Patents by Inventor Yoshiharu Tanaka

Yoshiharu Tanaka 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: 7471886
    Abstract: A camera casing 100 accommodates therein a shake correction unit 2 for oscillatingly supporting an image sensor 20, a control circuit board 6 loaded with electronic components such as ASIC 61 and a driving control circuit 62, and a viewfinder section 7 for allowing a user to confirm a field to be photographed. The shake correction unit 2, the control circuit board 6, and the viewfinder section 7 are arranged in proximity to each other on planes substantially identical to each other. The shake correction unit 2 has a first driving unit 3a arranged on the side of a side portion 20b of the image sensor 20 to apply an oscillating force to the image sensor 20 to oscillate the image sensor 20 in a first direction (pitch direction shown by the arrows p in FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hirota, Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080310022
    Abstract: There is disclosed an imaging apparatus having: (a) a drive mechanism for moving an imaging device subunit having an imaging device in mutually perpendicular first and second directions; (b) a first actuator for moving the imaging device subunit in the first direction; (c) a second actuator for moving the imaging device subunit in the second direction; (d) a sensing device for detecting the direction of gravity; and (e) a dust-removing device for shaking off dust adhering to the imaging device subunit by moving the subunit using at least one of the two actuators. The dust-removing device has: a setting unit for setting a direction of motion in which the imaging device subunit is moved, based on the direction of gravity detected by the sensing device; and a selecting unit for selecting an actuator used to drive the imaging device subunit in the direction of motion set by the setting unit from the first and second actuators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080310833
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes: (a) an imaging device subunit having an imaging device for creating an image signal associated with a subject and a light-transmitting member mounted ahead of a photosensitive surface of the imaging device; (b) a first driver circuit for driving a first actuator that moves the imaging device subunit in a first direction; (c) a second driver circuit for driving a second actuator that moves the imaging device subunit in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and (d) first dust-removing means for shaking off dust adhering to the light-transmitting member by driving a given actuator so as to vibrate the light-transmitting member; wherein the given actuator is driven using the first driver circuit or the second driver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20080288111
    Abstract: Provided are a method and an apparatus that enable rapid and automatic determination of the coagulant injection rate in a process of water treatment through coagulation and sedimentation. Using a coagulation analyzer comprising sample tanks 1A to 1D each for keeping a predetermined amount of raw water, a water supply pump 7, water supply/discharge valves 4, 6 for raw water and washing water, mixers 3A to 3D, a coagulant injection unit 21, and a detector 30 for determining the particle size and the particle number of flocs, the time within which the coagulant 20 injected into the sample tanks is dispersed by mixing and the particles begin to agglomerate (agglomeration start time) is determined, and based on the thus-determined agglomeration start time, the coagulant injection rate is determined, or the amount of the coagulant to be injected is controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC WATER ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dabide Yamaguchi, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Tokio Ohto, Takashi Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20080247177
    Abstract: A luminescent device includes: a light source; a housing for accommodating the light source, a heat discharging member including a heat transfer portion and a heat dissipation portion and passed through the housing, the heat transfer portion being mounted on the light source and the heat dissipation portion being located outside the housing; a seal portion for sealing a gap between the heat discharging member and the housing; and optical axis adjusting device for adjusting an optical axis of the light source, wherein the heat transfer portion or the seal portion is deformed so as to follow an angular change of the optical axis of the light source by the optical axis adjusting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Takao Adachi, Akihiro Misawa, Shigeru Yabuya, Minoru Shibata
  • Patent number: 7334923
    Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror including a housing, a mirror, an LED that has a light emitting element and plane-radiates light in a direction nearly vertical to the optical axis of the light emitting element, and a light-guiding member in which at least the one LED is incorporated at a predetermined position. The light-guiding member has a light reflection surface that reflects light to be plane-radiated from the LED and that allows the reflected light to be radiated in a desired direction, and a light radiation surface that allows direct light to be directly emitted from the LED and the reflected light to be externally radiated by the light radiation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Akihiro Misawa, Toshinori Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7324748
