Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm William S. Frommer
  • Patent number: 6722206
    Abstract: An oscillation sensing device includes a magnetised member mounted on a substrate. A magneto-electrical material is mounted on the substrate such that the magneto-electrical material is subjected to the magnetic field generated by the magnetised member. A movable member is mounted for oscillation in response to an oscillating force. Oscillation of the movable member causes a change in the magnetic field experienced by the magneto-electrical material and an electrical property of the electro-electrical material changes in response to changes in the magnetic field experienced by the magneto-electrical material due to oscillation of the movable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Precision Engineering Center (Singapore) PTE Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Takada
  • Patent number: 6719144
    Abstract: When a printed board is soldered by a dipping method, a great deal of dross is generated on a jet solder tank. The dross is a mixture of melted solder and oxide. A worker takes out the dross from the jet solder tank, and throws it away. Thus, a large amount of the solder is consumed. The present invention relates to a separating device for separating oxide and solder from dross. A container (21) is provided with a heater (22). A cover (24) is set over the container (21) to be freely attachable or detachable, and further a non-oxidizing gas supplying opening (28) is made in the cover (24) or the container (21). A stirring spatula (25) for stirring the surface of a melted solder (23) put into the container (21) is set near the surface of the melted solder (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Senju Metal Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Tooyama, Kenichi Tomitsuka, Shohei Mawatari, Tomotake Kagaya, Eihiko Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 6720987
    Abstract: A picture photographed by a camera portion is sent to a video capturing portion of a computer. The picture is displayed in an operation area of a monitor. A panorama picture of which pictures in part or all moving range of a pan tiler are combined is displayed in a panorama operation area. A pan tilter portion sends positional information of pan and tilt to the computer through a mode controller. With a mouse, the operation area and the panorama operation area are operated so as to select an object. The computer obtains data for driving the pan tilter. Thus, the selected object is displayed at the center of the operation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masakazu Koyanagi, Tadafusa Tomitaka, Toshiyuki Iijima, Naoyasu Hosonuma, Ken Tamayama
  • Patent number: 6721433
    Abstract: To both ends of a frame constituting a lateral pressure structure of headphones, support sections functioning as fine adjustment members for performing fine adjustments to the lateral pressure structure are attached. Paddings are provided on one of the ends of the support sections. When the headphones are worn, the paddings come into contact with a user's head. Earphone arm support sections are provided towards the tip of both ends of the frame, and earphone arms are rotatably connected to each of the earphone arm support sections. Earphone capsule sections are provided at the ends of the earphone arms. When external sounds need to be heard temporarily, the earphone capsule section can be released from the user's ear by rotating the earphone arm while the headphones are still worn on the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiaki Sato
  • Patent number: 6721437
    Abstract: The invention provides a data processing apparatus and method which processes data in which additional data is embedded and inhibits illegal accessing from the outside to prevent alteration of information. The data processing apparatus includes a coding section for coding the data, a detection section for detecting the additional data from the data, a processing section for processing the coded data coded by the coding section, and a control section for controlling operation of the processing section in response to the additional data detected by the detection section. The coding section controls an output thereof in response to the additional data detected by the detection section, and accessing to the additional data used to control the coding section is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Ezaki, Hideo Sato
  • Patent number: 6720824
    Abstract: A demodulation method and apparatus applicable to e.g., digital broadcast in accordance with the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system (OFDM), in which synchronization of carrier frequency correction control of OFDM signals can be maintained in stability. Based on the information indicating the demodulation reliability, such as the result of cumulative addition of CP values, supplied from the wide range fc error—CPE calculating circuit (10), or the transmission control signal detection information, supplied from the transmission control information demodulating communication (17), a holding circuit (14) verifies whether or not the wide range fc error—CPE calculating circuit (10) is making an erroneous detection operation. If the wide range fc error—CPE calculating circuit (10) is making an erroneous detection operation, the holding circuit (14) outputs the wide range fc error output in the previous symbol, without updating the information on the wide range fc error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihisa Hyakudai, Takahiro Okada
  • Patent number: 6721492
