Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William S. Frommer
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Patent number: 6728598Abstract: An arithmetic processing device for inter-object data communication has an object manager for connecting objects so as to enable exchange of data between the objects, and a connection data supplying unit for supplying the object manager with connection data necessary for achieving the connection between the objects. Disclosed also are an inter-object communication method and a robot incorporating the arithmetic processing device. The robot may be designed to enable a user to replace parts thereof, thus changing the robot configuration. The robot preferably includes a part detection unit for detecting parts attached to the robot, and outputting a part detection result in accordance with the detection. An information storage unit stores information corresponding to the part detection result for each configuration obtained by replacement of the parts.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Masahiro Fujita, Takayuki Sakamoto, Kotaro Sabe, Tsuyoshi Takagi
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Patent number: 6727799Abstract: When a controller controls a target, a useless communication is eliminated, and control is made easier at the same time. When a personal computer sends a command demanding a VTR to execute ‘REWIND’, the VTR returns a response notifying of an OK for the demand and starts ‘REWIND’ in an inside recording/playback system at the same time. When the mechamode changes from ‘REWIND’ to ‘STOP’, the VTR generates an event and reports the change to the personal computer. Upon receipt of this event, the personal computer immediately sends a command demanding to set the mechamode to ‘PLAY’ to the VTR. Upon receipt of this command, the VTR returns a response notifying of an OK for the command and also sets the mode of the recording/playback system to ‘PLAY’.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1999Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Makoto Sato, Harumi Kawamura, Hisato Shima
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Patent number: 6728379Abstract: An information processor receives at a communication section thereof an encrypted content decryption key generated by encrypting, by a distribution encryption key, a content decryption key for decryption of a content encrypted by a content encryption key. The received encrypted content decryption key is sent to a content key decryption section where it is decrypted. The decrypted content decryption key and copy control code are sent to a content key encryption section where they are encrypted by an encryption key which can be decrypted at an external information processor, namely, a session key, to send an encrypted content decryption key with a copy control code to the external information processor via a communication section.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1999Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yoshihito Ishibashi, Yoshitomo Osawa, Tateo Oishi, Tomoyuki Asano
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Patent number: 6728550Abstract: The present invention relates to a base station (1, 10, 20) and a mobile terminal (40, 50, 60) as well as a communication method for communicating in a wireless radio communication system. Thereby, the information is transmitted and received in medium access control frames of the communication system, whereby the transmission power of at least a broadcast control channel and a frame control channel in a respective medium access control frame transmitted by a base station is increased after certain time intervals to an increased transmission power level as compared to the transmission power level of other medium access control frames transmitted during said time intervals.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2000Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony International (Europe) GmbHInventors: Ralf Böhnke, Thomas Dölle, Tino Konschak
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Patent number: 6728473Abstract: A moving picture recording and reproduction apparatus and method as well as a medium are disclosed by which, upon recording of a television program, representative pictures from which contents of a program can be grasped can be recorded. Frame pictures are extracted from moving pictures being recorded, and accuracy values with which a character is present in the frame pictures are calculated. Further, accuracy values with which the phase of a person is present in the frame pictures are calculated, and the levels of an audio signal corresponding to the frame pictures are detected. Then, evaluation values are calculated using results of the calculations and the detection, and a maximum one of the evaluation values is detected. Thereafter, the frame picture corresponding to the maximum evaluation value is reduced in size and recorded onto a recording medium so that it may be used as an index upon playing back of the recording medium.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2000Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koichi Chotoku, Masashi Ohta, Toshimichi Hamada
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Patent number: 6728472Abstract: In a video data reproducing apparatus adapted for reading out data including video data stored on plural non-linear accessible recording media by time slots allocated thereto to output those data, when the video data which has been read out from the recording medium is outputted to the external as n (n>1) times speed video data, a processing is carried out by a reproduction picture dividing section 11 such that when n is integer, output image 1 frame is divided by n, while when n is not integer, output image 1 frame is divided by m (m is integral part of n: n=m. . . . ), and such a processing is carried out by a reproduction image generating section 13 to allocate n frames or m frames of the video data which has been read out from the recording medium to the output image 1 frame divided by n or divided by m to generate reproduction image.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2000Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Fujita, Norikazu Ito, Satoshi Yoneya, Masakazu Yoshimoto, Satoshi Katsuo, Satoshi Yutani, Tomohisa Shiga, Masaki Hirose, Jun Yoshikawa, Koichi Sato
