Patents by Inventor Makoto Shigihara

Makoto Shigihara 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: 20230361474
    Abstract: A microstrip antenna includes a dielectric substrate, a ground electrode provided on a first surface of the substrate, an antenna element including a plurality of radiating elements on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface so as to extend parallel to one another and a connecting element provided on the second surface to extend in a direction intersecting with the radiating elements and connect the radiating elements, a feed line including a first end portion connected to a portion of the endmost radiating element in plan view, where the portion is located on an extension of the connecting element, and a second end portion provided on a side surface of the substrate between the first and second surfaces to receive power, and a connection line including a section located on the side surface along the feed line and connecting the endmost radiating element to the ground electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Makoto SHIGIHARA, Shinji MURATA
  • Patent number: 7804397
    Abstract: A valve-integrated transponder includes an air valve and a casing that are integrated with each other, and is disposed within a tire. The air valve is press-fitted to a valve hole in a wheel rim. The casing houses a substrate having a detecting element mounted thereon, an inverse F antenna element, a supporting member, and the like, and is provided with a partition-like reinforcement rib. The reinforcement rib extends along an extension of an axis of the air valve and is loosely fitted in a recessed slot of the supporting member. The antenna element supported by the supporting member has a substantially line symmetrical shape where a pair of radiation conductors symmetrically extend away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignees: Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Pacific Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Takashi Sano, Michiya Katou
  • Patent number: 7804398
    Abstract: A valve-integrated transponder includes an air valve and a casing that are integrated with each other, and is disposed within a tire. The casing houses a substrate having a detecting element mounted thereon, an inverse F antenna element, and a supporting member. The antenna element has a substantially line symmetrical shape where a pair of radiation conductors extend away from each other. A longitudinal direction of the substrate is substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the air valve, and a lateral direction of the substrate is inclined relative to a well of a wheel rim. The two radiation conductors of the antenna element disposed on the substrate are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the substrate, so as to be disposed substantially in parallel to the well that extends at the inner side of the transponder as viewed in the radial direction of the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignees: Alps Electric Co., Ltd., Pacific Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Takashi Sano, Michiya Katou
  • Publication number: 20080303672
    Abstract: A valve-integrated transponder includes an air valve and a casing that are integrated with each other, and is disposed within a tire. The air valve is press-fitted to a valve hole in a wheel rim. The casing houses a substrate having a detecting element mounted thereon, an inverse F antenna element, a supporting member, and the like, and is provided with a partition-like reinforcement rib. The reinforcement rib extends along an extension of an axis of the air valve and is loosely fitted in a recessed slot of the supporting member. The antenna element supported by the supporting member has a substantially line symmetrical shape where a pair of radiation conductors symmetrically extend away from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicants: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD., PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Takashi Sano, Michiya Katou
  • Publication number: 20080303652
    Abstract: A valve-integrated transponder includes an air valve and a casing that are integrated with each other, and is disposed within a tire. The casing houses a substrate having a detecting element mounted thereon, an inverse F antenna element, and a supporting member. The antenna element has a substantially line symmetrical shape where a pair of radiation conductors extend away from each other. A longitudinal direction of the substrate is substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the air valve, and a lateral direction of the substrate is inclined relative to a well of a wheel rim. The two radiation conductors of the antenna element disposed on the substrate are inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the substrate, so as to be disposed substantially in parallel to the well that extends at the inner side of the transponder as viewed in the radial direction of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicants: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD., PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Takashi Sano, Michiya Katou
  • Patent number: 7453415
    Abstract: An antenna apparatus is mounted at a wheel rim as a transponder of a system for monitoring a tire pressure or the like, and attached at an end portion of an air valve. The apparatus includes a circuit board having an electronic circuit portion and a grounding conductor layer, a sheet-metal inverse-F type antenna element, a sheet-metal shield case conducting to the grounding conductor layer to cover the electronic circuit portion, and a resin case for accommodating these components. One side surface extending in a longitudinal direction of a space defined between the circuit board and the radiating conductor of the antenna element faces one of sidewalls of a tire, and the other side surface thereof faces a wall surface of the wheel rim with a distance interposed therebetween, the distance being about one-fourth of a wavelength of a radio wave to be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Yasuhiro Konno
  • Publication number: 20080001842
