Patents by Inventor Akio Higashi

Akio Higashi 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: 10910192
    Abstract: An ion source includes a vacuum chamber having a cooling mechanism, an ion generation container for reacting an ionized gas with an ion material so as to generate ions, an extraction electrode for extracting ions generated in the ion generation container and generating an ion beam, and a shielding member provided inside and in the vicinity of an inner wall of the vacuum chamber, and having a main body made of a conductive metal for blocking deposition of an insulating material on the inner wall (10d) of the vacuum chamber. The main body of the shielding member has a plurality of protruding support portions that is in contact with the inner wall of the vacuum chamber for supporting the main body in a manner such that the main body is fitted at a distance from the inner wall of the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Akio Higashi, Naruyasu Sasaki, Toshihiro Terasawa
  • Publication number: 20200402759
    Abstract: An ion source includes a vacuum chamber having a cooling mechanism, an ion generation container for reacting an ionized gas with an ion material so as to generate ions, an extraction electrode for extracting ions generated in the ion generation container and generating an ion beam, and a shielding member provided inside and in the vicinity of an inner wall of the vacuum chamber, and having a main body made of a conductive metal for blocking deposition of an insulating material on the inner wall (10d) of the vacuum chamber. The main body of the shielding member has a plurality of protruding support portions that is in contact with the inner wall of the vacuum chamber for supporting the main body in a manner such that the main body is fitted at a distance from the inner wall of the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Akio HIGASHI, Naruyasu SASAKI, Toshihiro TERASAWA
  • Publication number: 20140375589
    Abstract: The display control device is a display control device which receives a signal from the operating device having a touchpad and generates screen data to be displayed on a screen, the display control device including: a touch information detecting unit (201) which detects touch information including position information about a position on the touchpad that is touched with a finger of a user during operation of the touchpad; a direction determining unit (203) which determines a direction intended by the user, using a characteristic which is indicated by the touch information detected by the touch information detecting unit (201) and which results from the operation on the touchpad with the finger; and a screen data generating unit (205) which generates the screen data depending on the direction determined by the direction determining unit (203).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: Akio HIGASHI, Masaki YAMAUCHI, Susumu KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8860676
    Abstract: The display control device is a display control device which receives a signal from the operating device having a touchpad and generates screen data to be displayed on a screen, the display control device including: a touch information detecting unit (201) which detects touch information including position information about a position on the touchpad that is touched with a finger of a user during operation of the touchpad; a direction determining unit (203) which determines a direction intended by the user, using a characteristic which is indicated by the touch information detected by the touch information detecting unit (201) and which results from the operation on the touchpad with the finger; and a screen data generating unit (205) which generates the screen data depending on the direction determined by the direction determining unit (203).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Akio Higashi, Masaki Yamauchi, Susumu Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20120013463
    Abstract: The display control device is a display control device which receives a signal from the operating device having a touchpad and generates screen data to be displayed on a screen, the display control device including: a touch information detecting unit (201) which detects touch information including position information about a position on the touchpad that is touched with a finger of a user during operation of the touchpad; a direction determining unit (203) which determines a direction intended by the user, using a characteristic which is indicated by the touch information detected by the touch information detecting unit (201) and which results from the operation on the touchpad with the finger; and a screen data generating unit (205) which generates the screen data depending on the direction determined by the direction determining unit (203).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventors: Akio Higashi, Masaki Yamauchi, Susumu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8077980
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus enables image data to be handled easily after photography. A server apparatus patterns images and controls information in correspondence with user identifiers. A digital camera photographs a subject, obtains a pattern image and a piece of control information from the server apparatus, and judges whether a portion of the image data obtained by photography matches the obtained pattern image. If a matching portion exists, then the digital camera operates in accordance with an operation instruction included in the piece of control information. If the operation instruction is mosaic processing, then the digital camera performs mosaic processing to the matching portion. If the operation instruction is image replacement, then the digital camera replaces the matching portion with a predetermined image or performs CG processing on the matching portion. If the operation instruction is frame deletion, then the digital camera deletes the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Natsume Matsuzaki, Kaoru Yokota, Masao Nonaka, Mitsuhiro Inoue, Tohru Nakahara, Akio Higashi
  • Patent number: 7814168
