Patents by Inventor Minoru Natori

Minoru Natori 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: 4686519
    Abstract: A display device includes a spectroscopic unit for making a corresponding spectral diffraction in accordance with wavelengths of light and an image display unit including a light valve which has a plurality of picture elements. The light valve receives the light-subjected to assortment by color with the spectroscopic unit and controls the light quantity of outgoing light, respectively, thereby passing any light of the three primary colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohiko Yoshida, Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 4663670
    Abstract: A television receiver having a liquid crystal display device includes a receiver having a electromagnetically shielded case and a receiving circuit provided in the shielded case and electrically connected to an antenna for producing audio signals and video signals. A liquid crystal display panel of the liquid crystal display device is electromagnetically shielded by a transparent and conductive shielding film for shielding the liquid crystal display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsu Ito, Munehiro Shinabe, Akira Miyajima, Nobuyuki Hashimoto, Hideshi Ohno, Akira Tsuzuki, Shigeru Morokawa, Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 4283782
    Abstract: An alarm timepiece is disclosed having hand display means in which a plurality of alarm times may be set and the set times are displayed. A plurality of alarm time indexes are circumferentially arranged and rotatably provided for indicating the setting of the alarm time by angular position of the index. Further, alarm time memory means is provided to be co-operated with each index and alarm time detecting means is provided to be operated by the time measurement means of the timepiece. Each memory means, alarm time detecting means and an electric alarm device are connected by electric circuits to operate the alarm device when the alarm time detecting means operates to close the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1981
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Munetaka Tamaru, Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 4272836
    Abstract: An alarm timepiece is disclosed in which a plurality of alarm times may be set and the set alarm times may be displayed. The timepiece includes a plurality of alarm time memory means, alarm time display means connected to the alarm time memory means and control means for controlling the input signal for the alarm time memory means. The alarm time display means are circumferentially arranged in same manner as the time index of the watch dial, whereby set alarm time may be indicated in the display means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1981
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Munetaka Tamaru, Minoru Natori, Sizuo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 4268913
    Abstract: An electronic calculator watch which comprises timekeeping means composed of an oscillator, a frequency divider connected to the oscillator, a counter circuit connected to the frequency divider, and a driver circuit connected to the counter circuit for providing an output signal indicative of time information, and calculating means composed of an oscillator circuit and a calculation circuit responsive to perform calculations under control of numerical inputs furnished by external operation device provided on a watch case. The watch also comprises a display including a first display section connected to the driver circuit of the timekeeping means to display the output signal delivered therefrom, and a second display section connected to the calculating means to display the result of calculations, each of the first and second display sections having a plurality of digit electrodes and a plurality of segment electrodes arranged in a matrix configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1977
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiko Nakagiri, Kunihiro Daigo, Toshiaki Oguchi, Minoru Natori, Toshikazu Hatuse, Toshikazu Shimazaki, Kouhei Kawanobe, Hiroshi Ogawa, Yoshinobu Kashima, Singo Ichikawa, Ryo Namiki, Hisao Yamagata
  • Patent number: 4257115
    Abstract: A switch structure for an analog quartz crystal timepiece having a watchglass plate, a time dial to display time in an analog mode, and a digital display device, which switch structure comprises a plurality of transparent electrically conductive electrode films provided on the watchglass plate at positions corresponding to numerical display indicia on the time dial to permit generation of input signals corresponding to the numerical display indicia, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1981
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Hatuse, Minoru Natori, Toshikazu Shimazaki, Kouhei Kawanobe, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 4175372
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece is disclosed which has at least one display function in addition to an ordinary time display function and comprises a sole electro-mechanical transducer for dividing a kept time and driving a first display function and a second display function separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Munetaka Tamaru, Kazunari Kume, Minoru Watanabe, Hideshi Ohno, Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 4173862
    Abstract: A booster circuit for an electronic timepiece having a power supply and a display device adapted to be driven in a matrix driving mode, which comprises a Cockcroft circuit connected to one terminal of the power supply to provide a plurality of boosted output voltages to the display device and voltage compensating means connected to the other terminal of the power supply to compensate for voltage drops caused by said Cockcroft circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1979
    Inventors: Tadahiko Nakagiri, Kunihiro Daigo, Toshiaki Oguchi, Toshikazu Hatuse, Toshikazu Shimazaki, Shigeru Morokawa, Minoru Natori, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 4150365
