Patents by Inventor Yoshihiro Ikawa

Yoshihiro Ikawa 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: 11353883
    Abstract: A carrier includes a body, a sensor, and an output unit. The body has the ability to travel autonomously and includes a holding mechanism for holding a burden. The sensor is provided for the body and detects a situation surrounding the body. The output unit outputs detected information, collected by the sensor, about the situation to a management device that manages operation of another carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Hiroshi Shirouzu, Osamu Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11320831
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mover including an object detecting unit and either a masking processing unit or a transmission restricting unit as an additional processing unit. The object detecting unit detects an object based on a reception signal output from a receiver unit by having a transmitter unit transmit a scanning wave and by having the receiver unit receive a reflected wave, which is a component, reflected from the object, of the scanning wave. The masking processing unit performs masking processing of masking, in accordance with a timing at which, and/or a direction of incidence in which, a disturbance wave, not depending on the scanning wave, is incident on the receiver unit, a portion of the reception signal output from the receiver unit. The transmission restricting unit restricts a transmission range in which the transmitter unit transmits the scanning wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shirouzu, Yoshihiro Ikawa, Osamu Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10386266
    Abstract: An optical inspection device includes: an LED; a chart; a collimator; and a mirror. The LED irradiates the chart with light to deliver light rays to the collimator as on-axis light rays. This allows a pattern on the chart to be projected onto a center of an image sensor through the collimator and an optical system under inspection. The mirror reflects light rays delivered to the mirror through the collimator among the on-axis light rays. This allows the pattern on the chart to be projected onto a periphery of the image sensor through the optical system under inspection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Hironobu Chiba, Yoshihiro Ueno
  • Publication number: 20190243374
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a carrier including a body, a sensor, and an output unit. The body has the ability to travel autonomously and includes a holding mechanism for holding a burden. The sensor is provided for the body and detects a situation surrounding the body. The output unit outputs detected information, collected by the sensor, about the situation to a management device that manages operation of another carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Yoshihiro IKAWA, Hiroshi SHIROUZU, Osamu MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20190227559
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a mover including an object detecting unit and either a masking processing unit or a transmission restricting unit as an additional processing unit. The object detecting unit detects an object based on a reception signal output from a receiver unit by having a transmitter unit transmit a scanning wave and by having the receiver unit receive a reflected wave, which is a component, reflected from the object, of the scanning wave. The masking processing unit performs masking processing of masking, in accordance with a timing at which, and/or a direction of incidence in which, a disturbance wave, not depending on the scanning wave, is incident on the receiver unit, a portion of the reception signal output from the receiver unit. The transmission restricting unit restricts a transmission range in which the transmitter unit transmits the scanning wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroshi SHIROUZU, Yoshihiro IKAWA, Osamu MIZUNO
  • Publication number: 20180238769
    Abstract: An optical inspection device comprises: an LED; a chart; a collimator; and a mirror. The LED irradiates the chart with light to deliver light rays to the collimator as on-axis light rays. This allows a pattern on the chart to be projected onto a center of an image sensor through the collimator and an optical system under inspection. The mirror reflects light rays delivered to the mirror through the collimator among the on-axis light rays. This allows the pattern on the chart to be projected onto a periphery of the image sensor through the optical system under inspection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: YOSHIHIRO IKAWA, HIRONOBU CHIBA, YOSHIHIRO UENO
  • Patent number: 8254220
    Abstract: In an objective lens actuator of an optical disk drive and the like, variations in the fixed end positions of wires serving as suspensions are reduced and tilt characteristics are improved. Terminal plates 20 fixed to a lens holder are tilted relative to wires 13 for supporting the lens holder with elasticity, and are soldered at the edges of the terminal plates 20, so that variations in the fixed end positions of the wires 13 are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Mamoru Morita
  • Patent number: 7948696
