region side relative to a front end of the protruding part, a part into which the conductive joining member does not stick out, an air bubble region between the sensor unit and the optical layer can be narrowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michiharu Motonishi, Kiyoshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11281019
    Abstract: A lens driving device includes a base, a lens holder capable of holding a lens body, a movable support, a leaf spring that is disposed on the movable support and supports the lens holder such that the lens holder is movable along an optical axis of the lens body, a suspension wire that rises from the base along the optical axis and supports the movable support such that the movable support is movable in a direction intersecting the optical axis, and a drive mechanism that moves the movable support in the direction intersecting the optical axis. The leaf spring includes a spring body fixed to the movable support, a wire fixing part to which the suspension wire is fixed, and a first beam and a second beam that are disposed between the spring body and the wire fixing part and torsionally deformable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Otomo, Masayoshi Nakagawa, Hideaki Sato, Hidemitsu Sato
  • Patent number: 11282655
    Abstract: A switch device includes a housing including a recessed portion, a metal member, and a movable contact point member. The recessed portion is recessed in a thickness direction from an opening formed in a first surface. The metal member includes a terminal protruding from the housing, a fixed contact point exposed to an inner side of the recessed portion, and a connection portion connecting the terminal and the fixed contact point. The movable contact point member is provided in the recessed portion and is configured to move to connect to or disconnect from the fixed contact point. A sealing unit is provided in a gap between the connection portion and the housing. The sealing unit is made by solidifying a sealing agent supplied through a hole portion that is in communication with the connection portion from a second surface opposite to the first surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Sato, Takaya Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 11277164
    Abstract: An amplifier module is disposed between a wireless communication antenna and a body unit of a wireless communication apparatus and connected to the antenna and the body unit through a wiring member. The amplifier module includes an antenna-side terminal connected to the antenna, a body-side terminal connected to the body unit, an amplification circuit disposed between the antenna-side terminal and the body-side terminal, an antenna detection circuit configured to detect electric characteristics of the antenna-side terminal, and a characteristic variable circuit configured to change electric characteristics of the body-side terminal based on the electric characteristics of the antenna-side terminal detected by the antenna detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eita Nakayama, Kazushi Kofune, Mutsumi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11275477
    Abstract: In an input device capable of reliably detecting, when an operator brings an operating body close to or into contact with an operation plane, absolute position information irrespective of a contact area size, third electrode arrays are disposed closer to the operation plane relative to second electrode arrays in a normal direction of the operation plane, the second electrode arrays have a portion protruding from the corresponding third electrode arrays when viewed in the normal direction, and assuming that a change amount of electrostatic capacitance between first and third electrode arrays occurred by an operation of the operating body is denoted by ?C1 and a change amount of electrostatic capacitance between the first and second electrode arrays occurred by an operation of the operating body is denoted by ?C2, a position of the operating body in the normal direction is calculated based on a ratio ?C1/?C2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji Hashida, Toru Takahashi, Toru Sawada, Yoshifumi Masumoto, Shinichi Higuchi, Koji Tsukamoto, Tomoyuki Yamai, Akihiro Takeda, Sadakazu Shiga
  • Patent number: 11269450
    Abstract: An electrostatic capacitance sensor includes: at least one detection electrode; drive electrodes, capacitors being respectively formed between the drive electrodes and the at least one detection electrode; a driver capable of causing voltages of the drive electrodes to change independently from each other; a reference voltage generator that generates a reference voltage; a detection signal generator that transfers charge so that a voltage of the at least one detection electrode approaches the reference voltage and that generates a detection signal according to the transfer of the charge; and a controller that controls the driver. The driver is capable of applying the reference voltage to each of the drive electrodes. When the driver causes a voltage of one or more of the drive electrodes to change, the controller controls the driver so as to apply the reference voltage to the remaining drive electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Sasai, Kazufumi Naganuma
  • Publication number: 20220057237
    Abstract: An operating apparatus is disposed on a surface of a detection panel including a transparent panel and a sensor panel. An operation body includes an upper wall, an inner peripheral wall, and an outer peripheral wall. A rotary assembly is housed in the operation body. The rotary assembly includes a supporter fixed to the detection panel and a rotational operation member rotatably supported by the supporter. The rotational operation member is rotatable together with the operation body. A press detection conductor is provided at a conductor supporting portion of the operation body. A rotation detecting conductor is provided at the rotational operation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Mochiji
  • Patent number: 11249151
    Abstract: A magnetic detector includes a full-bridge circuit including magnetoresistive sensors on the same substrate. The magnetoresistive sensors include two magnetoresistive films and have different relationships between the fixed magnetization direction and the bias application direction. The fixed magnetization direction and the bias application direction are determined with three or more exchange coupling films including antiferromagnetic layers with different blocking temperatures. Thus, the magnetic detector has high resistance to a strong magnetic field, is easy to produce, and has a high degree of flexibility in production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masamichi Saito
  • Publication number: 20220046358
    Abstract: A first seat noise control device corrects sound collected by a microphone to sound at a listening position of a user seated on a first seat, generates a cancel sound that cancels, at the first seat, the sound of a second seat audio source output from a second seat speaker by using an adaptive filter, and outputs the cancel sound from a first seat speaker. A second seat noise control device corrects the sound collected by the microphone to sound at the listening position of the user seated on the second seat, generates a cancel sound that cancels, at the second seat, the sound of a first seat audio source output from the first seat speaker using an adaptive filter, and outputs the cancel sound from the second seat speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicants: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD., A School Corporation Kansai University
    Inventors: Ryosuke Tachi, Yoshinobu Kajikawa
  • Patent number: 11234639
    Abstract: A controller controls a temperature sensation provider that provides temperature sensations to an object contacting a contact surface of the temperature sensation provider. The controller includes a database including control information that associates values of a temperature of the contact surface with values of a controlled variable of the temperature sensation provider for each of the temperature sensations, and a temperature controller that controls the temperature sensation provider based on a measured temperature of the contact surface, a temperature sensation to be provided, and the control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Sato, Toshihiko Saito, Hajime Shikata, Katsunari Sato
  • Publication number: 20220020354
    Abstract: A voice output device includes a voice output controller configured to determine, when a message reception unit receives a message, whether a start condition to be satisfied when a person intended to receive the message normally listens to voice in the predetermined space is satisfied, and cause a voice output unit to start voice output of the message when the start condition is satisfied and suspend voice output of the message when the start condition is not satisfied. The voice output is not immediately performed in response to a reception of a message but is performed only when the person intended to receive the message normally listens to the message, and the voice output of the message is suspended in other cases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hongda Zheng, Xiao Liu
  • Publication number: 20220011877
    Abstract: Implementations of a proximity detection device according to the present disclosure include a plurality of light emitting elements and a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a lower portion of a touch panel display. The proximity detection device detects an object that is in proximity by reflected light received by the light receiving elements when irradiation light from the light emitting elements is reflected by the object. Implementations of a proximity detection device includes a drive circuit sequentially driving the plurality of light emitting elements, a measurement circuit measuring detection levels of the light receiving elements when the plurality of light emitting elements sequentially emit light, respectively, and a control unit having a function to estimate a position in the horizontal direction from a plurality of measurement results and correct the estimated position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Teiichi Ichikawa