Patents by Inventor Akira Matsuzawa

Akira Matsuzawa 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: 20100013690
    Abstract: Provided is a successive approximation AD conversion apparatus that outputs digital output data corresponding to an analog input signal, including a bit selecting section that selects a conversion target bit sequentially from a highest bit of the output data; a data control section that outputs comparison data determining a value of the conversion target bit, each time a conversion target bit is selected; a DA conversing section that outputs an analog comparison signal corresponding to the comparison data; a comparing section that outputs a comparison result between the input signal and the comparison signal, upon the output of the comparison signal by the DA converting section, and that is reset after outputting the comparison result; a completion detecting section that, upon detecting that the comparing section has output the comparison result, outputs a completion signal causing the bit selecting section to select a next conversion target bit, prior to the comparing section being reset; and an output secti
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicants: TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventors: YASUHIDE KURAMOCHI, AKIRA MATSUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20100013693
    Abstract: Provided is an AD conversion apparatus including a bit selecting section that sequentially selects conversion target bits of the output data, from an upper bit downward; a data control section that outputs comparison data determining a value of the conversion target bit, each time a conversion target bit is selected; a DA converting section that outputs an analog comparison signal corresponding to the comparison data; a timing generating section that outputs a comparison control signal ordering comparison initiation; a changing section that changes a timing of the comparison control signal according to a bit position of the conversion target bit, such that the timing of the comparison initiation indicated by the comparison control signal is later for higher conversion target bits; a comparing section that begins comparing the input signal to the comparison signal at the comparison initiation timing indicated by the comparison control signal having the timing changed by the changing section; and a completion d
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicants: ADVANTEST CORPORATION, TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: YASUHIDE KURAMOCHI, AKIRA MATSUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20090273653
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a flow passage forming substrate which is provided with a plurality of liquid passages each having a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening for ejecting a liquid and a communication section communicating with the plurality of liquid passages; an elastic film which is formed on one surface of the flow passage forming substrate and has an opening in an area opposed to the communication section; a pressure generating unit which applies pressure to the inside of the pressure generating chambers; and a reservoir forming substrate which is adhered onto the surface of the flow passage forming substrate on a side of the pressure generating unit and is provided with a reservoir section communicating with the communication section to form a part of a reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akemi Hirano, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20090267999
    Abstract: Included are the steps of: forming piezoelectric elements on a surface of a passage-forming substrate with a vibration plate in between, and forming a penetrating portion by removing an area in the vibration plate, which area will serve as a communicating portion; forming lead electrodes and sealing up the penetrating portion with an interconnect layer; joining a reservoir forming plate to a surface of a passage-forming substrate; forming liquid passages by wet-etching; forming protection films on inner surfaces of the liquid passages; detaching and removing a protection film on an interconnect layer; and causing a reservoir portion and a communicating portion to communicate with each other by removing a corresponding part of the interconnect layer, and in accordance with the manufacturing method, while the liquid passages are being formed, the communicating portion is formed in a way that an edge of an opening of the vibration plate is located outside an edge of an opening which is close to the penetrating p
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira MATSUZAWA, Mutsuhiko OTA
  • Patent number: 7609184
    Abstract: Provided is a D-A conversion apparatus that outputs an analog output voltage according to digital input data, which includes a capacitance array main D-A converter that supplies a main voltage according to the input data to an output terminal of the D-A conversion apparatus, a correction data output section that outputs correction data according to the input data, a capacitance array correction D-A converter that outputs a correction voltage according to the correction data, and a voltage dividing capacitor connected serially between an output end of the correction D-A converter and an output end of the main D-A converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignees: Advantest Corporation, Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 7605738
    Abstract: There is provided an A/D converter that outputs a digital output signal obtained by digitalizing an analog input signal. The A/D converter includes a bit selecting section that selects a conversion object bit from a high-order bit to a low-order bit of the digital output signal in order, a threshold-value controlling section that determines a threshold data expressing a boundary value between zero and one of the conversion object bit, a D/A converting section that digital-to-analog converts the threshold data and generates an analog threshold value, a comparing section that compares, at a plurality of different timings in a conversion time interval determining a value of the conversion object bit, the analog input signal and the analog threshold value and outputs a plurality of comparison results at the timings, and a bit determining section that determines the value of the conversion object bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignees: Advantest Corporation, Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 7571525