    Abstract: A driver circuit for an electrochromic display device which includes segment electrodes and a common electrode. The driver circuit has a power source, switching means connected between the power source and the segment electrodes, and circuit means disposed between the common electrode and the power source. The circuit means is operative to couple the common electrode to either a positive terminal or a negative terminal of the power source, whereby an electric current will flow through the segment electrodes in bleaching and coloring directions with the use of a single power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1979
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Natori, Toshikazu Hatuse, Kouhei Kawanobe, Hiroshi Ogawa, Fukuo Sekiya, Katsuo Nishimura
  • Patent number: 4149257
    Abstract: An electronic alarm watch having an external operation device, which comprises a timekeeping section and an electronic calculator. The timekeeping section is composed of a quartz crystal oscillator connected to a first battery and providing a relatively high frequency signal to provide a low frequency signal, a counter circuit responsive to the low frequency signal to provide time information signals, a driver circuit providing driving signals in response to the time information signals, a time display section in response to the driving signals, an alarm time detection circuit connected to the counter circuit to detect an alarm time set by the external operation device, and an acoustic device responsive to an output from the alarm time detection circuit to generate a sound indicative of the alarm time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1979
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Company Limited
    Inventors: Tadahiko Nakagiri, Matao Nezu, Toshiaki Oguchi, Toshikazu Hatuse, Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 4085577
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece is driven by a pulse motor and includes a pulse motor driving circuit which applies frequency-divided pulses for maintaining the rotational inertia of a rotor. The revolutions of the pulse motor are detected as is the load on the motor. In addition, the revolutions of the pulse motor are periodically compared with the number of driving pulse. A second hand of the electronic timepiece is continuously rotated by the pulse motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1978
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 4083177
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display wrist watch is disclosed which comprises a supporting frame secured to a wrist watch substrate. The frame has two perpendicularly crossing supporting surfaces which cooperate with two corresponding reference sides of a liquid crystal cell to determine the position of exterior electrodes of the liquid crystal cell and segment electrodes of an electronic circuit. A holding frame plate is used for detachably urging the liquid crystal against the suppporting frame. A boundary plate and color filter are each sandwiched between a movement and a protective glass cover. A portion is provided for determining the position of the holding frame plate, with respect to either to the movement or an outer case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1978
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuo Nishimura, Tetsuya Yasuda, Tomomi Murakami, Masateru Yoshida, Minoru Natori, Yoshio Iinuma
  • Patent number: 4060974
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving an electrochromic display device in which an electric current is applied only to one of display elements for which non-coincidence exists between an initially applied display information signal and a subsequently applied display information signal. In one preferred embodiment, a driver circuit comprises a latch circuit for storing a display information signal, a non-coincidence detection circuit for detecting non-coincidence between a subsequently applied display information signal and an initially applied display information signal stored in the latch circuit, and a signal generating circuit responsive to a non-coincidence signal from the detection circuit for generating an output signal for a display element for which non-coincidence is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1977
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Company Limited
    Inventors: Minoru Natori, Toshikazu Hatuse, Kouhei Kawanobe, Hiroshi Ogawa, Fukuo Sekiya, Heihachiro Ebihara, Misao Uchino
  • Patent number: 3973388
    Abstract: A liquid crystal, electrochromic or other electro-optical material is sandwiched between two glass substrates. An electric field is applied to the electro-optical material to display time and other information on a watch. The lower glass substrate is thinner than the upper substrate so as to create clear displays and to enable the manufacture of a thin watch which is also light weight and shock resistant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1976
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masateru Yoshida, Minoru Natori
  • Patent number: 3937004
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece, used as a pager watch, has a speaker for emitting an alarm sound at a preset time and also for reproducing an external call signal intercepted by a receiver for incoming electromagnetic waves. The receiver may be maintained normally inactive, being periodically activated for short time intervals under the control of a frequency divider in the output of a crystal oscillator serving to drive an electro-optical display. Sensors responsive to abnormal ambient conditions, e.g. temperature or blood pressure of the wearer, may also operate the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1974
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1976
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Natori, Yasushi Nomura, Fukuo Sekiya, Shigeru Morokawa, Akira Nakai