Patents by Inventor Hikaru Iwai

Hikaru Iwai 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: 11910720
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric device and an MEMS device whose size can be reduced. The piezoelectric device includes: a first substrate that includes a first surface on which a piezoelectric element and a first electrode coupled to the piezoelectric element are disposed; a second substrate that includes a second surface on which a second electrode configured to be coupled to a control circuit is disposed; and a third substrate that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and includes a third surface bonded to the first surface and a fourth surface facing the second surface, in which the third substrate has a through hole passing through from the third surface to the fourth surface, and a third electrode provided in the through hole and coupled to the first electrode, and the second electrode is coupled to the third electrode and is electrically coupled to the first electrode via the third electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Osawa, Hikaru Iwai
  • Patent number: 11806753
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an ultrasonic sensor, a wiring member, and a housing, in which the wiring member has a covered wire that covers a signal line coupled to the ultrasonic sensor via an insulating layer, and a conductive member that is electrically coupled with the covered wire, the housing has a plurality of housing components having conductivity, and covers the ultrasonic sensor with the plurality of housing components, and the conductive member is electrically coupled to and held by the plurality of housing components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi Yamada, Hikaru Iwai, Mitsuru Miyasaka, Yoshio Arai
  • Patent number: 11802017
    Abstract: An ultrasonic apparatus includes a first ultrasonic sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave to an object and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object, a second ultrasonic sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the object and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object, an determination circuit that outputs an error signal when the difference between a first distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the object calculated based on ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing using the first ultrasonic sensor and a second distance between the second ultrasonic sensor and the object calculated based on ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing using the second ultrasonic sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi Yamada, Hikaru Iwai, Shinya Yamazaki, Osamu Murayama
  • Publication number: 20230329121
    Abstract: An electronic device includes elements, a first substrate including a first surface having a first electrode coupled to the elements and a second electrode coupled to the elements, and a second substrate having a second surface and a third surface and placed with the second surface facing the first surface, wherein the second substrate has a first opening penetrating the second substrate in a position corresponding to the first electrode, and a second opening penetrating the second substrate in a position corresponding to the second electrode, a first through electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode is provided in the first opening, a second through electrode electrically coupled to the second electrode is provided in the second opening, in a plan view of the third surface, an area of the first through electrode is larger than an area of the first opening and an area of the second through electrode is larger than an area of the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Hikaru IWAI, Masahiro KOMATSU, Kanechika KIYOSE, Hiroshi MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20230208990
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an ultrasonic element configured to perform at least one of transmission of an ultrasonic wave along a first axis and reception of the ultrasonic wave input along the first axis, and a protective member provided on the first axis to cover the ultrasonic element. The protective member has a first surface provided with at least one hole through which the ultrasonic wave travelling along the first axis passes, and a second surface intersecting with the first surface and provided with a first opening through which foreign matter entering from the at least one hole is discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Masayoshi YAMADA, Hikaru IWAI, Shigeaki MURAMATSU, Toshiya OKADA
  • Publication number: 20230158547
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first substrate including a first face on which a common terminal to be coupled to the element is disposed, and a second substrate which has a second face and a third face, and which is arranged so that the second face faces to the first face, wherein the second substrate has a first through hole at a position corresponding to the common terminal, the first through hole penetrating from the second face to the third face, a first through electrode electrically coupled to the common terminal is disposed in the first through hole, and a void is disposed in a part of the first through electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Eiji OSAWA, Hikaru IWAI, Masahiro KOMATSU
  • Publication number: 20230041175
