Patents by Inventor Nobumasa Tanaka

Nobumasa Tanaka 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: 20240106946
    Abstract: An apparatus includes: a reading surface; a reading unit configured to read a manuscript on the reading surface; and a controller. The controller is configured to: cause the reading unit to perform a body reading operation of reading a part, of a body of a user, placed on the reading surface, and perform a setting of the apparatus or of a peripheral device configured to communicate with the apparatus, based on body reading data obtained from a result of a reading of the reading unit in a case that the controller causes the reading unit to perform the body reading operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Nobumasa TANAKA, Naoyuki NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20240059076
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a head having a nozzle; a signal outputting part having an electrode and configured to output a signal indicating a magnitude of an electric change in the electrode; and a controller. The controller is configured to execute a determination as to whether or not the nozzle is normal based on the signal output from the signal outputting part in a case that the controller drives the head so as to eject a liquid droplet from the nozzle toward the electrode. The controller is configured to determine that the nozzle is normal in a case that the magnitude of the electric change is within a predetermined normal range, and to determine that the nozzle has a first abnormality in a case that the magnitude of the electric change is greater than the normal range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: MASAHIRO HAYASHI, TAKAFUMI NAKASE, RYUJI HORATA, NOBUMASA TANAKA, KENTA HORADE, ZENICHIRO SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20230405994
    Abstract: The controller moves a movable body along a moving direction. A recording head and a detector are mounted on the movable body. The detector detects a detection target fixed to an ink receiving unit. The ink receiving unit receives an ink jetted from the recording head at a time of a flushing. The controller obtains, based on a signal from an encoder, a position of the movable body in a case that the detection target is detected by the detector during movement of the movable body. The controller determines a start timing of the flushing based on the obtained position of the movable body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Haruhisa SHIRAI, Yuta ARAKAWA, Shoji SATO, Nobumasa TANAKA, Masahiro HOGA
  • Publication number: 20230398798
    Abstract: A controlling system includes: a motor; a movable body which is moved by the motor along a movement direction and executes an operation for processing a target; a single detecting unit which is mounted on the movable body and detects first and second detection objects during a movement of the movable body; a rotation amount information outputting section which outputs rotation amount information indicating a rotation amount of the motor; and a controller. The controller executes: a moving process for moving the movable body by the motor along the movement direction; a rotation amount information obtaining process for obtaining first rotation amount information and second rotation amount information; a correction value calculating process for calculating a correction value indicating an actual moving distance of the movable body per predetermined rotation amount of the motor; and a moving distance calculating process for calculating a moving distance of the movable body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Yuta ARAKAWA, Haruhisa SHIRAI, Shoji SATO, Nobumasa TANAKA, Masahiro HOGA
  • Publication number: 20230375374
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a motor, a moving body on which a processing part is mounted, a rotary encoder, a memory; and a controller. The controller is configured to execute a detection process of detecting a position of the moving body based on an encoder signal, a control process including a first control of controlling movement of the moving body by controlling the motor and a second control of controlling a processing operation by the processing part in a constant speed movement section of the moving body, a determination process of determining a detection error of the position of the moving body generated in an acceleration section of the moving body based on information stored in the memory, and a correction process of correcting at least one of the first control and the second control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Masahiro HOGA, Yuta ARAKAWA, Haruhisa SHIRAI, Nobumasa TANAKA, Shoji SATO
  • Publication number: 20230347644
    Abstract: A pulse generator includes: a position calculating part configured to calculate a position of a driving object, based on a detection signal of a detection signal outputting part; an adjusting amount calculating part configured to calculate at least one adjusting amount previously set so that a value of the at least one adjusting amount is periodically changed with respect to the position of the driving object; and a timing adjusting part configured to determine an output timing, at which the timing pulse is to be output, based on the at least one adjusting amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Yuta ARAKAWA, Haruhisa SHIRAI, Nobumasa TANAKA, Shoji SATO, Masahiro HOGA
  • Publication number: 20230347643
    Abstract: There is provided a pulse generator generating a timing pulse based on a detection signal obtained from a detection signal outputting part configured to output the detection signal every time a motor rotates by a predetermined amount which has been previously set. The pulse generator includes: a time information calculating part, and a timing determining part. A time difference between a first calculating timing at which first time information is calculated and a second calculating timing at which second time information is calculated is longer than a time required for the motor to rotate by not less than an angle corresponding to a cogging distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Yuta ARAKAWA, Haruhisa SHIRAI, Nobumasa TANAKA, Shoji SATO, Masahiro HOGA
  • Publication number: 20230311482