    Abstract: The size of the opening 1094a of the shutter base plate 1094 is set, considering driving amounts of the image sensor 101 and the low pass filter 108 during shake correction, so that the size of the opening 1094a in X-axis direction (Y-axis direction) is set equal to or larger than the sum of the size of the low pass filter 108 and the maximum moving amount of the low pass filter 108 in the X-axis direction (Y-axis direction).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Wataru Abe, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Toshihiko Hirota
  • Publication number: 20070195540
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting system having: a light guiding member having a front face as a light emitting surface, a rear face having a plurality of reflecting portions inclined to the front face, and a side face; and a light source disposed opposite to the side face. An angle ? defined between the front face and the side face is designed such that, of external lights to enter into the light guiding member, a light to travel directly to the side face can be totally reflected on an interface of the side face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Misawa, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Tatsuya Oba
  • Patent number: 7249869
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a mark body, a substrate arranged in back of the mark body, an LED mounted on an opposite surface of the substrate to the mark body, and a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside subjected to a light diffuse reflection process to cause diffuse reflection by the backside. Incidentally, there can be provided a light emitting device that includes a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside having a plurality of protrusions in a rib form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Takahashi, Akihiro Misawa, Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7229197
    Abstract: A vehicle side mirror apparatus for looking backward circumstances of a vehicle has: a housing that is of a transparent or semitransparent material with a cross section having a predetermined thickness, the housing having a light entering end into which light enters, and a light radiating end that faces the back of the vehicle; and an LED lamp that is disposed in the vicinity of the light entering end. Light emitted from the LED lamp enters into the light entering end of the housing, passing through within the cross section, being radiated to the back of the vehicle from the light radiating end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Akihiro Misawa
  • Patent number: 7163322
    Abstract: In an illumination device for license plate which illuminates the license plate from the front side thereof, at least one light source consist of a white LED is arranged at a position upward or obliquely upward of the license plate in such a manner that optical axes thereof traverse with a lower range than the center of the license plate, and a reflector is arranged at a position obliquely downward seen from an observer's side of the light source, receiving a light directing to the observer's side from a portion of a light emitted from the light source, and converting the light into a light irradiating the center or the lower part of the license plate. Further, a garnish for accommodating the light source and having a light transmitting part can be provided to the illumination device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasumasa Tatewaki, Toshinori Takahashi, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Akihiro Misawa, Kazutoshi Ikeda, Takao Adachi, Katsumi Esaka, Tatsuya Oba
  • Publication number: 20060056839
    Abstract: The size of the opening 1094a of the shutter base plate 1094 is set, considering driving amounts of the image sensor 101 and the low pass filter 108 during shake correction, so that the size of the opening 1094a in X-axis direction (Y-axis direction) is set equal to or larger than the sum of the size of the low pass filter 108 and the maximum moving amount of the low pass filter 108 in the X-axis direction (Y-axis direction).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Wataru Abe, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Toshihiko Hirota
  • Publication number: 20060056829
    Abstract: A camera casing 100 accommodates therein a shake correction unit 2 for oscillatingly supporting an image sensor 20, a control circuit board 6 loaded with electronic components such as ASIC 61 and a driving control circuit 62, and a viewfinder section 7 for allowing a user to confirm a field to be photographed. The shake correction unit 2, the control circuit board 6, and the viewfinder section 7 are arranged in proximity to each other on planes substantially identical to each other. The shake correction unit 2 has a first driving unit 3a arranged on the side of a side portion 20b of the image sensor 20 to apply an oscillating force to the image sensor 20 to oscillate the image sensor 20 in a first direction (pitch direction shown by the arrows p in FIG.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hirota, Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20060055787
    Abstract: A camera with shake correction mechanism according to the invention comprises: an image pickup device for picking up object light; shake detecting device for detecting a shake exerted to a camera body; a shake correction unit provided with a driving section for exerting a swing force for swinging the image pickup device in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; a control board on which electronic components are mounted; and a flexible wiring member for electrically connecting the shake correction unit to the control board, wherein the shake correction unit and the control board are arranged at adjacent positions to each other in a direction of almost the same plane, while in an adjacent part of the two elements, a space part is set up that can accommodate the flexible wiring member in a bent state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Toshihiko Hirota, Mitsuhiro Sugita, Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20060056830
