Patents by Inventor Kunio Tabata

Kunio Tabata 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: 8657399
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive waveform generator adapted to generate a drive waveform signal, a modulator adapted to execute pulse modulation on the drive waveform signal, a digital power amplifier adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal, on which the pulse modulation is executed by the modulator, with a pair of switching elements push-pull coupled with each other, a low pass filter adapted to smooth the amplified digital signal obtained by the power-amplification of the digital power amplifier, and a modulation period modification circuit adapted to modify a modulation period of the pulse modulation of the modulator based on data of the drive waveform signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Aizawa, Seiichi Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 8653718
    Abstract: A power generation unit includes: a deformation member which is deformed by switching a deformation direction; a piezoelectric element which is installed to the deformation member; a pair of electrodes which are installed to the piezoelectric element; an inductor which is installed between the pair of the electrodes and which together with a capacitive component of the piezoelectric element constitutes a resonance circuit; a switch which is connected in series to the inductor; a full bridge rectifier which is installed between the pair of the electrodes to rectify an AC current generated by the piezoelectric element; a voltage detection circuit which detects potentials of an anode and cathode of a diode included in the full bridge rectifier; and a controller which allows the switch to be in an ON state for a predetermined time interval based on an output signal of the voltage detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Hiroyuki Yoshino
  • Patent number: 8632148
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a modulator adapted to pulse-modulate a drive waveform signal forming a basis of a drive signal of an actuator to obtain a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier circuit adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal to obtain a power-amplified modulated signal; a low pass filter adapted to smooth the power-amplified modulated signal to obtain the drive signal; and a power amplification stopping section operating when holding a voltage of the actuator constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino
  • Patent number: 8604673
    Abstract: A power generating device which includes a transformation member that is transformed by receiving a transformation force in a transformation direction, a first piezoelectric device that is disposed on the transformation member, a second piezoelectric device that is disposed on the transformation member, an inductor comprising a resonance circuit including the first piezoelectric device, a switch that is disposed in the resonance circuit, and a control unit that controls the switch to be in a conductive state for a predetermined period by detecting a voltage generated in the second piezoelectric device as the second piezoelectric device is transformed in response to the transformation force being applied to the transformation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide, Atsuya Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 8604666
    Abstract: A power generating device includes: a piezoelectric member that is formed from a piezoelectric material; one pair of electrodes that are installed to the piezoelectric member; a transformation unit that repeatedly transforms the piezoelectric member; an inductor that is installed between the one pair of electrodes and configures a resonance circuit together with a capacitive component of the piezoelectric member; a switch that is connected to the inductor in series; and a switch control unit that connects the switch when a transformation direction of the piezoelectric member is switched, and cuts off the switch when a time corresponding to a half period of a resonance period of the resonance circuit elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide, Atsushi Oshima
  • Patent number: 8596740
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive circuit adapted to apply a drive signal to an actuator of a liquid jet head, and a power supply voltage control circuit adapted to control a power supply voltage to the drive signal to be a waveform voltage set previously based on a reference signal obtained from one of the drive signal and a signal in a generation stage of the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Noritaka Ide, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Aizawa, Seiichi Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20130284291
    Abstract: A fluid jet device including a fluid chamber with variable capacity and a capacity varying section adapted to vary the capacity of the fluid chamber in response to supply of a drive signal. A drive waveform section making the capacity varying section operate so as to compress the capacity of the fluid chamber and a restoring drive waveform section making the capacity varying section operate to restore the capacity of the fluid chamber before compressing the capacity in a signal waveform. The drive signal supply section controls supply content of the drive signal to provide a restoring period adapted to restore a steady state of the fluid flowing toward an inside of the fluid chamber in a period from when the compressing drive waveform section in the drive signal is supplied to when a subsequent compressing drive waveform section is supplied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi SETO, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Kunio TABATA
  • Patent number: 8506584
