Patents by Inventor Hideki Hirakawa
Hideki Hirakawa 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).
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Patent number: 9568500Abstract: An electrical test probe according to an embodiment includes a probe main body portion having a connection end to a circuit of a probe base plate and made of a first metal material with resiliency, and a probe tip portion having a probe tip, made of a second metal material with higher hardness than that of the first metal material for the probe main body portion, and communicating with the probe main body portion, wherein the probe main body portion and the probe tip portion are provided with a current path made of an equal metal material extending from the probe tip to the connection end.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2013Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Yuko Kanazawa
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Patent number: 8975908Abstract: An embodiment disperses a force acting on a border portion between an extending portion and a pedestal portion or a reinforcing member to prevent breakage of a probe tip portion of a probe. An electrical test probe includes a probe main body, a recess provided at an end of the main body and having an inner surface, and a probe tip having a part received in the recess. The inner surface has a central area and two lateral areas on both sides of the central area, and the part of the probe tip is located at the central area and at least at either one of the lateral areas.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2011Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Takayuki Hayashizaki, Akira Soma, Hideki Hirakawa
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Patent number: 8671567Abstract: A method for manufacturing a probed for an electrical test includes producing by a deposition technique a deposit including a probe main body portion made of a nickel-boron alloy and a probe tip portion projecting downward from the probe main body portion and made of a different conductive material from the probe main body portion. The method further includes annealing the deposit. The average grain diameter of the nickel-boron alloy is between 97 ? and 170 ?. The contained amount of boron is from 0.02 wt % to 0.20 wt %.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2010Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Satoshi Kaizuka
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Publication number: 20130321016Abstract: An electrical test probe according to an embodiment includes a probe main body portion having a connection end to a circuit of a probe base plate and made of a first metal material with resiliency, and a probe tip portion having a probe tip, made of a second metal material with higher hardness than that of the first metal material for the probe main body portion, and communicating with the probe main body portion, wherein the probe main body portion and the probe tip portion are provided with a current path made of an equal metal material extending from the probe tip to the connection end.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2013Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Hideki HIRAKAWA, Yuko KANAZAWA
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Publication number: 20120068726Abstract: An embodiment disperses a force acting on a border portion between an extending portion and a pedestal portion or a reinforcing member to prevent breakage of a probe tip portion of a probe. An electrical test probe includes a probe main body, a recess provided at an end of the main body and having an inner surface, and a probe tip having a part received in the recess. The inner surface has a central area and two lateral areas on both sides of the central area, and the part of the probe tip is located at the central area and at least at either one of the lateral areas.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Takayuki HAYASHIZAKI, Akira SOMA, Hideki HIRAKAWA
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Patent number: 7983912Abstract: A speech recognition apparatus includes a generation unit generating a recognition candidate associated with a speech utterance and a likelihood; a storing unit storing the one recognition; a selecting unit selecting the recognition candidate as a recognition result of a first speech utterance; an utterance relation determining unit determining whether a second speech utterance which is input after the input of the first speech utterance is a speech re-utterance of a whole of the first speech utterance or a speech re-utterance of a part of the first speech utterance; a whole correcting unit correcting the recognition candidate of the whole of the first speech utterance when the second speech utterance is the whole of the first speech utterance; and a part correcting unit correcting the recognition candidate for the part of the first speech utterance when the second speech utterance is the part of the first speech utterance.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2006Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Tetsuro Chino
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Patent number: 7960988Abstract: An electrical test contactor comprises a contactor main body including a plate-shaped attachment portion extending in the up-down direction, a plate-shaped arm portion extending from the lower end portion of the attachment portion at least to one side in the right-left direction, and a plate-shaped pedestal portion projecting downward from the tip end portion of the arm portion, a contact portion projecting downward from the lower end of the pedestal portion and having the lower end of the contact portion acting as a probe tip, and a resistor having a higher resistance value than the contactor main body and the contact portion and arranged at the contactor main body so as to heighten the resistance value of the contactor.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Yoshiyuki Fukami, Kazuya Numajiri, Osamu Arai, Hideki Hirakawa
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Publication number: 20110115515Abstract: The embodiment of the subject matter provides a probe that is good both in mechanical characteristics and electrical characteristics. A probe for an electrical test comprises a probe main body portion made of a nickel-boron alloy, and a probe tip portion projecting downward from the probe main body portion and made of a different conductive material from that for the probe main body portion. The crystal size of the nickel-boron alloy is 50 nm at the maximum, and the contained amount of the boron is 0.02 wt % or more and 0.20 wt % or less.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2010Publication date: May 19, 2011Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Hideki HIRAKAWA, Satoshi KAIZUKA
