Patents by Inventor Yasuyuki Ando

Yasuyuki Ando 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: 8203468
    Abstract: An electric capacitance-type touch switch, capable of reducing malfunction in switching operations and improving the degree of freedom in the visual design of switch, includes a detection circuit that can detect an electric capacitance change occurring when a human body approaches or contacts to an electrode. A sputter layer (i.e., a metallic thin film formed by sputtering) is provided on a surface of an upper lens (i.e., insulating base resin layer). The sputter layer can provide a beautiful metallic glossy appearance similar to a mirror surface. The sputter layer can be used as a panel surface providing a glossy appearance with iridescent or dichromatic effects obtainable from the hue of the base resin layer transmitted via the metallic layer. Furthermore, the sputter layer can be used as an electric capacitance detection electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ando, Yoshio Kamon, Hitoshi Shimada
  • Patent number: 8090497
    Abstract: A touch switch for controlling accessory equipment of a vehicle avoids a malfunction which is caused due to an environmental change such as a change in a state of air, arrival of unnecessary electromagnetic waves, or the like. Conductor plates 20-1 to 20-3 are disposed in an arrangement isolated from one another on a surface opposite to a sensor surface 16T of a touch plate 16 which is touched by a person's hand. The conductor plates 20-1 to 20-3 are each connected to a capacity measurement/control unit 34. The capacity measurement/control unit 34 determines as a judgment value D the absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting a minimum absolute value among changes ?C1 to ?C3 in electrostatic capacity from a maximum absolute value among the changes ?C1 to ?C3 in electrostatic capacity. The capacity measurement/control unit 34 controls a switch 28 according to the judgment value D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ando
  • Publication number: 20100110712
    Abstract: A light lens used for a car interior lighting device for transmitting light from a light source therethrough and illuminating the car interior is provided, and the light lens has a transparent light lens body, electrodes that are colored transparent conductive coating films for detecting the capacitance and located on a light source side of the light lens, and an insulative coating film that has almost the same color and transmission rate as the conductive coating films and is located on the periphery of the conductive coating films. With this configuration, the uniform light transmission rate is achieved over the light lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicants: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd., Polymatech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ando, Yoshifumi Honmatsu, Yutaka Nakanishi, Yasunori Takeda
  • Patent number: 7677774
    Abstract: A vehicle interior illumination apparatus includes a first type touch switch which turns illumination ON and OFF when a human body touches a surface of an illumination lens on a vehicle compartment side, and a second type touch switch which switches between linkage and non-linkage between ON and OFF of illumination and a state of a door when the human body moves on the surface of the illumination lens on the vehicle compartment side. The first type touch switch includes a first transparent electrode on a surface of the illumination lens on the light source side for detecting touch of the human body on the surface of the illumination lens on the vehicle compartment side, and the second type touch switch includes a plurality of second transparent electrodes on the surface of the illumination lens on the light source side for detecting movement of the human body on the surface of the illumination lens on the vehicle compartment side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ando
  • Patent number: 7679212
    Abstract: A touch switch for controlling accessory equipment of a vehicle in such a manner that malfunctions caused by factors such as changes in atmospheric conditions, receipt of an electromagnetic impulse, or the like can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ando
  • Publication number: 20090262548
    Abstract: A vehicle interior illumination apparatus includes a first type touch switch which turns illumination ON and OFF when a human body touches a surface of an illumination lens on a vehicle compartment side, and a second type touch switch which switches between linkage and non-linkage between ON and OFF of illumination and a state of a door when the human body moves on the surface of the illumination lens on the vehicle compartment side. The first type touch switch includes a first transparent electrode on a surface of the illumination lens on the light source side for detecting touch of the human body on the surface of the illumination lens on the vehicle compartment side, and the second type touch switch includes a plurality of second transparent electrodes on the surface of the illumination lens on the light source side for detecting movement of the human body on the surface of the illumination lens on the vehicle compartment side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: KOJIMA PRESS INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ando
  • Publication number: 20080309170
    Abstract: A touch switch for controlling accessory equipment of a vehicle in such a manner that malfunctions caused by factors such as changes in atmospheric conditions, receipt of an electromagnetic impulse, or the like can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: KOJIMA PRESS INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ando
  • Publication number: 20080140282
    Abstract: A touch switch for controlling accessory equipment of a vehicle avoids a malfunction which is caused due to an environmental change such as a change in a state of air, arrival of unnecessary electromagnetic waves, or the like. Conductor plates 20-1 to 20-3 are disposed in an arrangement isolated from one another on a surface opposite to a sensor surface 16T of a touch plate 16 which is touched by a person's hand. The conductor plates 20-1 to 20-3 are each connected to a capacity measurement/control unit 34. The capacity measurement/control unit 34 determines as a judgment value D the absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting a minimum absolute value among changes ?C1 to ?C3 in electrostatic capacity from a maximum absolute value among the changes ?C1 to ?C3 in electrostatic capacity. The capacity measurement/control unit 34 controls a switch 28 according to the judgment value D.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Ando
  • Publication number: 20080055118
    Abstract: An electric capacitance-type touch switch, capable of reducing malfunction in switching operations and improving the degree of freedom in the visual design of switch, includes a detection circuit that can detect an electric capacitance change occurring when a human body approaches or contacts to an electrode. A sputter layer (i.e., a metallic thin film formed by sputtering) is provided on a surface of an upper lens (i.e., insulating base resin layer). The sputter layer can provide a beautiful metallic glossy appearance similar to a mirror surface. The sputter layer can be used as a panel surface providing a glossy appearance with iridescent or dichromatic effects obtainable from the hue of the base resin layer transmitted via the metallic layer. Furthermore, the sputter layer can be used as an electric capacitance detection electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ando, Yoshio Kamon, Hitoshi Shimada
  • Publication number: 20070211483
    Abstract: A vehicle interior illumination device comprises: a housing secured to a vehicle interior; a light source secured to an inside of the housing; an illumination lens disposed on a surface on the vehicle interior side of the housing, which transmits light from the light source for illuminating the vehicle interior; an electrode formed as a thin film on a surface on the light source side of the illuminating lens; and an illuminating power control unit which is connected to the electrode, and which switches the light source power on and off based on changes in capacitance between the electrode and a person, which are caused by the person making contact with a vehicle interior side surface of the illuminating lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: Kojima Press Industry Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ando, Seiichiro Mizoguchi