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a first substrate including a first surface on which a first electrode coupled to a piezoelectric element is placed, a second substrate including a second surface on which a second electrode is placed, an intermediate substrate placed between the first substrate and the second substrate and including a third surface joined to the first surface and a fourth surface facing the second surface, and a bonding portion, wherein the intermediate substrate has a through hole penetrating from the third surface to the fourth surface and a third electrode provided in the through hole and coupled to the first electrode, the second electrode is coupled to the third electrode and electrically coupled to the first electrode via the third electrode, a plurality of the bonding portions are provided in island shapes apart from one another between the second substrate and the intermediate substrate, and at least one of the bonding portions is provided to surround the third electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Eiji OSAWA, Hikaru IWAI
  • Patent number: 11371865
    Abstract: A sensor unit includes a sensor device, a holder that holds the sensor device and includes a surface maintained at a reference potential, and a case that houses the holder, in which the case includes a mounting surface in contact with a mounting object, and the mounting surface is provided with a communication portion that causes an inside and an outside of the case to communicate with each other, and the holder includes a protrusion that protrudes from the communication portion and comes in contact with the mounting object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi Yamada, Hikaru Iwai, Kanechika Kiyose
  • Patent number: 11180333
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an ultrasonic element that performs at least one of transmitting an ultrasonic wave along a first axis and receiving the ultrasonic wave input along the first axis, and a protective member that is provided on the first axis and covers the ultrasonic element, in which the protective member has a plurality of pores through which the ultrasonic wave traveling along the first axis passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventors: Masayoshi Yamada, Hikaru Iwai, Kanechika Kiyose
  • Publication number: 20210202823
    Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric device and an MEMS device whose size can be reduced. The piezoelectric device includes: a first substrate that includes a first surface on which a piezoelectric element and a first electrode coupled to the piezoelectric element are disposed; a second substrate that includes a second surface on which a second electrode configured to be coupled to a control circuit is disposed; and a third substrate that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and includes a third surface bonded to the first surface and a fourth surface facing the second surface, in which the third substrate has a through hole passing through from the third surface to the fourth surface, and a third electrode provided in the through hole and coupled to the first electrode, and the second electrode is coupled to the third electrode and is electrically coupled to the first electrode via the third electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Eiji OSAWA, Hikaru IWAI
  • Publication number: 20210163245
    Abstract: An ultrasonic apparatus includes a first ultrasonic sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave to an object and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object, a second ultrasonic sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave to the object and receives the ultrasonic wave reflected by the object, an determination circuit that outputs an error signal when the difference between a first distance between the first ultrasonic sensor and the object calculated based on ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing using the first ultrasonic sensor and a second distance between the second ultrasonic sensor and the object calculated based on ultrasonic wave transmission and reception processing using the second ultrasonic sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Masayoshi YAMADA, Hikaru IWAI, Shinya YAMAZAKI, Osamu MURAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11018291
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a vibration portion, a first electrode, a piezoelectric body, and a second electrode which are laminated in this order in a laminate direction, in which an outer circumferential edge of the first electrode is larger than an outer circumferential edge of the piezoelectric body in a plan view across the laminate direction, in which the piezoelectric body includes an active portion that is provided in the vibration portion, and an extraction portion that is connected to the active portion and is provided over the inside and the outside of the vibration portion, in which a width dimension of the extraction portion is smaller than a width dimension of the active portion, and in which the second electrode is provided on the active portion and the extraction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventors: Chikara Kojima, Koji Ohashi, Hikaru Iwai, Kanechika Kiyose
  • Publication number: 20210094071
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an ultrasonic sensor, a wiring member, and a housing, in which the wiring member has a covered wire that covers a signal line coupled to the ultrasonic sensor via an insulating layer, and a conductive member that is electrically coupled with the covered wire, the housing has a plurality of housing components having conductivity, and covers the ultrasonic sensor with the plurality of housing components, and the conductive member is electrically coupled to and held by the plurality of housing components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Masayoshi YAMADA, Hikaru IWAI, Mitsuru MIYASAKA, Yoshio ARAI
  • Publication number: 20200191618