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Patent number: 6728883Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for superimposing additional information on information signals. This apparatus comprises a particular-pattern generator for generating plural particular patterns corresponding to additional information; a rotation block rotating, in a predetermined order, the sequence in which the plural particular patterns are arranged and outputting the sequentially rotated patterns; a phase inverting block for inverting the phases of the plural particular patterns for every period and outputting the phase-inverted particular patterns; and a superimposing block for superimposing each of the plural sequence-rotated and phase-inverted particular patterns on an information signal in a predetermined unit. The novel constitution enhances the secrecy of the additional information and the performance of its detection.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2000Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Takashi Kohashi, Nozomu Ikeda
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Patent number: 6728469Abstract: The present invention enables to obtain a video representation with a smooth motion during a fast reproduction of a video signal which has been prediction coded in the time axis direction. A video signal reproduction apparatus 100 includes a controller 11 having a detection block 11a, a decision block 11b, and mode switching block 11c. According to an information from a demultiplexer 5 and a decode information from a video decoder 6, the controller 11 detects a reproduction speed in the detection block 11a. The detected reproduction speed is supplied to the decision block 11b where it is compared to a predetermined threshold value so as to select a first fast reproduction mode requiring reproduction of all the reference pictures of the video signal which has been prediction coded or a second fast reproduction mode requiring reproduction of some the reference pictures. According to this decision result, the mode switching block 11c switches between the first and the second rast reproduction modes.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 1999Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Toru Okazaki, Kenji Ogawa
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Patent number: 6728175Abstract: An information recording apparatus for recording data into a recording medium taking as recording unit a sector corresponding to a predetermined amount of information signal, comprises a file management unit (5) to classify an information signal for recording into the recording medium (101) into a number, two or more, of groups depending upon the importance of the information signal, and a write/read unit (6) to record the information signal into the recording medium (101) while dealing with a defective sector, if any, in the recording medium (101) in a manner designated for the group to which the information signal has been classified to belong at the above classifying step, and record a highly important information signal, when a defective sector is found by checking up the information signal recorded in the recording medium (101), into another sector.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2001Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Tetsu Kimura, Akio Ishikawa
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Patent number: 6726334Abstract: There is provided an illuminator to emit trichromatic light. It includes a lamp (1) which emits trichromatic light including components whose wavelengths correspond to three primary colors, respectively, and a wavelength-selective optical aperture filter (22) provided at the side of the lamp (1) from which the light of three primary colors go out and consisting of zones working as predetermined optical apertures of which one selectively attenuates or shields a component included in the trichromatic light and having a wavelength corresponding to at least one of the three primary colors while the others allow the light components whose wavelengths correspond to the other primary colors to pass through.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2003Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Hirohisa Ishino
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Patent number: 6727060Abstract: A change in viral tropism occurs in many HIV positive individuals over time and can be indicated by a shift in coreceptor use from CCR5 to CXCR4. The shift in coreceptor use to CXCR4 has been shown to correlate with increased disease progression. In patients undergoing HAART, the predominant populations of virus can be shifted back to CCR5-mediated entry after the CXCR4-specific strains have emerged. The present invention relates to a diagnostic method to monitor coreceptor use in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The present invention further relates to a diagnostic method applied to HIV-positive individuals undergoing HAART to monitor the suppression of CXCR4 specific strains. The diagnostic methods can be used to assist in selecting antiretroviral therapy and to improve predictions of disease prognosis over time.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2001Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Health Research, Inc.Inventors: Sean Philpott, Barbara Weiser, Harold Burger, Christina Kitchen
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Patent number: 6728310Abstract: A data processing apparatus processes input data and outputs the processed data. The data processing apparatus includes a data processing section for processing the input data by a predetermined processing method and outputting the processed data, an input-data evaluation section for evaluating the input data, an output-data evaluation section for evaluating the output data, and a real-time learning section for controlling such that the processing method is learned in real time according to the evaluation results obtained by the input-data evaluation section and the output-data evaluation section and the data processing section processes the input data according to the learned processing method, and thereby, improves the output data every moment.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 1999Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Naoki Kobayashi, Koji Ohta
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Patent number: 6724423Abstract: A video camera system capable of matching colors between configured video cameras by effectively reducing color differences therebetween. A red, a green and a blue signal from imaging devices are amplified by preamplifiers and video amplifiers before being fed to a color matching circuit. The color matching circuit performs color matching in accordance with the levels of the red, green and blue signals using variables of gains and DC offset values. The gains and DC offset values are determined by the color matching circuit executing predetermined operation expressions. With a plurality of colors imaged in advance by the video cameras to be matched in color with a reference video camera, necessary coefficients of the operation expressions are obtained by use of the level measurements (tristimulus values) of the red, green and blue signals from an integrating circuit of each camera.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 1996Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Fumihiko Sudo
