Patents by Inventor Katsuya Shirai

Katsuya Shirai 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).

  • Publication number: 20080027671
    Abstract: A portable electronic apparatus includes an acceleration detection unit, an evaluation-signal generation unit, and a control unit. The acceleration detection unit is configured to detect an acceleration generated in the portable electronic apparatus. The evaluation-signal generation unit is configured to carry out a predetermined process based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of the acceleration. The control unit is configured to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of the evaluation signal and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of the result of determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akane Sano, Kenichi Makino, Motoyuki Takai, Hiroshi Ito, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Hirofumi Tamori
  • Publication number: 20080001770
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus is disclosed which includes: a main body motion determination device configured to determine whether a predetermined accelerated motion is exerted on a main body of the electronic apparatus in a predetermined axial direction; and a control device configured to control the electronic apparatus to perform a predetermined action based on a pattern of the predetermined accelerated motion determined to occur by the main body motion determination device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi ITO, Akane Sano, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Motoyuki Takai, Hirofumi Tamori, Kenichi Makino
  • Publication number: 20070299322
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mobile telephone capable of successively acquiring bioindices. When plane surface where display screen serving to display guide display for operation and information is provided is caused to be casing front face as a position where bioindices can be successively measured without performing explicit acquiring operation if user uses the mobile telephone by ordinary way of use at the time of operation such as calling or mail input, etc., GSR sensors are provided at the side surface portion of the outer peripheral surface side, the corner portion and/or operation surface of operation input buttons of the telephone. In a non-foldable mobile telephone (1), GSR sensors (50a) are provided at side surface portions (14) of the outer peripheral surface side of the casing, and GSR sensors (50b) are provided at corner portions (15) of the outer peripheral surface side of the casing. Further, GSR sensors (50c) are provided on the operation surfaces of operation input buttons (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2004
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Miyajima, Yoichiro Sako, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Masamichi Asukai, Motoyuki Takai, Kenichi Makino
  • Publication number: 20070261538
    Abstract: A method of retrieving and selecting content includes the steps of detecting a motion tempo of a user; determining whether a time during which the detected motion tempo is continuously outside a threshold range of the motion tempo corresponding to content being played back exceeds a waiting time that is set or calculated; and retrieving and selecting content suitable for the motion tempo of the user if the motion tempo of the user is outside the threshold range for a time period longer than the waiting time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Motoyuki Takai, Yoichiro Sako, Toshiro Terauchi, Akihiro Komori, Akane Sano, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Hirofumi Tamori, Kenichi Makino, Takatoshi Nakamura, Susumu Takatsuka, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20070221045
    Abstract: A playback device includes a storing unit storing a contents database in which contents including at least music and tempo information indicating the tempo of the music are correlated with each other; a playback unit for performing playback of the contents; a tempo measuring unit for measuring an exercise tempo obtained along with the body movements of a user; a searching unit for searching contents from the contents database based on the information of the measured exercise tempo by the tempo measuring unit; and a contents selecting unit for selecting the contents searched by the searching unit as contents to be played by the playback unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiro Terauchi, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai, Susumu Takatsuka, Yoichiro Sako, Hirofumi Tamori, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Motoyuki Takai, Kenichi Makino, Takatoshi Nakamura, Akihiro Komori, Akane Sano
  • Publication number: 20070220431
    Abstract: A data display apparatus includes: an extraction condition setting section that sets, based on an original data row where a plurality of data are arranged in a predetermined order, an extraction condition of extraction data that is to be displayed on a predetermined display section; and an extraction data display section that displays, out of an extraction data row where the extraction data extracted from the original data row based on the extraction condition are arranged in the predetermined order, the extraction data that are within a predetermined range in a predetermined display size on the display section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Nakamura, Yuichi Abe, Yoichiro Sako, Toru Sasaki, Toshiro Terauchi, Katsuya Shirai, Mitsuru Takehara, Masamichi Asukai
  • Publication number: 20070208770
    Abstract: A music content playback apparatus includes: a selection section that selects a piece of music content out of a plurality of pieces of music content; a recognition section that recognizes playback elapse state about a previous piece of music content played immediately before the piece of music content is selected; and a playback section that plays back the selected piece of music content from a playback point corresponding to the playback elapse state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Nakamura, Yuichi Abe, Yoichiro Sako, Masamichi Asukai, Mitsuru Takehara, Katsuya Shirai, Toru Sasaki, Toshiro Terauchi
