Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Tojo
Hiroaki Tojo 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: 8233083Abstract: A camera module includes a lens barrel, a lens holder, an image pickup device, and a plurality of springs supporting the lens holder in such a manner that the lens holder is movable along an optical axis of an imaging optical system. Each of the springs includes first and second arm portions extending perpendicularly to each other in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Each of the first and second arm portions includes two parallel spring strips that are connected to each other by an arc portion. One of the spring strips of the first arm portion is connected to one of the spring strips of the second arm portion. The other one of the spring strips of the first arm portion is attached to the lens holder, and the other one of the spring strips of the second arm portion is attached to the lens barrel.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Kazuhiko Takatsuka, Hiroaki Tojo, Masashi Nishimoto
-
Patent number: 7738195Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a plurality of lenses disposed in an outer enclosure; an imaging device that converts image light introduced through the plurality of lenses into an image signal; a first movable unit including a first movable lens and a first lens holder that holds the first movable lens; a second movable unit including a second movable lens and a second lens holder that holds the second movable lens; a first lead screw rotated by a first drive motor; a second lead screw rotated by a second drive motor; a first nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the first lead screw and connected to the first lens holder; and a second nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the second lead screw and connected to the second lens holder.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroshi Mashima, Naoyuki Ohno, Hironori Shimizu, Kazuhiko Takatsuka, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Publication number: 20090316040Abstract: A camera module includes a lens barrel, a lens holder, an image pickup device, and a plurality of springs supporting the lens holder in such a manner that the lens holder is movable along an optical axis of an imaging optical system. Each of the springs includes first and second arm portions extending perpendicularly to each other in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Each of the first and second arm portions includes two parallel spring strips that are connected to each other by an arc portion. One of the spring strips of the first arm portion is connected to one of the spring strips of the second arm portion. The other one of the spring strips of the first arm portion is attached to the lens holder, and the other one of the spring strips of the second arm portion is attached to the lens barrel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2009Publication date: December 24, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Kazuhiko TAKATSUKA, Hiroaki TOJO, Masashi NISHIMOTO
-
Publication number: 20090109555Abstract: A lens barrel includes: a plurality of lenses disposed in an outer enclosure; an imaging device that converts image light introduced through the plurality of lenses into an image signal; a first movable unit including a first movable lens and a first lens holder that holds the first movable lens; a second movable unit including a second movable lens and a second lens holder that holds the second movable lens; a first lead screw rotated by a first drive motor; a second lead screw rotated by a second drive motor; a first nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the first lead screw and connected to the first lens holder; and a second nut member made of a metal material threadably engaging the second lead screw and connected to the second lens holder.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2008Publication date: April 30, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroshi Mashima, Naoyuki Ohno, Hironori Shimizu, Kazuhiko Takatsuka, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Publication number: 20080084448Abstract: A printing device that facilitates processes requested in relation to a print recording medium reservoir. When a contact detecting switch 25 is turned on by a proximate ink cartridge CA, a personal computer PC identifies the proximate ink cartridge CA. The personal computer PC, in the event that the duration of sustained proximity of the proximate ink cartridge CA is longer than a predetermined time interval Tref, reads out the remaining quantity of ink from the memory device module M of the proximate ink cartridge CA and displays this on an external display device 40. In the event that the duration of sustained proximity is shorter than predetermined time interval Tref, the personal computer PC drives the carriage 101 so as to move an ink cartridge CA installed on carriage 101 corresponding to the proximate ink cartridge CA to a replacement opening 14.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2007Publication date: April 10, 2008Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takakazu Fukano, Hiroaki Tojo, Toshiko Tojo
-
Patent number: 7314271Abstract: A printing device that facilitates processes requested in relation to a print recording medium reservoir. When a contact detecting switch 25 is turned on by a proximate ink cartridge CA, a personal computer PC identifies the proximate ink cartridge CA. The personal computer PC, in the event that the duration of sustained proximity of the proximate ink cartridge CA is longer than a predetermined time interval Tref, reads out the remaining quantity of ink from the memory device module M of the proximate ink cartridge CA and displays this on an external display device 40. In the event that the duration of sustained proximity is shorter than predetermined time interval Tref, the personal computer PC drives the carriage 101 so as to move an ink cartridge CA installed on carriage 101 corresponding to the proximate ink cartridge CA to a replacement opening 14.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2003Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takakazu Fukano, Toshiko Tojo, legal representative, Hiroaki Tojo, deceased
-
Patent number: 7309176Abstract: A lens barrel including a base and a collapsible barrel provided so as to collapse into and expand out of the base, the barrel including a lens constituting an image-capturing optical system for introducing an image of an object, a lens frame for holding the lens, and an operational unit provided in the lens frame for performing an operation relating to image capture based on a control signal supplied thereto, the lens barrel including a flexible substrate provided within the lens barrel for supplying the control signal from an electric circuit provided outside the barrel to the operational unit; wherein the flexible substrate has a first interconnect section to which the control signal is supplied; and a second interconnect section provided separately from the first interconnect section and having an end connected onto the lens frame and another end electrically connected to a ground potential.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2005Date of Patent: December 18, 2007Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Satoshi Shirakata, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Publication number: 20070092246Abstract: A lens barrel includes a light amount adjuster including a shutter to open an opening portion of a lens system upon non-shooting and which can be moved in the optical axis direction of the lens system, an adjacent member having an optical element adjacent to the light amount adjuster so as to become movable relative to the optical axis direction and which can be inserted into the opening portion and a space restricting member interposed between the light amount adjuster and the adjacent member and which prevents the optical element from being inserted into the opening portion upon shooting.