    Abstract: In order to obtain a high-quality image when an encoded stream which is encoded using MPEG is played back at variable speed, a stream conversion apparatus is provided which converts an arrangement of DCT coefficients of a source encoded stream into an arrangement suitable for variable-speed playback. Specifically, a header part is separated from an elementary stream of MPEG, and DCT coefficients arranged from a low order of a spatial frequency to a high order are extracted by zigzag scan at intervals of a plurality of DCT blocks which form a macro block. These DCT coefficients are rearranged from a low order to a high order across a plurality of DCT blocks. The DCT coefficients rearranged in this manner are packed into a stream, and the separated header part is added, forming a converted elementary stream. This converted elementary stream is recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Haruo Togashi
  • Patent number: 6721118
    Abstract: A cassette library (1) is provided with a driving apparatus (13), cassette housing shelves (14, 15) and a cassette carrier (16). A library controller (2) simulates as if driving apparatuses (13) having continuous address numbers were apparently used in the host computer (3) even when physically discontinuous address numbers are allocated to the driving apparatus (13), thereby making it possible to set occupancy for a driving apparatus with an arbitrary address number. The library controller (2) has the cassette carrier (16) automatically carry, at a preset timing, a cleaning cassette from the cassette housing shelf (14, 15) to the driving apparatus (13) to clean a recording reproduction head of the driving apparatus (13) using the cleaning cassette which is then carried back to the housing section in the original cassette housing shelf (14, 15) after the cleaning work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Tsurumaki, Keiji Tadokoro, Masato Yokota, Toru Yumine
  • Patent number: 6721487
    Abstract: A recording apparatus for digital signals which effectively utilizes production equipments or components for a magnetic tape to assure long-time recording of high-quality signals on the magnetic tape. In this magnetic recording apparatus for digital signals, two-track data in the DV format is recorded in the same data pattern on a sole track of a magnetic tape 8 mm in width. Extension data are also recorded on this sole track along with the two-track data in the DV format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichiro Senshu
  • Patent number: 6716442
    Abstract: Method for eradicating fleas in domestic or accommodation premises of a domestic or laboratory mammal is provided. The method involves topically applying, at least monthly, to the domestic or laboratory mammal, a parasitically effective amount of compound of Formula I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Merial
    Inventors: James S. Hunter, Jean-Pierre Etchegaray, Bruno Julia, Philippe Jeannin
  • Patent number: 6718073
    Abstract: In an image data conversion unit, image quality can be further improved as compared with a conventional unit. Prediction data are generated from teacher image data (HD) corresponding to second image data by using a plurality of filters (F1 to F4) having pass-bands different from each other and thereby, the second image data can be generated by using prediction data corresponding to characteristics of first image data, which enables further improvement of image quality as compared with a conventional case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Takashi Horishi
  • Patent number: 6718231
    Abstract: An action editing window (200) is formed as a time table of a two-dimensional time line style, made up by a horizontal time axis and a vertical channel. Within the time line table, respective constituent elements of an action of a robot, such as a time ruler (201), a keyframe channel (202), a motion channel (203), a sound channel (204) or an LED operation channel (205), are chronologically displayed. A user is able to edit as synchronization between the respective components of the action is checked. This supports the creation and the editing of a series of commands and data stating a pattern of robot movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Reizo Konno, Satoko Ogure
  • Patent number: 6718119
    Abstract: In a system target decoder for seamlessly reproducing a stream obtained by conducting multiplexing so that an audio skew generated in a stream connection portion will not be separated from a video stream corresponding thereto, the capacity of the audio buffer to be increased is stipulated. The capacity is increased by at least T×RVideo×RAudio÷(RVideo+RAudio) where T is a sum of an interval during which an audio stream is inputted to the audio buffer, but a video stream is not inputted to a video buffer and an interval during which an audio stream is not inputted to the audio buffer, but a video stream is inputted to the video buffer, RVideo is a readout rate of the video stream, and RAudio is a readout rate of the audio stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Fujinami
  • Patent number: 6718120
    Abstract: In a recording and reproduction method for recording digital data on magnetic tape by a helical scanning method or for reproducing digital data recorded on magnetic tape by the helical scanning method, a plurality of sectors are generated in each track on the magnetic tape and various types of data, such as video data and audio data, and track-synchronization data are recorded. Pilot signals for tracking control are recorded on the various types of data in a superposition manner by the use of three different frequencies such that the frequency changes every track in a predetermined repetition manner. The pilot signal is recorded so as to have a higher level at least in two blocks in a sector where the track-synchronization data is recorded than in the other portion of each track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichiro Senshu, Masayoshi Kumagawa