    Abstract: A sensor unit includes a sensor device, a holder that holds the sensor device and includes a surface maintained at a reference potential, and a case that houses the holder, in which the case includes a mounting surface in contact with a mounting object, and the mounting surface is provided with a communication portion that causes an inside and an outside of the case to communicate with each other, and the holder includes a protrusion that protrudes from the communication portion and comes in contact with the mounting object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi YAMADA, Hikaru IWAI, Kanechika KIYOSE
  • Patent number: 10605915
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an element substrate provided with an ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an array, and having a first surface and a second surface located on an opposite side to the first surface, a terminal part disposed on the first surface of the element substrate, and outside the ultrasonic transducer array in a planar view viewed from a normal direction of the first surface, and electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducers, and a reinforcing plate disposed on the second surface of the element substrate in an area overlapping the terminal part in the planar view, and higher in bending rigidity than the element substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kanechika Kiyose, Hikaru Iwai
  • Publication number: 20200039774
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an ultrasonic element that performs at least one of transmitting an ultrasonic wave along a first axis and receiving the ultrasonic wave input along the first axis, and a protective member that is provided on the first axis and covers the ultrasonic element, in which the protective member has a plurality of pores through which the ultrasonic wave traveling along the first axis passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Masayoshi YAMADA, Hikaru IWAI, Kanechika KIYOSE
  • Patent number: 10203404
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes: a substrate disposed across an XY plane; a plurality of spaces formed in the substrate in at least one direction of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction; a vibrating plate that is provided on the substrate such that the spaces are enclosed and that has a first surface on the substrate side and a second surface facing the first surface; a piezoelectric element that is provided at a portion on the second surface side of the vibrating plate that corresponds to the space and that transmits and/or receives an ultrasonic wave; a surrounding plate that is provided on the second surface side of the vibrating plate and surrounds a peripheral region of the piezoelectric element; and a support member provided at a position, at which the support member is not overlapped with the piezoelectric element, between a surface of the surrounding plate on the piezoelectric element side and the second surface of the vibrating plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Ohashi, Chikara Kojima, Hikaru Iwai
  • Publication number: 20180182949
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes a vibration portion, a first electrode, a piezoelectric body, and a second electrode which are laminated in this order in a laminate direction, in which an outer circumferential edge of the first electrode is larger than an outer circumferential edge of the piezoelectric body in a plan view across the laminate direction, in which the piezoelectric body includes an active portion that is provided in the vibration portion, and an extraction portion that is connected to the active portion and is provided over the inside and the outside of the vibration portion, in which a width dimension of the extraction portion is smaller than a width dimension of the active portion, and in which the second electrode is provided on the active portion and the extraction portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Chikara KOJIMA, Koji OHASHI, Hikaru IWAI, Kanechika KIYOSE
  • Publication number: 20170031024
    Abstract: An ultrasonic device includes an element substrate provided with an ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an array, and having a first surface and a second surface located on an opposite side to the first surface, a terminal part disposed on the first surface of the element substrate, and outside the ultrasonic transducer array in a planar view viewed from a normal direction of the first surface, and electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducers, and a reinforcing plate disposed on the second surface of the element substrate in an area overlapping the terminal part in the planar view, and higher in bending rigidity than the element substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Kanechika KIYOSE, Hikaru IWAI
  • Publication number: 20160282454
    Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes: a substrate disposed across an XY plane; a plurality of spaces formed in the substrate in at least one direction of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction; a vibrating plate that is provided on the substrate such that the spaces are enclosed and that has a first surface on the substrate side and a second surface facing the first surface; a piezoelectric element that is provided at a portion on the second surface side of the vibrating plate that corresponds to the space and that transmits and/or receives an ultrasonic wave; a surrounding plate that is provided on the second surface side of the vibrating plate and surrounds a peripheral region of the piezoelectric element; and a support member provided at a position, at which the support member is not overlapped with the piezoelectric element, between a surface of the surrounding plate on the piezoelectric element side and the second surface of the vibrating plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Koji OHASHI, Chikara KOJIMA, Hikaru IWAI