Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.

Hiroshi Izumi

Naoyuki Hatano

Tatsumi Fujiyoshi

Takashi Shirakawa

Yasuji Hagiwara

Ikutaro Inoue

Tetsuo Muranaka

Yuki Oishi

Masafumi Takagi

Hiroshi Koike

Koichi Miura

Yutaka Usui

There is provided a sensor unit for detecting a proximity state of an object at N detection positions, generating a composite detection signal in conformity with the sum of N detection signals obtained as a result of detection for N detection positions, and controlling a positive or negative polarity of the detection signal having a signal level in conformity with the proximity state at each of N detection positions, a sensor control unit for controlling the sensor unit for generating M composite detection signals having N polarity patterns set at N detection signals different from each other, and a signal regeneration unit for regenerating the signal level of the N detection signal based on the M composite detection signals generated by the sensor unit.

Input device, control method for controlling input device, and recording medium in which program for causing computer to perform control method for controlling input device

There is provision of an input device for calculating loads applied to multiple pressed points respectively, by executing one or more calculation loops in a load calculation unit. The calculation loop includes calculating computation values representing loads detected at load sensors based on initial pressed point loads, calculating a comparison value based on a comparison of the computation value with a detection value detected by the load sensor, calculating an adjustment value for adjusting the initial pressed point load based on the comparison values and pressed positions, and calculating the pressed point loads by adjusting the initial pressed point load based on the adjustment value. The load calculation unit uses the pressed point load calculated in the calculation loop for each of the pressed positions as an initial pressed point load in the next calculation loop.

Input device having load calculation method for a plurality of pressed positions

A capacitance-type detecting device according to an embodiment of the invention includes a plurality of detecting electrodes that are provided on a sensor substrate such that capacitance is formed between adjacent electrodes. Capacitance formed in a corner detection region in which the detection sensitivity of the sensor substrate is relatively low is more than that formed in a central detection region in which the detection sensitivity is relatively high.

Capacitance-type detecting device

A coordinate detecting device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, a capacitance detecting circuit, a first electrode switch, and a second electrode switch. All of the second electrodes are connected to a power supply by the second electrode switch and the first electrodes are selectively connected to the capacitance detecting circuit by the first electrode switch, thereby detecting a first coordinate. All of the first electrodes are connected to the power supply by the first electrode switch and the second electrodes are selectively connected to the capacitance detecting circuit by the second electrode switch, thereby detecting a second coordinate. When a plurality of first coordinates or a plurality of second coordinates are detected, capacitances between the first and second electrodes corresponding to combinations of the detected first and second coordinates are measured, thereby specifying the position of the detection target.

Coordinate detecting device

A method for controlling heat generated by the heat-generating elements of a thermal head, the elements being successively actuated to heat the thermal head in response to an electrical current which is applied to each of the plurality elements from a control circuit for a power-on time which is n times a minimum time period. The method includes determining a calculated power-on time for a selected element and assigning the power-on time for the selected element one of: a value equal to the calculated power-on time if the calculated power-on time is equal to n times the minimum time period; a value equal to the calculated power-on time, rounded up to a nearest multiple of the minimum time period, if the calculated power-on time is not equal to n times the minimum time period, and if the selected element is an even-numbered one of said plurality of elements; and an actual power-on time equal to the calculated power-on time, rounded down to a nearest multiple of the minimum time period, if the calculated power-on time is not equal to n times the minimum time period, and if the selected element is an odd-numbered one of said plurality of elements.

Controlling method for heat of thermal head

The present invention is intended to provide a method of controlling the printing condition of a thermal print head provided with a comparatively large number of heating elements, capable of controlling the printing condition of the thermal print head by using a heating element driving circuit having a comparatively simple configuration and of dealing with increase in both printing speed and dot density. The method corrects the energizing time for each heating element (2) of a plurality of heating elements (2) of the thermal head (1) by adjusting the amount of heat to be generated by the heating elements (2) through a procedure comprising determining a plurality of logical values on the basis of the mode of energization of each heating element in the preceding printing cycles, and sequentially providing the logical values at predetermined time intervals.

Method of controlling the printing condition of a thermal print head

There is provided a heat control method of a thermal head which can achieve even printing of high quality by conducting area control so that heating elements of the thermal head may not be uneven in print density in the arrangement direction, and more particularly, which controls the heat amount of a thermal head having a plurality of heating elements arranged in a row on a substrate by controlling the current supply time of the heating elements of the thermal head, divides the heating elements into a plurality of control groups a in the direction of the row, sets virtual control groups on both ends of the row, and controls the heat amount of the thermal head by performing control so as to level the differences in temperature among the control groups.

Heat control method of a thermal head

A thermal printer using a single pulse motor is disclosed. This thermal printer comprises: a single pulse motor; a moving member which is moved in accordance with the drive of the pulse motor; a head raising and lowering mechanism and a sheet feed mechanism which are selectively actuated in correspondence with the movement of the moving member; and a carriage moving mechanism which is interlockingly driven by the pulse motor. These components are driven by the single pulse motor. Also, the moving member may be a rack.

Single motor multi-function drive control recorder

A circuit for driving a stepping motor comprises a sensor for detecting when the stepping motor is in a hold position, a counter for counting an output from the sensor, a hold pulse pattern generator for generating a hold pulse pattern to hold the stepping motor in the hold position, a shift circuit for shifting the hold pulse pattern from the hold pulse pattern generator, an inverter circuit for inverting hold pulse pattern from the hold pulse pattern generator, and a comparator for comparing an output from the counter with a reference value and producing an output to select one of the hold pulse pattern from the hold pulse pattern generator, a shifted hold pulse pattern from the shift circuit, and an inverted hold pulse pattern from the inverter circuit.

Circuit for driving a stepping motor

Disclosed is a ceramic trimmer capacitor comprising a ceramic board having a substantially semi-circular stator electrode formed on one surface thereof, which is pressed and gripped between a rotor member composed of a metal and an insulating frame, wherein a plurality of arcuate convex portions are formed on the frame on the surface thereof having abutting contact with the ceramic board so that the periphery of the rotor member is supported by the arcuate convex portions. In this ceramic trimmer capacitor, the reliability of the stability against cracking of the ceramic board and the dependency characteristic of the electrostatic capacitance on the rotor load are highly improved.

Ceramic trimmer capacitor

An insulating frame is formed by an insert mold such that a portion of a stator lead member is exposed from and flush with the upper surface thereof. The exposed portion of the stator lead member is plated with a metal having a low melting temperature, and the upper surface of the insulating frame is coated with an adhesive. Then, a ceramic dielectric body, which is provided at its lower side with a stator electrode, is placed on the adhesive layer. Subsequently, heat is applied to the ceramic dielectric body and the insulating frame while pressing them to each other so that the metal of the low melting point is molten to electrically connect the stator electrode and the stator lead member. The assembly is then cooled to solidify the metal of the low melting point, as well as the adhesive. Since the ceramic dielectric body is fixed to the frame by means of the adhesive, the steps of grinding and polishing of the stator electrode is eliminated advantageously.

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Miyagi, Japan

Hiroshi Izumi