Patents by Inventor Toshiki Usui

Toshiki Usui 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: 11946906
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a damaged region determination system of the embodiment includes a plurality of sensors, a position locator, and a determiner. The plurality of sensors detects elastic waves generated in a target object related to a railway which is a determination target of a damaged region. The position locator locates positions of sources of a plurality of elastic waves based on the plurality of elastic waves detected by each of the plurality of sensors. The determiner determines the damaged region in the target object based on the positions of the sources of the plurality of elastic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshiki Takayasu, Takashi Usui, Kazuo Watabe, Atsuro Oonishi, Hiroshi Takahashi, Takamitsu Sunaoshi
  • Publication number: 20230311488
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus performs gradation expression with multiple gradation levels by ejecting liquid droplets onto a medium. In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a period in which a first drive circuit outputs a second drive waveform as a first drive signal at least partially overlaps a period in which a second drive circuit outputs a fourth drive waveform as a second drive signal; a period in which the first drive circuit outputs a third drive waveform as the first drive signal does not overlap the period in which the second drive circuit outputs the fourth drive waveform as the second drive signal; and in a drive cycle, the first drive circuit outputs a first drive waveform as the first drive signal, subsequently outputs the second drive waveform as the first drive signal, and then outputs the third drive waveform as the first drive signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventor: Toshiki USUI
  • Patent number: 10889114
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit including at least one pressure chamber filled with a reactive ink, at least one nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber, a supply channel through which the reactive ink is supplied to the pressure chamber, and an elastic compliance film forming a portion of the supply channel; a piezoelectric element that changes a capacity of the pressure chamber when an electric signal is supplied to the piezoelectric element; and a flexible wiring substrate at which a signal wire for supplying the electric signal to a connection terminal of the piezoelectric element is formed. The elastic compliance film is formed of a para-aramid resin. The connection terminal and the signal wire are electrically connected to each other by solder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Inventors: Noriaki Okazawa, Toshiki Usui
  • Publication number: 20200023643
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting unit including at least one pressure chamber filled with a reactive ink, at least one nozzle communicating with the pressure chamber, a supply channel through which the reactive ink is supplied to the pressure chamber, and an elastic compliance film forming a portion of the supply channel; a piezoelectric element that changes a capacity of the pressure chamber when an electric signal is supplied to the piezoelectric element; and a flexible wiring substrate at which a signal wire for supplying the electric signal to a connection terminal of the piezoelectric element is formed. The elastic compliance film is formed of a para-aramid resin. The connection terminal and the signal wire are electrically connected to each other by solder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Noriaki OKAZAWA, Toshiki USUI
  • Patent number: 10272676
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes: a piezoelectric element that is deformed by applying at least one drive waveform among a plurality of drive waveforms to the piezoelectric element, the plurality of drive waveforms including a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform; a cavity that is filled with a liquid and is increased or decreased in internal pressure due to deformation of the piezoelectric element; a nozzle that communicates with the cavity, and ejects the liquid as a liquid droplet; and a selection section that selects at least one drive waveform from the plurality of drive waveforms, the liquid droplet including a first liquid droplet ejected when the first drive waveform has been selected, and a second liquid droplet ejected when the second drive waveform has been selected, an ejection volume of the first liquid droplet being almost equal to an ejection volume of the second liquid droplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation, SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yamagata, Toshiki Usui, Naoki Yonekubo, Kiyoomi Mitsuki
  • Publication number: 20170028716
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes: a piezoelectric element that is deformed by applying at least one drive waveform among a plurality of drive waveforms to the piezoelectric element, the plurality of drive waveforms including a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform; a cavity that is filled with a liquid and is increased or decreased in internal pressure due to deformation of the piezoelectric element; a nozzle that communicates with the cavity, and ejects the liquid as a liquid droplet; and a selection section that selects at least one drive waveform from the plurality of drive waveforms, the liquid droplet including a first liquid droplet ejected when the first drive waveform has been selected, and a second liquid droplet ejected when the second drive waveform has been selected, an ejection volume of the first liquid droplet being almost equal to an ejection volume of the second liquid droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Toshiyuki YAMAGATA, Toshiki USUI, Naoki YONEKUBO, Kiyoomi MITSUKI
  • Patent number: 9493000
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes: a piezoelectric element that is deformed by applying at least one drive waveform among a plurality of drive waveforms to the piezoelectric element, the plurality of drive waveforms including a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform; a cavity that is filled with a liquid and is increased or decreased in internal pressure due to deformation of the piezoelectric element; a nozzle that communicates with the cavity, and ejects the liquid as a liquid droplet; and a selection section that selects at least one drive waveform from the plurality of drive waveforms, the liquid droplet including a first liquid droplet ejected when the first drive waveform has been selected, and a second liquid droplet ejected when the second drive waveform has been selected, an ejection volume of the first liquid droplet being almost equal to an ejection volume of the second liquid droplet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation, SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yamagata, Toshiki Usui, Naoki Yonekubo, Kiyoomi Mitsuki