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Patent number: 7888958Abstract: A probe for current test is provided. The probe includes a probe body having a plate-like connection portion whose end face becomes a connection face to a probe board, a solder layer formed on at least one side face of said connection portion, and a guide portion formed on the connection portion. The guide portion penetrates the connection portion in its thickness direction from the one side face with the solder layer formed to the other side face. When the solder layer is melted, the guide portion guides a portion of the melted solder to the other side face.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2006Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Akira Souma, Yoshikazu Urushiyama, Masahisa Tazawa, Tomoya Sato, Hideki Hirakawa, Takayuki Hayashizaki
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Patent number: 7862733Abstract: The present invention provides a probe manufacturing method in which, after a metal material for a probe is deposited on a base table, the probe can be detached from the base table relatively easily. A sacrificial layer is formed on a base table. The sacrificial layer is partially removed so as to form a recess in the sacrificial layer. A mask that exposes an area formed in a desired probe flat surface shape containing the recess is formed on the sacrificial layer. A probe material exhibiting different etching resistance characteristics from those of the sacrificial layer is deposited in the area exposed from the mask. By the deposition of the material, a coupling portion corresponding to the recess and a probe that is integral with the coupling portion are formed. After the mask is removed, the sacrificial layer is removed with use of etchant. Thereafter, the probe held on the base table at the coupling portion is detached from the base table together with the coupling portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2007Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Takayuki Hayashizaki, Hideki Hirakawa, Akira Soma, Kazuhito Hamada
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Patent number: 7816931Abstract: A contact comprises a contact body at least provided with an arm region extending in the right-left direction, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of the arm region. The tip region is provided with a pedestal portion integrally continuous to the lower edge portion on the front end side of the arm region, and a contact portion projecting downward from the lower end portion of the pedestal portion and having a tip to be brought into contact with an electrode of a device under test at the lower end. The pedestal portion includes an underside region having at least four inclined faces located around the contact portion when the tip region is seen from below, and inclined such that a portion closer to the side of the contact portion becomes lower.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2009Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Akira Soma, Yuko Yamada
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Publication number: 20100213956Abstract: A probe for current test comprising: a probe body having a plate-like connection portion whose end face becomes a connection face to a probe board; a solder layer formed on at least one side face of said connection portion; and a guide portion formed on the connection portion, penetrating the connection portion in its thickness direction from the one side face with the solder layer formed to the other side face, and when the solder layer is melted, capable of guiding a portion thereof to the other side face.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2006Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Akira Souma, Yoshikazu Urushiyama, Masahisa Tazawa, Tomoya Sato, Hideki Hirakawa, Takayuki Hayashizaki
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Patent number: 7747871Abstract: An information recording apparatus comprises an encryption section encrypting contents information and also a license condition referred to to limit use of the contents information and a decoding key for decoding the encrypted contents information to generate license information, and a recording section recording the encrypted contents information and the generated license information on a recording medium. An information reproducing apparatus comprises a decoder unit decoding the license information recorded on the recording medium using a second decoding key for decoding the license information and deciding on the basis of the license condition contained in the decoded license information whether the contents information can be used. If it is decided that the contents information can be used, the encrypted contents information recorded on the recording medium is decoded using the first decoding key contained in the decoded license information.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2002Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Toru Kambayashi, Koichiro Akiyama, Shuichi Tsujimoto, Kazuo Sumita, Hideki Hirakawa, Toshihiro Sugaya
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Patent number: 7736690Abstract: A probe tip section of an electrical test probe has a laminated structure consisting of a first deposition portion and a second deposition portion covering the first deposition portion, and by the laminated structure, a maximum cross-sectional area portion at which the cross-sectional area of the probe tip section is increased to a base portion is provided between a tip end of the probe tip section and the base portion in the probe tip section. At the maximum cross-sectional area portion, a dimension in the X direction as seen on a flat surface perpendicular to a protruding direction of the probe tip section is increased in a one-dimensional way, and in addition, a dimension in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction is increased from the tip end toward the base portion, as a result of which the cross-sectional area of the probe tip section can be increased in a two-dimensional way.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2008Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Yuko Yamada, Yosuke Yoshizawa, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Akira Soma, Shinji Kuniyoshi
