Patents by Inventor Katsunari Sato

Katsunari Sato 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: 20240042163
    Abstract: A hot-cold tactile presentation device includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements which are arranged in a matrix by placing the thermoelectric elements side by side along x and y directions respectively, a plurality of row_heat lines each extending in the x direction, and a plurality of column lines each extending in the y direction. The plurality of row_heat lines are each connected to one end of each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements that align in the x direction, and the plurality of column lines are each connected to the other end of each of the plurality of thermoelectric elements that align in the y direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Applicant: Osaka Heat Cool Inc.
    Inventors: Kenzo IBANO, Tohru SUGAHARA, Yuichi ITOH, Katsunari SATO, Shintaro IZUMI
  • Patent number: 11281296
    Abstract: The purpose is to provide a tactile information conversion device, a tactile information conversion method, and a tactile information conversion program, which are usable for general purposes by presenting or sensing an arbitrary tactile feeling. In order to provide tactile information to an output unit capable of outputting physical quantities including electricity, force, temperature, vibration, and/or time and space, at least two or more of the physical quantities are selected according to a tactile feeling to be presented, tactile information for presenting the predetermined tactile feeling is generated based on the physical quantities that have been selected, and the tactile information that has been generated is output to the output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Inventors: Susumu Tachi, Masashi Nakatani, Katsunari Sato, Kouta Minamizawa, Hiroyuki Kajimoto
  • Patent number: 11234639
    Abstract: A controller controls a temperature sensation provider that provides temperature sensations to an object contacting a contact surface of the temperature sensation provider. The controller includes a database including control information that associates values of a temperature of the contact surface with values of a controlled variable of the temperature sensation provider for each of the temperature sensations, and a temperature controller that controls the temperature sensation provider based on a measured temperature of the contact surface, a temperature sensation to be provided, and the control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Sato, Toshihiko Saito, Hajime Shikata, Katsunari Sato
  • Patent number: 10884440
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a thermal sensation providing device that provides a thermal sensation to an object coming in contact with a virtual material includes a database configured to store first information indicative of a relationship between a type of virtual material and a speed of a temperature change during a first period that starts at a commencement of providing the thermal sensation and that ends at a lapse of a first time length from the commencement, and a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature provided by the thermal sensation providing device during the first period based on the first information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Sato, Toshihiko Saito, Hajime Shikata, Katsunari Sato
  • Publication number: 20200356176
    Abstract: The purpose is to provide a tactile information conversion device, a tactile information conversion method, and a tactile information conversion program, which are usable for general purposes by presenting or sensing an arbitrary tactile feeling. In order to provide tactile information to an output unit capable of outputting physical quantities including electricity, force, temperature, vibration, and/or time and space, at least two or more of the physical quantities are selected according to a tactile feeling to be presented, tactile information for presenting the predetermined tactile feeling is generated based on the physical quantities that have been selected, and the tactile information that has been generated is output to the output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Susumu TACHI, Masashi NAKATANI, Katsunari SATO, Kouta MINAMIZAWA, Hiroyuki KAJIMOTO
  • Patent number: 10748392
    Abstract: A tactile sensation providing apparatus includes a contact region to be touched by an operating body, a thermal sensation providing element that is disposed in the contact region and provides at least cold sensation information, and a warm sensation providing element that is disposed in the contact region and provides warm sensation information. The warm sensation providing element is disposed at least in regions that sandwich the thermal sensation providing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Sato, Daisuke Takai, Yuzuru Kawana, Katsunari Sato
  • Patent number: 10739858
    Abstract: The purpose is to provide a tactile information conversion device, a tactile information conversion method, and a tactile information conversion program, which are usable for general purposes by presenting or sensing an arbitrary tactile feeling. In order to provide tactile information to an output unit capable of outputting physical quantities including electricity, force, temperature, vibration, and/or time and space, at least two or more of the physical quantities are selected according to a tactile feeling to be presented, tactile information for presenting the predetermined tactile feeling is generated based on the physical quantities that have been selected, and the tactile information that has been generated is output to the output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY
    Inventors: Susumu Tachi, Masashi Nakatani, Katsunari Sato, Kouta Minamizawa, Hiroyuki Kajimoto
  • Patent number: 10732717
    Abstract: A tactile sensation presenting device includes a vibrating element configured to present vibration information, a heater configured to present heat information, and a first heat insulating member disposed between the vibrating element and the heater. The heater is provided above the vibrating element and is provided at a contacting region which can be touched by an operating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Sato, Daisuke Takai, Yuzuru Kawana, Katsunari Sato
  • Patent number: 10621837
