Patents by Inventor Akio Ichikawa

Akio Ichikawa 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: 9064095
    Abstract: A collective content consisting of a plurality of partial contents holding license information including a use condition can be appropriately used according to the use condition contained in the license information in each of the partial contents. A content use control device includes an input/output I/F, license generation unit, output control unit, content reproduction unit, and use control unit. The partial content holding the license information including the use condition is inputted via the input/output I/F. License information is assigned to each of the partial contents inputted and constituting a collective content. Single license information collecting the assigned license information and its collective content are outputted to a recording medium. The content use control device reproduces a partial content contained in the collective content recorded on the recording medium and controls the use of the reproduced partial content according to its use condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8307448
    Abstract: When data whose storage period is limited by copy control information is temporarily stored in a removable recording medium, the data are encrypted and decoding information (encryption key) necessary to decrypt the encrypted data is held on the device side. By doing so, the data cannot be used beyond a permitted period of the temporary storage. A storage device has an external input/output I/F for removably connecting a removable recording medium; a reception section for receiving copy control information and data (such as video data), the storage period of which data is limited by the copy control information; an encrypting section for encrypting the received data; and a control section for storing the encrypted data in the removable recording medium and storing decryption information (encryption key), necessary to decrypt the encrypted data, in a place in the storage device, outside the removable recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 8170399
    Abstract: To enable a recording device recording a video/audio signal and information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal to copy the video/audio signal with the converted bit rate, encoding format, etc., to another recording device when utilizing the video/audio signal by the another recording device, and to move only the information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal between the recording device and the another recording device. A recording device comprises: an input portion that inputs a video/audio signal; a recording portion that records the video/audio signal and information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal; and a converting portion that converts the recorded video/audio signal. The recording device, leaving the original video/audio signal, copies the video/audio signal whose bit rate, encoding format, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Akio Ichikawa, Shinjiro Kihara
  • Patent number: 8108314
    Abstract: A collective content consisting of a plurality of partial contents holding license information including a use condition can be appropriately used according to the use condition contained in the license information in each of the partial contents. A content use control device includes an input/output I/F, license generation unit, output control unit, content reproduction unit, and use control unit. The partial content holding the license information including the use condition is inputted via the input/output I/F. License information is assigned to each of the partial contents inputted and constituting a collective content. Single license information collecting the assigned license information and its collective content are outputted to a recording medium. The content use control device reproduces a partial content contained in the collective content recorded on the recording medium and controls the use of the reproduced partial content according to its use condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20110058788
    Abstract: A recording/playback device enables the user to grasp at a glance the overview of titles of recorded television programs and immediately select and playback a desired scene without being required to set chapters in advance. When a display device displays a recorded television program, the recording/playback device splits the recorded television program of one title into equal time segments, creates time-sequentially thumbnails positioned approximately at the split points, and arranges them in a list to display them on the screen. I-picture frame data temporally closest to the split points is used to create thumbnails in order to speed up the playback. Time information is displayed together with each thumbnail. When the user selects any thumbnail, the television program is played back starting from that segment. In such a way of displaying, the user can see at a glance what scenes are recorded in the television program without being required to give chapters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Asao, Masayasu Kakami, Masahiro Yoshida, Akio Ichikawa, Kenichi Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090217314
    Abstract: A collective content consisting of a plurality of partial contents holding license information including a use condition can be appropriately used according to the use condition contained in the license information in each of the partial contents. A content use control device includes an input/output I/F, license generation unit, output control unit, content reproduction unit, and use control unit. The partial content holding the license information including the use condition is inputted via the input/output I/F. License information is assigned to each of the partial contents inputted and constituting a collective content. Single license information collecting the assigned license information and its collective content are outputted to a recording medium. The content use control device reproduces a partial content contained in the collective content recorded on the recording medium and controls the use of the reproduced partial content according to its use condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20090041420