  • Publication number: 20070204744
    Abstract: A content reproducing apparatus is disclosed which includes: a sensor; a discrimination circuit configured to discriminate whether a movement of a user is a first movement or a second movement based on a detection output from the sensor; a storage configured to store contents; a reproduction circuit configured to reproduce the contents; and a control circuit configured to supply the reproduction circuit with contents retrieved from the storage in accordance with a discrimination output from the discrimination circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Kenichi Makino, Akane Sano, Katsuya Shirai, Motoyuki Takai, Makoto Inoue
  • Publication number: 20070193438
    Abstract: A content reproduction list generation device includes an operation section, a storage section, and a reproduction list generation section. The storage section is configured to store a change pattern indicating reproduction tempo changes during content reproduction. The reproduction list generation section is configured to specify a change pattern in accordance with an input into the operation section, associate content with the specified change pattern, and generate a content reproduction list for informing a reproduction section of the reproduction order and reproduction tempo of content to be reproduced in accordance with the specified change pattern and the associated content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masamichi Asukai, Katsuya Shirai, Makoto Inoue, Akane Sano
  • Publication number: 20070192786
    Abstract: A method of transmitting, receiving and reproducing a content, includes steps of transmitting content data of the content from a transmitting terminal to a receiving and reproducing terminal constructing a network together with the transmitting terminal, determining whether a predetermined reproducing permission condition is satisfied, and controlling reproduction to limit or inhibit the reproduction of the content data on the receiving and reproducing terminal if the determination result in the determining step shows that the predetermined reproducing permission condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Motoyuki Takai, Takatoshi Nakamura, Masamichi Asukai, Mitsuru Takehara, Yoichiro Sako, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai, Masafumi Matsuda
  • Publication number: 20070189720
    Abstract: A content playback apparatus includes: a display section that displays a plurality of indicators associated with a plurality of pieces of content, and a specifier to be used to specify one of the indicators; a playback section that plays back the piece of content associated with the indicator specified by the specifier; a switch section that switches, in accordance with a user's operation, what the specifier specifies to new the indicator; and a playback control section that controls the playback section such that if the user's operation switches, while the piece of content associated with the indicator specified by the specifier is played, what the specifier specifies to next the indicator and the user's subsequent operation switches, within a predetermined period of time from when the previous switch is completed, what the specifier specifies to subsequent the indicator, the playback section keeps playing back the piece of content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Takatoshi Nakamura, Yuichi Abe, Yoichiro Sako, Masamichi Asukai, Mitsuru Takehara, Katsuya Shirai, Toru Sasaki, Toshiro Terauchi
  • Publication number: 20070186756
    Abstract: An apparatus of playing back an audio signal includes storage means for dividing exercise tempos of a user into a plurality of groups and storing digital audio data concerning music pieces, the digital audio data being associated with the plurality of groups; a playback circuit that plays back the digital audio data; detecting means for detecting an exercise tempo of the user; and a control circuit that reads out the digital audio data from the storage means to supply the readout digital audio data to the playback circuit. The control circuit determines which group, among the plurality of groups, the exercise tempo detected by the detecting means belongs to, and reads out the digital audio data concerning a music piece associated with the determined group from the storage means to supply the readout digital audio data to the playback circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Akane Sano, Susumu Takatsuka, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai, Toshiro Terauchi, Hirofumi Tamori, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Motoyuki Takai, Kenichi Makino, Takatoshi Nakamura, Akihiro Komori, Yoichiro Sako
  • Publication number: 20070157798
    Abstract: An audio signal reproducing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing digital audio data of music pieces each having a tempo corresponding to either a first tempo or a second tempo, the second tempo being different from the first tempo, if a walking tempo of a user is either the first tempo or the second tempo, a reproducing circuit for reproducing the digital audio data, a detecting unit for detecting the walking tempos of the user, a calculating circuit for calculating a change in the walking tempo detected by the detecting unit, and a control circuit for retrieving the digital audio data from the storage unit in accordance with the walking tempo detected by the detecting unit and sending the retrieved digital audio data to the reproducing circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Akane Sano, Akihiro Komori, Takatoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Makino, Motoyuki Takai, Katsuya Shirai, Makoto Inoue, Hirofumi Tamori, Toshiro Terauchi, Yuichi Sakai, Toru Sasaki, Susumu Takatsuka
  • Patent number: 7242952