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Patent number: 7721429Abstract: A probe formed on a base table is detached from the base table without giving damage on the probe. The present invention provides a probe manufacturing method comprising the steps of forming on a sacrificial layer on a base table a recess exposing the sacrificial layer with a resist, depositing a probe material in the recess to form a probe and then removing the resist, leaving part of the sacrificial layer and removing the rest by an etching process, and detaching from the base table the probe held on the base table by the remaining part of the sacrificial layer. In the recess of the resist are formed a main body part corresponding to a flat surface shape of the probe and an auxiliary part continuing into the main body part. The probe is formed by deposition of the material at the main body part, and a holding portion is formed by deposition of the material at the auxiliary part.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2008Date of Patent: May 25, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Akira Soma, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Yosuke Yoshizawa, Hideki Hirakawa
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Patent number: 7679389Abstract: A probe includes an arm region extending in the back and forth direction, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of the arm region. The tip region has a pedestal portion integrally continuous to a lower edge portion at the front end side of the arm region and having an underside inclined to an imaginary axis extending in the vertical direction; and a contact portion projected from the underside of the pedestal portion and having a tip orthogonal to an imaginary axis. Thus, the position of the tip can be accurately determined.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2005Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Shinji Kuniyoshi, Hideki Hirakawa, Akira Soma, Takayuki Hayashizaki
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Patent number: 7629807Abstract: A probe for electrical test comprises a plate-shaped main portion having a base end to be attached to a support board and a tip end opposite the base end, and a probe tip portion arranged at the tip end of the main portion and having a probe tip to contact an electrode of a device under test, the main portion being made of a tenacity material. The main portion includes a conductive material extending from the base end to the tip end and at least part of which is buried within the tenacity material, and the tenacity material has higher resiliency than that of the conductive material while the conductive material has higher conductivity than that of the tenacity material. As a result, disorder of a signal provided via the probe is decreased without losing elastic deformation.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2005Date of Patent: December 8, 2009Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Akira Soma, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Shinji Kuniyoshi, Masahisa Tazawa
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Publication number: 20090230982Abstract: A contact comprises a contact body at least provided with an arm region extending in the right-left direction, and a tip region extending downward from the front end portion of the arm region. The tip region is provided with a pedestal portion integrally continuous to the lower edge portion on the front end side of the arm region, and a contact portion projecting downward from the lower end portion of the pedestal portion and having a tip to be brought into contact with an electrode of a device under test at the lower end. The pedestal portion includes an underside region having at least four inclined faces located around the contact portion when the tip region is seen from below, and inclined such that a portion closer to the side of the contact portion becomes lower.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2009Publication date: September 17, 2009Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA NIHON MICRONICSInventors: Hideki HIRAKAWA, Takayuki HAYASHIZAKI, Akira SOMA, Yuko YAMADA
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Patent number: 7586321Abstract: An electrical test probe comprises a probe tip portion and a probe main body portion having a pedestal portion on which the probe tip portion is formed to be protruded. The probe main body portion is made of a conductive material that is greater in toughness than the probe tip portion, and the probe tip portion is made of a conductive material that is higher in hardness than the material of the probe main body portion. On the pedestal portion is provided a probe tip reinforcement portion that contacts at least one side surface of the probe tip portion, extends toward a tip of the probe tip portion, and permits the tip of the probe tip portion to be protruded from its extending end in the extending direction. Also, the probe tip portion may be in a multi-layer structure having a first metal material layer that is higher in hardness than the tough metal material forming the probe main body portion and a second metal material layer that is greater in toughness than the first metal material layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2007Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Akira Soma, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Shinji Kuniyoshi
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Patent number: 7557593Abstract: A probe for electrical test comprises a probe body having a base end attached to a support base plate through a solder and a front end continuous with said base end and a surface layer showing a conductivity higher than that of the probe body and a solder wettability higher than that of the probe body and extending on the surface of the probe body from the base end to the front end. In the vicinity of the base end of the surface layer, a shield region having a smaller solder wettability than that of the surface layer is formed across the surface layer.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2007Date of Patent: July 7, 2009Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Nihon MicronicsInventors: Hideki Hirakawa, Akira Souma, Takayuki Hayashizaki, Shinji Kuniyoshi