    Abstract: A unit-to-unit data exchange system preventing an unfair exchange without increasing communications cost or a load on a server. A unit (11a) exchanges data with a unit (11b). An exchange completion data keeping device keeps exchange completion data that is necessary for each unit (11a and 11b) to reproduce the obtained data after the data exchange is completed. The exchange completion data keeping device transmits the exchange completion data obtained from the unit (11b) to the unit (11a) and transmits the exchange completion data obtained from the unit (11a) to the unit (11b) only when the unit (11a) and the unit (11b) have successfully received data of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Oho, Akio Higashi, Mitsuhiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100243029
    Abstract: A flexible solar cell module that includes a flexible insulating substrate; a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements formed on the substrate, each including a rear electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a transparent electrode layer; an organic insulating protection film covering each photoelectric conversion element such that light transparency for each photoelectric conversion element is secured; and an inorganic insulating protection film provided on each transparent electrode layer such that light transparency on a light receiving side of each photoelectric conversion element is secured. The inorganic insulating protection film is formed to have a layer structure that includes a silicon oxynitride layer as the outermost layer of the structure. This enables improvement of the weather resistance and water vapor barrier properties and improvement of the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cell module to be achieved at a low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Akio HIGASHI, Hiroshi Nagate
  • Patent number: 7725399
    Abstract: A content usage device includes (i) a license management unit that holds license information and (ii) a content output unit that uses a content in compliance with license information and outputs the content in at least one manner of a sound, video and data. The license management unit, upon receiving a request of license information from the content output unit, requests a license management unit of another content usage device to transfer the license information and acquires the license information, and passes the acquired license information to the content output unit. The content output unit uses a content in compliance with the license information passed from the license management unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tohru Nakahara, Masanori Nakanishi, Yasushi Uesaka, Kouji Miura, Akio Higashi, Takaaki Namba
  • Patent number: 7721088
    Abstract: To provide a content distribution system which can prevent use of content which has been temporarily stored after the valid period. A content distribution system (1) including a license server (101) which issues a license, a content server (102) which transmits the content, a terminal device (103) which controls use of the content based on the issued license. The terminal device (103) does not allow the use of the received encrypted content when it is judged that the encrypted content received from the content server (102) is not the content received in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Okamoto, Akio Higashi, Hiroki Murakami, Katsumi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 7715564
    Abstract: Each of at least two terminal apparatuses uses content data in accordance with license information which is generated by a content distribution system to which it subscribes. A conversion apparatus includes a working area for storing license information which is compatible with one of the terminal apparatuses, and a central processing section for converting the license information stored in the working area into license information which is compatible with the other terminal apparatus. Thus, there is provided a conversion apparatus which can convert one's own license information so as to be passable to others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tohru Nakahara, Akio Higashi
  • Patent number: 7676042
    Abstract: To reduce a frequency of recording communication management information for communication disconnection countermeasure. A digital content distribution system includes a license server (101) that issues a license, and a user terminal (103) that controls use of content based on the issued license. The license server (101) judges, according to the license to be issued, whether or not the communication management information for the communication disconnection countermeasure needs to be recorded, and notifies the user terminal of a result of the judgment. This enables the user terminal (103) to reduce the frequency of recording the communication management information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuichi Okamoto, Akio Higashi, Satoshi Niwano, Hiroki Murakami
  • Patent number: 7630922
    Abstract: A content distribution management system includes a plurality of content distributing devices, which each include a content storage processing unit operable to store and distribute a content, a user interface unit operable to provide viewing and information of a content for a user, a content acquisition processing unit operable to acquire a content from a content providing device, etc. and to perform purchase processing of the content, and a sending/receiving unit operable to exchange data via a communication network. The content distribution management system also includes a content distribution management device, which includes a payment management processing unit operable to perform payment processing of a content, and a copyright management processing unit operable to manage and send copyright-related information (a usage rule, key information, etc.). The content distributing devices and the content distribution management system are configured via the communication network, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Namba, Takashi Matsuo, Akio Higashi, Tohru Nakahara, Hiroki Murakami
  • Publication number: 20090187762
