Patents by Inventor Masaru Kawabata

Masaru Kawabata 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: 20080170299
    Abstract: An imaging device includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices configured to convert a received light into an electronic signal; a plurality of collector lenses configured to collect a light and to supply the light to the photoelectric conversion devices, the collector lenses being arranged before each of the photoelectric conversion devices; and a fluid lens configured to refract a light and to supply the light to the collector lenses, the fluid lens being arranged before the collector lenses, wherein the fluid lens has a first and second fluids with refractive indices different from each other and an electrode that applies a voltage to the first and second fluids, and the fluid lens changes an interface topology between the fluids in accordance with a voltage to be applied to the electrode and varies a refractive index of a light supplied to each of the plurality of the collector lenses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 7230598
    Abstract: An electrical dimmer device and its driving method applicable to, for example, an image pickup unit and a display unit operate so that when a control signal for stop adjustment is changed from its current value of stop adjustment to a larger value, which occurs when the light transmissivity of a positive type liquid crystal is raised, or when the light transmissivity of a negative type liquid crystal is lowered, the control signal is temporarily varied to an intermediate value that is larger than the larger value. The energy of the varied larger value and a time during which that varied value is applied are determined in accordance with predetermined values. By doing so, it is possible to make a response speed when changing the light transmissivity extremely faster and thus attain a response time, of for example, one field period of time or less required for a stop mechanism of a video camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Kawabata, Toru Udaka, Toshiharu Yanagida, Toshifumi Takaoka, Kazuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7057683
    Abstract: A light control device and an imaging device suitable for the effective and stabilized driving of a Guest-Host type liquid crystal element. A light control device which is provided with a light controlling GH cell and a UV cut filter provided on the light incident side of the GH cell and which is therefore reduced significantly in the quantity of ultraviolet ray applied to the GH cell, thereby preventing the photodecomposition or photodegradation of materials constituting a liquid crystal layer in the GH cell; and an imaging device such as a CCD camera having this light control device disposed on the optical path thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Udaka, Keiichi Nito, Toshiharu Yanagida, Masaru Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20050270411
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imaging device including an electric light control device disposed between lens groups, a CCD photosensitive surface and including a liquid crystal cell which contains at least a dye pigment for providing a predetermined light control range, a CPU for supplying an applied voltage to place the electric light control device in the predetermined light control range based on amount-of-light information obtained from the CCD, and a numerical parameter value table for storing a numerical parameter value relative to a threshold value for a transmittance of the electric light control device in order to generate the applied voltage to be supplied from the CPU to the electric light control means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masaru Kawabata, Kazuhiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20050078265
    Abstract: A light control device and an imaging device suitable for the effective and stabilized driving of a Guest-Host type liquid crystal element. A light control device which is provided with a light controlling GH cell and a UV cut filter provided on the light incident side of the GH cell and which is therefore reduced significantly in the quantity of ultraviolet ray applied to the GH cell, thereby preventing the photodecomposition or photodegradation of materials constituting a liquid crystal layer in the GH cell; and an imaging device such as a CCD camera having this light control device disposed on the optical path thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Publication date: April 14, 2005
    Inventors: Toru Udaka, Keiichi Nito, Toshiharu Yanagida, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6876412
    Abstract: A light control device and an imaging device suitable for the effective and stabilized driving of a Guest-Host type liquid crystal element. A light control device (23) which is provided with a light controlling GH cell (12) and a UV cut filter (65) provided on the light incident side of the GH cell (12), and which is therefore reduced significantly in the quantity of ultraviolet ray applied to the GH cell (12), thereby preventing the photodecompositon or photodegradation of materials constituting a liquid crystal layer in the GH cell (12); and an imaging device such as a CCD camera (50) having this light control device disposed on the optical path thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Udaka, Keiichi Nito, Toshiharu Yanagida, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6791657
    Abstract: A light control device includes a GH cell and a polarizer wherein a host material is made of a negative type liquid crystal whose dielectric anisotropy is negative and a guest material is made of a dichromatic positive type dye. The polarizer is provided at a side of light incident on the polarizer. A cell gap ranges from 2 &mgr;m to 4 &mgr;m, at least, in an effective light path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiharu Yanagida, Toru Udaka, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6720742
    Abstract: A light control device comprises a liquid crystal cell 12, and a pulse control unit 62 or 64 wherein when a transmittance of light transmitted from said liquid crystal element is changed from an actual light transmittance to an intended light transmittance, the pulse control unit is able to insert beforehand a drive pulse for control corresponding to a minimum light transmittance or a maximum light transmittance, at least, prior to application of a drive pulse corresponding to the intended light transmittance. A method of driving the light control device is also described wherein the light control device is driven by use of the drive pulse for control, along with a pickup device wherein the light control device is arranged in a light path of a pickup system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventors: Toshiharu Yanagida, Toru Udaka, Masaru Kawabata, Kazuhiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20040012753
    Abstract: A light control device and an imaging device suitable for the effective and stabilized driving of a Guest-Host type liquid crystal element. A light control device (23) which is provided with a light controlling GH cell (12) and a UV cut filter (65) provided on the light incident side of the GH cell (12), and which is therefore reduced significantly in the quantity of ultraviolet ray applied to the GH cell (12), thereby preventing the photodecompositon or photodegradation of materials constituting a liquid crystal layer in the GH cell (12); and an imaging device such as a CCD camera (50) having this light control device disposed on the optical path thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Publication date: January 22, 2004
