Patents by Inventor Masayuki Nara

Masayuki Nara 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: 11867809
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a laser apparatus, a branching part that branches a frequency-modulated laser beam output by the laser apparatus into a reference light and a measurement light; a beat signal generation part that generates a beat signal by mixing a reflected light and the reference light, a conversion part that converts the beat signal into a digital signal at a first sampling rate and frequency-analyses it, an extraction part that extracts a signal component corresponding to a cavity frequency from the frequency-modulated laser beam, a digital filter that digitally filters the extracted signal component at a second sampling rate; and a calculation part that calculates a difference in a propagation distance between the reference light and the measurement light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Suzuki, Shinichi Hara, Shinji Komatsuzaki, Ryusuke Kato, Hiroki Ujihara, Masayuki Nara, Tomotaka Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11656074
    Abstract: A calibration method includes: measuring, with a CMM, a ball-to-ball distance of a plurality of edges of an inspection gauge installed in a first posture, a second posture and a third posture, and calculating a calibration value calibrating a ball-to-ball distance between two balls at respective ends of a plurality of edges of the inspection gauge by solving simultaneous equations including the ball-to-ball distance of the plurality of edges of the inspection gauge installed in the first posture, the ball-to-ball distance of the plurality of edges of the inspection gauge installed in the second posture, the ball-to-ball distance of the plurality of edges of the inspection gauge installed in the third posture, and a measurement error of the CMM at the measurement position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuto Inoue, Masayuki Nara
  • Publication number: 20230136366
    Abstract: A three-dimensional-measuring-apparatus inspection gauge includes a plurality of targets to be measured with which a tip of a probe of a three-dimensional measuring apparatus comes into contact; and a frame member that supports the plurality of targets. The plurality of targets are arranged in positions corresponding to each vertex of a triangular prism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuto INOUE, Masayuki NARA
  • Patent number: 11530908
    Abstract: A measurement point determination method for determining the number or an arrangement of measurement points for a measurement apparatus that performs measurement processing of a measurement item at a plurality of measurement points, the method comprises the steps of acquiring a minimum value and a maximum value of the number of measurement points, acquiring a target value of uncertainty for the measurement item of the measurement apparatus, estimating uncertainties when the measurement item is measured by the measurement apparatus using two or more of the numbers of measurement points between the minimum value and the maximum value of the number of measurement points, and determining the number of measurement points of the measurement apparatus on the basis of the target value and the estimated uncertainties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Hagino, Yuto Inoue, Masayuki Nara
  • Patent number: 11525664
    Abstract: A calibration method includes the steps of placing a structure to be measured at a first position, measuring a first distance from a laser interferometer to a reflector, and measuring first coordinates of a body to be measured, moving the structure to be measured to a second position, measuring a second distance from the laser interferometer to the reflector and measuring second coordinates of the structure to be measured with the coordinate measuring apparats, while the structure to be measured is at the second position, determining a scale error of the reference instrument, mounting the reference instrument, measuring the interval between objects to be measured, and calculating a calibration value of the interval between the objects to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayuki Nara
  • Publication number: 20220333920
    Abstract: A calibration method includes: measuring, with a CMM, a ball-to-ball distance of a plurality of edges of an inspection gauge installed in a first posture, a second posture and a third posture, and calculating a calibration value calibrating a ball-to-ball distance between two balls at respective ends of a plurality of edges of the inspection gauge by solving simultaneous equations including the ball-to-ball distance of the plurality of edges of the inspection gauge installed in the first posture, the ball-to-ball distance of the plurality of edges of the inspection gauge installed in the second posture, the ball-to-ball distance of the plurality of edges of the inspection gauge installed in the third posture, and a measurement error of the CMM at the measurement position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuto INOUE, Masayuki NARA
  • Patent number: 11366447
    Abstract: A spatial accuracy correction apparatus performs a spatial accuracy correction of a positioner displacing a displacer to a predetermined set of spatial coordinates using a measurable length value measured by an interferometer and a measurable value of the set of spatial coordinates of the displacement body that is measured by the positioner. The measured length value and the measured value for each measurement point are acquired by displacing the displacement body to a plurality of measurement points in order, one or more repeated measurements are conducted for at least one of the plurality of measurement points being measured after conducting measurement of the measured length value and the measured value for each of the plurality of measurement points, and the plurality of points are measured again when a repeat error of the measured length value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichiro Yanaka, Masayuki Nara
