Patents by Inventor Akira Shiota

Akira Shiota 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: 20200204087
    Abstract: A power generation system includes a power generation unit, a power storage unit, and a voltage step-down unit. The power generation unit includes a generation main body having an electrification film and a counter electrode rotating relative to each other to generate power, and an energy generator generating energy for rotating the electrification film and the counter electrode. The power storage unit stores output power of the power generation unit. The voltage step-down unit is electrically connected to the power generation unit and the power storage unit and reduces output voltage of the power generation unit to a step-down voltage. The step-down voltage obtained by dividing the most energy-efficiently generated output voltage of the power generation unit by a step-down ratio of the voltage step-down unit coincides with storage voltage corresponding to a region between first and second turning points on a discharge curve of the power storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Kimura, Akira Shiota, Makoto Watanabe, Akira Izumi
  • Patent number: 10644615
    Abstract: An electrostatic induction generator includes a housing, a first board fixed to the housing, and a second board arranged in parallel to the first board to be able move relative to it, in which electrostatic induction generator, counter electrodes are placed at a first facing surface of the first board, electrically charged films are placed at every other constant interval at a second facing surface of the second board so as to face the counter electrodes, the counter electrodes are comprised of pluralities of first electrodes and second electrodes provided separated from each other at the first facing surface, first electrodes and second electrodes are alternately arranged at constant intervals in a single line, a plurality of lines of single lines of the first electrodes and second electrodes are provided at the first facing surface, and the constant intervals of the plurality of lines respectively differ in phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoichi Nagata, Akira Shiota, Makoto Watanabe, Akira Izumi, Takashi Ihara
  • Publication number: 20180295818
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a transgenic non-human animal, which can appropriately evaluate properties, pharmacological effects and safety of a molecular targeted substance or targeted drug to a human specific molecule, and to provide a method for producing the transgenic non-human animal, which comprises a gene encoding a human specific molecule and a gene encoding a human Fc? receptor family, both genes being introduced in the animal, thereby expressing the gene encoding a human specific molecule and the gene encoding a human Fc? receptor family.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicants: Institute of Immunology Co., Ltd., Akita University
    Inventors: Akira SHIOTA, Tatsuya MIZOROKI, Yuki MORITOKI
  • Publication number: 20180026552
    Abstract: An electrostatic induction generator includes a housing, a first board fixed to the housing, and a second board arranged in parallel to the first board to be able move relative to it, in which electrostatic induction generator, counter electrodes are placed at a first facing surface of the first board, electrically charged films are placed at every other constant interval at a second facing surface of the second board so as to face the counter electrodes, the counter electrodes are comprised of pluralities of first electrodes and second electrodes provided separated from each other at the first facing surface, first electrodes and second electrodes are alternately arranged at constant intervals in a single line, a plurality of lines of single lines of the first electrodes and second electrodes are provided at the first facing surface, and the constant intervals of the plurality of lines respectively differ in phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Yoichi NAGATA, Akira SHIOTA, Makoto WATANABE, Akira IZUMI, Takashi IHARA
  • Patent number: 9529330
    Abstract: An oscillating stepping motor can reduce a required rotational angle of a rotor to drive a star wheel, reduce idle driving, cut the loss of energy required for the driving, reduce power consumption even in high-frequency driving, and stably operate. Two star wheels are located so that the tooth tips thereof are not engaged with each other. A rotor shaft includes a rotor pinion having two feed teeth at a certain aperture angle. One of the feed teeth feeds one of the driving wheels by oscillation of the rotor in one direction and the other of the feed teeth feeds the other of the driving wheels by the oscillation of the rotor in the other. The rotor then oscillates within a certain angle range, thereby sequentially rotating output gears in a certain direction by a certain angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Fukushima, Akira Shiota, Toshinari Maeda
  • Patent number: 8841875
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic watch capable of, even if an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is used, accurately determining success and failure of rotation. The electronic watch detects rotation by using a first detection mode determination circuit (12) and a second detection mode determination circuit (13). In the electronic watch, a timing counter (14) for measuring a time after an output of a normal drive pulse is followed by a detection pulse selection circuit (151) provided as changing means for changing a width or a frequency of a detection pulse in accordance with an output time of the detection pulse. The detection pulse detects the rotation and simultaneously serves as an electromagnetic brake for a rotor (10). The electromagnetic brake for the rotor (10) is controlled by changing the width or the frequency of the detection pulse in a predetermined period, thereby achieving an accurate rotation detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignees: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Citizen Watch Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yu Takyo, Toshiaki Fukushima, Akira Shiota, Toshinari Maeda, Nobuaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20130162060