    Abstract: A controller performs: in a case where a particular condition is satisfied, acquiring abnormal nozzle information relating to numbers of first and second abnormal nozzles and a total number of abnormal nozzles; determining whether a purge is to be performed, the determining including determining that the purge is to be performed in a case where at least one of a plurality of purge conditions is satisfied, the plurality of purge conditions including a first purge condition that the number of the first abnormal nozzles is a first threshold or more, a second purge condition that the number of the second abnormal nozzles is a second threshold or more, and a third purge condition that the total number of abnormal nozzles is a third threshold or more; and in response to determining that the purge is to be performed, controlling a pump to perform the purge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Zenichiro SASAKI, Kenta HORADE, Masahiro HAYASHI, Ryuji HORATA, Nobumasa TANAKA, Takafumi NAKASE
  • Publication number: 20230166511
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a liquid discharge head, a carriage, a carriage moving mechanism, a carriage motor, an output unit outputting a discharge determination signal, and a controller configured to carry out a determination of whether or not a liquid is discharged normally from the nozzle, based on the discharge determination signal outputted from the output unit when the liquid discharge head carries out an inspection driving. If a first condition is satisfied, then after a carriage drive in order to move the carriage to a predetermined position, the inspection driving is performed. If a second condition other than the first condition is satisfied, then the inspection driving is performed without performing the carriage drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: ZENICHIRO SASAKI, KENTA HORADE, NOBUMASA TANAKA, RYUJI HORATA, TAKAFUMI NAKASE, MASAHIRO HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20230127484
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including: a liquid discharge head having a nozzle; an electrode facing the nozzle; a power supply which generates a potential difference between the liquid discharge head and the electrode; a first output unit which outputs a first signal in accordance with an electric change in a case that the liquid discharge head is caused to perform inspection driving; a low-pass filter; a second output unit; a high-pass filter; a third output unit; and a controller. The controller executes determination as to whether or not the liquid is normally discharged from the nozzle, based on the first signal; and determination as to whether or not a short circuit occurs between the liquid discharge head and the electrode, based on a second signal output from the second output unit and a third signal output from the third output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: MASAYOSHI HAYASHI, RYUJI HORATA, TAKAFUMI NAKASE, NOBUMASA TANAKA
  • Patent number: 11619899
    Abstract: A printer includes: an installation case to which a cartridge having a first memory is installed, a printing unit which performs printing by using a print material supplied from the cartridge, a sensor which outputs a detection value according to an amount of the print material stored in the cartridge, a cartridge interface communicable with the first memory, a second memory, and a controller. The first memory stores cartridge information including: cartridge identification information and residual amount information according to the amount of the print material stored in the cartridge. The controller acquires the cartridge identification information and the residual amount information from the first memory, stores history information in the second memory, and updates the residual amount information of the history information based on information according to the amount of the print material discharged by the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobumasa Tanaka, Tetsunori Mori, Ayaka Hotta
  • Publication number: 20230087301
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus including: a liquid discharging head; an electrode; a voltage supplier configured to generate an electric potential difference between the liquid discharging head and the electrode; a first output part; and a voltage comparer connected to the voltage supplier. The voltage comparer includes a comparing signal output part configured to output a comparing signal. The voltage supplier is configured to: execute boosting to increase the magnitude of the voltage to be outputted from the voltage supplier in a case that the comparing signal indicates that a magnitude of the voltage outputted from the voltage supplier is not more than a magnitude of a predetermined voltage; and stop the boosting in a case that the comparing signal indicates that the magnitude of the voltage outputted from the voltage supplier is larger than the magnitude of the predetermined voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Nobumasa TANAKA, Ryuji HORATA, Takafumi NAKASE, Masayoshi HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20230089979
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus including: a liquid discharging head having a nozzle; an electrode; a voltage supplier; a first output part configured to output a first signal corresponding to an electric change, of the electrode or the liquid discharging head, caused in a case that the liquid discharging head performs inspection driving for discharging a liquid from the nozzle toward the electrode; a second output part connected to the electrode; a high pass filter; a third output part connected to the electrode via the high pass filter; and a controller. The controller is configured to: determine whether the liquid is normally discharged based on the first signal; and determine whether a short circuit is formed between the liquid discharging head and the electrode based on a second signal outputted from the second output part and a third signal outputted from the third output part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Nobumasa TANAKA, Ryuji HORATA, Takafumi NAKASE, Masayoshi HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220339929
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head has a nozzle. A controller is configured to: control the liquid ejection head to perform inspection driving, the inspection driving being driving the liquid ejection head to eject liquid from the nozzle for determining whether the nozzle is an abnormal nozzle having an abnormality in ejection of liquid; acquire a determination signal outputted from the signal output device, the determination signal indicating whether the nozzle is the abnormal nozzle; acquire a non-driving signal outputted from the signal output device when the inspection driving is not performed by the liquid ejection head; generate a differential signal by superposing the determination signal and the non-driving signal, the differential signal being a signal indicating a difference between a value of the determination signal and a value of the non-driving signal at each timing; and determine whether the nozzle is the abnormal nozzle based on the differential signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Takafumi NAKASE, Masayoshi HAYASHI, Nobumasa TANAKA, Zenichiro SASAKI
