Patents by Inventor Noritaka Ide

Noritaka Ide 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: 8313170
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device configured to eject fluid from an ejection port includes a driving element that pressurizes the fluid and causes it to be ejected from the ejection port by being driven according to a voltage applied thereto. A driving voltage waveform selecting unit selects a driving voltage waveform to be applied to the driving element from among a plurality of types of the stored driving voltage waveforms. Power sources set the voltage to be outputted. A power source voltage determining unit determines voltages to be set to the power sources on the basis of the selected driving voltage waveform. A driving voltage waveform applying unit applies the selected driving voltage waveform to the driving element by setting the determined voltages to the power sources and connecting the power sources to the driving element while switching the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Nobuaki Azami, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Shinichi Miyazaki, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide
  • Patent number: 8313161
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a Modulator that performs pulse modulation for a drive waveform signal that becomes a reference for a drive signal of an actuator so as to acquire a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier that amplifies the power of the modulated signal so as to acquire a amplified digital signal; a low pass filter that smoothes the amplified digital signal so as to acquire the drive signal; a variable power source circuit that can change a power source voltage of the digital power amplifier; and a power source voltage control unit that controls changes in the power source voltage in units of a driving pulse that configures the drive signal of the actuator and can independently drive the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino
  • Publication number: 20120287187
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a drive waveform generator generating a drive waveform signal; a modulator performing pulse modulation on a signal from the drive waveform generator to provide a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier performing power amplification on the modulated signal to provide an amplified digital signal; a Lowpass Filter smoothing the amplified digital signal to provide a drive signal of an actuator; a compensator advancing the phase of the drive signal to provide a negative feedback signal; and a subtractor providing a differential signal between the drive waveform signal and the negative feedback signal as an input signal to the modulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Noritaka IDE
  • Patent number: 8308254
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the invention is a liquid jet apparatus adapted to emit a jet of a liquid by driving an actuator of a liquid jet head with a drive signal including a digital power amplifier and a low pass filter provided to the liquid jet head so as to correspond to the actuator, and adapted to power-amplify and smooth a modified signal from a control circuit to form the drive signal, wherein the low pass filter is coupled directly with the actuator, and the digital power amplifier is provided with a pair of switching elements and a gate drive circuit, and ON-OFF controls the gate drive circuit based on print data, thereby performing one of output and halt of the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Noritaka Ide, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Aizawa, Seiichi Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20120280596
    Abstract: A power generation unit includes: a deformation member which is deformed by switching a deformation direction; a piezoelectric element which is installed to the deformation member; a pair of electrodes which are installed to the piezoelectric element; an inductor which is installed between the pair of the electrodes and which together with a capacitive component of the piezoelectric element constitutes a resonance circuit; a switch which is connected in series to the inductor; a full bridge rectifier which is installed between the pair of the electrodes to rectify an AC current generated by the piezoelectric element; a voltage detection circuit which detects potentials of an anode and cathode of a diode included in the full bridge rectifier; and a controller which allows the switch to be in an ON state for a predetermined time interval based on an output signal of the voltage detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka IDE, Kunio TABATA, Atsushi OSHIMA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO
  • Patent number: 8303065
    Abstract: A load driving circuit includes first storage elements charged by a power supply and a series storage element group constituting unit that switches the connection state between the first storage elements to constitute a series storage element group in which the first storage elements are connected in series. A second storage element charging unit charges a second storage element using the series storage element group. Switching is performed between first and second connection states to apply voltage to the load. In the first connection state, the charged second storage element and the series storage element group are connected to the load while the second storage element and the series storage element group are connected in series. In the second connection state, the series storage element group is connected to the load while the series connection between the second storage element and the series storage element group is broken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Miyazaki, Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide
  • Patent number: 8303064
