Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Akino

Hiroshi Akino 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: 11589161
    Abstract: The present invention is a signal processing circuit 12 for an electrostatic electroacoustic transducer configured to correct signals input to a single driven electrostatic electroacoustic transducer 15 including a diaphragm 151 and a fixed electrode 152 disposed to face the diaphragm. The signal processing circuit includes a correction value determiner 122 configured to determine a correction value v1 of a level based on a level of the input signals s1 from the sound source, and a level corrector 124 configured to correct the level of the input signals based on the correction value. The level corrector is configured to correct the level of an input signal among the input signals based on the correction value. The input signal corresponds to a signal for displacing the diaphragm to a first direction side on which a fixed electrode is not disposed with respect to a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Irii, Hiroshi Akino
  • Publication number: 20230019307
    Abstract: An earphone includes a resonance circuit that outputs an adjusted signal obtained by making a signal component of a predetermined frequency contained in an electric signal outputted from a sound source device larger than a signal component of another frequency, a fixed electrode that is fixed to a housing, a diaphragm that is provided facing the fixed electrode and that vibrates according to a potential difference generated between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode on the basis of the adjusted signal, a contact part that contacts a partial region of the diaphragm and presses the partial region against the fixed electrode, and a sound emitting part that emits sound generated by vibration of the diaphragm to the outside of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Koichi IRII, Hiroshi AKINO
  • Patent number: 11203039
    Abstract: An acoustic-electric transducer includes a connection part that has a first connection point able to contact a first contact in a terminal for processing the electrical signal, and a second connection point able to contact a second contact having a potential lower than the potential of the first contact, a microphone that transduces a sound inputted from an external source into an electrical signal, a changeover switch that switches between a non-mute state where the electrical signal is outputted to the terminal and a mute state where the electrical signal is not outputted to the terminal, and a current control circuit that makes a current flow between the first contact and the second contact until a predetermined time passes from the time when the connection part is connected to the terminal and reduces the current flowing between the first contact and the second contact after the predetermined time passes, the current control circuit being provided between the changeover switch and the connection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Irii, Mika Yoshino, Kosumo Miyauchi, Hiroshi Akino
  • Publication number: 20210385576
    Abstract: The present invention is a signal processing circuit 12 for an electrostatic electroacoustic transducer configured to correct signals input to a single driven electrostatic electroacoustic transducer 15 including a diaphragm 151 and a fixed electrode 152 disposed to face the diaphragm. The signal processing circuit includes a correction value determiner 122 configured to determine a correction value v1 of a level based on a level of the input signals s1 from the sound source, and a level corrector 124 configured to correct the level of the input signals based on the correction value. The level corrector is configured to correct the level of an input signal among the input signals based on the correction value. The input signal corresponds to a signal for displacing the diaphragm to a first direction side on which a fixed electrode is not disposed with respect to a predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Koichi IRII, Hiroshi AKINO
  • Patent number: 11076222
    Abstract: An electro-acoustic transducer includes: a housing; a fixed electrode; a diaphragm that oscillates in accordance with a potential difference between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode generated based on the electric signal, the diaphragm being provided to face the fixed electrode; and a support part that supports the partial region of the diaphragm toward the fixed electrode, the support part including a displacement part that is displaced in a direction in which the diaphragm is displaced in response to a change in pressure inside the housing, and a contacting part contacts the partial region of the diaphragm, wherein a distance between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode in the partial region is less than a distance between the diaphragm and the fixed electrode outside the partial region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Irii, Hiroshi Akino
  • Publication number: 20200398310
    Abstract: An acoustic-electric transducer includes a connection part that has a first connection point able to contact a first contact in a terminal for processing the electrical signal, and a second connection point able to contact a second contact having a potential lower than the potential of the first contact, a microphone that transduces a sound inputted from an external source into an electrical signal, a changeover switch that switches between a non-mute state where the electrical signal is outputted to the terminal and a mute state where the electrical signal is not outputted to the terminal, and a current control circuit that makes a current flow between the first contact and the second contact until a predetermined time passes from the time when the connection part is connected to the terminal and reduces the current flowing between the first contact and the second contact after the predetermined time passes, the current control circuit being provided between the changeover switch and the connection part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Koichi IRII, Mika YOSHINO, Kosumo MIYAUCHI, Hiroshi AKINO