  • Patent number: 11366448
    Abstract: A method that corrects an error in positioning in a positioning mechanism by using a measurable length value measured by a laser interferometer and a measured value for spatial coordinates measured by the positioning mechanism. The method includes a measurement step in which a retroreflector affixed to a displacer is displaced to a plurality of measurement points, and the measured length value and the measured value at each of the measurement points is acquired; and a parameter calculation step in which a correction parameter is calculated based on the measured value, the measured length value, and the coordinates of a rotation center of the tracking-type laser interferometer. A first correction constant is applied to the measured length value for each measurement line, and a second correction constant different from the first correction constant is applied to the coordinates of the rotation center of the interferometer for each measurement line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichiro Yanaka, Masayuki Nara
  • Patent number: 11359910
    Abstract: An inspection method, correction method, and inspection device that include measuring a first spatial position where laser light is emitted at a first region and measuring a first strike position where the inspection device is struck by the laser light in the first region, the measurements being performed by emitting the laser light at the first region of the inspection device; measuring a second spatial position where the laser light is emitted at a second region and measuring a second strike position where the inspection device is struck by the laser light in the second region, the measurements being performed by emitting the laser light at the second region of the inspection device; and comparing measurement results for the first spatial position and the second spatial position with measurement results for the first strike position and the second strike position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayuki Nara
  • Publication number: 20220042782
    Abstract: A calibration method includes the steps of placing a structure to be measured at a first position, measuring a first distance from a laser interferometer to a reflector, and measuring first coordinates of a body to be measured, moving the structure to be measured to a second position, measuring a second distance from the laser interferometer to the reflector and measuring second coordinates of the structure to be measured with the coordinate measuring apparats, while the structure to be measured is at the second position, determining a scale error of the reference instrument, mounting the reference instrument, measuring the interval between objects to be measured, and calculating a calibration value of the interval between the objects to be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayuki NARA
  • Publication number: 20210063139
    Abstract: An inspection method, correction method, and inspection device that include measuring a first spatial position where laser light is emitted at a first region and measuring a first strike position where the inspection device is struck by the laser light in the first region, the measurements being performed by emitting the laser light at the first region of the inspection device; measuring a second spatial position where the laser light is emitted at a second region and measuring a second strike position where the inspection device is struck by the laser light in the second region, the measurements being performed by emitting the laser light at the second region of the inspection device; and comparing measurement results for the first spatial position and the second spatial position with measurement results for the first strike position and the second strike position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayuki NARA
  • Publication number: 20210011155
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus includes a laser apparatus, a branching part that branches a frequency-modulated laser beam output by the laser apparatus into a reference light and a measurement light; a beat signal generation part that generates a beat signal by mixing a reflected light and the reference light, a conversion part that converts the beat signal into a digital signal at a first sampling rate and frequency-analyses it, an extraction part that extracts a signal component corresponding to a cavity frequency from the frequency-modulated laser beam, a digital filter that digitally filters the extracted signal component at a second sampling rate; and a calculation part that calculates a difference in a propagation distance between the reference light and the measurement light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: Mitutoyo Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Suzuki, Shinichi Hara, Shinji Komatsuzaki, Ryusuke Kato, Hiroki Ujihara, Masayuki Nara, Tomotaka Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200072591
    Abstract: A measurement point determination method for determining the number or an arrangement of measurement points for a measurement apparatus that performs measurement processing of a measurement item at a plurality of measurement points, the method comprises the steps of acquiring a minimum value and a maximum value of the number of measurement points, acquiring a target value of uncertainty for the measurement item of the measurement apparatus, estimating uncertainties when the measurement item is measured by the measurement apparatus using two or more of the numbers of measurement points between the minimum value and the maximum value of the number of measurement points, and determining the number of measurement points of the measurement apparatus on the basis of the target value and the estimated uncertainties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi HAGINO, Yuto INOUE, Masayuki NARA
