Patents by Inventor Shinji Nishihara

Shinji Nishihara 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: 10871700
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Ashizawa, Kazuyasu Oone, Shinji Nishihara, Toshikazu Morioke
  • Patent number: 10428422
    Abstract: A film-forming method for forming a film in a film-forming apparatus includes generating first gas molecular species and second gas molecular species by causing the first source gas and the second source gas accumulated in the accumulation mechanisms to pass through respective instantaneously-heating units, sharply raising partial pressure of the first gas molecular species and partial pressure of the second gas molecular species by projectingly supplying the first gas molecular species and the second gas molecular species to the reaction chamber in which the substrate has been placed, which has been depressurized, and which has a constant capacity; bringing the first gas molecular species or the second gas molecular species into reaction by alternately repeatedly guiding the first gas molecular species or the second gas molecular species to a surface of the substrate, and forming a compound film on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: PHILTECH Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Furumura, Noriyoshi Shimizu, Shinji Nishihara, Eri Haikata, Masato Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20190129279
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi ASHIZAWA, Kazuyasu OONE, Shinji NISHIHARA, Toshikazu MORIOKE
  • Publication number: 20180223431
    Abstract: Source gases are instantaneously heated, at least two kinds of generated gas molecular species generated by instantaneously heating the source gases are independently introduced and brought into contact with a substrate having a temperature lower than heating temperature of the instantaneously-heating mechanism for source gas to form a first compound film and to form a second compound film containing at least one element of elements contained in the first compound film, and a multilayer film composed of at least the first compound film and the second compound film is produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU, Shinji NISHIHARA, Eri HAIKATA
  • Publication number: 20180164658
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi ASHIZAWA, Kazuyasu OONE, Shinji NISHIHARA, Toshikazu MORIOKE
  • Patent number: 9915483
    Abstract: A small-sized fluid heating/cooling apparatus for heating or cooling a large amount of gas or liquid at a low cost. Structures where a flow passage for a fluid is formed in a heated or cooled base formed in a plate shape or a column shape, and a fluid which has passed through the narrowed flow passage impinges on a wall of a side face of the base vertically to perform heat exchange are connected in series. Heat exchange is instantaneously performed in a small space and manufacture of a mechanism performing such an operation is easy. A material constituting the flow passage may be a metal or ceramics, and a small-sized fluid heat exchanging apparatus can be manufactured at a low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: PHILTECH, INC.
    Inventors: Yuji Furumura, Naomi Mura, Shinji Nishihara, Noriyoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9869921
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Ashizawa, Kazuyasu Oone, Shinji Nishihara, Toshikazu Morioke
  • Publication number: 20170335454
    Abstract: A film-forming method for forming a film in a film-forming apparatus includes generating first gas molecular species and second gas molecular species by causing the first source gas and the second source gas accumulated in the accumulation mechanisms to pass through respective instantaneously-heating units, sharply raising partial pressure of the first gas molecular species and partial pressure of the second gas molecular species by projectingly supplying the first gas molecular species and the second gas molecular species to the reaction chamber in which the substrate has been placed, which has been depressurized, and which has a constant capacity; bringing the first gas molecular species or the second gas molecular species into reaction by alternately repeatedly guiding the first gas molecular species or the second gas molecular species to a surface of the substrate, and forming a compound film on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU, Shinji NISHIHARA, Eri HAIKATA, Masato ISHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20170275162
    Abstract: A gas generating apparatus generates hydrogen having carbon monoxide concentration of 0.1% or less by reacting hydrogen carbide and water together without requiring a platinum catalyst. The gas generating apparatus includes a gas instantaneously-heating mechanism that instantaneously heats a source gas, and a catalyst vessel connected to the gas instantaneously-heating mechanism and containing a catalyst. A high-temperature heated source gas beam generated by the gas instantaneously-heating mechanism, which contains hydrogen carbide and water, is caused to collide with the catalyst to generate a gas. Heat of the source gas is transmitted to a catalyst surface because of the absence of a stagnation layer, and a non-equilibrium reaction efficiently proceeds on the catalyst. Hydrogen can be extracted with a low-cost ruthenium catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU, Shinji NISHIHARA
  • Patent number: 9709340
    Abstract: In a small-sized fluid heat exchanging apparatus that heats or cools a huge amount of gas or liquid, a structure makes fluid having a high flow speed impinge perpendicularly against a wall. A flow passage is divided into a high-speed flow passage and a low-speed flow passage, and the high-speed flow passage and the low-speed flow passage are arranged so as to intersect perpendicularly with each other, according to guidelines for the shape of the flow passage. A flow passage designed according to the guidelines provides highly-efficient heat exchange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: PHILTECH Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Furumura, Naomi Mura, Shinji Nishihara, Noriyoshi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20170152599
    Abstract: Source gases are instantaneously heated, at least two kinds of generated gas molecular species generated by instantaneously heating the source gases are independently introduced and brought into contact with a substrate having a temperature lower than heating temperature of the instantaneously-heating mechanism for source gas to form a first compound film and to form a second compound film containing at least one element of elements contained in the first compound film, and a multilayer film composed of at least the first compound film and the second compound film is produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU, Shinji NISHIHARA, Eri HAIKATA
