Patents by Inventor Akira Nikami

Akira Nikami 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: 5946032
    Abstract: A camera shake correcting apparatus includes a variable angular prism assembly, a microcomputer to produce signals for driving the variable angular prism assembly, prism actuators, vertical angle sensors, angular velocity sensors for detecting an angular velocity caused by the camera shaking, and damping coils. The variable angular prism assembly is driven by a signal obtained by subtracting detected results of the vertical angle sensors from detected results of the angular velocity sensors. A damping coil is used to produce rotational angular velocity signals so that a nonlinearity of the prism can be alleviated. The phase margin of the servo characteristic of the prism drive system is increased, so that the camera shake correcting apparatus can be generally independent of variations in values and dimensions that occur in mass-production manufacturing operations and free of dependency on temperature characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Ishizuka, Koichi Sato, Akira Nikami, Mitsuru Sato
  • Patent number: 5914495
    Abstract: A disc defect inspection apparatus which can detect a defect of a disc, such as an optical disc, with high accuracy. A disc defect inspection apparatus includes a rotating portion for rotating a disc, laser radiating optical portion for radiating laser lights on the disc rotated by the rotating portion under predetermined scanning conditions, sensors for detecting reflected laser lights from the disc, and a memory in which output signals of the sensors are stored together with address data generated in unison with the scanning of laser lights. Sensor outputs indicative of address positions of the disc are stored in the memory and sensor outputs near the address positions are read out and a defect of the disc is detected on the basis of a spatial difference among the nearby sensor outputs and the sensor output of the center address position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Ishizuka, Koichi Sato, Akira Nikami, Mitsuru Sato, Yoshitake Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 5623305
    Abstract: A camera shake correcting apparatus includes a variable angular prism assembly, a microcomputer to produce signals for driving the variable angular prism assembly, prism actuators, vertical angle sensors, angular velocity sensors for detecting an angular velocity caused by the camera shaking, and damping coils. The variable angular prism assembly is driven by a signal obtained by subtracting detected results of the vertical angle sensors from detected results of the angular velocity sensors. A damping coil is used to produce rotational angular velocity signals so that a nonlinearity of the prism can be alleviated. The phase margin of the servo characteristic of the prism drive system is increased, so that the camera shake correcting apparatus can be generally independent of variations in values and dimensions that occur in mass-production manufacturing operations and free of dependency on temperature characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1997
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Ishizuka, Koichi Sato, Akira Nikami, Mitsuru Sato
  • Patent number: 5386182
    Abstract: A motor driving PWM signal generating circuit (1) includes a read-only memory (ROM) (2) in which there is stored data of a PWM signal corresponding to 0 to 180 degrees of a sine wave. A signal representative of an arbitrary rotary phase is supplied to the generating circuit (1) which generates a PWM output signal having a duty ratio of 50% to 100% corresponding to a sine wave of, for example, 0.degree. to 180.degree. degrees. Also, the generating circuit (1) generated signals representative of 0.degree. to 180.degree. degrees of the rotary phase and 180.degree. to 360.degree. degrees of the rotary phase as DIR output signals. The PWM signal and the DIR output signal from the generating circuit (1) are supplied to an exclusive-OR circuit (3). A signal from the exclusive-OR circuit (3) is supplied to an IN input of an H-type bridge driver circuit (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nikami
  • Patent number: 4283737
    Abstract: In an apparatus for reproducing video signals recorded in successive, obliquely extending parallel tracks on a record tape with the horizontal synchronizing pulses of video signals recorded in nearby tracks being offset from each other by a predetermined distance in the direction along the tracks, and wherein at least one reproducing head is repeatedly moved across the tape in a scanning path which conforms to the direction along the tracks for reproducing from only one of the tracks at a time when the tape is driven or transported at a standard or normal reproducing speed, but which is at an angle to the direction along the tracks to cause the head to reproduce from one of the tracks and then from another of the nearby tracks when the tape is driven at a different reproducing speed; a delay circuit is provided for delaying the reproduced video signals by an amount corresponding to the offset distance between the horizontal synchronizing pulses recorded in nearby tracks, and, when operating with such differen
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1981
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nikami
  • Patent number: 4081728
    Abstract: A DC motor control circuit is provided with a starter circuit responsive to the frequency of a rotational signal derived from a signal generator attached to the DC motor. The starter circuit includes a monostable multivibrator which ceases to operate when the frequency of the rotational signal exceeds a predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1978
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Nikami, Choei Kuriki
  • Patent number: 3942042
    Abstract: A pulse waveform generator circuit which is suitable for integrated circuit construction is disclosed. The invention functions as a square-wave generator for switching the outputs of tape scanning heads in a video tape recorder. The circuit includes: a first pulse generator for producing a first pulse signal with a predetermined pulse width and a second pulse generator which produces a second pulse signal with predetermined pulse width between two of the adjacent first pulse signals; a flip-flop circuit set by the first pulse signal at its leading edge and reset by the second pulse signal at its leading edge; a first logic circuit which is supplied with an output signal from the flip-flop circuit and the second pulse signal to produce a third pulse signal which is held in one state from the trailing edge of the second pulse signal to the leading edge of the first pulse signal; and a second logic circuit which is supplied with the third and first pulse signals to produce a desired pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1976
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nikami