Patents by Inventor Tomoki Hatano

Tomoki Hatano 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: 8430468
    Abstract: A head drive of an inkjet printer includes nozzles and corresponding actuators that eject liquid ink drops. A drive unit applies a drive signal to the actuators. The drive unit includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal to control the drive of the actuators. A modulator pulse modulates the drive waveform. A digital power amplifier amplifies power of the modulated signal. A low pass filter smoothes the amplified digital signal and supplies the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. An inverse filter provided in a subsequent stage of the drive waveform generator corrects at least the frequency characteristics of the filter to predetermined frequency characteristics, independent of the number of the actuators to drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano, Atsushi Oshima
  • Patent number: 8430466
    Abstract: A head drive apparatus of an inkjet printer includes nozzles and corresponding actuators that eject liquid drops. A drive unit applies a drive signal to the actuators. The drive unit includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal as a reference of a signal to control drive of the actuators. A modulator pulse modulates a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generator. A digital power amplifier amplifies power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation. A low pass filter smoothes an amplified digital signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplying the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. An inverse filter provided in a subsequent stage of the drive waveform generator corrects at least the frequency characteristics of the filter to predetermined frequency characteristics, independently of the number of the actuators to drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 8287069
    Abstract: A head drive apparatus of an ink jet printer having: a plurality of nozzles for jetting liquid drops that are provided for an ink jet head; a plurality of actuators provided in correspondence to the nozzles; and a drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuators, wherein the drive unit comprising: a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal being standard of a signal to control drive of the actuators; a modulator that modulates a pulse of a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generator; a digital power amplifier for amplifying power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation by the modulator; and a low pass filter for smoothing an amplified digital signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplying the signal as a drive signal to the actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 8240794
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles provided to the liquid jet head, an actuator provided corresponding to each of the nozzles, drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuator, drive waveform signal generation unit that generates a drive waveform signal providing a reference of a signal for controlling the actuator, modulator unit that pulse-modulates the drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform signal generation unit, a digital power amplifier for power-amplifying the modulated signal, which is pulse-modulated by the modulator unit, and a low-pass filter provided individually corresponding to the actuator and for supplying the actuator with the power amplified modulated signal power-amplified by the digital power amplifier as a drive signal after smoothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 8240798
    Abstract: A head drive device of an inkjet printer having a nozzles and corresponding actuators that jet liquid drops. A drive section that generates a drive signal to the actuators. The head drive device includes a drive waveform signal which is used as a reference of a signal to control drive of the actuators. A modulating section modulates a pulse of a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generating system. A low pass filter smoothes a power-amplified modulated signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplies the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. A frequency characteristics adjusting section adjusts frequency characteristics of the low pass filter as a function of the number of the actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 8201905
    Abstract: With an appropriate signal transmission form, a drive pulse output circuit is mounted to an ink jet head, so that waveform distortion of an actuator drive pulse for jet of ink drops is inhibited or prevented. Modulated signal data in memory is read to output a modulated signal, which is power-amplified by a digital power amplifier. The amplified digital signal is smoothed to be output to an actuator as a drive pulse. As a result, the digital power amplifier having high amplification efficiency efficiently amplifies the power of the modulated signal, thereby eliminating the need to use a cooling unit. The drive pulse output circuit can be mounted to the ink jet heads, thereby shortening the transmission path of an actuator drive pulse, which inhibits or prevents any waveform distortion of the drive pulse. The transmission of the modulated signal data DATA is implemented with a low frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Suzuki, Kunio Tabata, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano, Atsushi Oshima
  • Publication number: 20120092401
    Abstract: A head drive of an inkjet printer includes nozzles and corresponding actuators that eject liquid ink drops. A drive unit applies a drive signal to the actuators. The drive unit includes a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal to control the drive of the actuators. A modulator pulse modulates the drive waveform. A digital power amplifier amplifies power of the modulated signal. A low pass filter smoothes the amplified digital signal and supplies the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. An inverse filter provided in a subsequent stage of the drive waveform generator corrects at least the frequency characteristics of the filter to predetermined frequency characteristics, independent of the number of the actuators to drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio TABATA, Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Osamu SHINKAWA, Tomoki HATANO, Atsushi OSHIMA
