Patents by Inventor Jiro Terada

Jiro Terada 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: 6298723
    Abstract: The invention relates to an angular velocity sensor used in posture control of a moving element or navigation system, and is intended to realize higher sensitivity, lower offset, lower offset drift, lower translation acceleration sensitivity, and higher impact resistance in a small size and at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Konno, Sumio Sugawara, Nobuhisa Atoji, Jiro Terada, Masami Tamura
  • Patent number: 6237415
    Abstract: The invention relates to an angular velocity sensor used in posture control of a moving element or navigation system, and is intended to realize higher sensitivity, lower offset, lower offset drift, lower translation acceleration sensitivity, and higher impact resistance in a small size and at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Konno, Sumio Sugawara, Nobuhisa Atoji, Jiro Terada, Masami Tamura
  • Patent number: 6220094
    Abstract: An angular velocity sensor driving circuit includes a driving part for a vibrator, a vibration level detector, a coriolis force detector, a first amplifier for amplifying an output signal of the vibration level detector, a rectifying circuit, a variable gain amplifier, a voltage amplifier, a level judging circuit and switching means. The gain of the voltage amplifier or the gain of a variable gain amplifier is varied by a switching circuit which is controlled by the output signal of a level judging circuit which compares the output signal of the rectifying circuit and a reference voltage. By using the switching circuit rapid start up of the angular velocity sensor can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ichinose, Takeshi Uemura, Jiro Terada, Masami Tamura, Kiyohito Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 6119519
    Abstract: The invention relates to an angular velocity sensor used in posture control of a moving element or navigation system, and is intended to realize higher sensitivity, lower offset, lower offset drift, lower translation acceleration sensitivity, and higher impact resistance in a small size and at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Konno, Sumio Sugawara, Nobuhisa Atoji, Jiro Terada, Masami Tamura
  • Patent number: 5854427
    Abstract: The present invention is related to an angular velocity sensor, and intends to improve the detection characteristic through a precise measuring of an angular velocity signal. For this objective, the invented angular velocity sensor comprises U-shape first and second piezoelectric elements(4),(5) bonded together sandwiching a detection electrode(6), wherein in at least one of the tuning fork arms(4a),(5a) the first and second piezoelectric elements(4),(5) are polarized in a direction of thickness along which the piezoelectric elements are bonded together. Driving electrodes(7),(12) and (8),(11) provided in diagonal arrangement on the tuning fork arm are supplied with driving signals inverse-phased to each other. In such a structure, the driving signals cancel to each other at the vicinity of detection electrode; as a result, the driving signals never mix with a detection signal to be detected by the detection electrode(6). Thus, the capability of detecting an angular velocity signal is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Hiroshi Senda, Masami Tamura, Masaharu Ushihara, Masakazu Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 5824900
    Abstract: The invention relates to an angular velocity sensor used in posture control of a moving element or navigation system, and is intended to realize higher sensitivity, lower offset, lower offset drift, lower translation acceleration sensitivity, and higher impact resistance in a small size and at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Konno, Sumio Sugawara, Nobuhisa Atoji, Jiro Terada, Masami Tamura
  • Patent number: 5723788
    Abstract: A high-performance angular velocity sensor has a tuning-fork structure in which two vibrator units consisting of piezoelectric elements are coupled to each other. The angular velocity sensor comprises two metal plates, a first vibrator including a first actuator and a first detector joined orthogonally to each other, and a second vibrator including a second actuator and a second detector joined orthogonally to each other, the two vibrators being coupled by an electrode block to each other in parallel along an axis of detection. The first actuator and the first detector include piezoelectric elements bonded to the first metal surface, and the second actuator and the second detector include piezoelectric elements bonded to the second metal surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Hiroshi Takenaka, Masaharu Ushihara, Masami Tamura, Hitoshi Nishimura, Kikuo Kaino
  • Patent number: 5581032
    Abstract: In an angular velocity sensor device, a vibration isolation member, a sensor support plate on which a tuning fork unit functioning as a vibrating type angular velocity sensor is mounted, a collar, a circuit board on which a circuit pattern is formed for driving the tuning fork unit and processing a signal output therefrom are provided by having a plurality of pins inserted, in this order, which extend from the bottom surface of a concave-shaped case. The circuit pattern and the tuning fork unit are connected with each other via a flexible printed circuit board. These components are accommodated inside the concave-shaped case. A cover is fitted in an open top of the case so as to completely seal the case. The angular velocity sensor device with the aforementioned arrangement does not suffer variation in the operational properties due to disturbance vibration and deterioration in the vibration isolation property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Uemura, Toshihiko Ichinose, Jiro Terada, Masaharu Ushihara, Junichi Yukawa, Hiroaki Mouri, Hideo Ohkoshi, Masayoshi Murakami
