Patents by Inventor Junichi Rekimoto

Junichi Rekimoto 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: 7503005
    Abstract: The management of files, folders, and other data is facilitated. When a user inputs a character string (tag), which is desired to be retrieved, to a retrieval character input space and operates a retrieval button on a screen, retrieval is started, and a screen (file) corresponding to the input character string is displayed. This makes it possible for the user to fetch a desired file as required. That is, the user is able to manage and control files without using folders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Rekimoto
  • Publication number: 20090049386
    Abstract: There is provided an inter-device operation interface that is displayed on a display unit of a device control terminal that controls an operation between devices connected through a network, including: a contents display area to display information of contents held by a device; an operation display area to display information of an operation executed to the contents; and a device display area to display information serving as a target of the operation, and wherein, when information displayed in each of the display areas is selected by using the operation unit of the device control terminal, a service provided by the device connected through a wide-area network is displayed in the device display area as the candidate of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventor: Junichi REKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20090036054
    Abstract: The present invention is an information processing apparatus which obtains identification information of an electronic device and makes communication with the electronic device via a network based on the identification information. When a portable telephone (11) is placed on an input display section (2) of a personal computer (1), a reader/writer built in the personal computer (1) reads a telephone number of the portable telephone (11) stored in an RF tag built in the portable telephone (11). Based on the telephone number, a telephone line is connected between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1). Data is interchanged between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1) via the telephone line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Junichi Rekimoto, Yuji Ayatsuka, Nobuyuki Matsushita, Eduardo A. Sciammarella, Haruo Oba
  • Patent number: 7456823
    Abstract: A user interface apparatus has a flexible part including a one-dimensional analog sensor for sensing distortion of the flexible part, and a processor unit for detecting one of input states based on a value of the detected distortion and having a task run. The task relates to a selected input state. The input states are related to dynamic or static positive/negative distortion of the flexible part. The user interacts with the apparatus by physically manipulating a body of the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Ivan Poupyrev, Eijiro Mori, Carsten Schwesig, Junichi Rekimoto
  • Publication number: 20080261620
    Abstract: There is provided a wireless communication apparatus including a base station information input portion to input base station information of a base station transmitting a radio wave having a wave reaching range including a particular location, the base station information acquired from a first memory storing a plurality of pieces of base station information containing a base station ID, a recording portion to record the base station information input to the base station information input portion into a second memory placed in the wireless communication apparatus, a reception portion to receive the radio wave transmitted from a surrounding base station, and a notification processing portion to perform prescribed notification processing based on a determination result whether the wireless communication apparatus exists in the particular location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventor: Junichi REKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080254808
    Abstract: A position information processing method includes: measuring, at a communication apparatus, a signal intensity of a signal transmitted from a plurality of base stations; recording a history of signal intensity information at one or more times in a history storage medium of the communication apparatus; recording, in an information storage medium of the information recording apparatus, a specific time and information matching a position environment of the information recording apparatus at the specific time, respectively correlated to each other; calculating position information of the communication apparatus based on the history of signal intensity information recorded in the history storage medium, and known base station information constituted of the base station identification information and position information of the base stations; and correlating the calculated position information to the information matching the position environment stored in the medium and correlated to the specific time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventor: Junichi REKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 7433651
    Abstract: The present invention is an information processing apparatus which obtains identification information of an electronic device and makes communication with the electronic device via a network based on the identification information. When a portable telephone (11) is placed on an input display section (2) of a personal computer (1), a reader/writer built in the personal computer (1) reads a telephone number of the portable telephone (11) stored in an RF tag built in the portable telephone (11). Based on the telephone number, a telephone line is connected between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1). Data is interchanged between the portable telephone (11) and the personal computer (1) via the telephone line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Rekimoto, Yuji Ayatsuka, Nobuyuki Matsushita, Eduardo A. Sciammarella, Haruo Oba