    Abstract: A capacitive load driving circuit that drives a capacitive load, includes: a power supply unit that generates different voltages; a plurality of charge storage elements that are charged with the different voltages generated by the power supply unit; and a load driving section that connects a charge storage element arbitrarily selected from the plurality of charge storage elements to the capacitive load to drive the capacitive load, and connects, when at least two of the charge storage elements are selected, the at least two charge storage elements to the capacitive load in a state where the at least two charge storage elements are connected in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide
  • Publication number: 20120262512
    Abstract: A reference voltage waveform reciprocating between a first voltage and a second voltage is supplied to a piezoelectric element via a switch. If a switch is set to a connected state (ON), the reference voltage waveform is applied to the piezoelectric element, and if the switch is set to a disconnected state (OFF), the voltage when the switch is set to OFF continues to be applied. Therefore, it becomes possible to apply a variety of drive signals only by switching the switch in accordance with increase and decrease of the reference voltage waveform, and there is no need to store a plurality of types of drive signals. Further, it is possible to start to apply the drive signal immediately when the voltage of the reference voltage waveform reaches the target voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Noritaka IDE, Hiroyuki YOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20120236051
    Abstract: Operation of a digital power amplifier for power amplification of a modulated signal is stopped in a period in which a voltage value of a drive signal applied to a capacitive load is constant, to thereby suppress power loss. The power amplification is stopped either when half a period of time when the modulated signal in a first voltage state maintains the first voltage state elapses or when half a period of time when the modulated signal in a second voltage state which is lower in voltage than the first voltage state maintains the second voltage state elapses. Accordingly, when electric current does not flow in a inductor of a low pass filter, it is possible to stop the power amplification. Thus, it is possible to prevent generation of voltage fluctuation in the drive signal due to an electromotive force caused by a self-induction phenomenon of the inductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio TABATA, Atsushi OSHIMA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Noritaka IDE
  • Patent number: 8262183
    Abstract: A capacitive load driving device includes a drive waveform generator adapted to generate a drive waveform signal, a subtraction section adapted to output a differential signal between the drive waveform signal and two feedback signals, a modulator adapted to perform pulse modulation on the differential signal to obtain a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier adapted to power-amplify the modulated signal to obtain an amplified digital signal, a low pass filter including an inductor and a capacitor, and adapted to smooth the amplified digital signal to obtain a drive signal of a capacitive load, a first feedback circuit adapted to feedback the drive signal to the subtraction section as a first feedback signal, and a second feedback circuit adapted to set forward a phase of the drive signal and to feed back the drive signal to the subtraction section as a second feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Shinichi Miyazaki, Noritaka Ide
  • Patent number: 8256858
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: a drive waveform generator generating a drive waveform signal; a modulator performing pulse modulation on a signal from the drive waveform generator to provide a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier performing power amplification on the modulated signal to provide an amplified digital signal; a Lowpass Filter smoothing the amplified digital signal to provide a drive signal of an actuator; a compensator advancing the phase of the drive signal to provide a negative feedback signal; and a subtractor providing a differential signal between the drive waveform signal and the negative feedback signal as an input signal to the modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide
  • Publication number: 20120212101
    Abstract: A power-generating apparatus includes: a deformation member that is provided with a first piezoelectric device and deformed while switching a deformation direction; an amount of deformation detection unit that detects an amount of deformation of the deformation member; a pair of electrodes provided on the first piezoelectric device; a switch provided between the pair of electrodes; and a switch control unit that controls the switch to cause short-circuit between the pair of electrodes for a predetermined period when the amount of deformation is equal to or more than a predetermined amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio TABATA, Noritaka IDE, Atsuya HIRABAYASHI, Yasuhiro ONO
  • Publication number: 20120182339
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device, includes: a drive waveform signal output circuit which outputs a drive waveform signal to serve as a reference for the drive signal; a modulator which pulse-modulates the drive waveform signal and thus generates a first modulated signal and a second modulated signal having a different phase from the first modulated signal within a range from greater than 90 degrees to smaller than 270 degrees; a first digital power amplifier; a second digital power amplifier a first low pass filter which performs low pass filtering of the first amplified digital signal and thus generates a first demodulated signal; and a second low pass filter which performs low pass filtering of the second amplified digital signal and thus generates a second demodulated signal; wherein the first demodulated signal and the second demodulated signal are combined and applied as the drive signal to the capacitive load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Noritaka IDE, Hiroyuki YOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20120126666