    Abstract: To provide a content distribution system which can prevent use of content which has been temporarily stored after the valid period. A content distribution system (1) including a license server (101) which issues a license, a content server (102) which transmits the content, a terminal device (103) which controls use of the content based on the issued license. The terminal device (103) does not allow the use of the received encrypted content when it is judged that the encrypted content received from the content server (102) is not the content received in real time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Ryuichi Okamoto, Akio Higashi, Hiroki Murakami, Ketsumi Tokuda
  • Publication number: 20090010439
    Abstract: To reduce a frequency of recording communication management information for communication disconnection countermeasure. A digital content distribution system includes a license server (101) that issues a license, and a user terminal (103) that controls use of content based on the issued license. The license server (101) judges, according to the license to be issued, whether or not the communication management information for the communication disconnection countermeasure needs to be recorded, and notifies the user terminal of a result of the judgment. This enables the user terminal (103) to reduce the frequency of recording the communication management information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Ryuichi Okamoto, Akio Higashi, Satoshi Niwano, Hiroki Murakami
  • Publication number: 20080281942
    Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to use data that is held by a given terminal device in another terminal device, even after the given terminal device can no longer be accessed externally. If a terminal device 100a detects an event wherein one's own terminal will no longer be externally accessible, then the data held by one's own terminal 100a is transferred to another device 200 that can be accessed externally. Another terminal device 100b, which acquires and uses data, acquires data from the device 200, and uses such.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Tohru Nakahara, Akio Higashi, Ryuichi Okamoto, Mitsuhiro Inoue, Natsume Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20080152150
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information distribution system including a distribution device (100) for broadcasting a content and a terminal device (200) for receiving the content broadcast from the distribution device (100). The distribution device (100) includes a PKI-related information acquisition instruction addition determination section (104) for determining whether or not PKI-related information stored therein has been updated, and a broadcast signal multiplex and transmission section (103) for, when the PKI-related information acquisition instruction addition determination section (104) determines that the PKI-related information has been updated, broadcasting a PKI-related information acquisition instruction for requesting the terminal device to acquire latest PKI-related information as being multiplexed to the content, together with information required for using the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Akio Higashi, Hiroki Murakami, Katsumi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 7391866
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes: a reception unit for receiving the scrambled content, the scrambled content being scrambled so that a predetermined unit of scrambled content is descrambled using a descrambling key corresponding to the predetermined unit of scrambled content, and at least one piece of storage information in which a list including all descrambling keys used for descrambling the scrambled content is embedded; storage unit for storing the received scrambled content and the storage information; list extraction unit for extracting the list from the stored storage information; descramble processing unit for extracting the predetermined unit of scrambled content from the stored scrambled content, extracting a descrambling key corresponding to the predetermined unit of scrambled content from the extracted list, and descrambling the extracted predetermined unit of scrambled content using the extracted descrambling key; and reproduction unit for reproducing the predetermined unit of descrambled content
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukiyasu Fukami, Toru Nakahara, Takashi Matsuo, Akio Higashi, Hiroki Murakami
  • Patent number: 7359883
    Abstract: A management device of a license management system acquires a usage request of a content from an SD card or a printer via a relay device, analyzes the acquired usage request, acquires usage environment information of the SD card or the printer from the relay device, analyzes the acquired usage environment information, generates license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information, generates instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information, embeds the generated instruction information in the license information, and sends the license information to the relay device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Namba, Takashi Matsuo, Akio Higashi, Tohru Nakahara, Hiroki Murakami, Masanori Nakanishi, Yasushi Uesaka, Kouji Miura
  • Publication number: 20080040738
    Abstract: The present invention provides a content reproduction terminal which can be transformed between a general-purpose terminal and a members-only terminal. A content reproduction terminal 30a is composed of: an IC card slot into which a card 20a distributed to a membership user is to be inserted; an application/display-data acquisition unit 304a which sets the operation mode on the basis of a membership certificate 2020 showing a group, to which the user belongs, held previously in the card 20a; and a resident player application execution unit 305a and a member player application execution unit 308a which reproduce the content differently depending on the setting result given by the application/display-data acquisition unit 304a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Ryuichi Okamoto, Masaya Yamamoto, Akio Higashi, Senichi Onoda, Katsumi Tokuda