Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Obata

Hiroyuki Obata 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: 6025857
    Abstract: A photosensitive member which has an electrode provided on the front side and a photoconductive layer stacked on the electrode, the photosensitive member being disposed face-to-face with an electrostatic information recording medium that includes a charge retaining layer having an electrode provided on the rear side, either in or out of contact with each other, to carry out exposure with a voltage being applied between the two electrodes, thereby forming an electrostatic charge pattern on the electrostatic information recording medium in accordance with an exposure light pattern. The layer arrangements of the photosensitive member and the photoconductive layer as well as the method of forming the photoconductive layer are improved so that electrostatic information can be recorded on the electrostatic information recording medium with high sensitivity and it is also possible to improve the contrast ratio of the information charge at the exposed region to that at the unexposed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Minoru Utsumi, Kohji Ichimura
  • Patent number: 5981122
    Abstract: Electric discharge between a photosensitive member and a charge retaining medium is ON/OFF controlled by changing the gas pressure between these two members, so that it is possible to effect image recording in a state where a DC voltage is applied. An electric charge which is opposite in polarity to an image forming charge is uniformly formed on the charge retaining medium in advance of the image exposure, and thereafter image exposure is carried out, thereby reducing the background potential at the unexposed region and increasing the contrast potential of the electrostatic latent image formed on the charge retaining medium. In addition, it is possible to increase the voltage distribution to the photosensitive member. As a result, it is possible to improve the photosensitivity of image exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Kohji Ichimura
  • Patent number: 5983057
    Abstract: In the information recording an reproducing method and apparatus according to the present invention, a piece of picture image information is recorded as an analog quantity or a digital quantity an information carrying medium in a planar manner at a high density, charge potential is read for outputting electric signals to correspond to the recorded picture image information and then the outputted signals are printed out by means of various display unit or output device, with high quality and high resolution as well as ease processing of the information. The information carrying medium provides a long period of storage of information and enables stored picture image information to be repeatedly reproduced with a picture quality according to need.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Makoto Matsuo, Minoru Utsumi, Chihaya Ogusu, Shunsuke Mukasa, Yoshiaki Kudo, Hiroyuki Obata, Takashi Aono, Hiroshi Mohri, Masato Koike, Hideaki Amano, Norikazu Saito
  • Patent number: 5981123
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrostatic information recording medium in which a charge retaining layer having high insulating properties is laminated on an electrode, and an electrostatic information recording/reproducing process wherein, while said electrostatic information recording medium is positioned in opposition to a photosensitive member on which a photoconductive layer is laminated, the recording medium is subjected to information exposure with the application of voltage between both electrodes to accumulate electrostatic charges thereon depending upon the dosage of said information exposure, and the electrostatic information thus accumulated is reproduced by potential reading.The present electrostatic information recording medium has an information density as expressed in terms of a high recording capacity of the order of 8.times.10.sup.8 bits/cm.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Matsuo, Minoru Utsumi, Masayuki Iijima, Yukio Taniguchi, Hiroyuki Obata, Seiji Take
  • Patent number: 5967831
    Abstract: Connector housings (11, 12) to be mounted on a printed circuit board (100) have a plurality of rows of contacts (13, 14) extending from wall surfaces of the housing (11, 12). These contacts (13, 14) are soldered to conductive pads (23) of a flexible circuit (20). The flexible circuit (20), bent in a generally U-shaped, about an insertion portion (31) of a metallic guide portion (30) which is to be inserted between rows of contacts (50) of a mating connector (40) for interconnection therebetween. The guide member (30) preferably engages a ground conductor (176) on the reverse surface of the flexible substrate and includes extending portions (142) to groundingly engage conductive member (43, 124) positioned at both ends of the housing. In an alternate embodiment strengthening plates may be adhered to the flexible circuit between the opposed arrays of conductive pads and ground contact pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Shoji Yamada, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Kazushige Asakawa, Hiroyuki Obata
  • Patent number: 5731116
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrostatic information recording medium in which a charge retaining layer having high insulating properties is laminated on an electrode, and an electrostatic information recording/reproducing process wherein, while said electrostatic information recording medium is positioned in opposition to a photosensitive member on which a photoconductive layer is laminated, the recording medium is subjected to information exposure with the application of voltage between both electrodes to accumulate electrostatic charges thereon depending upon the dosage of said information exposure, and the electrostatic information thus accumulated is reproduced by potential reading.The present electrostatic information recording medium has an information density as expressed in terms of a high recording capacity of the order of 8.times.10.sup.8 bits/cm.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Matsuo, Minoru Utsumi, Masayuki Iijima, Yukio Taniguchi, Hiroyuki Obata, Seiji Take
  • Patent number: 5718996
    Abstract: The electrostatic information recording medium according to the present invention comprises an electrode layer and an electric charge retaining layer. By improving the laminating method of electric charge retaining layer or by improving the layer arrangement or by converting electrostatic information to the visible information or position information, high information retaining property can be obtained and the accumulated electrostatic information can be maintained for long period.In the electrostatic information recording method according to the present invention, an electrostatic information recording medium is placed face-to-face to a photosensitive member having photoconductive layer on an electrode. The image exposure is performed by applying voltage between two electrodes, and the electrostatic information corresponding to the image exposure is recorded on the electrostatic information recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iijima, Kyoji Dantani, Hiroyuki Obata, Makoto Matsuo, Minoru Utsumi, Seiji Take