  • Patent number: 10362407
    Abstract: Provided is a condenser microphone unit that prevents eccentricity as much as possible and achieves improvement of assembly accuracy. A condenser microphone unit including a diaphragm that vibrates upon receiving a sound wave and made by a plurality of configuration components that are assembled, the condenser microphone unit includes a base member including an opening portion to which the plurality of configuration components is attached, and an adjustment member having an outer diameter corresponding to a diameter of the opening portion, and mounted to a side surface of one or more components accommodated in the opening portion, of the plurality of configuration components. The adjustment member is a frame body exhibiting an annular shape and including a notch portion notched to have a pair of end portions, and is fixed in the opening portion in a state of being mounted to the side surface of the one or more components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10149030
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microphone including: a microphone unit including a vibration plate that vibrates in response to sound; a unit board disposed rearward of the vibration plate; a first ground pattern disposed on the rear surface of the unit board; a unit casing accommodating the microphone unit and the unit board; a contact region of the unit casing, the contact region being in contact with the first ground pattern; a main board having a side face having a second ground pattern, the second ground pattern being in contact with the contact region; and an adhesive joining the side face of the main board to the microphone unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10123130
    Abstract: A diaphragm is provided that has small mechanical anisotropy even when heat is applied to the diaphragm in the production process. The diaphragm includes a biaxially stretched film stretched in a first direction (the machine direction) and a second direction (the transverse direction), wherein the entire surface of the biaxially stretched film has a first pattern and a second pattern, the first pattern has ridges and grooves with a first pitch, the second pattern has ridges and grooves with a second pitch, the second pitch is smaller than the first pitch, the second pattern is formed along the first direction or the second direction, and the length of regions defined by the first pattern in the first direction differs from the length of the regions in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10075781
    Abstract: A microphone is provided that prevents or reduces generation of noises caused by vibration from a grip body. A microphone includes a grip body having a shape of a cylinder, a head case attached to the grip body, a microphone unit disposed inside the head case, an internal cylinder to which the microphone unit is attached, and an elastic member configured to undergo shear deformation in the longitudinal direction of the grip body. The internal cylinder is disposed inside the grip body with the elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10021490
    Abstract: A microphone with a stable electromagnetic shield includes a microphone case having a shape of a hollow cylinder with a bottom end, the microphone case having an opening, an inner circumferential surface, an exterior and an interior, a microphone unit accommodated in the microphone case, a cord bush through which a microphone cord outputting audio signals from the microphone unit passes, the cord bush being fit to the opening of the microphone case, a sound transmission material accommodated in the microphone case, and a communication path establishing communication between the exterior and the interior of the microphone case. The cord defines a part or a whole of the communication path. The communication path is covered by the sound transmission material from the front of the communication path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10021481
    Abstract: A microphone joint is provided that includes movable parts having preferable electrical connection, movability, and fixing force. The microphone joint is to be coupled to a unit case accommodating a microphone unit and a connector case accommodating a connector configured to output signals from the microphone unit to an external device. The microphone joint includes a first unit to be coupled to the unit case, a second unit to be coupled to the connector case, and a conductive member disposed between the first unit and the second unit. The first unit is supported by the second unit with the conductive member and is rotatable relative to the second unit. The conductive member has resilience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Audio-Technica Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10021471
    Abstract: To prevent penetration of water into a microphone unit side even if the rain falls on a cylindrical acoustic tube in a narrow directional microphone using the acoustic tube. The narrow directional microphone includes a cylindrical acoustic tube base portion, the acoustic tube base portion includes at least one slit-like opening extending along a longitudinal direction of the acoustic tube base portion, a plurality of short fibers are implanted in an outer peripheral surface of the acoustic tube base portion and base portion edge surfaces that form the opening, and the opening is covered with the short fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 10015587
