Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Nakahama

Hiroshi Nakahama 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: 6955598
    Abstract: A controller is provided with an artificial retina chip. The artificial retina chip is connected to a display unit via a game machine body. Before starting the game, the artificial retina chip is instructed to recognize an image of frame of the display unit to store such image as the reference image. After starting the game, the controller is moved to recognize the image of frame of the display unit in order to detect the designated position by comparing the coordinate position data after the movement and the coordinate position data of the reference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Hiroshi Nakahama, Youtaro Sakakura, Masahiro Soma
  • Patent number: 6956559
    Abstract: An operation unit is provided with an operation body operated by hand, a first detection unit for detecting the inclination operation of the operation body, and a second detection unit for detecting the pushing-down operation of the operation body. Any of 26 alphabetical characters “A, B, C, . . . , X, Y, and Z” is selected corresponding to the inclination direction of the operation body. The displayed character is changed successively by rotating the operation body in X-Y coordinate plane. The selected character is finalized by pushing down the operation unit in Z-direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Masahiro Soma, Youtaro Sakakura, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Publication number: 20020018582
    Abstract: Encoders as first detecting means detect rotations of a control body, and an acceleration sensor as second detecting means detects an acceleration applied to the control body. Based on the rotations and the acceleration, a ball displayed on a screen can be curved in the air. Consequently, an operator of a game can control the ball displayed on the screen or the like by controlling an impact, that is, an acceleration, a rotational direction, and a rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Youtaro Sakakura, Kazuhito Ooshita, Isao Sato, Masahiro Soma, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Publication number: 20010049302
    Abstract: A controller has an operation member, a speaker as sound emission unit, and a support member. The operation member is rotatably supported by the support member, and the speaker is provided in a rotation central portion of the operation member. In this arrangement, a sound source can be provided near an operator. Further, a sound outputted from the speaker is transmitted as a vibration source to a grip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Masahiro Soma, Youtaro Sakakura, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Publication number: 20010048422
    Abstract: An operation unit is provided with an operation body operated by hand, a first detection unit for detecting the inclination operation of the operation body, and a second detection unit for detecting the pushing-down operation of the operation body. Any of 26 alphabetical characters “A, B, C, . . . , X, Y, and Z” is selected corresponding to the inclination direction of the operation body. The displayed character is changed successively by rotating the operation body in X-Y coordinate plane. The selected character is finalized by pushing down the operation unit in Z-direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Masahiro Soma, Youtaro Sakakura, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Publication number: 20010045937
    Abstract: A character input device includes a first manipulator for selecting columns “A”, “KA”, “SA”, . . . in the row direction, a second manipulator for selecting rows “A”, “I”, . . . in the column direction, and a third manipulator for setting a candidate of data of characters or symbols which is selected by the first and second manipulators. The first manipulator, the second manipulator, and the third manipulator are disposed adjacent each other. The first manipulator and the second manipulator are disc-shaped rotary-type input devices. The candidates of characters and the like are quickly transferred in the row and column directions by rotating the first and second manipulators, and are set by operating the third manipulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Masahiro Soma, Youtaro Sakakura, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Publication number: 20010046897
    Abstract: A controller is provided with a steering wheel, a support, and an actuator served as the driving means. The steering wheel is provided with a slide body that is slidable in the body of the support, and the slide body is supported slidably in the direction perpendicular to the rotational direction of the steering wheel. A fixed member of the actuator is fixed to the body, and a movable member of the actuator is fixed to back side of the slide body. The steering wheel is reciprocated in the direction perpendicular to the rotational direction of the steering wheel by controlling the actuator correspondingly to the control signal supplied from the control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Masahiro Soma, Youtaro Sakakura, Hiroshi Nakahama
  • Publication number: 20010046889
    Abstract: A controller is provided with an artificial retina chip. The artificial retina chip is connected to a display unit via a game machine body. Before starting the game, the artificial retina chip is instructed to recognize an image of frame of the display unit to store such image as the reference image. After starting the game, the controller is moved to recognize the image of frame of the display unit in order to detect the designated position by comparing the coordinate position data after the movement and the coordinate position data of the reference image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Applicant: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Hiroshi Nakahama, Youtaro Sakakura, Masahiro Soma