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2006Publication date: April 26, 2007Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Nobuaki Aoki, Tatsuo Kureishi, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Publication number: 20050265710Abstract: A lens barrel including a base and a collapsible barrel provided so as to collapse into and expand out of the base, the barrel including a lens constituting an image-capturing optical system for introducing an image of an object, a lens frame for holding the lens, and an operational unit provided in the lens frame for performing an operation relating to image capture based on a control signal supplied thereto, the lens barrel including a flexible substrate provided within the lens barrel for supplying the control signal from an electric circuit provided outside the barrel to the operational unit; wherein the flexible substrate has a first interconnect section to which the control signal is supplied; and a second interconnect section provided separately from the first interconnect section and having an end connected onto the lens frame and another end electrically connected to a ground potential.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2005Publication date: December 1, 2005Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Satoshi Shirakata, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Publication number: 20030218651Abstract: A printing device that facilitates processes requested in relation to a print recording medium reservoir. When a contact detecting switch 25 is turned on by a proximate ink cartridge CA, a personal computer PC identifies the proximate ink cartridge CA. The personal computer PC, in the event that the duration of sustained proximity of the proximate ink cartridge CA is longer than a predetermined time interval Tref, reads out the remaining quantity of ink from the memory device module M of the proximate ink cartridge CA and displays this on an external display device 40. In the event that the duration of sustained proximity is shorter than predetermined time interval Tref, the personal computer PC drives the carriage 101 so as to move an ink cartridge CA installed on carriage 101 corresponding to the proximate ink cartridge CA to a replacement opening 14.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2003Publication date: November 27, 2003Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATIONInventors: Takakazu Fukano, Toshiko Tojo, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Patent number: 6357849Abstract: A printing apparatus of the present invention includes a print head having a plurality of nozzles, from which ink droplets are ejected, a light detection unit that has a light emitting element and a light receiving element and determines the active or inactive state of the nozzles based on whether or not the light beam is intercepted by ink droplets, and a carriage that moves the print head relative to the light detection unit. The light beam emitted from the light emitting element has an optical axis that is inclined at a predetermined angle to a nozzle array. At least part of the plurality of nozzles are inspected while the print head is moving relative to the light detection unit at a fixed speed.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1999Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Jinichi Takizawa, Toshihisa Saruta, Hiroaki Tojo, Hironori Endo
-
Publication number: 20020018090Abstract: A printing apparatus of the present invention includes a print head having a plurality of nozzles, from which ink droplets are ejected, a light detection unit that has a light emitting element and a light receiving element and determines the active or inactive state of the nozzles based on whether or not the light beam is intercepted by ink droplets, and a carriage that moves the print head relative to the light detection unit. The light beam emitted from the light emitting element has an optical axis that is inclined at a predetermined angle to a nozzle array. At least part of the plurality of nozzles are inspected while the print head is moving relative to the light detection unit at a fixed speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 1999Publication date: February 14, 2002Applicant: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Jinichi Takazawa , Toshihisa Saruta , Hiroaki Tojo , Hironori Endo
-
Patent number: 6217149Abstract: An ink jet printer that produces a multi-value output of a multi-tone image. The printer includes a main scan driving unit that drives print head with two nozzle arrays in a main scanning direction relative to a printing medium. Each nozzle array has a preset number of nozzles arranged in a fixed nozzle interval. A sub-scan driving unit drives the printing medium in a sub-scanning direction. A driving unit controller controls the main scan driving unit and the sub-scan driving unit to locate the print head at the determined positions. The print head driving unit supplies electric power for the print head based on print image data which includes multi-value tone information which is stored in the data storage unit. The binary output is based on the jetting or nonjetting of ink and the positional control by the driving unit controller causes the print head driving unit to superpose dots on the dots that have already been formed so as to carry out multi-value outputs.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1998Date of Patent: April 17, 2001Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akira Takagi, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Patent number: 5844583Abstract: An ink jet recording method which can simply realize a plurality of resolutions in a single printer without varying the amount of ink per droplet is disclosed. An ink jet recording method comprises the steps of: selecting a recording medium; changing an image resolution depending on the selected recording medium; and ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form ink dots thereon, wherein the amount of ink of the droplet is constant when the resolution is changed, and wherein the image resolution is changed so that ink penetrability or ink repellency of the recording medium makes the diameters of the ink dots on the recording medium fall in the range of from 100 to 160% of diagonal dot pitch of the resolution.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1995Date of Patent: December 1, 1998Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Onishi, Junichi Iida, Masaaki Itano, Akio Owatari, Hiroaki Tojo
-
Patent number: 5686944Abstract: In an ink jet printer, a print head includes (N+1) nozzles arrayed in the paper feed direction. The distance between the adjacent nozzles is K times as long as the dot line pitch P. N and K are each an integer larger than 2, and mutually prime. The quantity of ink droplet discharged from each nozzle is adjusted so as to form on a print paper, dots each having the diameter at least 1.4 times as long as the dot line pitch. An interlaced print as the combination of a print of paths made by the N successive upper nozzles of the print head and a paper feed of N print line pitches is used for the print on the most part of the print paper. A minute-feed print as the combination of a print of paths made by the N successive upper or lower nozzles of the print head and a paper feed of one print line pitch is used for the print on the upper and lower end areas of the print paper that reject a perfect print by the interlaced print.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1995Date of Patent: November 11, 1997Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Akira Takagi, Hiroaki Tojo, Shoichi Hiraide
-
Patent number: D750539Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2014Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Mazda Motor CorporationInventors: Yoshito Iwauchi, Hiroto Arai, Hiroaki Tojo, Kazuya Hamada