  • Patent number: 5447066
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an angular velocity sensor utilized as a gyroscope and particularly, to a high-performance angular velocity sensor having a tuning-fork construction. The vibrator is formed of a metal base plate which is bent about 90 degrees along a center line defined by two opposite slits extending from their respective side edges to a central region of the metal base plate so that its two bent parts are orthogonal to each other. Two piezoelectric elements are bonded to the corresponding surfaces of the two parts of each vibrator which in turn serve as an actuator and a detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Hiroshi Takenaka, Masaharu Ushihara, Toshihiko Ichinose, Sumitake Yoshida, Masami Tamura
  • Patent number: 5445025
    Abstract: An angular velocity sensor having a tuning-fork structure comprising a first vibrator including a first actuator and a first detector each attached to a metal plate and joined orthogonally to each other, and a second vibrator including a second actuator and a second detector each attached to another metal plate and joined orthogonally to each other, the two vibrators being coupled by an electrode block to each other in a generally parallel relationship along the axis of detection of the sensor. The first and second detectors have a rectangular plate shape each holding a piezoelectric element. The rectangular plate shape has a lengthwise edge and a widthwise edge where the lengthwise edge parallel to the axis of detection of the sensor and is longer than the width wise edge. At least one of the lengthwise edges of the detectors has a beveled surface formed by removing metal at an angle from the lengthwise edge of the detector to balance the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Hiroshi Takenaka, Masaharu Ushihara, Masami Tamura, Hitoshi Nishimura, Kikuo Kaino
  • Patent number: 5239868
    Abstract: An angular rate sensor detects an angular rate which is produced when a mobile body such as a motor vehicle moves. The angular rate detecting device comprises at least two angular rate sensors housed in a case perpendicularly to each other. The angular rate sensor comprising a pair of vibratory units which are interconnected by a connector in a tuning-fork configuration. The vibratory units of the angular rate sensors are vibrated at different frequencies. The angular rate sensors may be accommodated in a damper block, which may be housed in the case. Since the angular rate sensors are housed in the single case, the angular rate detecting device is compact in structure and small in size. With the angular rate sensors accommodated in the damper block, they are protected from resonance, crosstalk interferences, and noise, and hence can produce reliable detected output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takenaka, Mikio Nozu, Hiroshi Senda, Toshihiko Ichinose, Jiro Terada, Kazumitsu Ueda, Yasuhito Osada, Takahiro Manabe
  • Patent number: 5212985
    Abstract: An angular rate sensor of the type, using oscillation of piezoelectric elements, which includes a pair of sensor elements each including a vibratory piezoelectric detecting element and a vibratory piezoelectric drive element joined together by a joint member in longitudinal alignment and oriented substantially at right angles relative to each other, and a resilient joint member joining the pair of sensor elements at respective free ends of the drive elements so as to form, jointly with the sensor elements, a tuning-fork structure. The turning-fork structure has an improved joint structure between each of the driving elements and the resilient joint member, which has a thickness to width ratio of approximately 3:10 to 7:10 to enable the angular rate sensor to have a low resonance impedance and stable performance characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takenaka, Kazumitsu Ueda, Toshihiko Ichinose, Jiro Terada
  • Patent number: 5038613
    Abstract: An angular rate sensor detects an angular rate which is produced when a mobile body such as a motor vehicle moves. The angular rate detecting device comprises at least two angular rate sensors housed in a case perpendicularly to each other. Each angular rate sensor comprises a pair of vibratory units which are interconnected by a connector in a tuning-fork configuration. The vibratory units of different angular rate sensors are vibrated at different frequencies. The angular rate sensors may be accommodated in a damper block, which may be housed in the case. Since the angular rate sensors are housed in the single case, the angular rate detecting device is compact in structure and small in size. With the angular rate sensors accommodated in the damper block, they are protected from resonance, crosstalk interferences, and noise, and hence can produce reliable detected output signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takenaka, Mikio Nozu, Hiroshi Senda, Toshihiko Ichinose, Jiro Terada, Kazumitsu Ueda, Yasuhito Osada, Takahiro Manabe
  • Patent number: 5014554