  • Patent number: 10557941
    Abstract: To inspect a positioning machine by a laser tracking interferometer that tracks a retroreflector using a laser beam, the positioning accuracy of the positioning machine is evaluated by comparing a distance ?dij,C with a distance ?dij,L measured by the laser tracking interferometer, the distance ?dij,C being acquired by orthogonal projection of the position vectors of measurement points pi and pj measured by the positioning machine to the straight line gk passing through the rotation center M of the laser tracking interferometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichirou Yanaka, Masayuki Nara
  • Publication number: 20190187661
    Abstract: A method that corrects an error in positioning in a positioning mechanism by using a measurable length value measured by a laser interferometer and a measured value for spatial coordinates measured by the positioning mechanism. The method includes a measurement step in which a retroreflector affixed to a displacer is displaced to a plurality of measurement points, and the measured length value and the measured value at each of the measurement points is acquired; and a parameter calculation step in which a correction parameter is calculated based on the measured value, the measured length value, and the coordinates of a rotation center of the tracking-type laser interferometer. A first correction constant is applied to the measured length value for each measurement line, and a second correction constant different from the first correction constant is applied to the coordinates of the rotation center of the interferometer for each measurement line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichiro YANAKA, Masayuki NARA
  • Publication number: 20190187660
    Abstract: A spatial accuracy correction apparatus performs a spatial accuracy correction of a positioner displacing a displacer to a predetermined set of spatial coordinates using a measurable length value measured by an interferometer and a measurable value of the set of spatial coordinates of the displacement body that is measured by the positioner. The measured length value and the measured value for each measurement point are acquired by displacing the displacement body to a plurality of measurement points in order, one or more repeated measurements are conducted for at least one of the plurality of measurement points being measured after conducting measurement of the measured length value and the measured value for each of the plurality of measurement points, and the plurality of points are measured again when a repeat error of the measured length value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichiro YANAKA, Masayuki NARA
  • Publication number: 20180038960
    Abstract: To inspect a positioning machine by a laser tracking interferometer that tracks a retroreflector using a laser beam, the positioning accuracy of the positioning machine is evaluated by comparing a distance ?dij,C with a distance ?dij,L measured by the laser tracking interferometer, the distance ?dij,C being acquired by orthogonal projection of the position vectors of measurement points pi and pj measured by the positioning machine to the straight line gk passing through the rotation center M of the laser tracking interferometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichirou YANAKA, Masayuki NARA
  • Patent number: 9335186
    Abstract: An index error estimating apparatus used for an index error calibrating apparatus that has a grating disk supported by a rotation shaft and four detectors arranged on the grating disk. The index error estimating apparatus includes a detected value synthesizer that calculates a linear sum by multiplying by a predetermined coefficient each of detected values obtained from each of the at least four detectors; and a Fourier component identifier that uses a Fourier component of the linear sum and identifies a Fourier component of the index error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masayuki Nara
  • Patent number: 9316487
    Abstract: A laser tracking interferometer has a carriage provided with a first displacement gauge outputting a displacement signal associated with a relative displacement from a reference sphere; a second retroreflector provided to the carriage; a laser interferometer provided to the carriage and outputting a displacement signal associated with a relative displacement between the first retroreflector and the second retroreflector; and a data processor calculating a displacement of the first retroreflector with reference to the reference sphere based on the displacement signal output from the first displacement gauge and the displacement signal output from the laser interferometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Nara, Shinichiro Yanaka
  • Publication number: 20140347673
    Abstract: A laser tracking interferometer has a carriage provided with a first displacement gauge outputting a displacement signal associated with a relative displacement from a reference sphere; a second retroreflector provided to the carriage; a laser interferometer provided to the carriage and outputting a displacement signal associated with a relative displacement between the first retroreflector and the second retroreflector; and a data processor calculating a displacement of the first retroreflector with reference to the reference sphere based on the displacement signal output from the first displacement gauge and the displacement signal output from the laser interferometer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki NARA, Shinichiro YANAKA