Patents by Inventor Takanori Kohno

Takanori Kohno 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: 20040057705
    Abstract: In a motor driving apparatus, a driving circuit drives a plurality of loads contained in a plurality of motors, and a control circuit controls the driving circuit to sequentially drive the motors. The driving circuit is provided with at least n+1 number of output terminals in order to connect thereto n number of loads, each of the output terminals being led out from a node of a PNP type transistor and an NPN type transistor connected in series through the node in such a configuration that each pair of the output terminals adjacent to one another constitute a bridge circuit assigned to drive one load. The control circuit turns on and off the PNP and NPN type transistors of the bridge circuit to thereby energize the load in either of a normal direction and a reverse direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori Kohno
  • Patent number: 6711352
    Abstract: An optical range finder has a projection unit for projecting optical flux to an object, a photoreceiving unit for receiving the optical flux returned from the object and outputting a detection signal in accordance with a light quantity of the received optical flux, and a circuitry unit for conducting a measurement of a distance to the object based on the detection signal. In the circuitry unit, a light quantity determination circuit compares a signal level of the detection signal with a reference level to carry out binary determination of the light quantity of the returned optical flux. A reference level setting circuit switchably supplies a plurality of reference levels to the light quantity determination circuit, the reference levels being preset in correspondence to multiple stages of the distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Nidec Copal Corporation
    Inventors: Takanori Kohno, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 6694095
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus is basically composed of a driving circuit for driving a plurality of loads contained in a plurality of motors, and a control circuit for controlling the driving circuit to sequentially drive the plurality of the motors. The driving circuit has at least two channels which are controlled by the control circuit concurrently with each other. Each channel is controlled by the control circuit such as to selectively drive the loads. The channel is provided with at least (n+1) number (n: integer of 2 or greater) of output terminals to connect at most n number of the loads. The control circuit controls the driving circuit to perform an intra-channel driving mode in which one pair of the output terminals are selected from one channel and allocated to drive one load, and an inter-channel driving mode in which another pair of the output terminals are selected from two channels and allocated to drive another load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Nidec Copal Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Kohno
  • Publication number: 20030231879
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus is basically composed of a driving circuit for driving a plurality of loads contained in a plurality of motors, and a control circuit for controlling the driving circuit to sequentially drive the plurality of the motors. The driving circuit has at least two channels which are controlled by the control circuit concurrently with each other. Each channel is controlled by the control circuit such as to selectively drive the loads. The channel is provided with at least (n+1) number (n: integer of 2 or greater) of output terminals to connect at most n number of the loads. The control circuit controls the driving circuit to perform an intra-channel driving mode in which one pair of the output terminals are selected from one channel and allocated to drive one load, and an inter-channel driving mode in which another pair of the output terminals are selected from two channels and allocated to drive another load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Applicant: Nidec Copal Corporation
    Inventor: Takanori Kohno
  • Publication number: 20030123869
    Abstract: An optical range finder has a projection unit for projecting optical flux to an object, a photoreceiving unit for receiving the optical flux returned from the object and outputting a detection signal in accordance with a light quantity of the received optical flux, and a circuitry unit for conducting a measurement of a distance to the object based on the detection signal. In the circuitry unit, a light quantity determination circuit compares a signal level of the detection signal with a reference level to carry out binary determination of the light quantity of the returned optical flux. A reference level setting circuit switchably supplies a plurality of reference levels to the light quantity determination circuit, the reference levels being preset in correspondence to multiple stages of the distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Kohno, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 6496651
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Publication number: 20020136551
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 6389232
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Publication number: 20010028793
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Applicant: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 6275659
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation: Es=log2{1−(1−&agr;)2LVb−LVa}−log2&agr;+LVa wherein Es represents the exposure value and &agr; represents the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 5774747
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation:Es=log.sub.2 {1-(1-.alpha.).sub.2.sup.LVb-LVa }-log.sub.2 .alpha.+LVawherein Es represents the exposure value and .alpha. represents the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 5678098
    Abstract: An exposure control method and apparatus for a camera having a two-area divided brightness measurement system. A central light value is determined based on a central area brightness of a photographic scene, and a peripheral light value is determined based on a peripheral area brightness of the scene. After determining by comparison between the central and peripheral light values whether the scene is back-lighted or front-lighted, a correction coefficient specific to back-lighted scenes or that specific to front-lighted scenes is read from a memory. An exposure value suitable for a main subject is calculated according to the following equation:Es=log.sub.2 {1-(1-.alpha.)2.sup.LVb-LVa }-log.sub.2 .alpha.+LVAwherein Es represents the exposure value and .alpha. represents the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
  • Patent number: 5287140
    Abstract: A program shutter adapted to close shutter blades having the function of diaphragm blades by a cam member operated with an electric motor has improved control accuracy in high brightness. A blade opening and closing member for opening and closing the shutter blades is urged to open the blades and driven to close the blades by the cam member operated by the motor. Brightness of an object to be photographed is measured by a brightness measuring portion and an area of a plurality of areas of brightness in which the measured brightness is contained is decided by a brightness decision portion. An exposure control circuit starts measurement of the exposure time when the shutter blades are operated to a predetermined trigger point. The cam member is previously moved to the limitation that movement of a blade driving member is not prevented in accordance with the brightness area in which the current brightness is contained before the exposure control circuit generates the exposure end signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1994
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Takanori Kohno
  • Patent number: 4710014
    Abstract: A control circuit for a programming shutter includes a light receiving element which is always exposed to light from a subject to be photographed and a logarithmic compression device which logarithmically compresses a photocurrent flowing through the light receiving element in accordance with the brightness of the subject. An output voltage of the logarithmic compression device is logarithmically expanded by a logarithmic expansion device and a logarithmically expanded current from the expansion device controls currents flowing through a plurality of weighted current sources. The currents flowing through the plurality of weighted current sources are added to or subtracted from a charged current to a condenser for integrating the brightness of the subject through a plurality of current switches corresponding to the current sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Takanori Kohno