    Abstract: A power generating device which includes a transformation member that is transformed by receiving a transformation force in a transformation direction, a first piezoelectric device that is disposed on the transformation member, a second piezoelectric device that is disposed on the transformation member, an inductor comprising a resonance circuit including the first piezoelectric device, a switch that is disposed in the resonance circuit, and a control unit that controls the switch to be in a conductive state for a predetermined period by detecting a voltage generated in the second piezoelectric device as the second piezoelectric device is transformed in response to the transformation force being applied to the transformation member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio TABATA, Atsushi OSHIMA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Noritaka IDE, Atsuya HIRABAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20120119618
    Abstract: A power generating device includes: a piezoelectric member that is formed from a piezoelectric material; one pair of electrodes that are installed to the piezoelectric member; a transformation unit that repeatedly transforms the piezoelectric member; an inductor that is installed between the one pair of electrodes and configures a resonance circuit together with a capacitive component of the piezoelectric member; a switch that is connected to the inductor in series; and a switch control unit that connects the switch when a transformation direction of the piezoelectric member is switched, and cuts off the switch when a time corresponding to a half period of a resonance period of the resonance circuit elapses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio TABATA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Noritaka IDE, Atsushi OSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20120120136
    Abstract: A modulated signal is generated by performing pulse modulation of a drive waveform signal that is a reference for a drive signal to be applied to a capacitive load, and the drive signal is generated by performing power amplification of the acquired modulated signal and then smoothing the power-amplified modulated signal. Then, negative feedback of the drive signal applied to the capacitive load is applied to the drive waveform signal that is the reference for the drive signal. At this time, a predetermined analog compensation process for smoothing gain characteristics in a frequency band included in the drive signal is performed for the drive signal, then the acquired signal is converted into a digital signal, and negative feedback of the digital signal is applied to the drive waveform signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Noritaka IDE
  • Publication number: 20120120137
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus according to the present invention includes a drive circuit adapted to apply a drive signal to an actuator of a liquid jet head, and a power supply voltage control circuit adapted to control a power supply voltage to the drive signal to be a waveform voltage set previously based on a reference signal obtained from one of the drive signal and a signal in a generation stage of the drive signal,
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Noritaka IDE, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Hiroyuki AIZAWA, Seiichi TANIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8172373
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device including, a drive element capable of storing a charge depending on a voltage applied to the drive element, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a power recovery module that recovers power from the drive element by connecting the first capacitor and the second capacitor to the drive element in series, wherein the power recovery module switches the first capacitor out of the in-series connection to further recover power from the drive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Shinichi Miyazaki, Kunio Tabata, Nobuaki Azami, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Noritaka Ide
  • Publication number: 20110254887
    Abstract: A capacitive load driving device includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal, a subtractor that outputs a difference signal between the drive waveform signal and a feedback signal, a modulator that pulse-modulates the difference signal to output a modulated signal, a digital power amplifier that amplifies the modulated signal to output an amplified digital signal, a low pass filter that smoothes the amplified digital signal to output a drive signal for a capacitive load, a feedback circuit that outputs the feedback signal obtained from the drive signal, and an adjusting section that adjusts frequency characteristics of the feedback circuit based on capacitance of the capacitive load to be driven.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noritaka IDE, Kunio TABATA, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Atsushi OSHIMA, Hiroyuki YOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20110242172
    Abstract: A capacitive load driving circuit includes: a drive waveform signal generator that generates a drive waveform signal; a subtractor that outputs a differential signal between the drive waveform signal and a feedback signal; a modulator that pulse-modulates the differential signal and outputs a modulated signal; a digital power amplifier that amplifies the power of the modulated signal and outputs a power-amplified modulated signal; a smoothing filter that smoothes the power-amplified modulated signal, and outputs a drive signal of the capacitive load; a compensator that causes a phase to precede the drive signal; and an attenuator that attenuates signal amplitude in a band at least including a modulation frequency of the modulated signal. A signal output from a connecting point between the inductor and the wire is made to pass through the compensator and the attenuator and is then used as a feedback signal to the subtractor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki YOSHINO, Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Shinichi MIYAZAKI, Noritaka IDE