  • Patent number: 7433699
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing system, which includes measures to address issues regarding the access control and/or session control, capable of transmitting and receiving a control packet from a remote apparatus that is placed on a network in a location where another party resides, with which voice dialog communications is being taken place. Further it is desirable to provide an information processing system and/or an information processing method with. Two personal digital assistants are respectively connected via radio to two connection points, which are called access points, to perform voice communication using VoIP network. In addition, the two personal digital assistants exchange packets of data between two personal computers via the Internet and local radio communication units after establishments of connections with the personal computers are achieved using RFID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Michimune Kohno, Junichi Rekimoto
  • Publication number: 20080242278
    Abstract: A wireless communication device includes a transmission portion, an information acquisition portion, a storage portion, a selection portion, and a transmission control portion. The transmission portion transmits information. The information acquisition portion acquires location information for the wireless communication device that includes a received signal strength of a signal that is transmitted from a base station in the vicinity. The storage portion stores, in association with specific location information, regulating information that regulates the transmission from the transmission portion of the information that corresponds to the location of the wireless communication device. The selection portion selects from the storage portion the regulating information associated with the location information acquired by the information acquisition portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventor: Junichi REKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 7424155
    Abstract: A two-dimensional code recognition processing method for recognizing a two-dimensional code made of a plurality of square cells arranged in accordance with predetermined layout rules. The method comprises the steps of: generating binary data from image information acquired externally in accordance with a predetermined threshold value; detecting a reference cell serving as a reference in recognizing the two-dimensional code based on the binary data generated in the binary data generating step; detecting corner cells each located in a predetermined search range with respect to the reference cell detected in the reference cell detecting step, on the basis of the binary data generated in the binary data generating step; and detecting code data assigned to the two-dimensional code existing inside an area of a code part enclosed by the reference cell and by the corner cells on the basis of the binary data generated in the binary data generating step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keigo Ihara, Junichi Rekimoto, Shinji Nakajima, Takahiko Sueyoshi
  • Patent number: 7421123
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus comprising: an image acquiring means for acquiring an objective image; an identification information recognizing means for recognizing, of the objective image acquired by said image acquiring means, identification information corresponding to a specific image pattern; a decision means for deciding whether said identification information recognized by said identification information recognizing means is local identification information for starting processing previously registered for each terminal or global identification information for starting processing common to all terminals; a local executing means for executing, if said identification information is decided as the local identification information by said decision means, the processing previously registered for each terminal; a global processing requesting means for requesting, if said identification information is decided as the global identification information by said decision means, a specific
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Konishi, Junichi Rekimoto, Takahiko Sueyoshi, Keigo Ihara
  • Patent number: 7415212
    Abstract: A transmitter formed of two or more light-emitting sections such as LEDs, which are physically arranged in a predetermined manner, is disposed in the real world object, and each light-emitting section transmits data by flashing at a flashing pattern representing the transmission data of a predetermined bit length. A receiver, on the other hand, includes a photoreceiving section formed from a two-dimensional photoreceiving surface, decodes the transmission data on the basis of the photoreceived flashing pattern, and recognizes the spatial information of an object on the basis of the flashing position on the two-dimensional photoreceiving surface. Therefore, information, such as an ID, can be obtained from the object in the real world, and also, the spatial position of the object can be recognized at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Matsushita, Junichi Rekimoto, Shigeru Tajima, Yuji Ayatsuka, Michimune Kohno
  • Patent number: 7409231
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program which allow a user to immediately and easily know whether or not transmission of desired data is completed and the direction of transmission of the data. Readers/writers 23-1 through 23-4 and RF tags 24-1 through 24-4 detect an electronic device which is placed adjacent thereto and the direction in which the electronic device is placed. The readers/writers 23-1 through 23-4 and the RF tags 24-1 through 24-4 obtain identification information of the electronic device when the electronic device placed adjacent thereto is detected. A communication unit 22 communicates with the electronic device over a network based on the identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Haruo Oba, Taku Sugawara, Takeo Inagaki, Junichi Rekimoto, Nobuyuki Matsushita, Yuji Ayatsuka