    Abstract: Bio-information sensors acquire bio-information about a user, and environmental condition sensors acquire environmental information about the user. A call-sound generating unit generates audio data from the bio-information and the environmental information, and the audio data is recorded in a ROM. Upon detecting a call signal transmitted from a base station, a CPU causes the call-sound generating unit to read the audio data. The CPU causes the call-sound generating unit to supply the audio data to a speaker that generates the sound from the audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuya Shirai, Yoichiro Sako, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Yasushi Miyajima, Kenichi Makino, Motoyuki Takai, Akiko Inoue
  • Publication number: 20070154872
    Abstract: A movement supporting method includes the following steps: detecting a movement tempo of a user; determining whether a movement tempo detection value is within a target range; and outputting a warning when the movement tempo detection value is out of the target range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Hirofumi Tamori, Susumu Takatsuka, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Motoyuki Takai, Kenichi Makino, Takatoshi Nakamura, Akihiro Komori, Akane Sano, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai
  • Publication number: 20070145315
    Abstract: A capacity control valve enabling an increase in control fluid control accuracy by preventing the connection part of a solenoid rod part to the operating rod thereof from being worn and reducing the coefficient of friction between a movable core and the operating rod. The capacity control valve (1) comprises a tube (33) installed in a solenoid part (30), the movable core having, on an outer peripheral surface (32A) fitted to the tube (33), a sliding surface (32A1) and a non-contact peripheral surface (32A2) smaller in diameter than the sliding surface (32A) and formed so that the axial length (L1-L2) of the non-contact peripheral surface (32A2), a solenoid rod part (2D) joined to the movable core and having a connection face (2D1) at the end part thereof, and the operating rod (2) having a connection part (2E) engaged with the connection face (2D1) of the solenoid rod part (2D) and having a valve element (3) opening/closing a control fluid passing hole (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Inventors: Norio Uemura, Toshiaki Iwa, Katsuya Shirai, Keigo Shirafuji
  • Publication number: 20070135689
    Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for calculating the emotion of a human being, the emotion of a user of the apparatus is calculated from the pressure acting on an object. A pressure sensor is provided in a mobile phone and detects the pressure with which the user grips the mobile phone and the pressure exerted by the user in key inputting. An emotion calculating unit calculates emotional data of the user based on the pressures detected by the pressure sensor. The emotion data is a value pertinent to affect-induction as one dimension of an emotional model. The mobile phone feeds the emotion calculated to a user or to a counterpart party of the user or to a counterpart party of a communication with the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masamichi Asukai, Yoichiro Sako, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Yasushi Miyajima, Kenichi Makino, Motoyuki Takai
  • Publication number: 20070123168
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus including, a wireless communication block configured to execute wireless communication with a mate terminal device, an information exchange generation condition storage block configured to record a condition of information exchange with the mate terminal device, an information exchange log storage block configured to record a log of information exchange with the mate terminal device, and an information exchange generation determination block configured to determine whether to execute information exchange with the mate terminal device by referencing the information exchange condition recorded in the information exchange generation condition storage block and the log of information exchange recorded in the information exchange log storage block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Takehara, Yoichiro Sako, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai, Masafumi Matsuda, Motoyuki Takai, Katsuya Shirai, Masamichi Asukai, Takatoshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20070121826
    Abstract: A communication method includes the steps of transmitting, by means of a first communication apparatus, personal information to a second communication apparatus; receiving, by means of the second communication apparatus, the personal information and searching, by means of the second communication apparatus, whether or not personal information having the same content as the received personal information exists in the second communication apparatus; and notifying, by means of the second communication apparatus, the first communication apparatus of a search result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Sako, Mitsuru Takehara, Toshiro Terauchi, Makoto Inoue, Motoyuki Takai, Masamichi Asukai, Katsuya Shirai, Takatoshi Nakamura, Toru Sasaki, Yuichi Sakai, Masafumi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7224282
    Abstract: A sound, a video and/or other environments are proposed in tune with the physical condition of a user and a peripheral environmental condition such that it becomes possible for users to feel comfortable and to be satisfied with their sensibility. It is designed to produce an objective sound, video and/or other environments by inputting bio-information of a user such as breathing, pulse-beats and heartbeats or environment information such as weather, date and hour and ambient temperature, by comparing information with the accumulated information utilized in the past, or by setting a condition that the user desires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiro Terauchi, Yoichiro Sako, Akiko Inoue, Makoto Inoue, Katsuya Shirai, Yasushi Miyajima, Kenichi Makino, Motoyuki Takai