    Abstract: An antenna apparatus is mounted at a wheel rim as a transponder of a system for monitoring a tire pressure or the like, and attached at an end portion of an air valve. The apparatus includes a circuit board having an electronic circuit portion and a grounding conductor layer, a sheet-metal inverse-F type antenna element, a sheet-metal shield case conducting to the grounding conductor layer to cover the electronic circuit portion, and a resin case for accommodating these components. One side surface extending in a longitudinal direction of a space defined between the circuit board and the radiating conductor of the antenna element faces one of sidewalls of a tire, and the other side surface thereof faces a wall surface of the wheel rim with a distance interposed therebetween, the distance being about one-fourth of a wavelength of a radio wave to be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Yasuhiro Konno
  • Patent number: 7315287
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a rectangular parallelepiped base member made of a dielectric or magnetic material, a band-shaped first radiation conductor, including a plurality of divided first radiation conductor portions, spirally wound around the base member, a plurality of variable capacitance elements connected between pairs of adjacent portions and disposed on a upper surface of the base member, and a feeding conductor for supplying a tuning voltage to the variable capacitance elements. The first radiation conductor has first radiation conductor parts respectively formed on upper, lower, and rear side surfaces of the base member and first connecting through-holes passing through the upper and lower surfaces are provided in the base member, and the first radiation conductor part on the upper surface and the first radiation conductor part on the lower surface are connected to each another by the first through-holes, and the feeding conductor is disposed on the front surface of the base member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Patent number: 7307598
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a prism-shaped or plate-shaped base member made of a dielectric or magnetic material, band-shaped first and second radiation conductors wound around the base member and connected to each other, and a third radiation conductor wound around the base member and connected to the second radiation conductor. The first and second radiation conductors include a plurality of divided portions, and the divided first radiation conductor portions are connected in series by first variable capacitance elements, the divided second radiation conductor portions are connected in series by second variable capacitance elements, and a node between the first and second radiation conductors is used as a feeding end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Publication number: 20070103285
    Abstract: An antenna apparatus including an inverse-F antenna is disposed on an inner surface of a tread, in which steel wires are embedded, of a tire, so that the antenna apparatus is disposed at an outer periphery of a ring space in the tire. The antenna apparatus includes: a metal base plate as a supporting member which also serves as a grounding conductor; a circuit board on which a high-frequency circuit including a transmitting/receiving circuit and the like is disposed, and is mounted on the metal base plate; an antenna element which is electrically connected to the high-frequency circuit and radiates a vertical polarization; and a case made of synthetic resin for covering the circuit board and the antenna element, in which the circuit board and the antenna element are located at the inner side of the metal base plate in a radial direction of the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Konno, Makoto Shigihara
  • Patent number: 7071887
    Abstract: The present invention provides an antenna device capable of automatically obtaining excellent receiving sensitivity over a wide band. The antenna device comprises a rod-shaped base made of a dielectric material or a magnetic material; a stripe-shape radiating conductor divided into a plurality of radiating conductors wound around the base; and variable capacitive elements provided to correnspond to the same number of the radiating conductors. The radiating conductors and the variable capacitive elements are alternatively arranged on the base and are connected in series to each other, the radiating conductor having its one end connected to the variable capacitive element serves as an opening side and the variable capacitive element having its one end connected to the radiating conductor serves as a signal feeding side, and capacitance values of the variable capacitive elements increase or decrease in the same direction to be tuned to a predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Yusuke Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20060139226
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a prism-shaped or plate-shaped base member made of a dielectric or magnetic material, band-shaped first and second radiation conductors wound around the base member and connected to each other, and a third radiation conductor wound around the base member and connected to the second radiation conductor. The first and second radiation conductors include a plurality of divided portions, and the divided first radiation conductor portions are connected in series by first variable capacitance elements, the divided second radiation conductor portions are connected in series by second variable capacitance elements, and a node between the first and second radiation conductors is used as a feeding end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Publication number: 20060139227
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a rectangular parallelepiped base member made of a dielectric or magnetic material, a band-shaped first radiation conductor, including a plurality of divided first radiation conductor portions, spirally wound around the base member, a plurality of variable capacitance elements connected between pairs of adjacent portions and disposed on a upper surface of the base member, and a feeding conductor for supplying a tuning voltage to the variable capacitance elements. The first radiation conductor has first radiation conductor parts respectively formed on upper, lower, and rear side surfaces of the base member and first connecting through-holes passing through the upper and lower surfaces are provided in the base member, and the first radiation conductor part on the upper surface and the first radiation conductor part on the lower surface are connected to each another by the first through-holes, and the feeding conductor is disposed on the front surface of the base member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Publication number: 20050162323
