Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Murata

Kazuhiro Murata 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).

  • Publication number: 20140071717
    Abstract: A switching power supply apparatus includes: an input terminal; an output terminal; a switching element; an input and output converting unit which converts input voltage applied through the switching element into output voltage to supply output power to a load; an output voltage feedback unit which outputs a feedback signal, based on the output voltage; a switch current detecting unit which detects current flowing through the switching element; an oscillating frequency setting unit which sets the switching frequency of the switching element, based on the feedback signal; a peak current setting unit which controls turn-off of the switching element by setting a current threshold such that a switch current peak (i) is constant regardless of a change in the output power and (ii) increases as the input voltage increases; and a switching control unit which controls switching operation of the switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiro MURATA
  • Patent number: 8451635
    Abstract: The switching power supply device includes: an input unit which receives an input voltage; a transformer which includes a primary winding and a secondary winding; an output unit which provides an output voltage; a switching element; and a control circuit. The control circuit includes: a T2on measuring unit which measures a secondary-side conduction time period; a frequency control circuit which provides a second signal used for changing an on-frequency of the switching element in order to narrow a difference between the measured secondary-side conduction time period and a reference value; a primary current detecting circuit which detects a primary current; a current comparing circuit which provides a third signal used for turning the switching element off when the detected primary current becomes equal to a threshold value; and an oscillation control circuit which controls on-off switching of the switching element according to the second signal and the third signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 8427850
    Abstract: A switching power supply device including: a power transformer including a primary winding, a secondary winding, and an auxiliary winding; a switching element which is connected to the primary winding; an output voltage generation circuit which converts, into a direct-current voltage, a voltage induced in the secondary winding; a secondary-side on-time signal generation circuit which generates a secondary-side on-time signal indicating a secondary-side on-time; and a switching control circuit which controls a switching operation of the switching element so that the second direct-current voltage falls within a specified range, wherein the switching control circuit controls the switching operation so that the direct-current voltage becomes equal to or below an overvoltage specified value when the secondary-side on-time becomes smaller than a set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Naohiko Morota, Tetsuyuki Fukushima, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Publication number: 20130071615
    Abstract: A method of preparing substrates, including the steps of depositing metal particulates into a pillar form at a prescribed position of a substrate (1) by the use of a fine inkjet method, and then sintering the resultant to form a metal pillar (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Inventors: Kazuhiro MURATA, Hiroshi YOKOYAMA, Daisuke ITOH, Akihito IZUMITANI, Noriaki HATA, Yorishige MATSUBA
  • Patent number: 8295062
    Abstract: The switching power supply apparatus includes a transformer including a primary winding, a secondary winding, an auxiliary winding, a switching device connected to the primary winding, an output voltage generation circuit which is connected to the secondary winding and generates an output voltage, and an auxiliary power voltage generation circuit which is connected to the auxiliary winding and generates an auxiliary power voltage. The switching power supply apparatus also includes a control circuit, which operates using the auxiliary power voltage and controls a driver circuit so that an intermittent oscillation is performed when the output voltage is higher than a first output voltage, and which controls a peak of a current flowing through a switching device is lower than a peak in a normal mode, when the auxiliary power voltage is lower than a first auxiliary power voltage in the intermittent oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keita Kawabe, Naohiko Morota, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Publication number: 20120206068
    Abstract: A hole formation method including applying a pillar-forming liquid to a base material, to thereby form a pillar; applying an insulating film-forming material to the base material on which the pillar has been formed, to thereby form an insulating film; removing the pillar to form an opening in the insulating film; and heat treating the insulating film in which the opening has been formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicants: SIJTECHNOLOGY, INC., RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji SONE, Naoyuki Ueda, Yuki Nakamura, Yukiko Abe, Kazuhiro Murata, Kazuyuki Masuda
  • Patent number: 8235506
    Abstract: An electrostatic suction type fluid discharge method and device include a voltage applying means that applies a pulse voltage between a nozzle and a substrate, the nozzle having a diameter ranging from 0.01 ?m to 25 ?m, an upper limit voltage of the pulse voltage being equal to or greater than a discharge-inducing minimum voltage. A lower limit first voltage can be provided immediately before a rise of the pulse voltage, an absolute value of the lower limit first voltage being set smaller than the discharge-inducing minimum voltage. A lower limit second voltage can be provided immediately after a rise of the pulse voltage, an absolute value of the lower limit second voltage being set smaller than the discharge-inducing minimum voltage. With this structure, it is possible to simultaneously achieve miniaturization of nozzle, discharge of micro fluid droplet, high accuracy for discharge position, and decrease in drive voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Shigeru Nishio, Hironobu Iwashita, Kazunori Yamamoto, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 8159846
