Patents by Inventor Tokuya Akase

Tokuya Akase 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: 6930659
    Abstract: In a light emitting indicator drive circuit which supplies a current to display elements different in display areas, a constant-current is supplied from a P-channel MOS-FET to a display element and a pulse width control circuit controls a on/off ratio. deterioration information from a deterioration detecting circuit and saved segment area information is calculated, and its result decides a time to supply a current to the display elements as a result of the arithmetic operation. With the above operation, a difference in luminance between the display elements and the degradation of luminance caused by the deterioration can be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Masafumi Hoshino, Susumu Fujita, Tokuya Akase, Hiroshi Odagiri, Kazumi Sakumoto
  • Patent number: 6897837
    Abstract: In the device for voltage driving the self-luminous display element, the self-luminous display element driving device includes a circuit for generating deterioration information concerning a deterioration state of the self-luminous display element, and a circuit for adjusting a voltage applied to the self-luminous display element, on the basis of the deterioration information generated by the deterioration information generating circuit. The deterioration information generating circuit generates the deterioration information on the basis of a time, a luminance, a current value or a voltgage value, etc. The self-luminous display element may be, for example, an EL (electroluminescence) element or an organic EL element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Kazumi Sakumoto, Hiroshi Odagiri, Susumu Fujita, Masafumi Hoshino, Tokuya Akase
  • Patent number: 6588881
    Abstract: A print head has a reduced power size or increased print speed that can be operated at a lower voltage or higher speed and can maintain high-quality output printing free from thinned portions. During intervals between printing operations while a print paper is being fed, pulses are applied to all print electrodes to maintain a uniform potential difference between each of the print electrodes and a counter electrode so that an electric charge is supplied to the ink meniscus. Consequently, a sufficient Coulomb force to permit ink droplets to be ejected is obtained. Therefore, during printing operations, the supplied energy can be reduced and electric charge on the ink surface can be retained. Hence, ink droplets can be ejected stably without nonuniformities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Tokuya Akase, Hiroyuki Muramatsu, Seiji Kuwahara, Tatsuro Sato, Kouji Kawaguchi, Shunichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6502924
    Abstract: In an electrostatic acceleration type ink jet recording apparatus, when a voltage is preliminarily applied to ink to adjust the width of ink raises, a dedicated drive circuit has been necessary or dedicated electrodes have been necessary for forming the ink raises. According to a recording apparatus of the present invention, machining such as chamfering or steps is provided to a support body having a slit-like opening portion or, alternatively, a surface treatment such as coating an oil repellent solvent to a portion to be machined. Due to such a constitution, the width of the ink raises in the lateral direction of the opening portions can be made constant without using a method such as an electric driving so that a stable printing of dots is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments R&D Center Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Muramatsu, Seiji Kuwabara, Tatsuru Sato, Kouji Kawaguchi, Shunichi Tanaka, Tokuya Akase
  • Patent number: 6478407
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus capable of outputting an image which is not provided with nonuniformity of printing, stable and provided with high quality by realizing a recording head for maintaining a shape of a meniscus of ink always in a proper state without carrying out highly accurate back pressure control. Hence, a shape of front ends of base plates forming a slit-like opening portion is constituted by a shape of a wedge directing a sharpened front portion thereof to a recorded medium. Further, an inclined face portion in the shape of the wedge is subjected to a water repellant or an oil repellant processing. Or, there is constructed a constitution of providing an ink discharge mechanism for discharging extra ink at an end face portion at outside of a printing area of the base plate constituting the slit-like opening portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Muramatsu, Seiji Kuwabara, Tatsuro Sato, Kouji Kawaguchi, Shunichi Tanaka, Tokuya Akase
  • Patent number: 6459658
    Abstract: An electronic timepiece has a thermoelectric element for generating an electromotive force in response to a temperature difference thereacross. A booster circuit boosts the electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric element. A storage mechanism stores electrical power utilizing the electromotive force boosted by the booster circuit. A power monitoring circuit monitors the electromotive force boosted by the booster circuit to detect whether the boosted electromotive force is lower than a threshold value. An oscillation circuit is driven by electrical power stored in the storage mechanism. A dividing circuit frequency-divides a signal output by the oscillation circuit. A display mechanism is driven by a display driving circuit to display time in accordance with an output signal from the dividing circuit. A display drive controlling circuit stops operation of the display driving circuit when the power monitoring circuit detects that the boosted electromotive force is lower than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Susumu Fujita, Tokuya Akase, Joichi Miyazaki, Yoshimitsu Kurasawa