  • Patent number: 9033443
    Abstract: A printer controller outputs plural drive signals including respective series of drive pulses, the timing points of which are different from one another, to a head control unit side, and outputs a multiplexed signal resulting from multiplexing change signals corresponding to the respective drive signals to a head control unit side, and the head control unit includes a control signal demultiplexing unit which demultiplexes the multiplexed signal into the change signals corresponding to respective nozzle rows, and an actuator control unit which, on the basis of each of the demultiplexed change signals, selects one of the drive pulses included in one of the drive signal which corresponds to the demultiplexed change signal, and applies the selected drive pulse to a piezoelectric element included in one of the nozzle rows which corresponds to the drive signal corresponding to the demultiplexed change signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui
  • Publication number: 20150091961
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting device includes: a piezoelectric element that is deformed by applying at least one drive waveform among a plurality of drive waveforms to the piezoelectric element, the plurality of drive waveforms including a first drive waveform and a second drive waveform; a cavity that is filled with a liquid and is increased or decreased in internal pressure due to deformation of the piezoelectric element; a nozzle that communicates with the cavity, and ejects the liquid as a liquid droplet; and a selection section that selects at least one drive waveform from the plurality of drive waveforms, the liquid droplet including a first liquid droplet ejected when the first drive waveform has been selected, and a second liquid droplet ejected when the second drive waveform has been selected, an ejection volume of the first liquid droplet being almost equal to an ejection volume of the second liquid droplet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yamagata, Toshiki Usui, Naoki Yonekubo, Kiyoomi Mitsuki
  • Publication number: 20140055513
    Abstract: A printer controller outputs plural drive signals including respective series of drive pulses, the timing points of which are different from one another, to a head control unit side, and outputs a multiplexed signal resulting from multiplexing change signals corresponding to the respective drive signals to a head control unit side, and the head control unit includes a control signal demultiplexing unit which demultiplexes the multiplexed signal into the change signals corresponding to respective nozzle rows, and an actuator control unit which, on the basis of each of the demultiplexed change signals, selects one of the drive pulses included in one of the drive signal which corresponds to the demultiplexed change signal, and applies the selected drive pulse to a piezoelectric element included in one of the nozzle rows which corresponds to the drive signal corresponding to the demultiplexed change signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui
  • Patent number: 8485625
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a drive element that performs a driving operation when a drive waveform is applied thereto and causes a nozzle to eject fluid. A drive signal generating unit generates a first drive signal having a first drive waveform at a front section of a predetermined period and a second drive waveform at a rear section thereof. A second drive signal has a third drive waveform at a front section of the predetermined period and a fourth drive waveform at a rear section thereof. A control unit applies the first drive waveform to the drive element, which then performs a first operation, applies the fourth drive waveform to the drive element, which then performs a second operation, and applies the second drive waveform to the drive element after applying the third drive waveform thereto, so that the drive element performs a third operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshio Miyazawa, Toshiki Usui
  • Publication number: 20120218331
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a recording head including a first pressure chamber filled with a first liquid, a first nozzle communicating with the first pressure chamber, a first pressure generating element changing pressure in the first pressure chamber and ejecting the first liquid from the first nozzle, a second pressure chamber filled with a second liquid, a second nozzle communicating with the second pressure chamber, and a second pressure generating element changing pressure in the second pressure chamber and ejecting the second liquid from the second nozzle; and a control unit supplying an ejection pulse of a first frequency to the first pressure generating element to eject the first liquid from the first nozzle, and supplying an ejection pulse of a second frequency lower than the first frequency to the second pressure generating element to eject the second liquid from the second nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiki USUI
  • Patent number: 8157341
    Abstract: The printing method includes the following steps of: preparing a printing apparatus that includes an element that is driven in order to form a dot, a first drive signal generation section that generates drive signals for driving the element, and a second drive signal generation section that generates drive signals for driving the element; at a certain timing, forming a dot of a predetermined size by generating a first drive signal with the first drive signal generation section and by generating a second drive signal that is different from the first drive signal with the second drive signal generation section; and at a separate timing, forming a dot of the predetermined size by generating the first drive signal with the second drive signal generation section. With this printing method, the first drive signal generation section and the second drive signal generation section can be made to generate an equal amount of heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui
  • Patent number: 8038243