    Abstract: Included are the steps of: forming piezoelectric elements on a surface of a passage-forming substrate with a vibration plate in between, and forming a penetrating portion by removing an area in the vibration plate, which area will serve as a communicating portion; forming lead electrodes and sealing up the penetrating portion with an interconnect layer; joining a reservoir forming plate to a surface of a passage-forming substrate; forming liquid passages by wet-etching; forming protection films on inner surfaces of the liquid passages; detaching and removing a protection film on an interconnect layer; and causing a reservoir portion and a communicating portion to communicate with each other by removing a corresponding part of the interconnect layer, and in accordance with the manufacturing method, while the liquid passages are being formed, the communicating portion is formed in a way that an edge of an opening of the vibration plate is located outside an edge of an opening which is close to the penetrating p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Matsuzawa, Mutsuhiko Ota
  • Publication number: 20090185011
    Abstract: In a passage forming substrate 10, a plurality of pressure generating chambers 12 being formed of a silicon substrate, in which a crystal face orientation of a surface is a (110) plane, and individually communicating with nozzles 21 ejecting liquid droplets are arranged in parallel. Piezoelectric elements 300 are each formed on one surface of the passage forming substrate 10 with a vibration plate interposed therebetween and each includes a lower electrode film 60, a piezoelectric layer 70, and an upper electrode film 80. In each of the pressure generating chambers 12, an end surface in a width direction thereof is formed of a first (111) plane perpendicular to the (110) plane and an end surface 12a in a longitudinal direction thereof is formed of a second (111) plane inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the first (111) plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20090121907
    Abstract: Provided is a D-A conversion apparatus that outputs an analog output voltage according to digital input data, which includes a capacitance array main D-A converter that supplies a main voltage according to the input data to an output terminal of the D-A conversion apparatus, a correction data output section that outputs correction data according to the input data, a capacitance array correction D-A converter that outputs a correction voltage according to the correction data, and a voltage dividing capacitor connected serially between an output end of the correction D-A converter and an output end of the main D-A converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicants: ADVANTEST CORPORATION, TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20090085985
    Abstract: A liquid jet head includes: a nozzle plate provided with a nozzle orifice for jetting a liquid; a passage-forming substrate provided with a pressure generating chamber communicating with the nozzle orifice and bonded to the nozzle plate with an adhesive agent; and a pressure generator that vibrates a vibration plate, the pressure generator disposed in a region opposite to the pressure generating chamber with the vibration plate interposed in between. The passage-forming substrate is provided with a concave portion formed in a joint surface to the nozzle plate. The concave portion has a wall surface inclined from a side adjacent to the nozzle plate to an inside of the concave portion. An angle between the joint surface and the inclined wall surface of the concave portion is smaller than an angle between the joint surface and a wall surface of the pressure generating chamber in a region contacting the joint surface. The inclined wall surface of the concave portion is provided with a plurality of protrusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 7479914
    Abstract: An A-D converter includes a plurality of comparators, each of which compares an analog input signal to analog threshold values; an upper field determination section which, during an upper determination phase, supplies in parallel to each of the plurality of comparators the plurality of analog threshold values expressing boundaries of ranges corresponding to each data value acquired from the upper field of a number of bits previously designated in the digital output signal, detects whether the analog input signal is associated with one of the ranges based on comparison results by the plurality of comparators, and narrows data values of the upper field to data values corresponding to a range between the largest analog threshold value less than or equal to the analog input signal and the smallest analog threshold value greater than or equal to the analog input signal; and a lower field determination section which, during the lower determination phase, determines values of conversion target bits based on a plural
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignees: Advantest Corporation, Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 7477177
    Abstract: An A-D converter that outputs a digital output signal obtained by digitalizing an analog input signal includes a plurality of comparators that each compare the analog input signal and an analog threshold value based on designated digital threshold data, a high-order field determining section that narrows down a data value corresponding to a high-order field of a predetermined bit number in the digital output signal based on a plurality of comparison results obtained by supplying threshold data different from one another to the plurality of comparators, a low-order field computing section that computes a plurality of candidate values for a data value corresponding to a low-order field of a predetermined bit number located at a side lower than the high-order field, and a low-order field determining section that determines a data value corresponding to the low-order field based on the plurality of candidate values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignees: Advantest Corporation, Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Patent number: 7466166
    Abstract: A current driver generates an output current according to an input signal. The current driver includes R current copy circuits and an output current generator where R is a natural number. Each of the current copy circuits stores a current having a given current value and input from the outside in a storage mode and outputs the stored current in an output mode. The output current generator obtains a current or the sum of currents from a non-negative integer number of the current copy circuits selected in accordance with the input signal, and thereby generates an output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshito Date, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20080218393
    Abstract: There is provided an A/D converter that outputs a digital output signal obtained by digitalizing an analog input signal. The A/D converter includes a bit selecting section that selects a conversion object bit from a high-order bit to a low-order bit of the digital output signal in order, a threshold-value controlling section that determines a threshold data expressing a boundary value between zero and one of the conversion object bit, a D/A converting section that digital-to-analog converts the threshold data and generates an analog threshold value, a comparing section that compares, at a plurality of different timings in a conversion time interval determining a value of the conversion object bit, the analog input signal and the analog threshold value and outputs a plurality of comparison results at the timings, and a bit determining section that determines the value of the conversion object bit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicants: ADVANTEST CORPORATION, TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: YASUHIDE KURAMOCHI, AKIRA MATSUZAWA
