Patents by Inventor Kunio Koike

Kunio Koike 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: 6414909
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece has first and second switches (121, 122) placed between an input terminal (22a) of a capacitor (22) and output terminals MG1 and MG2 of a generator (20), a third switch (130) placed between the output terminal MG1 and an input terminal (22b) of the capacitor (22), and a brake control circuit (55) enabled to control the switches independent of one another. Electric current is fed through the generator 20 by opening the switch (121) and closing the switches (122, 130). Thus, a rate measurement pulse is outputted therefrom. Consequently, rate measurement is easily achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eisaku Shimizu, Kunio Koike, Hidenori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6373789
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece includes a mechanical energy source; a generator for converting mechanical energy transmitted through a train wheel to electrical energy. A rotation controller coupled to the generator controls rotation of the generator and includes switch capable of short circuiting the generator by intermittently activating and deactivating the switch using chopper control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Koike, Eisaku Shimizu, Osamu Takahashi, Osamu Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20010046188
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece includes a mechanical energy source; a generator for converting mechanical energy transmitted through a train wheel to electrical energy. A rotation controller coupled to the generator controls rotation of the generator and includes switch capable of short circuiting the generator by intermittently activating and deactivating the switch using chopper control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Inventors: KUNIO KOIKE, EISAKU SHIMIZU, OSAMU TAKAHASHI, OSAMU SHINKAWA
  • Patent number: 6314059
    Abstract: A timepiece includes a mechanical energy source, a generator, and a train wheel connecting the mechanical energy source and the generator. The mechanical energy source drives the train wheel to cause the generator to rotate thereby creating electrical power. A rotation controller coupled to the generator controls the rotation of the generator, and includes a rotation detector for detecting the rotation of the generator and generating a rotation signal corresponding to the rotation and a reference signal generator for generating a reference signal based on a signal from a time reference source. The brake controller counts the reference signal and produces a first count, counts the rotation signal and produces a second count, and brakes the rotation of the generator when the first count is less than the second count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Eisaku Shimizu, Kunio Koike, Hidenori Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20010030909
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece, which is an electronic device, is equipped with a generator 2 for converting the mechanical energy transmitted from a mainspring through the intermediary of a train wheel into electrical energy, and a rotation control unit for controlling the rotation cycle of the generator 2. The rotation control unit is equipped with a count-up/down counter 60 that compares a reference signal with a rotation detection signal of the generator 2 thereby to adjust a braking time for the generator 2, and a brake control signal generating circuit 81 that corrects the time set at the count-up/down counter 60 on the basis of the rotation cycle of the generator 2. If the rotation cycle of the generator 2 significantly deviates from a reference signal cycle, then the braking time is adjusted on the basis of the rotation cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Inventors: Eisaku Shimizu, Kunio Koike, Hidenori Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6252828
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece includes: a voltage-controlled oscillator (25) including a generator that uses a rotor (12) driven by a spring (1a) to rotate, and a brake circuit (23) for controlling the rotation cycle of the generator (20); and a rotation control means (50) for controlling the rotation cycle of (50) includes a phase-comparison circuit (54) for comparing the phases of rectangular-wave pulses fr output from a VCO (25) and time standard signal fs, and a brake control circuit (56) for inputting, based on an output from the phase-comparison circuit (54), a signal for controlling the brake circuit (23) to a voltage-controlled oscillator (25). By providing the VCO (25) and the phase-comparison circuit (54), PLL control is realized to enable a rapidly responsive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Kunio Koike
  • Patent number: 6041021
    Abstract: An electronically controlled mechanical timepiece includes: a voltage-controlled oscillator (25) including a generator that uses a rotor (12) driven by a spring (1a) to rotate, and a brake circuit (23) for controlling the rotation cycle of the generator (20); and a rotation control circuit (50) for controlling the rotation cycle of the generator (20) by controlling the brake circuit (23). The rotation control circuit (50) includes a phase-comparison circuit (54) for comparing the phases of rectangular-wave pulses fr output from a VCO (25) and time standard signal fs, and a brake control circuit (56) for inputting, based on an output from the phase-comparison circuit (54), a signal for controlling the brake circuit (23) to a voltage-controlled oscillator (25). By providing the VCO (25) and the phase-comparison circuit (54), PLL control is realized to enable a rapidly responsive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Shinkawa, Kunio Koike