    Inventors: Toru Udaka, Keiichi Nito, Toshiharu Yanagida, Masaru Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20030189677
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical dimmer device and its driving method applicable to, for example, an image pickup unit and a display unit. In the present invention, when a control signal for stop adjustment is changed from its current value of stop adjustment (±VX1) to a larger value (±VY1) (when the light transmissivity of a positive type liquid crystal is raised, or when the light transmissivity of a negative type liquid crystal is lowered), the control signal is temporarily varied to an intermediate value (±VZ1) which is still larger than the larger value (±VY1). The energy of the still larger value (±VZ1) and a time during which that varied value is applied are determined in accordance with predetermined values. By doing so, it is possible to make a response speed when changing the light transmissivity extremely faster and thus attain a response time of, e.g. one field period of time or less required for a stop mechanism of video camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Publication date: October 9, 2003
    Inventors: Masaru Kawabata, Toru Udaka, Toshiharu Yanagida, Toshifumi Takaoka, Kazuhiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20020097369
    Abstract: A light control device includes a GH cell and a polarizer wherein a host material is made of a negative type liquid crystal whose dielectric anisotropy is negative and a guest material is made of a dichromatic positive type dye. The polarizer is provided at a side of light incident on the polarizer. A cell gap ranges from 2 &mgr;m to 4 &mgr;m, at least, in an effective light path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Inventors: Toshiharu Yanagida, Toru Udaka, Masaru Kawabata
  • Publication number: 20020079847
    Abstract: A light control device comprises a liquid crystal cell 12, and a pulse control unit 62 or 64 wherein when a transmittance of light transmitted from said liquid crystal element is changed from an actual light transmittance to an intended light transmittance, the pulse control unit is able to insert beforehand a drive pulse for control corresponding to a minimum light transmittance or a maximum light transmittance, at least, prior to application of a drive pulse corresponding to the intended light transmittance. A method of driving the light control device is also described wherein the light control device is driven by use of the drive pulse for control, along with a pickup device wherein the light control device is arranged in a light path of a pickup system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Toshiharu Yanagida, Toru Udaka, Masaru Kawabata, Kazuhiro Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6219173
    Abstract: An optical apparatus having counter electrodes of ITO and working electrodes formed from a conductive paste prepared by dispersing silver or carbon conductive particles in a binder or a sintered material obtained by sintering silver or carbon conductive particles. The counter electrodes can be formed into a structure free of sharp edges which can cause a concentration of electric fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Udaka, Hideharu Miyagaki, Shinichiro Yamada, Hiroshi Imoto, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 6134061
    Abstract: A digital signal recording and reproducing method and apparatus for digitally recording and reproducing first and second signals in tracks on a magnetic recording includes an encoder and a recording unit. The encoder separately error-correcting encodes the first and second signals of a first and second type, respectively, to produce at least first and second inspection codes corresponding to the first and second signals. The first and second inspection codes have first and second lengths, respectively. The recording unit records the first and second signals and the first and second inspection codes in tracks of the magnetic recording medium so that the first and second signals and the first and second inspection codes are recorded in a track without a gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Inoue, Ken Onishi, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 5400186
    Abstract: A digital VTR is provided for recording data for one-frame of video and audio signals, which have been error-correcting-encoded collectively, in a predetermined number of pieces of tracks during normal recording and for recording data for the video and audio signals, which have been error-correcting-encoded collectively, in one less than the predetermined number of tracks and data for the audio signal, which have been error-correcting-encoded during post-scoring, in the remaining one track exclusively for the post-scoring during post-scoring audio recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Inoue, Ken Onishi, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 5198138
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are ferrite particles for a bonded magnetic core comprising crystal grains of 5 to 15 .mu.m in average diameter, having an average particle diameter of 20 to 150 .mu.m and a magnetic permeability of not less than 24, and consisting essentially of 47 to 58 mol % of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, 10 to 30 mol % of nickel oxide, manganese oxide, nickel-managanese oxide (calculated as NiO, MnO or NiO.MnO) and 15 to 40 mol % of zinc oxide (calculated as ZnO).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: Toda Kogyo Corp.
    Inventors: Shigehisa Yamamoto, Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 5099364
    Abstract: A video recording apparatus comprises image pickup device section for forming an image of a subject and outputting an electrical signal corresponding to the image, a magnetic recorder for recording the electrical signal outputted from the image pickup means along tracks inclined with respect to the direction of the length of a magnetic tape, a start switch manipulated to start recording by the recorder, a power supply circuit, and means responsive to the manipulation of the start switch for causing power to be supplied from the power supply circuit to the image pickup means and the recorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1992
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaru Kawabata
  • Patent number: 4992191
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are sphere-like magnetite particles showing an apparent density of from 0.40 to 1.00 g/cm.sup.3 and a high thermo-stability and containing from 0.1 to 5.0 atomic % of Si to Fe, and a process for producing the sphere-like magnetite particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: Toda Kogyo Corporation
    Inventors: Keiso Mori, Masaru Kawabata, Masao Kunishige, Nanao Horiishi, Koji Toda
  • Patent number: 4562491
    Abstract: A multichannel digital magnetic recording apparatus comprises a plurality (N) of modulating circuits (41 to 4N) and timing circuits (51 to 5N). Digital signals (Z1 to ZN) undergo modulation in the modulating circuits in accordance with a modulation system of a detection window Tw. The modulated signals (A1 to AN) are converted into pulse current trains by the timing circuits and then delayed such that the respective pulse currents do not occur simultaneously. Accordingly, a power capacity required of a voltage source for writing the signals by means of thin film magnetic heads (71 to 7N) is considerably decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Kawabata, Teruo Furukawa, Michiyasu Ishibashi