Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Shibatani

Kazuhiro Shibatani 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: 20090251804
    Abstract: There is provided a driving device with less wiring and of which driving circuit is simplified. A driving device comprising: a plurality of vibratory actuators 6, 7 respectively having a vibration generating portion which transform an electric power into a vibration and a driven portion which engages with the vibration generating portion; and a driving circuit to which the plurality of vibratory actuators are connected in parallel, wherein the vibration generating portion of at least one of the vibratory actuators has a different frequency characteristic from that of other vibratory actuators, and the driving circuit is capable of outputting a plurality of driving voltages each having a different waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Inventor: Kazuhiro SHIBATANI
  • Patent number: 7592759
    Abstract: A servo driving method of the present invention to drive a stepping motor driven by a predetermined driving pulse, by a servo control method, is comprising a setting step of setting a driving mode of the stepping motor switchable at least between a first driving mode, in which the stepping motor is driven with a relatively large current, and a second driving mode, in which the stepping motor is driven with a relatively small current, and a switching step of switching the driving mode between the first driving mode and the second driving mode when a predetermined mode switching information is given. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the power consumption by supplying power efficiently to the stepping motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Patent number: 7548685
    Abstract: A rotating device 9 is for rotating a vertically long drivable element 90 about specified two axes (rotation axis A, rotation axis B) and is provided with a first and a second actuators 91A, 91B for giving torques to the drivable element 90, a pivot bearing portion 92 as a rotation supporting point of the drivable element 90, a first and a second position detecting sensors 93A, 93B for detecting the rotational posture of the drivable element 90, and a posture controller 94. Detecting portions 905A, 905B of the first and second position detecting sensors 93A, 93B are arranged on a straight line L1 connecting acting portions 904A, 904B of the first and second actuators 91A, 91B and near the acting portions 904A, 904B. The position of the drivable element can be detected by a simple construction and the drivable element can be quickly returned to an original position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mashima, Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Patent number: 7547867
    Abstract: A positioning method for positioning a movable member so as to maximize a detection output of a position detecting means whose detection output varies corresponding to positions of the movable member, comprising: performing a wobbling control when the detection output is small, in which the movable member is moved forward and backward by a predetermined minute amount, and the movable member is moved in proportion to a difference between the detection output when the movable member is moved forward by the predetermined minute amount and the detection output when the movable member is moved backward; and performing a hill climbing control when the detection output is large, in which the movable member is moved in one direction by only a predetermined adjustment amount and when the detection output increases, the movable member is moved again in an identical direction by the adjustment amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Patent number: 7538795
    Abstract: Disclosed is a monitor device for a moving body such as a vehicle, aircraft or vessel, moving at a certain speed. The monitor device displays an image of a front scene of the moving body with the image of the central area being enlarged in accordance with the running speed of the moving body such that condition of a far away portion can be recognized accurately. A zoom ratio calculating section determines a zoom ratio in accordance with running speed of the moving body. The area of image to be displayed is selected in accordance with the zoom ratio and the image of the selected area is displayed on a display screen in an enlarged form. A specially designed distortion lens may be used to take the picture of the front scene to form an image of the scene with its central area being optically enlarged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Shibatani, Tetsuya Katagiri
  • Patent number: 7519283
    Abstract: A barrel unit includes a barrel having an image sensing device and a photographing optical system built therein, a supporting member for pivotally supporting the barrel, a steel ball functioning as a pivot bearing portion provided between the barrel and the supporting member, and first and second actuators for giving driving forces to the barrel for shake correction. A gravity point of the barrel is located within an area enclosed by supporting points by first and second acting portions, to which the driving forces from the first and second actuators are given, and the steel ball. The barrel unit can be made more compact and more stably and precisely driven for shake correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mashima, Tomohiro Matsumoto, Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20090060414
