Patents by Inventor Shinichiro Kataoka

Shinichiro Kataoka 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).

  • Apparatus for lighting fluorescent lamp
    Patent number: 6285138
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp lighting apparatus in accordance with the present invention has first switching means (M1) driven by a high-voltage-side pulse signal input from a drive-signal generation circuit and second switching means (M2) driven by a low-voltage-side pulse signal input from the drive-signal generation circuit, wherein the first switching means (M1) is connected in series with the second switching means (M2), and a first capacitor (C5) and an inductance element (L1) and the above-mentioned second switching means (M2) are provided between the high-voltage-side terminals of a pair of filament electrodes of a light-emitting tube (4), whereby a constant luminous flux can be maintained immediately after lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichiro Kataoka, Yo Nakagawa, Masanori Yamanaka, Hiroki Matsunaga