    Abstract: An angular rate sensor has a tuning fork structure composed of vibratory components. The vibratory components include piezoelectric drive and detection elements which are joined together into a tuning fork configuration, the drive and detection elements lying in respective orthogonal planes. Leads are electrically connected to the drive and detection elements, and lead terminals are electrically connected to the leads, respectively. The vibratory components are covered with a coating which is of a material having a lower elasticity than the elasticities of the vibratory components. The coating on the vibratory components effectively reduces the propagation of unwanted vibrations, thereby reducing output signal drifts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Kazumitsu Ueda, Hiroshi Takenaka, Mikio Nozu, Hiroshi Senda, Yasuhito Osada, Toshihiko Ichinose, Takahiro Manabe
  • Patent number: 4594569
    Abstract: A humidity sensitive device for sensing the humidity of an ambient humidity comprising a humidity sensitive resistor 15 which comprises as main component at least one selected from the group consisting of ZrO.sub.2, TiO.sub.2, Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 and Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 and an electric heater 13 applied near and for heating and retaining the humidity sensitive resistor 15 at a temperature above 200.degree. C. The humidity sensitive resistor 15 and a fixed resistor are series connected across an AC voltage source 17, and a voltage across the humidity sensitive resistor 15 or the fixed resistor 16 is rectified by a AC/DC converter and compared with a reference voltage by a comparator, thereby an output responding to humidity in the atmosphere can be measured for a wide range of temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Fukushima, Jiro Terada, Tsuneharu Nitta
  • Patent number: 4419021
    Abstract: A multi-functional sensing and measuring system capable of detecting both temperature and humidity is fabricated from a porous metal-oxide ceramic whose dielectric constant varies with temperature and whose electric resistance varies with ambient humidity. The sensing element is connected in series with a resistor and a rectangular pulse voltage is applied across the series combination, and the ambient temperature and humidity are measured simultaneously in terms of (i) the circuit time constant (to measure temperature) of a transient state value and (ii) the steady state value of the voltage across the resistor (to measure humidity).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Tsuneharu Nitta
  • Patent number: 4378691
    Abstract: A multi-functional sensor capable of sensing the humidity and the concentration of reducing gases in the surrounding atmosphere with a single sensing element of p-type metal-oxide ceramic semiconductor is provided. When the ambient temperature is lower than 150.degree. C., the sensor can detect humidity in terms of variations in ion conduction due to the physical absorption of water by the sensing element, but when the ambient temperature or the temperature of the sensing element is at temperatures between 200.degree. and 600.degree. C., the sensor can detect the presence or concentration of reducing gases in the surrounding atmosphere in terms of variations in electron conduction due to the chemical absorption of gases by the sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1983
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Tsuneharu Nitta
  • Patent number: 4326414
    Abstract: A humidity detecting resistor porcelain element, with at least one portion of an electrode being made of a resistance heating unit and the electrode serving for the resistance heating unit and humidity detecting element, and a humidity detecting apparatus using the humidity detecting resistor porcelain element. The heating and cleaning operations of the humidity detecting resistor porcelain can be uniformly and efficiently performed, thus ensuring the stable humidity detection. Also, the circuit construction of the humidity detecting apparatus can be simplified. They can be provided for use in the detecting and controlling operations of the various humidities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1982
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Tsuneharu Nitta
  • Patent number: 4319485
    Abstract: A temperature.multidot.humidity detecting apparatus which can detect the temperature and humidity with a single element. The temperature.multidot.humidity detecting element of the present invention varies its impedance value with respect to variations in the temperature and humidity, and the temperature.multidot.humidity detecting apparatus is adapted to detect the variations in the temperature.multidot.humidity detecting element impedance to determine the temperature and humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1982
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Tsuneharu Nitta
  • Patent number: 4270085
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an apparatus capable of stably detecting humidity. More particularly, to stably detect the humidity in the atmosphere where temperature, relative humidity or wind flow vary, this humidity detecting apparatus converts the resistance variation, due to humidity, of a humidity-sensing resistor into voltage variation to draw out the voltage variation thereby to differentiate the voltage variation with a differential circuit and thereafter to compare the differentiation output with a set value. Therefore, the steam leakage from the high pressure, high temperature steam supply pipe or the relative humidity inside a microwave oven can be easily, automatically detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Terada, Tsuneharu Nitta, Yukihiko Ise