  • Patent number: 6429600
    Abstract: In a light emitting indicator drive circuit which supplies a current to display elements different in display areas, a current control circuit controls the supply current of a constant-current source which is caused by a p-channel MOS-FET which supplies a current to a display element. The current control circuit controls the off-operation of the FET. A signal processing circuit calculates the deterioration data from a deterioration detecting circuit and saved segment area data to decide a supply current value to display elements as a result of the arithmetic operation. With the above operation, a difference in luminance between the display elements and the degradation of luminance caused by the deterioration can be corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Susumu Fujita, Hiroshi Odagiri, Kazumi Sakumoto, Masafumi Hoshino, Tokuya Akase
  • Patent number: 6412915
    Abstract: In an ink jet recording head for an ink jet recording apparatus, insulating members are arranged between adjacent ones of a plurality of recording electrodes so that electric discharge is made less likely to occur across the recording electrodes. Thus, even where the density of the recording electrodes in the head is set high in order to achieve high resolution, ink can be stably jetted. Further, the ink can be supplied to the front end of the head without increasing a static pressure which acts on the ink in such a manner that the insulating members are disposed only in the vicinities of the front ends of the recording electrodes while the discharge withstand voltage across the adjacent recording electrodes is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Muramatsu, Seiji Kuwahara, Tokuya Akase, Kouji Kawaguchi, Tatsuru Sato
  • Patent number: 6404139
    Abstract: A current is detected through a resistor which is electrically connected in series with an FET for driving an associated one of display elements; the resultant signal is inputted to an operational amplification circuit through a capacitor to be amplified therein; and an output signal from the operational amplification circuit is converted into digital data in an A/D conversion circuit to be applied to a drive control circuit. In the drive control circuit, the amount of electric charges which have been caused to flow through the associated one of the display elements is arithmetically determined, and a period of time when the FET is kept turned ON is controlled in dependence on the amount of electric charges thus arithmetically determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu Sasaki, Hiroshi Odagiri, Kazumi Sakumoto, Masafumi Hoshino, Tokuya Akase
  • Publication number: 20020044173
    Abstract: A printer equipped with a print head that can be operated at a lower voltage or at a higher speed is offered. The print head permits reduction in size of the power supply or increase in the print speed. The printer can maintain high-quality output printing free from thinned portions. During intervals, paper is fed, and charge supply pulses are applied to all print electrodes to give a uniform potential difference between each of the print electrodes and the counter electrode. In this way, electric charge is previously supplied to the ink meniscus. Consequently, a sufficient Coulomb force to permit ink droplets to be squirted is obtained. Therefore, during operation, the supplied energy can be suppressed. Under every circumstance, the electric charge on the ink surface can be retained. Hence, ink droplets can be squirted stably without nonuniformities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Tokuya Akase, Hiroyuki Muramatsu, Seiji Kuwahara, Tatsuro Sato, Kouji Kawaguchi, Shunichi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20020030719
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus capable of outputting an image which is not provided with nonuniformity of printing, stable and provided with high quality by realizing a recording head for maintaining a shape of a meniscus of ink always in a proper state without carrying out highly accurate back pressure control. Hence, a shape of front ends of base plates forming a slit-like opening portion is constituted by a shape of a wedge directing a sharpened front portion thereof to a recorded medium. Further, an inclined face portion in the shape of the wedge is subjected to a water repellant or an oil repellant processing. Or, there is constructed a constitution of providing an ink discharge mechanism for discharging extra ink at an end face portion at outside of a printing area of the base plate constituting the slit-like opening portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Muramatsu, Seiji Kuwabara, Tatsuro Sato, Kouji Kawaguchi, Shunichi Tanaka, Tokuya Akase
  • Patent number: 6291942
    Abstract: There is provided a self-luminous display element driving device which prevents the luminance of a self-luminous display element from changing with the elapse of time and reduces the cost. In the device for constant-voltage driving the self-luminous display element by continuously making on and off states of application of a constant voltage to the self-luminous display element, the self-luminous display element driving device includes a circuit for generating deterioration information concerning a deterioration state of the self-luminous display element, and a circuit for adjusting a time width in which the constant voltage is applied to the self-luminous display element or a time width in which the constant voltage is not applied, on the basis of the deterioration information generated by the deterioration information generating circuit. The self-luminous display element may be, for example, an EL (electroluminescence) element or an organic EL element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Odagiri, Kazumi Sakumoto, Masafumi Hoshino, Susumu Fujita, Tokuya Akase