  • Patent number: 5683838
    Abstract: Information recording media enable images to be recorded and reproduced with high resolution, wherein oozing of liquid crystal material thereof is prevented and the information is recorded without unevenness. A first recording medium has an information recording layer comprising a liquid crystal phase and an ultraviolet curing resin phase. The information recording layer is stacked on an electrode layer provided on a substrate by coating a mixed solution of liquid crystal and ultraviolet curing resin material on the surface of the electrode layer and then irradiating the coating by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, thereby forming a cured skin layer of the resin material on the outer surface of the information recording layer. A second recording medium has a transparent electrode layer additionally provided on the information recording layer of the first recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iijima, Seiji Take, Hironori Kamiyama, Masato Okabe, Hiroyuki Obata, Minoru Utsumi
  • Patent number: 5672453
    Abstract: An electrode 2c and a pinene polymer recording layer 2a with a molecular weight of 500 to 10000 are successively stacked on a substrate 2c, as shown in FIG. 3. By carrying out thermal development, information electric charge that is formed on the resin surface is formed into a thermally stable frost image without decay of the information electric charge. Since no photoconductive layer is needed, when transmitted or reflected light is used to reproduce the frost image, there is no effect of the coloring of a photoconductive layer. If exposure is effected under the application of a voltage, since the depth of dimple patterns of a frost image varies in accordance with the quantity of exposure energy, tonal reproducibility is obtained. In addition, it is possible to obtain high resolution and make an original for OHP, a microfilm, a slidefilm, etc. which is of good quality and has high fidelty to the original document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Minoru Utsumi, Masayuki Iijima, Masato Okabe, Hironori Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 5665497
    Abstract: Electric discharge between a photosensitive member and a charge retaining medium is ON/OFF controlled by changing the gas pressure between these two members, so that it is possible to effect image recording in a state where a DC voltage is applied. Accordingly, it is possible to effect image recording on the charge retaining medium without the need for precise control for obtaining a high-voltage pulse and without employing an optical shutter. In addition, an electric charge that is emitted by a field is attracted to the charge retaining medium and accumulated on the surface thereof, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image, and thus making it possible to attain image recording of extremely high resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Kohji Ichimura
  • Patent number: 5660958
    Abstract: Information recording media enable images to be recorded and reproduced with high resolution, wherein oozing of liquid crystal material thereof is prevented and the information recorded without unevenness. A first recording medium has an information recording layer comprising a liquid crystal phase and an ultraviolet curing resin phase. The information recording layer is stacked on an electrode layer provided on a substrate by coating a mixed solution of liquid crystal and ultraviolet curing resin material on the surface of the electrode layer and then irradiating the coating by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, thereby forming a cured skin layer of the resin material on the outer surface of the information recording layer. A second recording medium has a transparent electrode layer additionally provided on the information recording layer of the first recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iijima, Seiji Take, Hironori Kamiyama, Masato Okabe, Hiroyuki Obata, Minoru Utsumi
  • Patent number: 5638103
    Abstract: In the information recording an reproducing method and apparatus according to the present invention, picture image information is recorded as an analog quantity or a digital quantity on an information carrying medium in a planar manner at a high density, charge potential is read for outputting electric signals to correspond to the recorded picture image information and then the outputted signals are printed out by means of various display unit or output device, with high quality and high resolution as well as ease processing of the information. The information carrying medium provides a long period of storage of information and enables stored picture image information to be repeatedly reproduced with a picture quality according to need.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1997
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Takashi Aono, Hiroshi Mohri, Masato Koike, Hideaki Amano, Norikazu Saito, Makoto Matsuo, Minoru Utsumi, Chihaya Ogusu, Shunsuke Mukasa, Yoshiaki Kudo
  • Patent number: 5587264
    Abstract: The electrostatic information recording medium according to the present invention comprises an electrode layer and an electric charge retaining layer. By improving the laminating method of electric charge retaining layer or by improving the layer arrangement or by converting electrostatic information to the visible information or position information, high information retaining property can be obtained and the accumulated electrostatic information can be maintained for long period.In the electrostatic information recording method according to the present invention, an electrostatic information recording medium is placed face-to-face to a photosensitive member having photoconductive layer on an electrode. The image exposure is performed by applying voltage between two electrodes, and the electrostatic information corresponding to the image exposure is recorded on the electrostatic information recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iijima, Kyoji Dantani, Hiroyuki Obata, Makoto Matsuo, Minoru Utsumi, Seiji Take
  • Patent number: 5571646