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus of the invention comprises: an image pickup device for picking up object light; a mirror section for switching an optical path of the object light; a retaining member for retaining at least the mirror section; and a shake detection section for detecting a shake of the image pickup device, wherein the shake detection section is provided in a member separate from but indirectly connected to the retaining member via a predetermined connection section. The shake detection section is attached to the separate member connected indirectly to the retaining member that retains the mirror section and hence receives directly a vibration at the time of driving of the mirror section, with the intervention of the connection section. This avoids that the vibration caused by the driving of the mirror section is directly transmitted to the shake detection section. That is, the vibration is bypassed and damped along a route going through the connection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Yasuhiro Hirose, Yoshiyuki Inoue
  • Publication number: 20060023468
    Abstract: The invention provides a light emitting device comprising a mark body, a substrate arranged in back of the mark body, an LED mounted on an opposite surface of the substrate to the mark body, and a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside subjected to a light diffuse reflection process to cause diffuse reflection by the backside. Incidentally, there can be provided a light emitting device comprising a light guide arranged on a closer side of the substrate to the LED and having an upper surface serving as a light introducing surface for introducing LED-based light, a side surface serving as a light emitting surface and a backside having a plurality of protrusions in a rib form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Applicant: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Takahashi, Akihiro Misawa, Yoshiharu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6907681
    Abstract: A resin safety shoe toe cap made from a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin, wherein the toe cap resin safety shoe toe cap is constituted from rising parts comprising a front end rising part 1, a big toe side rising part 2 and a little toe side rising part 3; a top part 6; and a base part 5, wherein the thickness of the big toe side rising part 2 is made to be greater than the thickness of the little toe side rising part 3. Moreover, the big toe side rising part 2 and the little toe side rising part 3 are connected to the front end rising part 1 by curved surface parts 4 having different curvatures, and the rising parts are formed so as to rise up approximately perpendicularly to the base part 5. The safety shoe toe cap not only satisfies the performances in L-class and S-class of JIS T 8101, but also the impact resistance and compression resistance performances stipulated in H-class of JIS T 8101 and safety shoe standards in the CEN Standard, without impairing the ability to fit to shoes and wearer's feet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Mutsuo Hirota, Tomohisa Ishida
  • Publication number: 20050117236
    Abstract: A vehicle side mirror apparatus for looking backward circumstances of a vehicle has: a housing that is of a transparent or semitransparent material with a cross section having a predetermined thickness, the housing having a light entering end into which light enters, and a light radiating end that faces the back of the vehicle; and an LED lamp that is disposed in the vicinity of the light entering end. Light emitted from the LED lamp enters into the light entering end of the housing, passing through within the cross section, being radiated to the back of the vehicle from the light radiating end of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Tanaka, Akihiro Misawa
  • Publication number: 20050094405
    Abstract: In an illumination device for license plate which illuminates the license plate from the front side thereof, at least one light source consist of a white LED is arranged at a position upward or obliquely upward of the license plate in such a manner that optical axes thereof traverse with a lower range than the center of the license plate, and a reflector is arranged at a position obliquely downward seen from an observer's side of the light source, receiving a light directing to the observer's side from a portion of a light emitted from the light source, and converting the light into a light irradiating the center or the lower part of the license plate. Further, a garnish for accommodating the light source and having a light transmitting part can be provided to the illumination device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Applicant: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasumasa Tatewaki, Toshinori Takahashi, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Akihiro Misawa, Kazutoshi Ikeda, Takao Adachi, Katsumi Esaka, Tatsuya Oba
  • Patent number: 6856072
    Abstract: An ultrasonic drive apparatus for preventing a slip between an object to be driven and a driving part of the apparatus to drive the object. The driving part includes an elastic member through which vibrations from electrical-mechanical converters are transmitted to the object. The elastic member can deform in a direction in which the object is driven. The driving part makes a predetermined locus to drive the object while the elastic member deforms in the direction so as to absorb the slip between the object and the driving part. The elastic member and the converters are mounted symmetrically relative to an axis which is generally perpendicular to the direction in which the object is driven, so that the object can be driven forward and backward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kosaka, Minoru Kuwana, Yoshiharu Tanaka, Junichi Tanii, Kenji Mizumoto