  • Patent number: 8100491
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles provided to the liquid jet head, an actuator provided corresponding to each of the nozzles, drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuator, drive waveform signal generation unit that generates a drive waveform signal providing a reference of a signal for controlling the actuator, modulator unit that pulse-modulates the drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform signal generation unit, a digital power amplifier for power-amplifying the modulated signal, which is pulse-modulated by the modulator unit, and a low-pass filter provided individually corresponding to the actuator and for supplying the actuator with the power amplified modulated signal power-amplified by the digital power amplifier as a drive signal after smoothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 8021063
    Abstract: A printer includes first transporting belts disposed in parallel at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media. The first transporting belts transport a print medium while adsorbing the print medium. Second transporting belts disposed in parallel at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media further transport the print media. The second transporting belts are separated from the first transporting belts at the downstream part of the first transporting belts in the direction of transportation of print media. A print head prints on the print medium. The position of separation at which the print medium is separated from the first transporting belts is different in the direction of transportation of print media between one of the first transporting belts and another one of the first transporting belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Hatano, Osamu Shinkawa, Yusuke Sakagami
  • Patent number: 7984957
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus including a plurality of nozzles provided to a liquid jet head, an actuator corresponding to each of the nozzles, and drive unit that applies a drive pulse to each of the actuators, wherein the drive unit includes correction value storing unit that stores a drive pulse application timing correction value corresponding to the number of actuators to be driven at the same time, and drive pulse application timing correction unit that corrects the drive pulse application timing using the drive pulse application timing correction value stored in the correction value storing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Atsushi Oshima, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano
  • Patent number: 7909435
    Abstract: A printing apparatus which performs printing by injecting liquid from a liquid injection head onto a printing medium adhered by electrostatic force on the surfaces of a plurality of conveyor belts disposed at predetermined intervals in a direction crossing a printing medium conveyance direction during carry of the printing medium, characterized in that: the printing medium is electrostatically adhered by potential difference produced between the conveyor belts and a contact portion provided in the vicinity of the sides of the conveyor belts in the width direction such that the contact portion contacts the back surface of the printing medium and does not contact the surfaces of the conveyor belts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Hatano, Osamu Shinkawa
  • Publication number: 20100220133
    Abstract: A head drive device of an inkjet printer having a nozzles and corresponding actuators that jet liquid drops. A drive section applies a drive signal to the actuators. The head drive device includes a drive waveform generating section that generates a drive waveform signal which is used as a reference of a signal to control drive of the actuators. A modulating section modulates a pulse of a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generating section. A digital power amplifier amplifies power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation. A low pass filter smoothes a power-amplified modulated signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplies the signal as a drive signal to the actuators. A frequency characteristics adjusting section adjusts frequency characteristics of the low pass filter as a function of the number of the actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Oshima, Kunio Tabata, Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tomoki Hatano
  • Publication number: 20090303271
    Abstract: A head drive apparatus of an ink jet printer having: a plurality of nozzles for jetting liquid drops that are provided for an ink jet head; a plurality of actuators provided in correspondence to the nozzles; and a drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuators, wherein the drive unit comprising: a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal being standard of a signal to control drive of the actuators; a modulator that modulates a pulse of a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generator; a digital power amplifier for amplifying power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation by the modulator; and a low pass filter for smoothing an amplified digital signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplying the signal as a drive signal to the actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Atsushi Oshima, Osamu Shinkawa, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Tomoki Hatano
  • Publication number: 20090289980
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus including a plurality of nozzles provided to a liquid jet head, an actuator corresponding to each of the nozzles, and drive unit that applies a drive pulse to each of the actuators, wherein the drive unit includes correction value storing unit that stores a drive pulse application timing correction value corresponding to the number of actuators to be driven at the same time, and drive pulse application timing correction unit that corrects the drive pulse application timing using the drive pulse application timing correction value stored in the correction value storing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio TABATA, Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Atsushi OSHIMA, Osamu SHINKAWA, Tomoki HATANO