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrostatic information-recording medium including an electrode layer (13) and a charge-retaining layer, in which said charge-retaining layer is formed of a laminate of a resin layer (11a) having a low glass transition temperature with a heat-resistant, insulating layer (11b), or an electrostatic information-recording medium comprising at least an electrode layer (13) and a charge-retaining layer (11) in which said charge-retaining layer (11) is formed of a polymer layer (12) containing pentafluorostyrene as a monomer component and having a weight-average molecular weight of 10,000 to 2,000,000, or which includes a photoconductive layer (44) and a charge-retaining layer (43) between a pair of electrodes (42) and (45) and is designed to carry out exposure with the application of voltage between both said electrodes (42) and (45) or apply voltage between both said electrodes (42) and (45) while exposure is carried out, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image, which is t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Utsumi, Hiroyuki Obata, Seiji Take, Masayuki Iijima, Hironori Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 5550370
    Abstract: A high-resistance compound semiconductor 12 is epitaxially grown on a low-resistance compound semiconductor 11 and a dielectric reflecting film 13 is formed thereon, thereby forming a monolithic sensor 10. As the low-resistance compound semiconductor 11, a compound semiconductor is used which has a large bandgap so as to enable probe light to pass therethrough without being absorbed and which has a lattice constant and a thermal expansion coefficient, which are close to those of the high-resistance compound semiconductor. In addition, since the low-resistance compound semiconductor 11 also serves as an electrode, a compound semiconductor which has a resistivity of 10.sup.+1 .OMEGA.cm or less is used. Since the shorter the wavelength of the probe light used, the larger the retardation change and the larger the signal output, a compound semiconductor which has a large bandgap is used as the high-resistance compound semiconductor 12 so that light of short wavelength can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Takano, Minoru Utsumi, Hiroyuki Obata
  • Patent number: 5521040
    Abstract: An electrode 2c and a pinene polymer recording layer 2a with a molecular weight of 500 to 10000 are successively stacked on a substrate 2c, as shown in FIG. 3. By carrying out thermal development, information electric charge that is formed on the resin surface is formed into a thermally stable frost image without decay of the information electric charge. Since no photoconductive layer is needed, when transmitted or reflected light is used to reproduce the frost image, there is no effect of the coloring of a photo-conductive layer. If exposure is effected under the application of a voltage, since the depth of dimple patterns of a frost image varies in accordance with the quantity of exposure energy, tonal reproducibility is obtained. In addition, it is possible to obtain high resolution and make an original for OHP, a microfilm, a slidefilm, etc. which is of good quality and has high fidelty to the original document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Obata, Minoru Utsumi, Masayuki Iijima, Masato Okabe, Hironori Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 5519469
    Abstract: A printing plate employs a charge carrier medium and includes a printing area constructed from a toner layer and charge carrier layer on an electrically conductive substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Obata
  • Patent number: 5514504
    Abstract: Information recording media enable images to be recorded and reproduced with high resolution, wherein oozing of liquid crystal material thereof is prevented and the information recorded without unevenness. A first recording medium has an information recording layer comprising a liquid crystal phase and an ultraviolet curing resin phase. The information recording layer is stacked on an electrode layer provided on a substrate by coating a mixed solution of liquid crystal and ultraviolet curing resin material on the surface of the electrode layer and then irradiating the coating by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, thereby forming a cured skin layer of the resin material on the outer surface of the information recording layer. A second recording medium has a transparent electrode layer additionally provided on the information recording layer of the first recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Iijima, Seiji Take, Hironori Kamiyama, Masato Okabe, Hiroyuki Obata, Minoru Utsumi
  • Patent number: 5492783
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrostatic information-recording medium including an electrode layer (13) and a charge-retaining layer, in which said charge-retaining layer is formed of a laminate of a resin layer (11a) having a low glass transition temperature with a heat-resistant, insulating layer (11b), or an electrostatic information-recording medium comprising at least an electrode layer (13) and a charge-retaining layer (11) in which said charge-retaining layer (11) is formed of a polymer layer (12) containing pentafluorostyrene as a monomer component and having a weight-average molecular weight of 10,000 to 2,000,000, or which includes a photoconductive layer (44) and a charge-retaining layer (43) between a pair of electrodes (42) and (45) and is designed to carry out exposure with the application of voltage between both said electrodes (42) and (45) or apply voltage between both said electrodes (42) and (45) while exposure is carried out, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image, which is t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Utsumi, Hiroyuki Obata, Seiji Take, Masayuki Iijima, Hironori Kamiyama
  • Patent number: 5450168
    Abstract: A charge carrier medium (41) is successively fed to a rotating (or reciprocating) photosensitive material (40) in opposite relation thereto. Making use of a beam or linear slit scanning exposure system or a planar exposure system enabling one frame to be scanned every 1/60 sec., for instance, the exposure timing is allowed to synchronize with the movement of the photosensitive material (40) and the feed of the charge carrier medium (14) to record images successively on the medium by either voltage-applied exposure or short-circuit exposure in which the charge carrier medium is pre-charged, whereby the images can be picked up as moving images. At the same time, the photosensitive material (40) is irradiated with light from the charge-clearing light source (45) to clear it of a residual charged image. Alternatively, such leakage of charges may be achieved by bringing an electrically conductive member into contact with the photosensitive material, charging it uniformly as by d.c. or a.c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Utsumi, Hiroyuki Obata, Atsushi Takano, Takashi Aono