  • Publication number: 20160348239
    Abstract: To form a film by generating molecular species which can react at a low temperature, especially, 100° C. or less at which a substrate is not deformed or altered. In a heat beam heating device which instantaneously heats a source gas to a high temperature to cause the source gas to collide with a metal wall including a catalytic function, activated molecular species are generated by a nonequilibrium reaction, sprayed on, and brought into contact with a substrate to form a film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU, Shinji NISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20160252797
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi ASHIZAWA, Kazuyasu OONE, Shinji NISHIHARA, Toshikazu MORIOKE
  • Patent number: 9366940
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU for a lens barrel (controls a drive apparatus that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit and a duty-cycle change unit to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU is provided with a phase-difference change unit that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor, the lens-side MCU changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Ashizawa, Kazuyasu Oone, Shinji Nishihara, Toshikazu Morioke
  • Patent number: 9340736
    Abstract: A solid gasification apparatus includes a reaction chamber thermally insulated by a heat insulating material, a heat beam fluid heat exchange apparatus that produces a first heated gas and a second heated gas, and a unit that includes a gas flow path. The unit sprays the first heated gas against a material solid in a reaction chamber to heat the material solid, and, simultaneously, makes the material solid react with the first heated gas to produce a produced gas containing the element of the material solid. The unit makes a second heated gas contact and react with the produced gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: PHIL TECH Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Furumura, Naomi Mura, Shinji Nishihara, Noriyoshi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20160107891
    Abstract: To generate hydrogen having a carbon monoxide concentration of 0.1% or less by reacting a hydrogen carbide and water with each other without using a platinum catalyst. A gas generating apparatus includes a gas instantaneously-heating mechanism that instantaneously heats a source gas and a catalyst vessel that is connected to the gas instantaneously-heating mechanism and contains a catalyst, a high-temperature heated source gas beam generated by the gas instantaneously-heating mechanism being caused to collide with the catalyst to generate a gas. More specifically, a source gas containing a hydrogen carbide and water is instantaneously heated to a high temperature, and a source gas beam is caused to collide with the catalyst. Heat of the source gas is transmitted to a catalyst surface because of the absence a stagnation layer, and nonequilibrium reaction efficiently proceeds on the catalyst. Hydrogen can be extracted with a low-price catalyst made of ruthenium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU, Shinji NISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20150315501
    Abstract: A solid gasification apparatus includes a reaction chamber thermally insulated by a heat insulating material, a heat beam fluid heat exchange apparatus that produces a first heated gas and a second heated gas, and a unit that includes a gas flow path. The unit spays the first heated gas against a material solid in a reaction chamber to heat the material solid, and, simultaneously, makes the material solid react with the first heated gas to produce a produced gas containing the element of the material solid. The unit makes a second heated gas contact and react with the produced gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji Furumura, Naomi Mura, Shinji Nishihara, Noriyoshi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20150159967
    Abstract: A small-sized fluid heating/cooling apparatus for heating or cooling a large amount of gas or liquid at a low cost. Structures where a flow passage for a fluid is formed in a heated or cooled base formed in a plate shape or a column shape, and a fluid which has passed through the narrowed flow passage impinges on a wall of a side face of the base vertically to perform heat exchange are connected in series. Heat exchange is instantaneously performed in a small space and manufacture of a mechanism performing such an operation is easy. A material constituting the flow passage may be a metal or ceramics, and a small-sized fluid heat exchanging apparatus can be manufactured at a low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Naomi MURA, Shinji NISHIHARA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20150136370
    Abstract: In a small-sized fluid heat exchanging apparatus that heats or cools a huge amount of gas or liquid, a structure makes fluid having a high flow speed impinge perpendicularly against a wall. A flow passage is divided into a high-speed flow passage and a low-speed flow passage, and the high-speed flow passage and the low-speed flow passage are arranged so as to intersect perpendicularly with each other, according to guidelines for the shape of the flow passage. A flow passage designed according to the guidelines provides highly-efficient heat exchange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Yuji FURUMURA, Naomi MURA, Shinji NISHIHARA, Noriyoshi SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20150125140
    Abstract: Noise produced during phase-difference changes is minimized without decreasing the responsiveness of a vibration-wave motor. A lens-side MCU (15) for a lens barrel (10) controls a drive apparatus (14) that applies a drive voltage to the vibration-wave motor (12) by outputting an A-phase drive signal and a B-phase drive signal thereto. The lens-side MCU (15) uses, for example, a drive-voltage setting unit (152) and a duty-cycle change unit (153) to change the drive voltage. Also, the lens-side MCU (15) is provided with a phase-difference change unit (154) that changes the phase difference between the A-phase drive signal and the B-phase drive signal. When driving the vibration-wave motor (12), the lens-side MCU (15) changes the drive voltage to Vreg, and when the phase-difference change unit (154) is changing the aforementioned phase difference, the drive voltage is changed to V1, V1 being greater than zero and less than Vreg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Ashizawa, Kazuyasu Oone, Shinji Nishihara, Toshikazu Morioke