Patents by Inventor Shunichi Ono

Shunichi Ono 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: 11718090
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes first and second groups of nozzles and first and second groups of actuators corresponding to the first and second groups of nozzles, respectively, and a head drive circuit. The head drive circuit is configured to receive a sequence of input data portions including first and second data portions, and select a setting mode between a first setting mode, in which the first group of actuators is driven based on the first input data portion and the second group of actuators is driven based on the second input data portion, and a second setting mode, in which the second group of actuators is driven based on the first input data portion and the first group of actuators is driven based on an input data portion that is after the first data portion in the sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Ozaki, Shunichi Ono
  • Patent number: 11597202
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a control circuit for an inkjet head or the like includes an input circuit configured to receive drive information for driving liquid ejection from a plurality of nozzle arrays. The drive information includes a drive signal value to be supplied to a channel of the plurality of nozzle arrays. A latch circuit array of the control circuit has latch circuits for storing the drive information for each array in the plurality of nozzle arrays. A setting register is configured to receive a setting value to configure the input circuit to correspond to a connection mode for the plurality of latch circuits. The setting value corresponds to the number of arrays in the plurality of nozzle arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Ozaki, Shunichi Ono
  • Patent number: 11565520
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 11331912
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Publication number: 20220118761
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20210387451
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a control circuit for an inkjet head or the like includes an input circuit configured to receive drive information for driving liquid ejection from a plurality of nozzle arrays. The drive information includes a drive signal value to be supplied to a channel of the plurality of nozzle arrays. A latch circuit array of the control circuit has latch circuits for storing the drive information for each array in the plurality of nozzle arrays. A setting register is configured to receive a setting value to configure the input circuit to correspond to a connection mode for the plurality of latch circuits. The setting value corresponds to the number of arrays in the plurality of nozzle arrays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Kei Ozaki, Shunichi Ono
  • Patent number: 11123982
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit for a liquid discharge apparatus includes an output switch and a waveform selector circuit. The output switch includes a first transistor configured to supply a first voltage to an actuator when on and a second transistor configured to supply a second voltage higher than the first voltage to the actuator when on. The waveform selector circuit is configured to select, from a plurality of waveforms stored in a waveform memory, a first waveform that causes the output switch to transition to a first state in which the first transistor is on and the second transistor is off, and a second waveform that causes the output switch to transition to a second state in which the first transistor is off and the second transistor is on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 11077657
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator and a drive circuit. The actuator is configured to cause liquid to be discharged from a nozzle corresponding thereto. The drive circuit is configured to apply a wake waveform to the actuator such that a voltage of the actuator increases to a first voltage and then is maintained at the first voltage without discharge of liquid from the nozzle. A drive waveform is then applied to the actuator for each of one or more discharge cycles such that liquid is discharged from the nozzle for each of the discharge cycles. A time from when the wave waveform starts to be applied to the actuator to when the drive waveform starts to be applied to the actuator is equal to or longer than a period of time of two discharge cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 11059287
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator and a drive circuit. The actuator is configured to cause liquid to be discharged from a nozzle. The drive circuit is configured to apply a waveform to the actuator during a discharge cycle in accordance with a discharge trigger and to cause a voltage of the actuator to be maintained at a value from an end of the discharge cycle until reception of a subsequent discharge trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 10968587
    Abstract: In a pneumatic fender, reinforcing layers of a body portion and reinforcing layers of a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of a fender near a boundary between each hemispherical portion and the body portion are formed by aligning cords of reinforcing layers of the body portion and that of the predetermined range in parallel, and in a neutral state without expansion, the cords of the reinforcing layers of the body portion meet each other and the cords of the reinforcing layers of the predetermined range meet each other, and cord angles A and B are each set to from 15° to 45° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fender. When the interior of the fender is set to a specified internal pressure, the cord angles A and B increase to extent of a static angle, and the body portion and the predetermined range expand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouko Tsuchiya, Minami Shibuya, Keiichi Hasegawa, Gang Hou, Satoshi Shibayama, Akihiro Iemoto, Shunichi Ono, Michito Kaneko
  • Patent number: 10933630
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid ejection device includes a nozzle plate, an actuator, a liquid supply unit, a waveform generation circuit, a waveform allocation circuit, and a drive signal output circuit. A plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid is arranged in the nozzle plate. The actuator is provided in each of the nozzles. The waveform generation circuit generates plural kinds of drive waveforms with different generation start timings. The waveform allocation circuit can set the drive waveform among plural kinds of drive waveforms and the actuator of the nozzle to be allocated. The drive signal output circuit drives the actuator with the allocated drive waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Publication number: 20200399847