    Abstract: At the starting time and an overload time in which the output voltage of the switching power source apparatus is low, if an overcurrent state, in which the ON period of the switching device becomes short and a current not less than the current limit value of the switching device flows through the switching device, occurs, this overcurrent state is detected. The blanking period of a blanking pulse signal is made shorter than the blanking period that is obtained during steady operation, and the ON period of the switching device is made shorter. Hence, the device current flowing through the switching device can be made small in each pulse for the switching operation, and, at the same time, the device current is suppressed from increasing each time a pulse for the switching operation is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keita Kawabe, Kazuhiro Murata, Yoshihiro Mori, Naohiko Morota
  • Publication number: 20120044724
    Abstract: A switching power supply apparatus that can precisely control the overload protection voltage is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohiko Morota, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Publication number: 20110320714
    Abstract: Each actual page inside a pool is configured from a plurality of actual tracks, and each virtual page inside a virtual volume is configured from a plurality of virtual tracks. A storage control apparatus of a mainframe system has management information that includes information denoting a track in which there exists a user record, which is a record including user data (the data used by a host apparatus of a mainframe system). Based on the management information, a controller identifies an actual page that is configured only from tracks that do not comprise the user record, and cancels the allocation of the identified actual page to the virtual page.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Murata, Hisaharu Takeuchi, Junichi Muto, Akihiro Mori, Kazue Jindo
  • Patent number: 8085007
    Abstract: A switching power supply circuit, which includes: a switch; a coil serving as an energy transmitting element; and a capacitor serving as an output generation circuit that outputs, as an output voltage, the energy transmitted from the coil. The switching power supply circuit also includes an output voltage detection circuit that generates a detection signal according to the output voltage; a PNP transistor serving as a transmission circuit that outputs a transmission signal according to a value of the detection signal; and a controller that controls the switch according to the transmission signal. The switching power supply circuit further includes a diode serving as a rectifying element connected between the transmission circuit (PNP transistor) and the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroko Sakimura, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 8021593
    Abstract: A method of producing a three-dimensional structure contains the steps of: arranging a substrate close to a tip of a needle-shaped fluid-ejection body having a fine diameter supplied with a solution, ejecting a fluid droplet having an ultra-fine diameter toward a surface of the substrate by applying a voltage having a prescribed waveform to the needle-shaped fluid-ejection body, making the droplet fly and land on the substrate, and solidifying the droplet after the fluid droplet is landed on the substrate; further a three-dimensional structure has a fine diameter comprises droplets having an ultra-fine particle diameter, wherein the structure is grown by solidifying the droplets and stacking the solidified droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignees: Sijtechnology, Inc., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Murata, Hiroshi Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20110194314
    Abstract: A switching power supply device including: a power transformer including a primary winding, a secondary winding, and an auxiliary winding; a switching element which is connected to the primary winding; an output voltage generation circuit which converts, into a direct-current voltage, a voltage induced in the secondary winding; a secondary-side on-time signal generation circuit which generates a secondary-side on-time signal indicating a secondary-side on-time; and a switching control circuit which controls a switching operation of the switching element so that the second direct-current voltage falls within a specified range, wherein the switching control circuit controls the switching operation so that the direct-current voltage becomes equal to or below an overvoltage specified value when the secondary-side on-time becomes smaller than a set value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Inventors: Naohiko MOROTA, Tetsuyuki Fukushima, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 7971962
    Abstract: There provides a nozzle plate having fine nozzle holes capable of transferring a pattern collectively, and a method of producing the same. Further, there provides a method of forming fine nozzle holes in a required shape, at a required position on a substrate, and an inkjet nozzle plate obtained by the method. Moreover, there provides a collective transfer inkjet nozzle plate can have a high imaging efficiency, and can reduce the cost by simplifying a nozzle controller; and a method of producing the same. Fine nozzle holes in a plate of a setting material are formed by: forming three-dimensional structures on a substrate in accordance with a fine inkjet process based on data in a computer, coating a setting material in a portion other than portions where the three-dimensional structures are formed, and then hardening and removing the setting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 7922295
