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).
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Publication number: 20040057705Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2003Publication date: March 25, 2004Applicant: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATIONInventor: Takanori Kohno
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Patent number: 6711352Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 27, 2002Date of Patent: March 23, 2004Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventors: Takanori Kohno, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 6694095Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 13, 2003Date of Patent: February 17, 2004Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventor: Takanori Kohno
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Publication number: 20030231879Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2003Publication date: December 18, 2003Applicant: Nidec Copal CorporationInventor: Takanori Kohno
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Publication number: 20030123869Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2002Publication date: July 3, 2003Applicant: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATIONInventors: Takanori Kohno, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 6496651Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 29, 2002Date of Patent: December 17, 2002Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Publication number: 20020136551Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2002Publication date: September 26, 2002Applicant: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 6389232Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 8, 2001Date of Patent: May 14, 2002Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Publication number: 20010028793Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2001Publication date: October 11, 2001Applicant: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 6275659Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 10, 1998Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 5774747Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 4, 1997Date of Patent: June 30, 1998Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 5678098Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: October 14, 1997Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumio Ishihara, Mutsumi Naruse, Takanori Kohno, Tetsuo Sakamoto, Kouichi Kobayashi, Teruyuki Tongu, Norifumi Nakagawa, Tomio Kurosu
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Patent number: 5287140Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 28, 1992Date of Patent: February 15, 1994Assignee: Copal Company LimitedInventor: Takanori Kohno
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Patent number: 4710014Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 9, 1986Date of Patent: December 1, 1987Assignee: Copal Company LimitedInventor: Takanori Kohno