  • Publication number: 20080134303
    Abstract: A communication apparatus capable of wireless communications with one or more base stations is disclosed. The communication apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a signal transmitted from the base station, a judging unit configured to judge whether the communication apparatus is located in an area satisfying a predetermined criterion, in accordance with the signal received at the receiving unit, and an authentication unit configured to perform an authentication process for a user of the communication apparatus if the judging unit judges that the communication apparatus is not located in the area satisfying the criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventor: Junichi REKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080018614
    Abstract: There are provided with a detection sensor 110 for detecting an approach and a contact of a living body or a material body in a predetermined detection region, a control means which outputs a drive signal in a case when an approach is detected by a detection sensor and which performs an input process for accepting an input of a predetermined function in a case when a contact is detected on a predetermined condition, and an actuator 120 being vibrated temporarily by the drive signal outputted by the control means. By doing like this, in a case when, for example, a finger, a pen or the like is approached to the detection region of the sensor while the equipment is held in a hand, the equipment vibrates temporarily by detecting the approach in the sensor 110 and the vibration transmits to the hand holding the equipment such that it becomes possible to comprehend that an input will be carried out by touching the position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventor: Junichi Rekimoto
  • Publication number: 20070288477
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a user interface serving as a data input/output unit, a communicating unit that executes data communication, and a data processing unit that executes bookmark setting processing serving as Web page browsing processing and URL (Uniform Resource Locator) registration processing of a Web page. The data processing unit acquires and executes a function corresponding to an attribute name that is an element of an extended tag including a combination of an attribute name and an attribute value set as index information corresponding to a bookmark or acquires an execution result of the function corresponding to the attribute name and outputs the execution result of the function to the user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventor: Junichi Rekimoto
  • Publication number: 20070260994
    Abstract: A device for managing image and audio files displays thumbnails, which are representative of the files, on a screen in different arrangements, depending on the selected layout and order. When the user enters input to indicates that he or she wishes to browse through the thumbnails, the thumbnails move across the screen in sequence, following a path through a focus outline in the center of the screen. The path followed by the thumbnails depends on the selected layout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: Eduardo Sciammarella, Junichi Rekimoto, Haruo Oba, Makoto Imamura, Hideyuki Agata, Masakazu Hayashi, Masato Kuninori
  • Patent number: 7289800
    Abstract: A portable electronic device and a wireless connection control method are provided. The portable electronic device includes an azimuth detecting section that measures an absolute azimuth of a device main body; a radio communication section that performs radio communication with connection object electronic devices; and a control section that performs control for establishing connection by the radio communication with the connection object electronic devices using the radio communication section, wherein the control section performs control for specifying a connection object to establish connection on the basis of absolute azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting section and reception information received from the connection object electronic devices by the radio communication section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Rekimoto
  • Patent number: 7280851
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program which allow for correct recognition of a connected electronic device. A reader/writer 33-1 is placed near a left vertical side 2-1 of four sides of an input display unit 2. A mobile phone 11 includes an RF tag. When the mobile phone 11 is placed adjacent to the reader/writer 33-1, the reader/writer 33-1 detects the RF tag to detect that the mobile phone 11 is adjacent thereto. An icon 111 of the mobile phone 11 is displayed on the input display unit 2 in a moving manner so that portions of the icon 111 appear step-by-step from the side 2-1 and finally the entirety appears. The present invention is applicable to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a PDA, or a mobile phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Haruo Oba, Taku Sugawara, Takeo Inagaki, Junichi Rekimoto, Nobuyuki Matsushita, Yuji Ayatsuka
  • Publication number: 20070233715
    Abstract: Resource management system, method and program for selecting candidate tag are provided. The tag can be readily attached to a resource by presenting a candidate tag also to a resource newly registered in a database. The degree of similarity of a new registration resource to each of a plurality of already-registered resources that have been already registered in the database is calculated. A tag attached to an already-registered resource of which the degree of similarity is large is selected as a candidate for a tag to be attached to the new registration resource. Thereby, a candidate tag can be also presented to a resource newly registered in the database. A user can further readily attach a tag compared to a conventional system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Junichi Rekimoto