  • Patent number: 7402256
    Abstract: A method for producing a liquid-jet head comprises the steps of: forming a vibration plate and piezoelectric elements on one surface of a passage-forming substrate, and removing the vibration plate in a region to be a communicating portion, thereby forming an exposed portion; forming a wiring layer on the passage-forming substrate within the exposed portion, and forming lead electrodes; bonding a reservoir forming plate to the one surface of the passage-forming substrate; wet-etching the passage-forming substrate at the other surface thereof to form pressure generating chambers and the communicating portion; forming a liquid-resistant protective film on inner surfaces of the pressure generating chambers and the communicating portion; removing the protective film within the exposed portion; and performing wet etching on the communicating portion side to remove the wiring layer, thereby establishing communication between a reservoir portion and the communicating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Matsuzawa, Mutsuhiko Ota
  • Publication number: 20080143574
    Abstract: There is provided an A-D converter that outputs a digital output signal obtained by digitalizing an analog input signal. The converter includes a plurality of comparators that each compares the analog input signal and an analog threshold value according to designated digital threshold data, a high-order field determining section that narrows down a data value corresponding to a high-order field of a predetermined bit number in the digital output signal based on a plurality of comparison results obtained by supplying threshold data different from one another to the plurality of comparators, a low-order field computing section that computes a plurality of candidate values for a data value corresponding to a low-order field of a predetermined bit number located at a side lower than the high-order field by means of the plurality of comparators, and a low-order field determining section that determines a data value corresponding to the low-order field based on the plurality of candidate values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicants: Advantest Corporation, Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20080127471
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid ejecting head that has a channel forming substrate, a bonding substrate, and a plurality of through hole portions is provided. The channel forming substrate has a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle orifice ejecting liquid drops, and a piezoelectric element including a common electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a discrete electrode on a surface thereof. The bonding substrate is bonded on the surface of the channel forming substrate having the piezoelectric element thereon. The plurality of through hole portions pass through the bonding substrate and the channel forming substrate in the direction of the thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira MATSUZAWA
  • Publication number: 20080068245
    Abstract: An A-D converter includes a plurality of comparators, each of which compares an analog input signal to analog threshold values; an upper field determination section which, during an upper determination phase, supplies in parallel to each of the plurality of comparators the plurality of analog threshold values expressing boundaries of ranges corresponding to each data value acquired from the upper field of a number of bits previously designated in the digital output signal, detects whether the analog input signal is associated with one of the ranges based on comparison results by the plurality of comparators, and narrows data values of the upper field to data values corresponding to a range between the largest analog threshold value less than or equal to the analog input signal and the smallest analog threshold value greater than or equal to the analog input signal; and a lower field determination section which, during the lower determination phase, determines values of conversion target bits based on a plural
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicants: ADVANTEST CORPORATION, TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yasuhide Kuramochi, Akira Matsuzawa
  • Publication number: 20080062225
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head that includes a fluid channel formation substrate and pressure generation units. The fluid channel formation substrate is made of a silicon single crystal substrate having a crystal face orientation of. The fluid channel formation substrate has a plurality of separate flow channels that include at least pressure generation chambers demarcated by partition walls, each of the pressure generation chambers being in communication with a nozzle opening that ejects liquid drops. The fluid channel formation substrate further has a communication portion that is in communication with each of the separate flow channels. The pressure generation units are provided so as to correspond to the pressure generation chambers and generate a pressure change in the pressure generation chambers so as to cause ejection of liquid drops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira MATSUZAWA, Mutsuhiko OTA, Tetsushi TAKAHASHI, Yasuyuki MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080030552
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head including: a flow-channel forming substrate having a pressure generating chamber which communicates with a liquid supply channel which communicates with one end of the pressure generating chamber in terms of a first direction so as to have a first length for supplying liquid to the pressure generating chamber; and a pressure generating unit that causes the change in pressure in the pressure generating chamber, wherein the liquid supply channel is formed by narrowing the width of the pressure generating chamber in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction so as to have a second length shorter than the first length, a stepped surface is formed between the side surface of the pressure generating chamber in the second direction and the side surface of the liquid supply channel in the second direction, and wherein a bridge is provided at a corner defined by the stepped surface, the side surface of the pressure generating chamber in the second direction on the step
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuyuki MATSUMOTO, Tetsushi TAKAHASHI, Akira MATSUZAWA