    Abstract: An ink jet apparatus electrifies ink in a nozzle, and ejects the ink from an ink ejecting hole onto a printing medium by a first electric field generated between the nozzle and the printing medium. The apparatus includes an ink catching device including an ink catching portion adjacent to the nozzle that catches an ejected substance. Between the nozzle and the ink catching portion, the apparatus applies a voltage for generating a second electric field which (i) causes an ejected substance, formed from the ink or the ink whose viscosity is changed, to be ejected from the nozzle, and (ii) causes the ink catching portion to attract the ejected substance. The apparatus, utilizes an electrostatic force to eject fluid, removes a clogging of an ejection head at any position, realizes less initial ejection fluctuation and improves the reliability of ejection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Hidetsugu Kawai, Shigeru Nishio, Haruhiko Deguchi, Shigeaki Kakiwaki, Kazuhiro Murata
  • Publication number: 20110063879
    Abstract: The switching power supply device includes: an input unit which receives an input voltage; a transformer which includes a primary winding and a secondary winding; an output unit which provides an output voltage; a switching element; and a control circuit. The control circuit includes: a T2on measuring unit which measures a secondary-side conduction time period; a frequency control circuit which provides a second signal used for changing an on-frequency of the switching element in order to narrow a difference between the measured secondary-side conduction time period and a reference value; a primary current detecting circuit which detects a primary current; a current comparing circuit which provides a third signal used for turning the switching element off when the detected primary current becomes equal to a threshold value; and an oscillation control circuit which controls on-off switching of the switching element according to the second signal and the third signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiro MURATA
  • Publication number: 20100309690
    Abstract: The switching power supply apparatus according to the present invention includes: a transformer including a primary winding, a secondary winding, and an auxiliary winding; a switching device connected to the primary winding; an output voltage generation circuit which is connected to the secondary winding and generates an output voltage; an auxiliary power voltage generation circuit which is connected to the auxiliary winding and generates an auxiliary power voltage; and a control circuit which operates using the auxiliary power voltage and controls a driver circuit so that an intermittent oscillation is performed when the output voltage is higher than a first output voltage and controls a peak of a current flowing through a switching device is lower than a peak in a normal mode, when the auxiliary power voltage is lower than a first auxiliary power voltage in the intermittent oscillation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keita KAWABE, Naohiko MOROTA, Kazuhiro MURATA
  • Patent number: 7787269
    Abstract: The present invention provides a switching power supply device including a switching element, a control circuit controlling the switching element, a transformer having an auxiliary winding, a potential clamp circuit connected to one of outputs of the transformer, a delay capacitor connected to an output of the potential clamp circuit, a potential detection circuit detecting a potential at the delay capacitor, and an overload protection actuation circuit realizing overload protection. During an overload, the delay capacitor is charged only by ringing of the auxiliary winding, generated immediately after the switching element is turned off, through the potential clamp circuit. Then, the potential detection circuit supplies an actuation signal to a latch stop circuit by detecting that the potential at the delay capacitor rises. The latch stop circuit latches and stops the switching operation of the switching element to realize the overload protection when the actuation signal is fed into the latch stop circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Murata
  • Patent number: 7782638
    Abstract: A plurality of arrangements for detecting an overload of energy supplied to an output part enables selecting latch-off or auto-recovery overload protection by the operation of a switching device. When the drain current peak of the switching device exceeds a predetermined level denoting an overload, the FB pin voltage also rises to latch off, and when the drain current peak then reaches a maximum level, the CC pin voltage drops to a predetermined level and limits the oscillation period of the switching device because output power cannot be increased even if the load increases further. Latch-off overload protection can be applied when the drain current peak exceeding a predetermined level is detected, and auto-recovery overload protection can be applied when the CC pin voltage is detected to drop to a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Murata, Tetsuji Yamashita, Yoshihiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20100124081
    Abstract: According to the present invention, when a secondary current on period T2on reaches a predetermined maximum secondary current on-period, an overload is detected and an output power is controlled to decrease. Further, a maximum secondary current on-period signal is set so as to correspond to a secondary current on-period when constant voltage control is performed on an output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohiko Morota, Kazuhiro Murata