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West Electric Co., Ltd.

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USPTO Granted Patents = 145

% Expired Patents = 2.1

Forward Citations = 1,731

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81 inventors (with patents filed for the assignee):

Hiroshi Iwata (59 out of 195 patents)

Tsunemi Yoshino (20 out of 21 patents)

Katsuji Ishikawa (20 out of 22 patents)

4. Shinji Hirata (14 out of 14 patents)

5. Tetsuo Yamaoka (12 out of 12 patents)

6. Akitoshi Morioka (11 out of 11 patents)

7. Katsumi Horinishi (10 out of 12 patents)

8. Toshitsugu Kashihara (10 out of 10 patents)

9. Kazuo Tanaka (8 out of 9 patents)

10. Hiroshi Makino (8 out of 8 patents)

11. Hajime Mitsui (6 out of 8 patents)

12. Wataru Hasegawa (5 out of 5 patents)

13. Yuji Maruyama (5 out of 5 patents)

14. Katsunori Kawabata (4 out of 10 patents)

15. Hisashi Ogura (4 out of 6 patents)

Core Competencies:

Strobe Device

Cold Cathode Tube

Electronic Flash Unit

Automatic Focusing

Distance Measuring

Illuminating Apparatus

Flash Camera

Zoom Lens Control

Piezoelectric Driving

Voltage Regulator Tube

Camera with Strobe

Film Winding System

145 patents: Sort by Forward Citations

1. 7276851 - Discharge lamp device and backlight having external electrode unit (2007-10-02),

2. 6810208 - Electric discharge tube, method of manufacturing the tube, stroboscopic device using the tube and camera (2004-10-26),

3. 6629764 - Illuminator and LCD device comprising the illuminator (2003-10-07),

4. 6531832 - Discharge lamp and electronic flash device using the same (2003-03-11),

5. 6301443 - Low profile strobe device with conductive elastic members (2001-10-09),

6. 6150770 - Flash apparatus (2000-11-21),

7. 6028398 - Cold cathode fluorescent lamp driving apparatus using a piezoelectric (2000-02-22),

8. 6011929 - Flash apparatus capable of varying emission angle (2000-01-04),

9. 5911085 - Variable emission angle strobe light and control method therefor (1999-06-08),

10. 5869936 - Strobe device (1999-02-09),

11. 5852751 - Strobe light and image recorder containing that strobe light (1998-12-22),

12. 5842047 - Strobe light and photographic camera incorporating the same (1998-11-24),

13. 5734934 - Emission angle variable flash apparatus (1998-03-31),

14. 5709578 - Process of making cold cathode fluorescent tube (1998-01-20),

15. 5672936 - Cold cathode fluorescent discharge tube (1997-09-30),

Company Overview

West Electric Co., Ltd., based in Osaka, Japan, specializes in electronic flash technology, focusing on the development and manufacturing of advanced strobe devices and electronic flash units. The company is recognized for its innovations in cold cathode tubes and illuminating apparatus, catering to various applications including photography and distance measuring. With a commitment to enhancing automatic focusing and zoom lens control, West Electric continues to contribute significantly to the evolution of imaging technologies.

Profile summary synthesized from public USPTO records and patent filings.

Company Badge

USPTO Data Jan 1 1976 - Oct 27 2026

145 Patents

#92 in Osaka

#876 in Japan

#5,630 in the World

West Electric Co., Ltd.

Forward Citations = 1,731

81 inventors:

Hiroshi Iwata (59 out of 195 patents)

Tsunemi Yoshino (20 out of 21 patents)

Katsuji Ishikawa (20 out of 22 patents)

4. Shinji Hirata (14 out of 14 patents)

5. Tetsuo Yamaoka (12 out of 12 patents)

IDiyas Innovation Intelligence. (2026). Company Patent Portfolio: West Electric Co., Ltd.. Retrieved from https://idiyas.com/company/west-electric-company

Data source: USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) public patent records. Weekly synchronization. How IDiyas builds this profile

Data Sources: USPTO Patent Grant XML, Patent Center, EPO & CIPO • Normalized by IDiyas Innovation Graph. Methodology & provenance architecturePlease report any incorrect information to [email protected]

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