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes: a channel waveguide which is positioned at a predetermined height relative to a bottom surface of a substrate; and a slab waveguide having a cross-sectional shape wider than that of the channel waveguide, being positioned at a predetermined height relative to the channel waveguide. Initially, an input end face of the optical waveguide device is vertically scanned with a light beam to achieve optical coupling with the slab waveguide, followed by transversely scanning to achieve optical coupling with the channel waveguide, hence, alignment of an optical axis with a minute channel waveguide can be effected easily and quickly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro SHIBATANI, Yukinobu Nakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20090059976
    Abstract: A laser module capable of easy optical axis adjustment between the very small waveguide in a short period of time, and a method for adjusting an optical axis thereof. The laser module includes a laser device LD; an optical waveguide device SHG equipped with a waveguide; lenses L1 and L2 for converging light from the laser device LD and leading it into the waveguide o; and an actuator for positioning the focusing spot formed by the lenses L1 and L2 in a 3D direction. If the intensity of the emerging light coming from the waveguide is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value, the focusing spot is defocused. Then, the position of the focusing spot is adjusted in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Then, the focusing spot is adjusted to be in focus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro SHIBATANI
  • Publication number: 20080252173
    Abstract: It is provided a drive unit 1 in which the displacement amount of the frictional engagement member 7 can be reduced without lowering the driving torque, having a drive circuit 4 comprised of a bridge circuit which includes charge switching elements Q1, Q3 for connecting the electrodes 5a, 5b of the piezoelectric element 5 to the power supply 2 and discharge switching elements Q2, Q4 for connecting the electrodes 5a, 5b to ground, and a switch circuit 9 for inserting a limiting resistor R2 in at least either one of an current path between the power supply 2 and the piezoelectric element 5 and an current path between the piezoelectric element 5 and the ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Ryuichi Yoshida, Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20080243272
    Abstract: A position apparatus capable of positioning a moving member even in the situation with a large initial misalignment. This positioning apparatus includes a moving member driven by a drive 4; a position detector for outputting a maximum detection output when the moving member is at a predetermined position; and a controller 10. The controller 10 controls the drive device 4 based on the output of the second amplifier 23, whose amplification factor is greater than that of the first amplifier 22, when the output of the second amplifier 23 is equal to or less than a predetermined switching threshold, and otherwise the controller controls the drive device 4 based on the output of the first amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20080240181
    Abstract: A laser apparatus includes: a laser light source; an output member for receiving and transmitting a laser light flux generated by the laser light flux, and outputting a laser light flux; an optical aligning member for positioning the laser light flux generated by the laser light source to the output member; a drive for driving the optical aligning member; a drive controller; an output detector for outputting a detected output representing an intensity of a laser light flux outputted from the output member; and an output controller. The drive controller controls the drive to drive the optical aligning member and the output controller changes a power of the laser light flux generated by the light source, based on the detected output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20080212108
    Abstract: A positioning method for positioning a movable member so as to maximize a detection output of a position detecting means whose detection output varies corresponding to positions of the movable member, comprising: performing a wobbling control when the detection output is small, in which the movable member is moved forward and backward by a predetermined minute amount, and the movable member is moved in proportion to a difference between the detection output when the movable member is moved forward by the predetermined minute amount and the detection output when the movable member is moved backward; and performing a hill climbing control when the detection output is large, in which the movable member is moved in one direction by only a predetermined adjustment amount and when the detection output increases, the movable member is moved again in an identical direction by the adjustment amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20080019702
    Abstract: A laser optical device, having: a laser light emitting section to emit laser signal light moderated by information; a laser light receiving section to receive the laser signal light emitted from the laser light emitting section; a light condensing optical unit to conduct the laser signal light emitted from the laser light emitting section to the laser light receiving section; an actuator to move the light condensing optical unit; a light intensity detecting section to detect an intensity of the laser signal light conducted to the laser light receiving section; and a control section to control drive of the actuator so as to align the laser signal light conducted by the light condensing optical unit to the laser light receiving section; wherein the control section drives the actuator in a predetermined period which synchronizes with a predetermined signal included in the laser signal light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Shibatani, Yoshiaki Hata, Shingo Kanezawa
  • Patent number: 7236185