  • Patent number: 7581802
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles provided to a liquid jet head, an actuator provided corresponding to each of the nozzles, and drive unit that applies a drive pulse to the actuator, wherein the drive unit includes correction value storing unit that stores a drive pulse application timing correction value corresponding to the number of actuators to be driven, and drive pulse application timing correction unit that corrects the drive pulse application timing using the drive pulse application timing correction value corresponding to the number of actuators to be driven stored in the correction value storing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Atsushi Oshima, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano
  • Publication number: 20090066739
    Abstract: A head drive apparatus of an inkjet printer, having: a plurality of nozzles provided to an inkjet head for ejecting liquid drops; actuators provided corresponding to the nozzles; and a drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuators, wherein the drive unit, comprising: a drive waveform generator that generates a drive waveform signal as a reference of a signal to control drive of the actuators; a modulator that pulse modulates a drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform generator; a digital power amplifier that amplifies power of a modulated signal subjected to the pulse modulation by the modulator; a low pass filter that smoothes a amplified digital signal subjected to the power amplification by the digital power amplifier and supplying the signal as a drive signal to the actuators; and an inverse filter provided in a subsequent stage of the drive waveform generator that corrects at least the frequency characteristics of the filter comprised of capacitances of the low pass filter and the
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Toshiyuki Suzuki, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano, Atsushi Oshima
  • Publication number: 20090033698
    Abstract: With an appropriate signal transmission form, a drive pulse output circuit is mounted to an ink jet head, so that waveform distortion of an actuator drive pulse for jet of ink drops is inhibited or prevented. Modulated signal data in memory is read to output a modulated signal, which is power-amplified by a digital power amplifier. The amplified digital signal is smoothed to be output to an actuator as a drive pulse. As a result, the digital power amplifier having high amplification efficiency efficiently amplifies the power of the modulated signal, thereby eliminating the need to use a cooling unit. The drive pulse output circuit can be mounted to the ink jet heads, thereby shortening the transmission path of an actuator drive pulse, which inhibits or prevents any waveform distortion of the drive pulse. The transmission of the modulated signal data DATA is implemented with a low frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Suzuki, Kunio Tabata, Osamu Shinkawa, Tomoki Hatano, Atsushi Oshima
  • Publication number: 20080226377
    Abstract: A printer includes first transporting belts disposed in parallel at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media. The first transporting belts transport a print medium while adsorbing the print medium. Second transporting belts disposed in parallel at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media further transport the print media. The second transporting belts are separated from the first transporting belts at the downstream part of the first transporting belts in the direction of transportation of print media. A print head prints on the print medium. The position of separation at which the print medium is separated from the first transporting belts is different in the direction of transportation of print media between one of the first transporting belts and another one of the first transporting belts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoki HATANO, Osamu SHINKAWA, Yusuke SAKAGAMI
  • Publication number: 20080088690
    Abstract: A printing apparatus which performs printing by injecting liquid from a liquid injection head onto a printing medium adhered by electrostatic force on the surfaces of a plurality of conveyor belts disposed at predetermined intervals in a direction crossing a printing medium conveyance direction during carry of the printing medium, characterized in that: the printing medium is electrostatically adhered by potential difference produced between the conveyor belts and a contact portion provided in the vicinity of the sides of the conveyor belts in the width direction such that the contact portion contacts the back surface of the printing medium and does not contact the surfaces of the conveyor belts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoki HATANO, Osamu SHINKAWA
  • Publication number: 20080018683
    Abstract: A liquid jet apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles provided to the liquid jet head, an actuator provided corresponding to each of the nozzles, drive unit that applies a drive signal to the actuator, drive waveform signal generation unit that generates a drive waveform signal providing a reference of a signal for controlling the actuator, modulator unit that pulse-modulates the drive waveform signal generated by the drive waveform signal generation unit, a digital power amplifier for power-amplifying the modulated signal, which is pulse-modulated by the modulator unit, and a low-pass filter provided individually corresponding to the actuator and for supplying the actuator with the power amplified modulated signal power-amplified by the digital power amplifier as a drive signal after smoothing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi OSHIMA, Kunio TABATA, Toshiyuki SUZUKI, Osamu SHINKAWA, Tomoki HATANO