  • Patent number: 11413876
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a controller configured to perform at least one of storing apparatus identification information stored in a memory into a cartridge memory via a cartridge interface and storing cartridge identification information stored in the cartridge memory into the memory via the cartridge interface, receive permission application information from another apparatus via a communication interface, determine whether or not reception identification information included in the received permission application information is identical to the apparatus identification information or the cartridge identification information stored in the memory, and transmit permission information representing that the said another apparatus is permitted to perform printing, to the said another apparatus via the communication interface, when determining that the cartridge has been removed from the attachment case and that the reception identification information is identical to the apparatus identification inf
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobumasa Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20210302888
    Abstract: A printer includes: an installation case to which a cartridge having a first memory is installed, a printing unit which performs printing by using a print material supplied from the cartridge, a sensor which outputs a detection value according to an amount of the print material stored in the cartridge, a cartridge interface communicable with the first memory, a second memory, and a controller. The first memory stores cartridge information including: cartridge identification information and residual amount information according to the amount of the print material stored in the cartridge. The controller acquires the cartridge identification information and the residual amount information from the first memory, stores history information in the second memory, and updates the residual amount information of the history information based on information according to the amount of the print material discharged by the printing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobumasa TANAKA, Tetsunori MORI, Ayaka HOTTA
  • Patent number: 10938183
    Abstract: A distributed feedback (DFB) laser outputting a predetermined wavelength of laser light includes a quantum well active layer positioned between a p-type cladding layer and an n-type cladding layer in thickness direction. The DFB laser includes a separate confinement heterostructure layer positioned between the quantum well active layer and then-type cladding layer. The DFB laser includes an electric-field-distribution-control layer positioned between the separate confinement heterostructure layer and then-type cladding layer and configured by at least two semiconductor layers having band gap energy greater than band gap energy of a barrier layer constituting the quantum well active layer. The DFB laser has a function to select a specific wavelength by returning a specific wavelength in the wavelength-variable laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji Yoshida, Hirokazu Itoh, Satoshi Irino, Yuichiro Irie, Taketsugu Sawamura, Masaki Funabashi, Nobumasa Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20200361216
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a controller configured to perform at least one of storing apparatus identification information stored in a memory into a cartridge memory via a cartridge interface and storing cartridge identification information stored in the cartridge memory into the memory via the cartridge interface, receive permission application information from another apparatus via a communication interface, determine whether or not reception identification information included in the received permission application information is identical to the apparatus identification information or the cartridge identification information stored in the memory, and transmit permission information representing that the said another apparatus is permitted to perform printing, to the said another apparatus via the communication interface, when determining that the cartridge has been removed from the attachment case and that the reception identification information is identical to the apparatus identification inf
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobumasa TANAKA
  • Patent number: 10752010
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes a liquid ejector, a resin-made liquid container, a resin-made reference container, a first electrode pair, and a second electrode pair. The liquid ejector is configured to eject liquid. The liquid container defines a space storing liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejector. The liquid container is configured such that a remaining amount of liquid therein changes due to an ejection operation of liquid by the liquid ejector. The reference container defines a space in which no liquid flows to the liquid ejector or from the liquid ejector. The first electrode pair is provided to correspond to the liquid container. The second electrode pair is provided to correspond to the reference container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobumasa Tanaka, Tomoyuki Kubo
  • Publication number: 20200067279
    Abstract: A distributed feedback (DFB) laser outputting a predetermined wavelength of laser light includes a quantum well active layer positioned between a p-type cladding layer and an n-type cladding layer in thickness direction. The DFB laser includes a separate confinement heterostructure layer positioned between the quantum well active layer and then-type cladding layer. The DFB laser includes an electric-field-distribution-control layer positioned between the separate confinement heterostructure layer and then-type cladding layer and configured by at least two semiconductor layers having band gap energy greater than band gap energy of a barrier layer constituting the quantum well active layer. The DFB laser has a function to select a specific wavelength by returning a specific wavelength in the wavelength-variable laser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junji YOSHIDA, Hirokazu ITOH, Satoshi IRINO, Yuichiro IRIE, Taketsugu SAWAMURA, Masaki FUNABASHI, Nobumasa TANAKA