    Abstract: A fluid jet device including a fluid chamber with variable capacity and a capacity varying section adapted to vary the capacity of the fluid chamber in response to supply of a drive signal. A drive waveform section making the capacity varying section operate so as to compress the capacity of the fluid chamber and a restoring drive waveform section making the capacity varying section operate to restore the capacity of the fluid chamber before compressing the capacity in a signal waveform. The drive signal supply section controls supply content of the drive signal to provide a restoring period adapted to restore a steady state of the fluid flowing toward an inside of the fluid chamber in a period from when the compressing drive waveform section in the drive signal is supplied to when a subsequent compressing drive waveform section is supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Seto, Shinichi Miyazaki, Kunio Tabata
  • Patent number: 8430468
    Abstract: A head drive of an inkjet printer includes nozzles and corresponding actuators that eject liquid ink drops. A drive unit applies a drive signal to the actuators. The drive unit includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal to control the drive of the actuators. A modulator pulse modulates the drive waveform. A digital power amplifier amplifies power of the modulated signal. A low pass filter smoothes the amplified digital signal and supplies the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. An inverse filter provided in a subsequent stage of the drive waveform generator corrects at least the frequency characteristics of the filter to predetermined frequency characteristics, independent of the number of the actuators to drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano, Atsushi Oshima
  • Patent number: 8430466
    Abstract: A head drive apparatus of an inkjet printer includes nozzles and corresponding actuators that eject liquid drops. A drive unit applies a drive signal to the actuators. The drive unit includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal as a reference of a signal to control drive of the actuators. A modulator pulse modulates a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generator. A digital power amplifier amplifies power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation. A low pass filter smoothes an amplified digital signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplying the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. An inverse filter provided in a subsequent stage of the drive waveform generator corrects at least the frequency characteristics of the filter to predetermined frequency characteristics, independently of the number of the actuators to drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 8419147
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device that ejects fluid from an ejection port includes: a drive element that ejects fluid in accordance with a difference between voltages applied to a first terminal and a second terminal; a drive voltage waveform storing unit that stores a drive voltage waveform applied to the drive element; a plurality of power supplies each having a different voltage; and a drive voltage waveform applying unit that applies the drive voltage waveform to the drive element by switching among the plurality of power supplies connected to the first and second terminals of the drive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata, Shinichi Miyazaki, Atsushi Oshima, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Nobuaki Azami
  • Publication number: 20130082570
    Abstract: A power generation unit includes a deforming member adapted to repeatedly deform a piezoelectric element, a pair of electrodes provided to the piezoelectric element, an inductor disposed between the pair of electrodes, and constituting a resonant circuit together with a capacitive component of the piezoelectric element, a first switch connected in series to the inductor, a member adapted to detect a timing at which a deformation direction of the deforming member is switched, a full bridge rectifier adapted to rectify a current output from the pair of electrodes, a capacitor connected to the full bridge rectifier, and adapted to store a current supplied from the full bridge rectifier, a second switch connected between either one of the pair of electrodes and the capacitor, and a control circuit adapted to operate the first switch and the second switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka IDE, Kunio TABATA, Atsushi OSHIMA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20130082569
    Abstract: A power generation unit includes: a deforming member adapted to deform while switching a deformation direction; a piezoelectric device provided to the deforming member, and having a pair of electrodes; a displacement sensor adapted to detect a deformation amount of the deforming member, and then output deformation amount information as information related to the deformation amount; an inductor electrically connected to the piezoelectric device; a switch disposed between the piezoelectric device and the inductor; and a switch control section adapted to control the switch so as to set the pair of electrodes to a shorted state for a predetermined period of time when the deformation amount exceeds a predetermined level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsuya HIRABAYASHI, Kunio TABATA, Atsushi OSHIMA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Noritaka IDE, Yasuhiro ONO
  • Patent number: 8398194