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Patent number: 6724436Abstract: A method of mounting a volume from a tape medium on a tape drive apparatus. The method reads a bar-code indicating the volume from a tape cartridge, attaches the tape cartridge to a tape drive, and detects the current track position on the basis of a longitudinal track. The method then determines whether a beginning volume label or a last used area volume label is nearer to the current track position, reads the nearer volume label from the tape medium, confirms the volume by comparing the nearer volume label with the bar-code, and mounts the volume onto the tape drive.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2000Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony United Kingdom LimitedInventors: Nicholas Ian Saunders, Robert Webb
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Patent number: 6724246Abstract: The present invention relates to a demodulation structure and method for downconverting and demodulating a digitally modulated signal So, with a local oscillator means (1; 5; 8) for providing a local oscillator signal Slo a mixer means (2) for mixing said local oscillator signal Slo and said digitally modulated signal S0 in order to obtain a mixed signal, a lowpass filter means (3) for lowpass filtering the mixed signal from the mixer means (2) and an analog-to-digital converting means (4) for converting the filtered signal from the lowpass filter means (3) into a downconverted and demodulated digital signal Sl, whereby the local oscillator signal is set in respect to the modulated digital signal so that the downconverted and demodulated digital signal output from the analog-to-digital converting means comprises to serially arranged information parts. The present demodulation structure provides a very simple structure with improved amplitude and phase imbalances.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony International (Europe) GmbHInventors: Gerald Oberschmidt, Veselin Brankovic, Dragan Krupezevic, Tino Konschak, Thomas Dölle
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Patent number: 6724364Abstract: A learning-type movement control apparatus that learns the movement of an operation control device, predicts the movement thereof, and drives it so as to automatically move. The apparatus comprises an operation control device having a predetermined portion that is displaced according to a force exerted in an arbitrary direction, outputs the amount of the displacement at least as one-dimensional position-representing information, receives a feedback signal carrying information generated by adding displacement information to the position-representing information, and drives the predetermined portion according to a direction and a displacement that are based on the feedback signal. The apparatus also includes a learning section that receives the position-representing information and performs learning of the movement of the operation control device.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2000Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Jun Tani
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Patent number: 6725215Abstract: A content searching/providing system searching a record content from a randomly accessible memory storing contents and providing the record content to a user is provided. The system comprises: a content classification unit classifying the record contents of the memory in accordance with a predetermined rule; a channel assignment unit assigning a virtual channel to each classification; a content arrangement unit arranging the record contents classified into the same classification on the corresponding virtual channels; a user operation receiving unit receiving a user operation for commanding channel selection and content search on a channel; and a content providing unit acquiring a record content from a selected virtual channel in response to the user operation received via the user operation receiving unit and providing the record content.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Tomoyuki Yamamoto
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Patent number: 6725155Abstract: When an user inputs route search conditions such as place where the user is now, destination, and moving purpose, the route search conditions are transmitted to a navegation server. In the navegation server, map data corresponding to the route search conditions is detected and provided to a portable terminal.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2000Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yoshikazu Takahashi, Yasuhiko Kato, Kenichiro Kobayashi, Masanori Omote, Ai Kato
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Patent number: 6725286Abstract: The invention relates to an information-processing apparatus, an information-processing method, a memory card and a program storage medium. A memory card has VSS pins connected to the ground, a BS (Bus State) pin for receiving a bus-state signal, VCC pins for receiving a voltage of a power supply, an interrupt pin for outputting interrupt data, a clock pin for receiving a clock signal and reserved pins conforming to a USB standards. When the memory card is inserted into a personal computer, the reserved pins are connected to a USB-host-controller IC employed in the personal computer so that serial data conforming to the USB standards can be exchanged between the memory card and the personal computer. With this configuration, a desired function can be added to the memory card.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Naomasa Takahashi
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Patent number: RE38502Abstract: An optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm and, a thickness of 1.2 mm±0.1 mm, with a plurality of record tracks having data recorded thereon as embossed pits representing information and exhibiting a track pitch in the range between 0.646 &mgr;m and 1.05 &mgr;m; with the tracks being divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area. The data includes table of contents (TOC) information recorded in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track and user information recorded in a plurality of sectors in user tracks; with the TOC information including addresses of start sectors recorded in the user tracks. The data (both user and TOC information) is encoded in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols, and is run length limited (RLL) modulated.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1999Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Jun Yonemitsu, Ryuichi Iwamura, Shunji Yoshimura, Makoto Kawamura