Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Hiratsuka

Kazuhiko Hiratsuka 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: 10635193
    Abstract: In an operation device, when an operation body is pressed, a tilt of the operation body is detected from detection outputs of proximity sensors, and a pressed position of the operation body is detected by a touch sensor. A controller varies a threshold value according to the tilt of the operation body and the pressed position, and recognizes the pressing operation when a pressing distance of the operation body detected by the proximity sensors exceeds the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wakuda, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 10191563
    Abstract: A manipulation input device has a first detector and a second detector, disposed at different positions on a manipulative member, that detect the displacement of the manipulative member, the displacement being caused when the manipulative member receives a manipulation force, and also has a processor that performs processing to identify a position at which the manipulative member has received the manipulation force according to detection results obtained from the first detector and second detector and to the positions of the first detector and second detector on the manipulative member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wakuda, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Hiroyuki Bannai, Taichi Miyabayashi, James Ogrady
  • Patent number: 10095364
    Abstract: An in-vehicle input device includes a touch panel including a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a spacer, and is capable of detecting a capacitance between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The device has an operation surface located above the upper electrode. The operation surface includes a plurality of operation areas. The spacer has a plurality of openings that coincide with the operation areas in plan view. The device further includes a suppression layer that is disposed between the operation surface and the upper electrode or disposed on an upper surface of the operation surface. The suppression layer eliminates or reduces formation of a capacitance between the upper electrode and an operator. The device detects an input operation based on a change in distance between the lower electrode and the upper electrode in response to pressing any of the operation areas by the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Bannai, I Ka, Atsushi Masuda, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Marcello Milli
  • Publication number: 20180239443
    Abstract: In an operation device, when an operation body is pressed, a tilt of the operation body is detected from detection outputs of proximity sensors, and a pressed position of the operation body is detected by a touch sensor. A controller varies a threshold value according to the tilt of the operation body and the pressed position, and recognizes the pressing operation when a pressing distance of the operation body detected by the proximity sensors exceeds the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi WAKUDA, Kazuhiko HIRATSUKA
  • Publication number: 20170336880
    Abstract: A manipulation input device has a first detector and a second detector, disposed at different positions on a manipulative member, that detect the displacement of the manipulative member, the displacement being caused when the manipulative member receives a manipulation force, and also has a processor that performs processing to identify a position at which the manipulative member has received the manipulation force according to detection results obtained from the first detector and second detector and to the positions of the first detector and second detector on the manipulative member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wakuda, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Hiroyuki Bannai, Taichi Miyabayashi, James Ogrady
  • Publication number: 20160357287
    Abstract: An in-vehicle input device includes a touch panel including a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and a spacer, and is capable of detecting a capacitance between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The device has an operation surface located above the upper electrode. The operation surface includes a plurality of operation areas. The spacer has a plurality of openings that coincide with the operation areas in plan view. The device further includes a suppression layer that is disposed between the operation surface and the upper electrode or disposed on an upper surface of the operation surface. The suppression layer eliminates or reduces formation of a capacitance between the upper electrode and an operator. The device detects an input operation based on a change in distance between the lower electrode and the upper electrode in response to pressing any of the operation areas by the operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroyuki BANNAI, I KA, Atsushi MASUDA, Kazuhiko HIRATSUKA, Marcello MILLI
  • Patent number: 9417698
    Abstract: An input device includes: an operation portion allowing an input operation by an operating body contacting with or coming close to an upper surface thereof; an input detection portion detecting an input operation with respect to the operation portion; a driving member provided below the operation portion and driving the operation portion in an up-down direction; an elastic member provided below the operation portion; a case member holding the driving member; an interlocking member provided below the operation portion, connected to the operation portion, and driven with the operation portion; a restricting member provided between the operation portion and the interlocking member and restricting upward movement of the interlocking member; and an elastic first damper member provided below the interlocking member and contactable with the interlocking member. The elastic member elastically urges the interlocking member such that the interlocking member is brought into press contact with the first damper member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Ishikawa, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Atsushi Masuda, Shinji Fujimura
  • Publication number: 20150084898
    Abstract: An input device includes: an operation portion allowing an input operation by an operating body contacting with or coming close to an upper surface thereof; an input detection portion detecting an input operation with respect to the operation portion; a driving member provided below the operation portion and driving the operation portion in an up-down direction; an elastic member provided below the operation portion; a case member holding the driving member; an interlocking member provided below the operation portion, connected to the operation portion, and driven with the operation portion; a restricting member provided between the operation portion and the interlocking member and restricting upward movement of the interlocking member; and an elastic first damper member provided below the interlocking member and contactable with the interlocking member. The elastic member elastically urges the interlocking member such that the interlocking member is brought into press contact with the first damper member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Shinji Ishikawa, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Atsushi Masuda, Shinji Fujimura
  • Patent number: 7405649
    Abstract: A communication control apparatus of the present invention controls communication among a plurality of electronic devices mounted on a vehicle and mainly includes a control unit that is configured of a micro computer or the like and that periodically outputs clock pulses, a trouble detecting unit to detect a trouble in the control unit, and a communication control unit to interrupt communication upon detection of a trouble, that is, to control communication by disconnecting an electronic device. The trouble detecting unit includes an analog amount converting unit to convert clock pulses from the control unit to an analog amount and an analog amount comparing unit to compare the analog amount generated in the analog amount converting unit with a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Masaaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20060082450
    Abstract: A communication control apparatus of the present invention controls communication among a plurality of electronic devices mounted on a vehicle and mainly includes a control unit that is configured of a micro computer or the like and that periodically outputs clock pulses, a trouble detecting unit to detect a trouble in the control unit, and a communication control unit to interrupt communication upon detection of a trouble, that is, to control communication by disconnecting an electronic device. The trouble detecting unit includes an analog amount converting unit to convert clock pulses from the control unit to an analog amount and an analog amount comparing unit to compare the analog amount generated in the analog amount converting unit with a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hiratsuka, Masaaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6364443
    Abstract: The invention provides a thermal printer and a recording method of the thermal printer that are capable of reducing the recorded density non-uniformity (jitter) and obtaining a good quality recorded image. The period of the pulse signal generated by an encoder is measured, at least one of the applied voltage and the current flow time of the head pulse is operated based on the difference between the measured value and the theoretical value measured by the encoder, and the head pulse is controlled based on the arithmetic value. Otherwise, the duty ratio of the output time to the non-output time of the pulse signal generated by the encoder is measured, the output correction time of the OFF head pulse is operated based on the duty ratio, and the OFF head pulse is supplied to the heater elements at the time point that delayed by the output correction time from the output ending time of the pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Katano, Kazuhiko Hiratsuka