    Abstract: When an image capturing apparatus and an operation apparatus become connected to each other, function information is transmitted from the image capturing apparatus to the operation apparatus. The operation apparatus can recognize the functions effective in the image capturing apparatus by receiving the function information from the image capturing apparatus. The operation apparatus compares the received function information with the functions that can be processed by the operation apparatus, and sets the protocol. The protocol includes ones that is associated with a moving image attribute associated with moving image data and that is associated with the shooting function of the image capturing apparatus. Then, the operation apparatus transmits protocol information to the image capturing apparatus. Thereafter, the image capturing apparatus and the operation apparatus perform data communication based on the protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Terada, Masayuki Ueyama, Kazuhiro Shibatani, Kentaro Iida
  • Patent number: 7208905
    Abstract: The driving method of the present invention is a driving method to drive a stepping motor driven by a predetermined driving pulse, by the servo driving method, and is characterized in that a predetermined sampling period is set, and the generation condition of the driving pulse to drive the stepping motor is set at the sampling periods. Thereby, the stepping motor can be driven while the most suitable driving condition is determined at the predetermined sampling periods. That is, since the driving condition of the stepping motor can be changed at the sampling periods, even when the stepping motor driven by the driving pulse is the driving source, appropriate servo control can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Patent number: 7184091
    Abstract: An image shooting apparatus capable of accurately connecting split images while avoiding increase in the size of the apparatus is described. The stop positions of an image forming portion 10 is detected on the order equal to the pixel pitch, the shift amounts of the shot split images are obtained from the shift amounts of the stop positions of the image forming portion 10, and for each split image, the address is converted to a normal address based on the shift amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Matsuda, Takashi Matsuo, Kentaro Iida, Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20060285837
    Abstract: A rotating device 9 is for rotating a vertically long drivable element 90 about specified two axes (rotation axis A, rotation axis B) and is provided with a first and a second actuators 91A, 91B for giving torques to the drivable element 90, a pivot bearing portion 92 as a rotation supporting point of the drivable element 90, a first and a second position detecting sensors 93A, 93B for detecting the rotational posture of the drivable element 90, and a posture controller 94. Detecting portions 905A, 905B of the first and second position detecting sensors 93A, 93B are arranged on a straight line L1 connecting acting portions 904A, 904B of the first and second actuators 91A, 91B and near the acting portions 904A, 904B. The position of the drivable element can be detected by a simple construction and the drivable element can be quickly returned to an original position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mashima, Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20060285838
    Abstract: A barrel unit includes a barrel having an image sensing device and a photographing optical system built therein, a supporting member for pivotally supporting the barrel, a steel ball functioning as a pivot bearing portion provided between the barrel and the supporting member, and first and second actuators for giving driving forces to the barrel for shake correction. A gravity point of the barrel is located within an area enclosed by supporting points by first and second acting portions, to which the driving forces from the first and second actuators are given, and the steel ball. The barrel unit can be made more compact and more stably and precisely driven for shake correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mashima, Tomohiro Matsumoto, Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20060257129
    Abstract: An image sensing apparatus is equipped with an anti-shake mechanism. A shake amount of a main body of the image sensing apparatus is detected, and an anti-shake drive signal is generated in accordance with a detected shake amount. The anti-shake drive signal is sent to a plurality of actuators to apply an anti-shake driving force to a driven member provided in an imaging optical system of the image sensing apparatus at different positions from each other. A control axis about which the driven member is driven for anti-shake control extends in a direction different from a drive axis along which the driven member is driven for actual movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani
  • Publication number: 20060108964
    Abstract: A servo driving method of the present invention to drive a stepping motor driven by a predetermined driving pulse, by a servo control method, is comprising a setting step of setting a driving mode of the stepping motor switchable at least between a first driving mode, in which the stepping motor is driven with a relatively large current, and a second driving mode, in which the stepping motor is driven with a relatively small current, and a switching step of switching the driving mode between the first driving mode and the second driving mode when a predetermined mode switching information is given. Thereby, it becomes possible to reduce the power consumption by supplying power efficiently to the stepping motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Shibatani