    Abstract: In an objective lens actuator of an optical disk drive and the like, variations in the fixed end positions of wires serving as suspensions are reduced and tilt characteristics are improved. When wires 13 are fixed by soldering, a deformation caused by soldering on the wires 13 is minimized by providing heat absorbing members 25 and 26 which hold the wires 13 near soldering positions to absorb soldering heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Mamoru Morita
  • Publication number: 20090310448
    Abstract: In an objective lens actuator of an optical disk drive and the like, variations in the fixed end positions of wires serving as suspensions are reduced and tilt characteristics are improved. Terminal plates 20 fixed to a lens holder are tilted relative to wires 13 for supporting the lens holder with elasticity, and are soldered at the edges of the terminal plates 20, so that variations in the fixed end positions of the wires 13 are reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro IKAWA, Mamoru MORITA
  • Publication number: 20090310447
    Abstract: An objective lens actuator is provided in which an objective lens is hardly affected by a higher vibration mode and a gain crossover frequency can be increased even when the objective lens is disposed at the end of a lens holder. Between the optical axis of an objective lens 11 and an end 12a on a lens holder 12 for holding the objective lens 11, a notch 20 is provided as a discontinuous portion having discontinuous stiffness in parallel with a focusing direction. With this configuration, the position of the node of a tertiary vibration mode exhibiting unstable control characteristics can be brought close to the position of the objective lens 11 and the influence of a higher vibration mode can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro IKAWA
  • Patent number: 7433278
    Abstract: In order to obtain a preferred recording/reproducing characteristic in an apparatus for optical disks having higher density, an objective lens drive is provided for driving an objective lens (1) in the optical axis direction, a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and a tilting direction along the radius of an optical disk, by which operating sensitivity is improved and a stable operating characteristic is realized. Sections of two (7b, 7e) of six fixing portions (7a to 7f) for supporting six support members (6a to 6f) which support a movable part (5), are set lower in stiffness than another sections of the other four fixing portions (7a, 7c, 7d, 7f), thereby improving the operating sensitivity of the movable part (5) and stabilizing the operation of the movable part (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Ieki, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Ikawa
  • Patent number: 7193937
    Abstract: Tracking coils are attached to outer surfaces of two focusing coils. Inside the focusing coils, a first magnet and a second magnet are arranged respectively. A third magnet is arranged so as to face the first magnet and the second magnet via the tracking coils. An open end of a first yoke for holding the first magnet and an open end of a second yoke for holding the second magnet are connected by a bridging yoke. Since a magnetic flux is formed in the bridging yoke, pitching vibrations can be suppressed and a driving sensitivity improves owing to an increase in an effective magnetic flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Koji Ieki
  • Publication number: 20060156324
    Abstract: In order to obtain a preferred recording/reproducing characteristic in an apparatus for optical disks having higher density, an objective lens drive is provided for driving an objective lens (1) in the optical axis direction, a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and a tilting direction along the radius of an optical disk, by which operating sensitivity is improved and a stable operating characteristic is realized. Sections of two (7b, 7e) of six fixing portions (7a to 7f) for supporting six support members (6a to 6f) which support a movable part (5), are set lower in stiffness than another sections of the other four fixing portions (7a, 7c, 7d, 7f), thereby improving the operating sensitivity of the movable part (5) and stabilizing the operation of the movable part (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Koji Ieki, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Ikawa
  • Patent number: 6977874
    Abstract: A circuit element driver includes a control section and a driving section. The control section receives a number n of instruction values of a first group (where n?2) and produces and outputs a number p of instruction values of a second group (where (n+1)?p<2n) in accordance with the n instruction values of the first group. The instruction values of the first group are issued to generate voltages to be applied to n two-terminal circuit elements. The driving section generates and outputs p drive voltages in accordance with the p instruction values of the second group. At least one of the p drive voltages changes with at least one of the instruction values of the first group and is applied in common to two or more of the circuit elements at one terminal thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Yoshihiro Mushika, Teruyuki Takizawa
  • Patent number: 6834393
    Abstract: A disk drive including a motor that rotates a disk, an auto-balancer connected to a rotating portion of the motor, a base secured to the motor and connected to an external member via a first elastic member, and a dynamic vibration absorber connected to the base via a second elastic member. When the disk makes a whirling motion while being rotated by the motor, a phase angle of 120 degrees to 180 degrees is formed between a direction that is pointed from a whirling center axis toward a center of mass of the disk and a direction that is pointed from the whirling center axis toward the center of mass of the auto-balancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Akimaru, Teruyuki Takizawa, Yoshito Sazi, Yoshihiro Ikawa, Masahiro Inata
  • Patent number: 6791772
    Abstract: An objective lens driver includes a movable body, a base, a supporting portion, a first multipolar magnet and a second multipolar magnet. The movable body includes an objective lens, a lens holder, and a coil substrate. The coil substrate includes a focusing coil and a tracking coil. The supporting portion allows the movable body to move in a focusing direction and a tracking direction with respect to the base. The focusing direction is parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens, while the tracking direction is perpendicular to the focusing direction. The first and second multipolar magnets sandwich the coil substrate between them. The focusing and tracking coils are arranged as two flat coils on two mutually parallel separate planes so as to overlap with each other at least partially in a direction that is perpendicular to the focusing and tracking directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanji Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Ikawa
  • Publication number: 20040066714
    Abstract: Tracking coils are attached to outer surfaces of two focusing coils. Inside the focusing coils, a first magnet and a second magnet are arranged respectively. A third magnet is arranged so as to face the first magnet and the second magnet via the tracking coils. An open end of a first yoke for holding the first magnet and an open end of a second yoke for holding the second magnet are connected by a bridging yoke. Since a magnetic flux is formed in the bridging yoke, pitching vibrations can be suppressed and a driving sensitivity improves owing to an increase in an effective magnetic flux.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Publication date: April 8, 2004
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Koji Ieki
  • Patent number: 6661415
    Abstract: Tilt which is inclination of a normal of optical disk relative to optical axis of optical head is corrected with a liquid crystal element. In a driver for the liquid crystal element, a periodic waveform generator generates periodic waveform and an inverting element inverts the periodic waveform. The periodic waveform and the inverted waveform are connected to two ends of a potential divider which provides partial voltages. The periodic waveform is connected to a common electrode of the liquid crystal element, and the partial voltages of the potential divider are connected to electrodes opposing the common electrode. A structure of a driver circuit for each direction is simple. Tilt in a plurality of directions can be performed independently of each other. Spherical aberration is also corrected. When the liquid crystal element is mounted to a fixed component, deterioration due to jitters is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Yasuda, Hidenori Wada, Daisuke Ogata, Kanji Wakabayashi, Naoya Hotta, Yoshihiro Ikawa, Yoshihiro Kanda, Masahiro Inata
  • Publication number: 20030184886
    Abstract: An objective lens driver includes a movable body, a base, a supporting portion, a first multipolar magnet and a second multipolar magnet. The movable body includes an objective lens, a lens holder, and a coil substrate. The coil substrate includes a focusing coil and a tracking coil. The supporting portion allows the movable body to move in a focusing direction and a tracking direction with respect to the base. The focusing direction is parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens, while the tracking direction is perpendicular to the focusing direction. The first and second multipolar magnets sandwich the coil substrate between them. The focusing and tracking coils are arranged as two flat coils on two mutually parallel separate planes so as to overlap with each other at least partially in a direction that is perpendicular to the focusing and tracking directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 2, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanji Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Ikawa
  • Publication number: 20030039185
    Abstract: A circuit element driver includes a control section and a driving section. The control section receives a number n of instruction values of a first group (where n≧2) and produces and outputs a number p of instruction values of a second group (where (n+1)≦p<2n) in accordance with the n instruction values of the first group. The instruction values of the first group are issued to generate voltages to be applied to n two-terminal circuit elements. The driving section generates and outputs p drive voltages in accordance with the p instruction values of the second group. At least one of the p drive voltages changes with at least one of the instruction values of the first group and is applied in common to two or more of the circuit elements at one terminal thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Ikawa, Yoshihiro Mushika, Teruyuki Takizawa