    Abstract: The present invention provides an antenna device capable of automatically obtaining excellent receiving sensitivity over a wide band. The antenna device comprises a rod-shaped base made of a dielectric material or a magnetic material; a stripe-shape radiating conductor divided into a plurality of radiating conductors wound around the base; and variable capacitive elements provided to correnspond to the same number of the radiating conductors. The radiating conductors and the variable capacitive elements are alternatively arranged on the base and are connected in series to each other, the radiating conductor having its one end connected to the variable capacitive element serves as an opening side and the variable capacitive element having its one end connected to the radiating conductor serves as a signal feeding side, and capacitance values of the variable capacitive elements increase or decrease in the same direction to be tuned to a predetermined frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Yusuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6707426
    Abstract: In a circularly polarized wave antenna, a dielectric member, which is formed of a dielectric material, such as ceramic, is formed in a quadrilateral columnar shape. A through-hole formed in a quadrilateral shape when viewed from above is provided at the center of the dielectric member. Radiation conductors having the same configuration are formed according to, for example, a printing technique, and are disposed on the corresponding four side surfaces of the dielectric member while being tilted at 45°. In the circularly polarized wave antenna, the dielectric member is fixed on a printed circuit board, and the bottom portions of the radiation conductors are soldered to the corresponding portions of the printed circuit board. With this configuration, mutually in-phase power is supplied to the four radiation conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Masahiko Higasa
  • Publication number: 20040021606
    Abstract: A composite antenna is formed by combining a circularly-polarized-wave antenna and a vertically-polarized-wave antenna, is suitable for thin and small structure. The composite antenna includes a printed circuit board to which a terrestrial-wave plane antenna as the vertically-polarized-wave antenna is fixed. A satellite-wave patch antenna as the circularly-polarized-wave antenna is fixed to a metal plate of the plane antenna. A power-supply pin of the patch antenna is connected to the power-supply line of a coaxial cable by using an opening of the plane antenna. Circumferentially relative positional relationship between the metal plate and a patch electrode of the patch antenna is set to be almost uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Publication number: 20020080075
    Abstract: In a circularly polarized wave antenna, a dielectric member, which is formed of a dielectric material, such as ceramic, is formed in a quadrilateral columnar shape. A through-hole formed in a quadrilateral shape when viewed from above is provided at the center of the dielectric member. Radiation conductors having the same configuration are formed according to, for example, a printing technique, and are disposed on the corresponding four side surfaces of the dielectric member while being tilted at 45°. In the circularly polarized wave antenna, the dielectric member is fixed on a printed circuit board, and the bottom portions of the radiation conductors are soldered to the corresponding portions of the printed circuit board. With this configuration, mutually in-phase power is supplied to the four radiation conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Shigihara, Masahiko Higasa
  • Patent number: 6326923
    Abstract: The present invention provides a miniaturized circular polarized microstrip antenna that employs a dielectric substrate having a large relative dielectric constant so that a desired resonance frequency and a desired axis ratio are obtained. In a circular polarized wave microstrip antenna 1 having a nearly square dielectric substrate 4 with a nearly square patch electrode 2 formed on one surface thereof, and a ground electrode 3 formed on almost the whole of another surface thereof, triangular first notches 2a and 2b serving as retraction-separation elements are respectively formed 135 and 315 degrees with respect to a direction toward a feeding point 5 from the center of the patch electrode 2, which is defined as 0, and within the first notch 2b, a first adjustment electrode 2c extending outwardly from an edge of the patch electrode 2 is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Publication number: 20010020920
    Abstract: The present invention provides a miniaturized circular polarized microstrip antenna that employs a dielectric substrate having a large relative dielectric constant so that a desired resonance frequency and a desired axis ratio are obtained. In a circular polarized wave microstrip antenna 1 having a nearly square dielectric substrate 4 with a nearly square patch electrode 2 formed on one surface thereof, and a ground electrode 3 formed on almost the whole of another surface thereof, triangular first notches 2a and 2b serving as retraction-separation elements are respectively formed 135 and 315 degrees with respect to a direction toward a feeding point 5 from the center of the patch electrode 2, which is defined as 0, and within the first notch 2b, a first adjustment electrode 2c extending outwardly from an edge of the patch electrode 2 is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Shigihara
  • Patent number: 5796371
    Abstract: An outdoor satellite broadcast receiving converter including a waveguide into which a broadcast electric wave enters and in which the broadcast electric wave travels in an axial direction as a first linearly polarized wave and a second linearly polarized wave. A first probe is disposed at a predetermined position and extends perpendicular to the axial direction into the waveguide for detecting the first linearly polarized wave. A substrate is disposed in the waveguide approximately 1/4 wavelength from the first probe and arranged to extend across an open end of the waveguide. A first shorting terminal for reflecting the first linearly polarized wave is formed on a first side of the substrate, and a second probe for detecting the second linearly polarized wave is formed on an opposing second side of the substrate. A metallic case is connected over the open end of the waveguide such that the substrate is positioned between a closed bottom of the metallic case and the first probe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Sato, Shigetaka Suzuki, Shuji Saito, Makoto Shigihara