    Abstract: A recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing the stream of a content, in which video image and audio streams are extracted from streams of a predetermined format, and a new stream, the edit of which can be freely carried out, is created from the streams and recorded. A recording and reproducing apparatus comprises an input/output interface for inputting a stream, a stream conversion processing portion for converting an input stream of a predetermined format into a stream comprising only a video image stream and an audio stream and a recording medium writing control portion for writing and recording the converted stream in a recording medium. The recording medium writing control portion writes managing information representing that the stream converted by the stream conversion processing portion is recorded in a predetermined area (manufacturer definition area) of the recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsushita, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa, Shinjiro Kihara, Masahiro Yoshida, Takahiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20080101766
    Abstract: To enable a recording device recording a video/audio signal and information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal to copy the video/audio signal with the converted bit rate, encoding format, etc., to another recording device when utilizing the video/audio signal by the another recording device, and to move only the information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal between the recording device and the another recording device. A recording device comprises: an input portion that inputs a video/audio signal; a recording portion that records the video/audio signal and information necessary for utilizing the video/audio signal; and a converting portion that converts the recorded video/audio signal. The recording device, leaving the original video/audio signal, copies the video/audio signal whose bit rate, encoding format, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Akio Ichikawa, Shinjiro Kihara
  • Publication number: 20080052536
    Abstract: When data whose storage period is limited by copy control information is temporarily stored in a removable recording medium, the data are encrypted and decoding information (encryption key) necessary to decrypt the encrypted data is held on the device side. By doing so, the data cannot be used beyond a permitted period of the temporary storage. A storage device has an external input/output I/F for removably connecting a removable recording medium; a reception section for receiving copy control information and data (such as video data), the storage period of which data is limited by the copy control information; an encrypting section for encrypting the received data; and a control section for storing the encrypted data in the removable recording medium and storing decryption information (encryption key), necessary to decrypt the encrypted data, in a place in the storage device, outside the removable recording medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20070124251
    Abstract: A collective content consisting of a plurality of partial contents holding license information including a use condition can be appropriately used according to the use condition contained in the license information in each of the partial contents. A content use control device includes an input/output I/F, license generation unit, output control unit, content reproduction unit, and use control unit. The partial content holding the license information including the use condition is inputted via the input/output I/F. License information is assigned to each of the partial contents inputted and constituting a collective content. Single license information collecting the assigned license information and its collective content are outputted to a recording medium. The content use control device reproduces a partial content contained in the collective content recorded on the recording medium and controls the use of the reproduced partial content according to its use condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2004
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukitaka Shimizu, Ryoji Ohno, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6693714
    Abstract: A position sensor for movable body, which detects a position of a movable body which moves in a reciprocal direction, comprises; at least two portions to be detected, which are provided on one side surface of the movable body with respect to a moving direction of the movable body, and at least two detectors for detecting the portions to be detected, wherein one portion to be detected is not arranged on a line parallel to the moving direction, on which the other portion is disposed, nor arranged on a line perpendicular to the moving direction, on which the other portion is disposed, one detector corresponding to the one portion is arranged so that when the one detector detects the one portion by moving the movable body in one direction, the other portion is moved in the one direction beyond the one detector, and the other detector corresponding to the other portion is arranged so that when the other detector detects the other portion by moving the movable body in the other direction, the one portion is moved i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co., Ltd., FK Optical Laboratory Co.
    Inventors: Fumio Akikuni, Akio Ichikawa, Eiichi Sano
  • Patent number: 6690977
    Abstract: A DSP#B 6 executes, prior to data conversion, interpolation (see FIG. 2) in order to interpolate discrete spectra obtained via the FFT processing by a DSP#A 5. In the interpolation, the DSP#B 6 executes two-point interpolation if the difference between two discrete spectrum data pieces F(j) and F(j+1) is greater than a predetermined threshold &egr; and four-point interpolation if the difference is smaller than &egr;.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co., Ltd., Loarant Co.