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a level-data setting unit for setting a selected level data from a plurality of level data, based on an ejecting data; a driving-signal generator for generating a first driving signal and a second driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected level data and the first driving signal and the second driving signal. The first driving signal and the second driving signal are periodical signals having a same period. The first driving signal includes a first large-drop pulse-wave and a third large-drop pulse-wave. The second driving signal includes a second large-drop pulse-wave. The first large-drop pulse-wave, the second large-drop pulse-wave and the third large-drop pulse-wave have a same waveform, and appear in that order at regular intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Toshiki Usui, Yasuhiko Kosugi
  • Patent number: 8007066
    Abstract: A printing apparatus of this invention includes: an output section that has a predetermined number of output terminals, and that outputs pixel data from each of the output terminals respectively; a cable that has the predetermined number of transmission lines for transmitting the pixel data that are outputted from the predetermined number of the output terminals respectively; a head that can eject a plurality of colors of inks, and that has nozzle groups for the respective colors of the inks; and a plurality of head controllers that cause the ink to be ejected from the nozzle groups based on the pixel data, a plurality of the head controllers each being provided corresponding to each of the colors of the inks. Wherein the number of the output terminals is larger than the number of the colors of the inks, and at least one of the head controllers causes the ink to be ejected from the nozzle group of a corresponding color, based on the pixel data transmitted via two or more of the transmission lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui
  • Patent number: 7841679
    Abstract: The invention achieves efficient use of generation circuits of drive signals COM. The invention provides a liquid ejection method that includes: causing a certain drive signal generation unit to generate a first drive signal and a second drive signal; causing another drive signal generation unit to generate a first drive signal and a second drive signal; supplying the first drive signal generated by the certain drive signal generation unit and the second drive signal generated by the other drive signal generation unit to a certain head unit, the certain head unit being one of a plurality of head units arranged in an intersecting direction that intersects a transport direction of a medium; and ejecting liquid from the certain head unit in accordance with the first drive signal and the second drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui
  • Publication number: 20100207978
    Abstract: The printing method includes the following steps of: preparing a printing apparatus that includes an element that is driven in order to form a dot, a first drive signal generation section that generates drive signals for driving the element, and a second drive signal generation section that generates drive signals for driving the element; at a certain timing, forming a dot of a predetermined size by generating a first drive signal with the first drive signal generation section and by generating a second drive signal that is different from the first drive signal with the second drive signal generation section; and at a separate timing, forming a dot of the predetermined size by generating the first drive signal with the second drive signal generation section. With this printing method, the first drive signal generation section and the second drive signal generation section can be made to generate an equal amount of heat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui
  • Publication number: 20100118075
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a drive element that performs a driving operation when a drive waveform is applied thereto and causes a nozzle to eject fluid. A drive signal generating unit generates a first drive signal having a first drive waveform at a front section of a predetermined period and a second drive waveform at a rear section thereof. A second drive signal has a third drive waveform at a front section of the predetermined period and a fourth drive waveform at a rear section thereof. A control unit applies the first drive waveform to the drive element, which then performs a first operation, applies the fourth drive waveform to the drive element, which then performs a second operation, and applies the second drive waveform to the drive element after applying the third drive waveform thereto, so that the drive element performs a third operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio MIYAZAWA, Toshiki USUI
  • Publication number: 20100079521
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle; a pressure-changing unit for changing pressure of liquid in the nozzle in such a manner that the liquid is ejected from the nozzle; a level-data setting unit for setting a selected level data from a plurality of level data, based on an ejecting data; a driving-signal generator for generating a first driving signal and a second driving signal; and a driving-pulse generator for generating a driving pulse based on the selected level data and the first driving signal and the second driving signal. The first driving signal and the second driving signal are periodical signals having a same period. The first driving signal includes a first large-drop pulse-wave and a third large-drop pulse-wave. The second driving signal includes a second large-drop pulse-wave. The first large-drop pulse-wave, the second large-drop pulse-wave and the third large-drop pulse-wave have a same waveform, and appear in that order at regular intervals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Hosono, Toshiki Usui, Yasuhiko Kosugi
  • Patent number: 7686407
    Abstract: The printing method includes the following steps of: preparing a printing apparatus that includes an element that is driven in order to form a dot, a first drive signal generation section that generates drive signals for driving the element, and a second drive signal generation section that generates drive signals for driving the element; at a certain timing, forming a dot of a predetermined size by generating a first drive signal with the first drive signal generation section and by generating a second drive signal that is different from the first drive signal with the second drive signal generation section; and at a separate timing, forming a dot of the predetermined size by generating the first drive signal with the second drive signal generation section. With this printing method, the first drive signal generation section and the second drive signal generation section can be made to generate an equal amount of heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiki Usui