  • Patent number: 6717568
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the movement of a position indicating item displayed on a screen in accordance with an output signal of control means including a pressure-sensitive resistor which outputs a signal whose level varies depending upon a pressing force applied to an operating element. The method includes a signal level detection step for detecting the signal level of the signal output by the control means; a moving speed setting step for setting the moving speed of the position indicating item displayed on the screen in accordance with the signal level detected in the signal level detection step; and an item moving step for moving the position indicating item at the moving speed set in the moving speed setting step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Susumu Takatuka, Satoru Miyaki
  • Patent number: 6718299
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a feature parameter detector for detecting feature parameters based on a plurality of input data, a normalizer for normalizing the feature parameters detected by the feature parameter detector while maintaining their feature components, and an integration unit for integrating the feature parameters normalized by the normalizer. In the information processing apparatus, feature parameters from a plurality of input data are normalized based on learning normalization coefficients, and distances from each of the normalized feature parameters and to a normal parameter are calculated. Based on the calculated distances, time-series normalization coefficients for performing speech recognition are determined for the feature parameters. Therefore, optimal normalization coefficients for recognizing the feature parameters at each point of time can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Norifumi Yoshiwara
  • Patent number: 6716508
    Abstract: In an optical recording medium of a recording format to record data on both lands and grooves in such a manner that a recording area is divided into a plurality of zones, and headers arranged continuously in radial directions in the same zone are not arranged in the same radial directions over a zone boundary, and the headers are so arranged as to be shared by the lands and the grooves, the headers arranged within three or more physical tracks from said zone boundary are cleared and grooved. Thereby, noise is prevented from occurring in a tracking error signal about the time from the occurrence of noise, which occurs in the tracking error signal and causes landing, until a tracking servo is performed, thus making it possible to enhance the stability of landing traversing a zone boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masayoshi Nagata, Motoyasu Yumita
  • Patent number: 6717907
    Abstract: A main cartridge body portion is formed with first and second openings facing first and second wall sections. These first and second openings are adapted for exposing a portion of the signal recording region of a disc-shaped recording medium to outside across inner and outer rims of the disc-shaped recording medium and for allowing the center of the disc-shaped recording medium to face outwards. First and second shutter members are arranged for movement between the first and second wall sections. The second shutter member is rotated in association with the first shutter member by having its portion engaged and held by an engagement holding portion provided on the first shutter member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuhiro Shiomi, Takuya Niitsu
  • Patent number: 6717894
    Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on or from an optical disc, in which the tracking error signal format for a recordable optical disc differs from that for a replay-only optical disc. The recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a read-out processing unit for reading out data from the optical disc, a write processing unit for writing data on the optical disc and a system controller for managing control to verify the recordable optical disc having data recorded by the write processing unit by a reproducing system conforming to the standard for the replay-only optical disc. The recordable optical disc is verified by the reproducing system for the replay-only optical disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuji Kawashima
  • Patent number: 6718232
    Abstract: A robot apparatus causes the emotion in a feeling part (130) to be changed based on the information acquired by a perception part (120) to manifest the behavior of information acquisition as autonomous behavior. The robot apparatus includes a behavior control part for causing the robot apparatus to manifest a language acquisition behavior and a meaning acquisition part. The robot apparatus also includes a control part for performing the behavior control of pointing its object of learning. The robot apparatus causes changes in internal states, which are ascribable to the object, to be stored in a memory part in association with the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Fujita, Tsuyoshi Takagi, Rika Horinaka, Jun Yokono, Gabriel Costa, Hideki Shimomura, Katsuki Minamino