    Abstract: In a pneumatic fender, reinforcing layers of a body portion and reinforcing layers of a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of a fender near a boundary between each hemispherical portion and the body portion are formed by aligning cords of reinforcing layers of the body portion and that of the predetermined range in parallel, and in a neutral state without expansion, the cords of the reinforcing layers of the body portion meet each other and the cords of the reinforcing layers of the predetermined range meet each other, and cord angles A and B are each set to from 15° to 45° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fender. When the interior of the fender is set to a specified internal pressure, the cord angles A and B increase to extent of a static angle, and the body portion and the predetermined range expand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Kouko TSUCHIYA, Minami SHIBUYA, Keiichi HASEGAWA, Gang HOU, Satoshi SHIBAYAMA, Akihiro IEMOTO, Shunichi ONO, Michito KANEKO
  • Publication number: 20200369026
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes first and second groups of nozzles and first and second groups of actuators corresponding to the first and second groups of nozzles, respectively, and a head drive circuit. The head drive circuit is configured to receive a sequence of input data portions including first and second data portions, and select a setting mode between a first setting mode, in which the first group of actuators is driven based on the first input data portion and the second group of actuators is driven based on the second input data portion, and a second setting mode, in which the second group of actuators is driven based on the first input data portion and the first group of actuators is driven based on an input data portion that is after the first data portion in the sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Kei OZAKI, Shunichi ONO
  • Publication number: 20200307187
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator and a drive circuit. The actuator is configured to cause liquid to be discharged from a nozzle. The drive circuit is configured to apply a waveform to the actuator during a discharge cycle in accordance with a discharge trigger and to cause a voltage of the actuator to be maintained at a value from an end of the discharge cycle until reception of a subsequent discharge trigger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200307188
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit of a liquid discharge apparatus includes a discharge waveform generating circuit, a sleep waveform generating circuit, and a wake waveform generating circuit. The discharge waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a plurality of drive waveforms to be applied to actuators of the liquid discharge apparatus for liquid discharge. The drive waveforms correspond to gradation values of gradation scale data. The sleep waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a sleep waveform to be applied to the actuators. The sleep waveform causes a voltage of the actuators to transition to a first voltage without liquid discharge. The wake waveform generating circuit is configured to generate a wake waveform to be applied to the actuators. The wake waveform causes the voltage of the actuators to transition to a second voltage higher than the first voltage without liquid discharge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200307189
    Abstract: An actuator drive circuit for a liquid discharge apparatus includes an output switch and a waveform selector circuit. The output switch includes a first transistor configured to supply a first voltage to an actuator when on and a second transistor configured to supply a second voltage higher than the first voltage to the actuator when on. The waveform selector circuit is configured to select, from a plurality of waveforms stored in a waveform memory, a first waveform that causes the output switch to transition to a first state in which the first transistor is on and the second transistor is off, and a second waveform that causes the output switch to transition to a second state in which the first transistor is off and the second transistor is on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200307190
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes an actuator and a drive circuit. The actuator is configured to cause liquid to be discharged from a nozzle corresponding thereto. The drive circuit is configured to apply a wake waveform to the actuator such that a voltage of the actuator increases to a first voltage and then is maintained at the first voltage without discharge of liquid from the nozzle. A drive waveform is then applied to the actuator for each of one or more discharge cycles such that liquid is discharged from the nozzle for each of the discharge cycles. A time from when the wave waveform starts to be applied to the actuator to when the drive waveform starts to be applied to the actuator is equal to or longer than a period of time of two discharge cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO, Sota HARADA
  • Publication number: 20200070506
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid ejection device includes a nozzle plate, an actuator, a liquid supply unit, a waveform generation circuit, a waveform allocation circuit, and a drive signal output circuit. A plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid is arranged in the nozzle plate. The actuator is provided in each of the nozzles. The waveform generation circuit generates plural kinds of drive waveforms with different generation start timings. The waveform allocation circuit can set the drive waveform among plural kinds of drive waveforms and the actuator of the nozzle to be allocated. The drive signal output circuit drives the actuator with the allocated drive waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Shunichi Ono, Sota Harada
  • Patent number: 10252518
    Abstract: A correction data setting apparatus, which sets correction data in a memory for storing the correction data for correcting a pulse width of a drive pulse signal applied to each actuator corresponding to each nozzle of an inkjet head, comprises a generation section which sequentially generates a channel No. for individually identifying each nozzle; an output section which outputs a parameter required for arithmetic which represents a characteristic of a correction amount with respect to an arrangement direction of the nozzles; an arithmetic section which executes the arithmetic using the parameter output from the output section to calculate the correction amount for each channel No. generated from the generation section; a conversion section converts the correction amount calculated for each channel No. by the arithmetic section to the correction data; and a setting section sets the correction data obtained for each channel No. by the conversion section in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noboru Nitta, Teruyuki Hiyoshi, Shunichi Ono
  • Publication number: 20190091995
    Abstract: An ink jet head includes a first pressure chamber to be filled with ink, an actuator, a drive circuit including a first switch configured to turn on and connect a first power supply voltage to a first electrode on the first pressure chamber 1, a second switch configured to turn on and connect the first power supply voltage to a second electrode on a second pressure chamber adjacent to the first pressure chamber, a third switch configured to turn on and connect the first electrode to a ground potential, and a fourth switch configured to turn on and connect the second electrode to the ground potential, and a nozzle plate including a discharge nozzle through which the ink from the first pressure chamber is to be discharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Noboru NITTA, Shunichi ONO