    Abstract: A power amplifier includes: a modulator pulse-modulating a drive waveform signal serving as a reference of a drive signal applied to an actuator and outputting a plurality of modulated signals; a digital power amplifier having a plurality of digital power amplifier stages each including a pair of push-pull switching elements, amplifying the power of the plurality of modulated signals, and outputting multi-value amplified digital signals; and a low pass filter smoothing the amplified digital signals and outputting the drive signal, wherein the modulator includes a control section switching one of a state where the same modulated signal is connected to two or more of the digital power amplifier stages and a state where different modulated signals are connected to different digital power amplifier stages to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yoshino, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata, Nobuaki Azami, Shinichi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8393699
    Abstract: A capacitive load driving circuit that drives an electrical load having a capacitive component, includes: a first power supply generating a first voltage; a second power supply generating a second voltage different from the first voltage; a plurality of charge storage elements charged by the first power supply; a first connection unit that connects the plurality of charge storage elements to the electrical load by switching connections among the charge storage elements; and a second connection unit that connects the second power supply to the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yoshino, Atsushi Oshima, Shinichi Miyazaki, Kunio Tabata, Noritaka Ide
  • Publication number: 20130052044
    Abstract: A fluid feeding pump which varies a volume of a pump chamber and thus feeds a fluid out of the pump chamber, includes: a piezoelectric element which accumulates electric charges inside when a voltage is applied, and which deforms according to an amount of accumulated electric charges and thus increases or decreases the volume of the pump chamber; a drive unit which applies a drive signal with a waveform increasing to a predetermined maximum voltage and then decreasing, and thus drives the piezoelectric element; and an air bubble determining unit which detects a current flowing through the piezoelectric element within a predetermined period after the drive signal is applied to the piezoelectric element, and thus determines whether there are air bubbles in the pump chamber or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Matsuzaki, Takeshi Seto, Kunio Tabata, Shinichi Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 8382224
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes: a modulator adapted to pulse-modulate a drive waveform signal forming a basis of a drive signal of an actuator to obtain a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier circuit adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal to obtain a power-amplified modulated signal; a low pass filter adapted to smooth the power-amplified modulated signal to obtain the drive signal; and a power amplification stopping section operating when holding a voltage of the actuator constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino
  • Patent number: 8376486
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive waveform generator adapted to generate a drive waveform signal, a modulator adapted to execute pulse modulation on the drive waveform signal, a digital power amplifier adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal, on which the pulse modulation is executed by the modulator, with a pair of switching elements push-pull coupled with each other, a low pass filter adapted to smooth the amplified digital signal obtained by the power-amplification of the digital power amplifier, and a modulation period modification circuit adapted to modify a modulation period of the pulse modulation of the modulator based on data of the drive waveform signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Noritaka Ide, Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Aizawa, Seiichi Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20130038654
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes a driving waveform signal generating circuit that generates a driving waveform signal, a modulation circuit that performs pulse modulation on the driving waveform signal to generate a modulation signal, a digital power amplifier that amplifies power of the modulation signal to generate a power amplification modulation signal in the form of a pulse wave, a filter that smoothes the power amplification modulation signal in the pulse wave to generate the driving signal, a connection cable that connects the filter to the capacitive load and is provided such that at least one of the filter and the capacitive load is detachable, a connection line information acquiring unit that acquires connection line information associated with the connection cable, and a frequency changing unit that changes a frequency when the modulation circuit performs the pulse modulation on the driving waveform signal, on the basis of the connection line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Kunio TABATA, Atsushi OSHIMA, Noritaka IDE
  • Patent number: 8313170
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device configured to eject fluid from an ejection port includes a driving element that pressurizes the fluid and causes it to be ejected from the ejection port by being driven according to a voltage applied thereto. A driving voltage waveform selecting unit selects a driving voltage waveform to be applied to the driving element from among a plurality of types of the stored driving voltage waveforms. Power sources set the voltage to be outputted. A power source voltage determining unit determines voltages to be set to the power sources on the basis of the selected driving voltage waveform. A driving voltage waveform applying unit applies the selected driving voltage waveform to the driving element by setting the determined voltages to the power sources and connecting the power sources to the driving element while switching the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Nobuaki Azami, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Shinichi Miyazaki, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide