Patents by Inventor Tomoya Endo

Tomoya Endo 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: 20250208169
    Abstract: An inspection method for inspecting a substrate using an inspection device, comprises (A) moving a placing member on which a substrate is placed to a position below a probe card held by a holder; (B) imaging the substrate placed on the placing member by a first imaging unit and imaging probes of the probe card by a second imaging unit from a gap between the probe card and the placing member; (C) moving the placing member to a reference position in a horizontal direction. The method further comprises (D) lifting the placing member and imaging a target provided at the holder by a third imaging unit that moves together with the placing member; and (E) correcting a contact position calculated from imaging results obtained by the first and the second imaging units in said (B) based on an imaging result obtained by the third imaging unit in said (D).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Inventors: Kentaro KONISHI, Tomoya ENDO, Hiroki SHIKAGAWA, Tomoki NUKANOBU, Hiroaki SAKAMOTO, Yasuhiro MURATA
  • Patent number: 12293873
    Abstract: An input device which is capable of imparting a magnetic operational reaction force, includes a stationary member, a magnetic member fixed to the stationary member, a movable member at least partially housed in the stationary member to which the magnetic member is fixed, and a driving device including a magnet fixed to the movable member and coils fixed to the stationary member, configured to move the movable member in a first direction relative to the stationary member, wherein the magnet is magnetized along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the coils have bundles of turns constituted by conductive wires, and the conductive wires in the bundles of turns extend along a third direction perpendicular to each of the first direction and the second direction, and the conducting wires are juxtaposed along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Tomiyama, Kazunari Takahashi, Yuki Ikezoe, Takenori Takahashi, Misuzu Suto, Tomoya Endo, Takeshi Shirasaka
  • Patent number: 12105895
    Abstract: An operating device has: a lever configured to be operated by tilting; a resistor having a flat strip shape and provided on a surface of a substrate; and a slider configured to change an output voltage value by sliding on a surface of the resistor in accordance with tilting operation of the lever. In this operating device, the resistor has a low-resistance portion that has a lower resistance value than other portions of the resistor, and that is a portion in contact with the slider when the lever is in a neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Endo, Kazuhiko Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20240275252
    Abstract: A vibration generating device includes a fixed case; a movable body disposed inside the fixed case; a support member configured to support the movable body with respect to the fixed case such that the movable body is configured to vibrate along a first direction; and a coil attached to the fixed case. The movable body includes a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a movable case configured to accommodate the magnetic field generator. A plurality of magnetic members including a permanent magnet constitute the magnetic field generator. The plurality of magnetic members are accommodated in the movable case such that the plurality of magnetic members are stacked in the first direction and are not movable relative to each other. A plurality of movable case members separable in the first direction constitute the movable case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventor: Tomoya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20240275250
    Abstract: A vibration generating device including a fixed case including a tube extending in a first direction; a coil attached inside the tube; a movable body arranged inside the coil and including a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field toward the coil; and a support member interposed between the fixed case and the movable body and supporting the movable body inside the coil such that the movable body is configured to vibrate in the first direction. The fixed case includes a first fixed case member including a first outer cylinder and an inner cylinder extending from the first outer cylinder along the first direction, and a second fixed case member including a second outer cylinder attached to an end of the first outer cylinder to cover the inner cylinder. The coil is wound around the inner cylinder and covered by the second outer cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventor: Tomoya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20240275255
    Abstract: A vibration generating device includes a fixed body; a movable body; a support member interposed between the fixed body and the movable body and configured to support the movable body with respect to the fixed body such that the movable body is configured to vibrate in a first direction; a permanent magnet included in the movable body and having a magnetization direction in the first direction; a pole piece attached to at least one end side of the permanent magnet in the first direction and configured to generate a magnetic field extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a coil attached to the fixed body to surround the pole piece. The pole piece is configured such that a size of the pole piece in the first direction is greater than a size of the coil in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2023
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventor: Tomoya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20240177906
    Abstract: An input device which is capable of imparting a magnetic operational reaction force, includes a stationary member, a magnetic member fixed to the stationary member, a movable member at least partially housed in the stationary member to which the magnetic member is fixed, and a driving device including a magnet fixed to the movable member and coils fixed to the stationary member, configured to move the movable member in a first direction relative to the stationary member, wherein the magnet is magnetized along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the coils have bundles of turns constituted by conductive wires, and the conductive wires in the bundles of turns extend along a third direction perpendicular to each of the first direction and the second direction, and the conducting wires are juxtaposed along the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2024
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro TOMIYAMA, Kazunari TAKAHASHI, Yuki IKEZOE, Takenori TAKAHASHI, Misuzu SUTO, Tomoya ENDO, Takeshi SHIRASAKA
  • Publication number: 20240044807
    Abstract: There is an inspection system including multiple inspection units configured to inspect substrates, wherein each of the inspection units includes: a tester configured to inspect a substrate; a moving part configured to hold and move the substrate relative to the tester; and a frame structure configured to accommodate the tester and the moving part, wherein the frame structure of one inspection unit includes: a first frame to be connected to a frame structure of another inspection unit; and a second frame that accommodates at least the moving part and is configured to move relative to the first frame to extract the moving part from the first frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Tomoya ENDO, Kentaro Konishi, Yuki Ishida, Jun Fujihara
  • Publication number: 20230004235
    Abstract: An operating device has: a lever configured to be operated by tilting; a resistor having a flat strip shape and provided on a surface of a substrate; and a slider configured to change an output voltage value by sliding on a surface of the resistor in accordance with tilting operation of the lever. In this operating device, the resistor has a low-resistance portion that has a lower resistance value than other portions of the resistor, and that is a portion in contact with the slider when the lever is in a neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Tomoya ENDO, Kazuhiko SASAKI
  • Patent number: 11454664
    Abstract: A testing system includes: an inspection module including a plurality of levels of inspection chambers in each of which a tester part having a tester configured to perform an electrical inspection of an inspection object and a probe card is accommodated; an aligner module configured to align the inspection object with the tester part; an alignment area in which the aligner module is accommodated; and a loader part configured to load the inspection object into the alignment area and unload the inspection object out of the aligner module, wherein the inspection module is located adjacent to the alignment area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kentaro Konishi, Jun Fujihara, Hiroki Shikagawa, Hiroshi Yamada, Yukinori Murata, Katsuaki Sugiyama, Shin Uchida, Tetsuya Kagami, Hiroaki Hayashi, Rika Ozawa, Takanori Hyakudomi, Xingjun Jiang, Kenichi Narikawa, Tomoya Endo
  • Patent number: 11454667
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes: a plurality of inspection devices configured to respectively inspect electronic devices of inspection objects on a plurality of chuck tops; a measurement device configured to measure height positions of a plurality of points on a surface of each of the plurality of chuck tops, which are respectively disposed to correspond to the plurality of inspection devices, or to measure distances in a height direction from a measurement reference point to the plurality of points; a calculation device configured to calculate adjustment amounts in the height direction at the plurality of points of each chuck top, based on the height positions of the plurality of points or the distances in the height direction from the measurement reference point to the plurality of points; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust, for each chuck top, an angle of the respective chuck top based on the adjustment amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tomoya Endo
  • Patent number: 11391758
    Abstract: A testing apparatus includes a first coordinates obtaining unit, a second coordinates obtaining unit, and a controller that performs determining card gravity center coordinates of a probe card held at a pogo frame opposite to an alignment stage, determining reference coordinates in a target coordinate system of a reference target at predetermined coordinates, determining alignment coordinates when the first coordinates obtaining unit is aligned with the second coordinates obtaining unit, determining wafer gravity center coordinates of a wafer, and calculating contact coordinates by using the determined card gravity center coordinates, the determined alignment coordinates, and the determined wafer gravity center coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Tomoya Endo
  • Patent number: 11385286
    Abstract: A method for controlling a test apparatus, the test apparatus including a test unit in which testers are arranged in columns and rows, each tester configured to test a substrate; aligners each configured to cause the substrate to be contacted with respect to a given tester from among the testers, at least one aligner provided in each row; and a controller configured to control the aligners. The method includes constraining, by the controller, operation of at least a second aligner, while alignment is performed through a first aligner from among the aligners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Tomoya Endo
  • Patent number: 11364435
    Abstract: An operation device includes a housing, a tiltable cylindrical operation member having a step portion on an inner circumferential surface, a first holding member which is held by the housing and rotatable in a first direction in accordance with a tilting operation of the operation member, a first detecting portion for detecting a rotation of the first holding member, and a returning mechanism disposed inside the operation member to return the tilted operation member to an initial position, wherein the returning mechanism includes an actuator, a slide member having a first cam surface at one end, a cam member having a second cam surface at one end which faces the first cam surface, a first elastic member, and a second elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoya Endo, Makoto Hayashi, Tatsuaki Kawase, Nobuyuki Ninomiya, Tomoyasu Nagano, Hidekazu Kato, Shuji Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11360115
    Abstract: An inspection system configured to inspect a device within a substrate is provided. The inspection system includes an inspection module, an alignment module, a supporting device and a fixing device. The inspection module has multiple testers and multiple inspection chambers. The multiple testers are allowed to be accommodated in the multiple inspection chambers, respectively. The alignment module has an aligner. The aligner is placed in an alignment space. The aligner is configured to adjust a position of the substrate to be inspected with respect to one tester of the multiple testers, which is accommodated in the alignment space. The supporting device is configured to support the tester accommodated in the alignment space from below. The fixing device is configured to fix the tester accommodated in the alignment space in cooperation with the supporting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takanori Hyakudomi, Jun Fujihara, Hiroaki Sakamoto, Tomoya Endo, Xingjun Jiang
  • Patent number: 11226368
    Abstract: A method of controlling a placement apparatus including a stage, a support table, a rotary drive mechanism rotating the stage including a first motion conversion mechanism configured to convert a rotary motion of a drive motor into a linear motion of a moving body and a second motion conversion mechanism configured to convert a linear motion of the moving body into a rotary motion of the stage, and a controller. The method includes a first correction step of calculating a first correction value of a drive angle of the stage for a linear movement amount of the moving body, a second correction step of obtaining a second correction value based on an error for each predetermined pitch, and a drive step of rotationally driving the stage based on the first and second correction values obtained in the first correction step and the second correction step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tomoya Endo
  • Patent number: 11181573
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus configured to inspect a target object includes an inspector configured to perform an inspection of an electrical characteristic upon the target object; a gas flow source provided within the inspector and configured to generate a gas flow which cools an inside of the inspector; a position adjuster configured to place the target object thereon and perform a position adjustment between the placed target object and the inspector; a housing which accommodates the inspector and the position adjuster in a same space; and a circulation device configured to circulate a gas by the gas flow source between the inside of the inspector and a region where the position adjuster is located within the space, the circulation device including a cooler configured to cool the gas being circulated and a foreign substance remover configured to remove a foreign substance from the gas being circulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomoya Endo, Kentaro Konishi
  • Publication number: 20210333319
    Abstract: A testing system includes: an inspection module including a plurality of levels of inspection chambers in each of which a tester part having a tester configured to perform an electrical inspection of an inspection object and a probe card is accommodated; an aligner module configured to align the inspection object with the tester part; an alignment area in which the aligner module is accommodated; and a loader part configured to load the inspection object into the alignment area and unload the inspection object out of the aligner module, wherein the inspection module is located adjacent to the alignment area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Kentaro KONISHI, Jun FUJIHARA, Hiroki SHIKAGAWA, Hiroshi YAMADA, Yukinori MURATA, Katsuaki SUGIYAMA, Shin UCHIDA, Tetsuya KAGAMI, Hiroaki HAYASHI, Rika OZAWA, Takanori HYAKUDOMI, Xingjun JIANG, Kenichi NARIKAWA, Tomoya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20210311094
    Abstract: A testing apparatus includes a first coordinates obtaining unit, a second coordinates obtaining unit, and a controller that performs determining card gravity center coordinates of a probe card held at a pogo frame opposite to an alignment stage, determining reference coordinates in a target coordinate system of a reference target at predetermined coordinates, determining alignment coordinates when the first coordinates obtaining unit is aligned with the second coordinates obtaining unit, determining wafer gravity center coordinates of a wafer, and calculating contact coordinates by using the determined card gravity center coordinates, the determined alignment coordinates, and the determined wafer gravity center coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventor: Tomoya ENDO
  • Publication number: 20210302492
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes: a plurality of inspection devices configured to respectively inspect electronic devices of inspection objects on a plurality of chuck tops; a measurement device configured to measure height positions of a plurality of points on a surface of each of the plurality of chuck tops, which are respectively disposed to correspond to the plurality of inspection devices, or to measure distances in a height direction from a measurement reference point to the plurality of points; a calculation device configured to calculate adjustment amounts in the height direction at the plurality of points of each chuck top, based on the height positions of the plurality of points or the distances in the height direction from the measurement reference point to the plurality of points; and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust, for each chuck top, an angle of the respective chuck top based on the adjustment amounts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Tomoya ENDO