    Inventors: Akio Ichikawa, Kenji Mogi
  • Patent number: 6643603
    Abstract: A chromatic dispersion distribution measurement apparatus, comprises: a chromatic dispersion value calculation unit for calculating a plurality of actual chromatic dispersion values in an optical device at a plurality of wavelengths; and a chromatic dispersion interpolation unit for interpolating an expected chromatic dispersion value between the actual chromatic dispersion values calculated by the chromatic dispersion value calculation unit, in order to obtain a chromatic dispersion distribution as a function of wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Ando Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Aoki, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6594005
    Abstract: A chromatic dispersion distribution measurement apparatus, comprises: a portion information obtaining unit for obtaining a portion information which specifies a portion of an optical device to be measured; a sign information obtaining unit for obtaining a sign information which indicates a correct sign to be marked on a chromatic dispersion value in the specified portion; and a sign converting unit for converting an initial sign marked on the chromatic dispersion value in the specified portion, into the correct sign in accordance with the sign information obtained by the sign information obtaining unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignee: Ando Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Aoki, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6594019
    Abstract: The DSP#A 5 specifies a read address for reading digital interference signal data stored in the buffer 4 to read the data, and executes the butterfly operation including a preset hamming windowing function coefficient to convert digital interference signal data to frequency data, then outputs the frequency data to the DSP#B 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co., Ltd., Lorrant Co.
    Inventors: Akio Ichikawa, Kenji Mogi
  • Patent number: 6593727
    Abstract: The CPU outputs to the delay circuit 22 delay time setting signals for setting the delay time, based on input delay time data input from an external input device. The delay circuit 22 re-sets the delay time via new delay setting signals input from the CPU 24 and delays the trigger signals input from the trigger circuit 21 based on the specified delay time and outputs the resulting signals to the clock generator 23. The clock generator 23 outputs new sample start signals to the A/D sampler 3 at the input timing of the delayed trigger signals input from the delay circuit 22, thus changing the sampling start timing of interference signals in the A/D sampler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co. Ltd., Loarant Co.
    Inventors: Akio Ichikawa, Kenji Mogi
  • Patent number: 6580500
    Abstract: A chromatic dispersion distribution measurement apparatus for calculating a chromatic dispersion distribution in an optical communication path under test, includes an intensity ratio calculation unit for calculating an intensity ratio of a first light and a second light that are reflected from an optional position of the optical communication path under test and propagated to an incident end of the optical communication path under test by taking the same propagation time. A chromatic dispersion value calculation unit is provided for calculating a chromatic dispersion value in the optical communication path under test in accordance with the intensity ratio calculated by the intensity ratio calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Ando Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Aoki, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6580499
    Abstract: A chromatic dispersion distribution measurement apparatus, comprises: a power calculation unit for calculating a power value of an input light to be input into an optical device to be measured, in order to calculate a chromatic dispersion distribution in the optical device to be measured, in accordance with an output light power of an output light from the optical device to be measured as a function of a transmission distance along the optical device to be measured; and a control unit for controlling an input light power of the input light to the optical device to be measured in accordance with the power value of the input light which is calculated by the power calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Ando Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoichi Aoki, Akio Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 6570658
    Abstract: An optical part driving device for moving an optical part, comprises; a driving timing pulley, a pair of driven timing pulleys, a timing belt wound by the driving timing pulley and the driven timing pulleys and connected with the optical part between the pair of driven timing pulleys, and a pair of tension pulleys for tensing the timing belt on both sides of the driving timing pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co., Ltd., FK Optical Laboratory Co.
    Inventors: Fumio Akikuni, Akio Ichikawa, Eiichi Sano
  • Patent number: 6504613
    Abstract: An optical interferometer in which a reference light and a light to be measured interfere with each other includes a casing, a movable optical part which is movable with respect to the casing, a fixed optical part which is fixed to the casing, and an attachment emember for attaching the movable optical part to the casing and for removing the movable optical part form the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignees: Ando Electric Co., Ltd., FK Optical Laboratory Co.
    Inventors: Fumio Akikuni, Akio Ichikawa, Eiichi Sano