    Abstract: A dynamic microphone that enables taking a long propagation path of a sound wave on a back side of a diaphragm, and by which unidirectivity can be obtained even at a low frequency. The dynamic microphone includes: a dynamic microphone unit; and an air chamber provided on a back side of a diaphragm of the dynamic microphone unit, wherein the air chamber is folded back to make a propagation path of a sound wave on the back side of the diaphragm long, a plurality of acoustic resistors is arranged in the air chamber at intervals to each other in a direction of the propagation path of a sound wave, and acoustic resistance values of the plurality of acoustic resistors become higher as the propagation path of a sound wave goes away from the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9992578
    Abstract: In a unidirectional dynamic microphone unit, a cylindrical tube is provided to cover the microphone unit, a cylindrical wall of a first cylindrical portion that is included in the cylindrical tube and extends to at least the rearward is provided with a rear sound wave introducing portion weighted such that an acoustic resistance value is gradually made smaller toward the rearward side from positions of sound holes for taking in a sound wave transmitting around from the rearward side, preferably formed of a trumpet-shaped opening, and it is possible to enhance the sensibility to sound pressures without degradation of the frequency response and the directionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ikeda, Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9980039
    Abstract: To obtain a unidirectional microphone with high sound quality, which achieves unidirectivity while preventing deterioration in sound quality of a ribbon microphone. A unidirectional condenser microphone and bi-directional ribbon microphones are included, and the unidirectional condenser microphone and the bi-directional ribbon microphones are disposed such that a 0° direction of a sound collecting axis of the unidirectional condenser microphone accords with a 180° direction of sound collecting axes of the bi-directional ribbon microphones, and an output of the unidirectional condenser microphone is subtracted from an output of the 180° direction of the bi-directional ribbon microphones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9967678
    Abstract: A unidirectional condenser microphone unit is provided that have directionality unaffected by the external environment, and a method of manufacturing the unidirectional condenser microphone. The unidirectional condenser microphone unit having an interior and an exterior, the unidirectional condenser microphone includes a diaphragm, a fixed electrode facing the diaphragm, the fixed electrode constituting a capacitor with the diaphragm, an insulating base disposed in a back face side of the fixed electrode, the insulating base supporting the fixed electrode, an air chamber disposed in the back face side of the fixed electrode, and a gap disposed between the fixed electrode and the insulating base. The fixed electrode includes at least one sound hole in communication with the air chamber. The insulating base includes a communication hole establishing communication between the gap and the exterior of the microphone unit. The air chamber and the gap are in communication with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9949019
    Abstract: A microphone includes a tubular first and second acoustic tubes configured with a gap between the second acoustic tube and an inner side of the wall surface of the first acoustic tube. A first opening portion is provided in a wall surface of the first acoustic tube. A second opening portion is provided in a wall surface of the second acoustic tube. A microphone unit is provided inside the second acoustic tube and is configured to acquire sound waves from outside the microphone. A sound wave introduction path formed by the first opening portion, the gap, and the second opening portion, is configured to transmit the sound wave from the outside to the microphone unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9942653
    Abstract: A narrow-angle directional microphone includes: a microphone case; an acoustic tube fit in the microphone case with a gap between the acoustic tube and the microphone case; a microphone element arranged at one end side of the acoustic tube with a clearance that allows a front acoustic terminal and a rear acoustic terminal to communicate into each other between the microphone element and the microphone case; and an acoustic resistance body having elasticity positioned over between the one end side of the acoustic tube and the microphone element to block a passage between the front acoustic terminal and the rear acoustic terminal, whereby adjustments of a degree of compression of the acoustic resistance body are achieved by changes to an interval between the acoustic tube and the microphone element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9936288
    Abstract: Excellent narrow-angle directivity is obtained by causing a microphone case main body to function as an acoustic tube, reducing a weight of a microphone, and suppressing leakage of sound waves from an inside of the acoustic tube to an outside. An acoustic tube microphone case includes a microphone case main body made of a metal tube having a plurality of openings formed in a peripheral surface, and acoustic resistance materials formed in a rectangular sheet manner, cylindrically rounded such that both right and left ends are mutually in contact, and arranged along an inner peripheral surface of the microphone case main body. A plurality of the acoustic resistance materials is layered, and at least the innermost acoustic resistance material applies a force in a developing direction by an elastic force thereof, and presses the outside acoustic resistance materials against the inner peripheral surface of the microphone case main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino