Patents by Inventor Akio Niekawa

Akio Niekawa 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: 7791284
    Abstract: A cold-cathode tube driving apparatus wherein the number of booster transformers has been reduced and the increase in installation space and in cost has been suppressed. This cold-cathode tube driving apparatus comprises a booster transformer (2); a plurality of cold-cathode tubes (3-1 to 3-N); and a time division control circuit (control circuit 6 and time division FETs 4-1 to 4-N) for lighting one or more of the plurality of cold-cathode tubes (3-1 to 3-N) in a time division manner by use of a high frequency voltage after boosted by the booster transformer (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Sumida Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Otsuki, Toru Takahara, Akio Niekawa
  • Publication number: 20090001898
    Abstract: A cold-cathode tube driving apparatus wherein the number of booster transformers has been reduced and the increase in installation space and in cost has been suppressed. This cold-cathode tube driving apparatus comprises a booster transformer (2); a plurality of cold-cathode tubes (3-1 to 3-N); and a time division control circuit (control circuit 6 and time division FETs 4-1 to 4-N) for lighting one or more of the plurality of cold-cathode tubes (3-1 to 3-N) in a time division manner by use of a high frequency voltage after boosted by the booster transformer (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2005
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Tadashi Otsuki, Toru Takahara, Akio Niekawa
  • Publication number: 20040043808
    Abstract: A game machine includes a display which displays a plurality of identification images, each having a numeral image and a symbol image. The symbol image of the identification image is changed at a predetermined opportunity while maintaining a corresponding numeral image of the identification image when a predetermined progression is established among the numeral images of the identification images. Also, sequential numbers among the numeral images of the identification images are changed to another sequential numbers having a beginning number different from a beginning number of the sequential numbers at a predetermined opportunity when the sequential numbers are established among the numeral images of the identification images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Applicant: KONAMI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Niekawa, Norio Tone