    Abstract: An oscillating stepping motor can reduce a required rotational angle of a rotor to drive a star wheel, reduce idle driving, cut the loss of energy required for the driving, reduce power consumption even in high-frequency driving, and stably operate. Two star wheels are located so that the tooth tips thereof are not engaged with each other. A rotor shaft includes a rotor pinion having two feed teeth at a certain aperture angle. One of the feed teeth feeds one of the driving wheels by oscillation of the rotor in one direction and the other of the feed teeth feeds the other of the driving wheels by the oscillation of the rotor in the other. The rotor then oscillates within a certain angle range, thereby sequentially rotating output gears in a certain direction by a certain angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Toshiaki Fukushima, Akira Shiota, Toshinari Maeda
  • Publication number: 20120204640
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic watch capable of, even if an indicating hand having a large moment of inertia is used, accurately determining success and failure of rotation. The electronic watch detects rotation by using a first detection mode determination circuit (12) and a second detection mode determination circuit (13). In the electronic watch, a timing counter (14) for measuring a time after an output of a normal drive pulse is followed by a detection pulse selection circuit (151) provided as changing means for changing a width or a frequency of a detection pulse in accordance with an output time of the detection pulse. The detection pulse detects the rotation and simultaneously serves as an electromagnetic brake for a rotor (10). The electromagnetic brake for the rotor (10) is controlled by changing the width or the frequency of the detection pulse in a predetermined period, thereby achieving an accurate rotation detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicants: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD, CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Takyo, Toshiaki Fukushima, Akira Shiota, Toshinari Maeda, Nobuaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7616225
    Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of an exposure apparatus in which is stored an electric current value appropriately determined for supply to a light-emitting device, and a method for producing such an exposure apparatus. The production method according to the invention comprises the steps of supplying a reference electric current to the light-emitting device, and measuring the amount of light from each of the plurality of pixels of the light modulating device, determining whether a minimum value among the amounts of light measured from the plurality of pixels lies within a predetermined range, and determining the value of the electric current to be supplied to the light-emitting device so that the minimum value of the amounts of light falls within the predetermined range when the minimum value of the amounts of light is outside the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Shiota, Makoto Yasunaga, Sadao Masubuchi, Akinobu Iwako
  • Patent number: 7570388
    Abstract: The invention provides an exposure apparatus that outputs a stable photographic quality image unaffected by variations in ambient temperature, by suppressing the effects of the temperature variations and achieving accurate grayscale reproduction. In the exposure apparatus, input grayscale data P4 is converted into corrected grayscale data by using a conversion table for correcting for the nonlinearity of exposure density, and grayscale exposure is performed on a photosensitive material by controlling exposure conditions in an exposure head based on the corrected grayscale data; here, the conversion table actually comprises a plurality of conversion tables one for each designated temperature region, and a temperature detector is provided for detecting the ambient temperature, with provisions made to select an appropriate one of the conversion tables under the control of select data in accordance with the temperature data supplied from the temperature detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Yokoyama, Akira Shiota
  • Patent number: 7349003
    Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of an exposure apparatus that can determine a correction value for each individual light-emitting part by employing a method that detects the amount of light corresponding to one particular light-emitting part from composite light containing light rays from adjacent light-emitting parts, and also to the provision of a method for producing such an exposure apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Shiota, Makoto Yasunaga, Sadao Masubuchi, Akinobu Iwako, Masafumi Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20060290906
    Abstract: The invention provides an exposure apparatus that outputs a stable photographic quality image unaffected by variations in ambient temperature, by suppressing the effects of the temperature variations and achieving accurate grayscale reproduction. In the exposure apparatus, input grayscale data P4 is converted into corrected grayscale data by using a conversion table for correcting for the nonlinearity of exposure density, and grayscale exposure is performed on a photosensitive material by controlling exposure conditions in an exposure head based on the corrected grayscale data; here, the conversion table actually comprises a plurality of conversion tables one for each designated temperature region, and a temperature detector is provided for detecting the ambient temperature, with provisions made to select an appropriate one of the conversion tables under the control of select data in accordance with the temperature data supplied from the temperature detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Masafumi Yokoyama, Akira Shiota
  • Publication number: 20050083396
    Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of an exposure apparatus in which is stored an electric current value appropriately determined for supply to a light-emitting device, and a method for producing such an exposure apparatus. The production method according to the invention comprises the steps of supplying a reference electric current to the light-emitting device, and measuring the amount of light from each of the plurality of pixels of the light modulating device, determining whether a minimum value among the amounts of light measured from the plurality of pixels lies within a predetermined range, and determining the value of the electric current to be supplied to the light-emitting device so that the minimum value of the amounts of light falls within the predetermined range when the minimum value of the amounts of light is outside the predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: April 21, 2005
    Inventors: Akira Shiota, Makoto Yasunaga, Sadao Masubuchi, Akinobu Iwako
  • Publication number: 20050068590
    Abstract: The invention is directed to the provision of an exposure apparatus that can determine a correction value for each individual light-emitting part by employing a method that detects the amount of light corresponding to one particular light-emitting part from composite light containing light rays from adjacent light-emitting parts, and also to the provision of a method for producing such an exposure apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Inventors: Akira Shiota, Makoto Yasunaga, Sadao Masubuchi, Akinobu Iwako, Masafumi Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20040090587
    Abstract: A liquid crystal shutter wherein three shutter rows corresponding to red, green and blue, respectively, are formed on a single liquid crystal shutter substrate. Each shutter row is configured of the liquid crystal held between at least one transparent substrate formed with a common electrode and another transparent substrate formed with cell electrodes corresponding to the cell rows of each of the two shutter rows, arranged in staggered fashion, and lead electrodes. The relation Q=NP holds, where Q is the pitch of the shutter rows, P the pitch of the two cell rows, and N a positive integer larger than 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Masaaki Matsunaga, Akira Shiota, Koichi Hoshino
  • Patent number: 6720986
    Abstract: An optical printer device which includes an exposure device which makes relative movements, in a predetermined direction, with respect to a photosensitive body. The optical printer also has a plurality of first, second and third light-emitting elements which emit lights of a first, second and third colors. These light-emitting elements are mounted on a first, second and third mounting substrates, independent of one another, which correspond to the first, second and third colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadao Masubuchi, Hideyuki Kawashima, Masafumi Yokoyama, Masaaki Matsunaga, Akira Shiota
  • Patent number: 6642492
    Abstract: Calibration of the light emitting elements in an optical printer is carried out by mounting the optical printer on an external monitoring apparatus. The external monitoring apparatus comprises: a sensor mounting portion whereon a plurality of photosensors are mounted in a straight line; a signal processing circuit for processing the signals output from the photosensors; a reference voltage generating circuit; and a comparison and control circuit for comparing the output from the signal processing circuit with the reference voltage from the reference voltage generating circuit and outputting a signal based on the results of the comparison. The photosensors receive the light output from the light emitting elements, being subject to calibration, in the optical printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Shiota, Sadao Masubuchi
  • Publication number: 20020134909
    Abstract: Calibration of the light emitting elements in an optical printer is carried out by mounting the optical printer on an external monitoring apparatus. The external monitoring apparatus comprises: a sensor mounting portion whereon a plurality of photosensors are mounted in a straight line; a signal processing circuit for processing the signals output from the photosensors; a reference voltage generating circuit; and a comparison and control circuit for comparing the output from the signal processing circuit with the reference voltage from the reference voltage generating circuit and outputting a signal based on the results of the comparison. The photosensors receive the light output from the light emitting elements, being subject to calibration, in the optical printer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 1999
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventors: AKIRA SHIOTA, SADAO MASUBUCHI
  • Patent number: 6445403
    Abstract: In an optical printer apparatus designed so that an optical head (100) having an LED light source (110) therein is moved relatively to a sensitized sheet (500) and an image is formed by emitting a plurality of color light beams in regular order from the LED so that the light beams are focused at given spaces on the sensitized sheet, an image pitch P for the color light beams is substantially equal to an integer multiple of the maximum exposure distance D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sadao Masubuchi, Shigeru Futakami, Masaaki Matsunaga, Masafumi Yokoyama, Akira Shiota, Shinichi Nonaka
  • Publication number: 20020044194
    Abstract: An optical printer device comprises an exposure device which makes relative movements, in a predetermined direction, with respect to a photosensitive body. The optical printer also has a plurality of first, second and third light-emitting elements which emit lights of a first, second and third colors. These light-emitting elements are mounted on a first, second and third mounting substrates, independent of one another, which correspond to the first, second and third colors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Sadao Masubuchi, Hideyuki Kawashima, Masafumi Yokoyama, Masaaki Matsunaga, Akira Shiota