    Abstract: The purpose is to provide a device, method and program for tactile information conversion, and an element arrangement structure for presenting a plurality of types of stimuli that are capable of presenting a plurality of types of stimuli at one point in a concentrated manner from different points. One of the features is to determine a first stimulation point at which a first type of tactile stimulus is generated or generate the first type of tactile stimulus at the first stimulation point via the output unit and output tactile information for generating a second type of tactile stimulus via the output unit to the output unit at a second stimulation point separated within a temporally and/or spatially predetermined threshold value from the first stimulation point of the first type of tactile stimulus that has been determined or generated by a first stimulation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY
    Inventors: Susumu Tachi, Masashi Nakatani, Katsunari Sato, Kouta Minamizawa, Hiroyuki Kajimoto
  • Publication number: 20190336064
    Abstract: A controller controls a temperature sensation provider that provides temperature sensations to an object contacting a contact surface of the temperature sensation provider. The controller includes a database including control information that associates values of a temperature of the contact surface with values of a controlled variable of the temperature sensation provider for each of the temperature sensations, and a temperature controller that controls the temperature sensation provider based on a measured temperature of the contact surface, a temperature sensation to be provided, and the control information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kunio SATO, Toshihiko SAITO, Hajime SHIKATA, Katsunari SATO
  • Publication number: 20190317535
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a thermal sensation providing device that provides a thermal sensation to an object coming in contact with a virtual material includes a database configured to store first information indicative of a relationship between a type of virtual material and a speed of a temperature change during a first period that starts at a commencement of providing the thermal sensation and that ends at a lapse of a first time length from the commencement, and a temperature control unit configured to control a temperature provided by the thermal sensation providing device during the first period based on the first information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Kunio SATO, Toshihiko SAITO, Hajime SHIKATA, Katsunari SATO
  • Publication number: 20190278374
    Abstract: A tactile sensation presenting device includes a vibrating element configured to present vibration information, a heater configured to present heat information, and a first heat insulating member disposed between the vibrating element and the heater. The heater is provided above the vibrating element and is provided at a contacting region which can be touched by an operating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Kunio SATO, Daisuke TAKAI, Yuzuru KAWANA, Katsunari SATO
  • Publication number: 20190279473
    Abstract: A tactile sensation providing apparatus includes a contact region to be touched by an operating body, a thermal sensation providing element that is disposed in the contact region and provides at least cold sensation information, and a warm sensation providing element that is disposed in the contact region and provides warm sensation information. The warm sensation providing element is disposed at least in regions that sandwich the thermal sensation providing element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Kunio SATO, Daisuke TAKAI, Yuzuru KAWANA, Katsunari SATO
  • Publication number: 20190265829
    Abstract: A tactile sensation providing apparatus includes at least one thermal sensation providing element configured to provide a thermal sensation, a vibrating element configured to provide a vibration sensation by causing the at least one thermal sensation providing element to vibrate, a tactile sensation providing region that includes the at least one thermal sensation providing element and in which the thermal sensation is provided to a body part together with the vibration sensation, and a first temperature detector disposed in the tactile sensation providing region and configured to detect a temperature of the body part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Kunio SATO, Daisuke TAKAI, Yuzuru KAWANA, Katsunari SATO
  • Publication number: 20190064927
    Abstract: The purpose is to provide a tactile information conversion device, a tactile information conversion method, and a tactile information conversion program, which are usable for general purposes by presenting or sensing an arbitrary tactile feeling. In order to provide tactile information to an output unit capable of outputting physical quantities including electricity, force, temperature, vibration, and/or time and space, at least two or more of the physical quantities are selected according to a tactile feeling to be presented, tactile information for presenting the predetermined tactile feeling is generated based on the physical quantities that have been selected, and the tactile information that has been generated is output to the output unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Susumu TACHI, Masashi NAKATANI, Katsunari SATO, Kouta MINAMIZAWA, Hiroyuki KAJIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190043322
    Abstract: The purpose is to provide a device, method and program for tactile information conversion, and an element arrangement structure for presenting a plurality of types of stimuli that are capable of presenting a plurality of types of stimuli at one point in a concentrated manner from different points. One of the features is to determine a first stimulation point at which a first type of tactile stimulus is generated or generate the first type of tactile stimulus at the first stimulation point via the output unit and output tactile information for generating a second type of tactile stimulus via the output unit to the output unit at a second stimulation point separated within a temporally and/or spatially predetermined threshold value from the first stimulation point of the first type of tactile stimulus that has been determined or generated by a first stimulation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Susumu TACHI, Masashi NAKATANI, Katsunari SATO, Kouta MINAMIZAWA, Hiroyuki KAJIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9483923
    Abstract: A tactile sense presentation device is provided which is simple in structure, and is able to give a real tactile sense to a human body by causing electrical stimulation to effectively act thereon, while holding original human tactile sense. The electric tactile sense presentation device includes an electrode substrate adapted to be worn on a human body so as to be in contact with a skin, and a multitude of electrodes formed on a contact surface of the electrode substrate for contact with the skin to present a tactile sense by means of electrical stimulation, wherein the electrode substrate is composed of a flexible circuit body which is flexible to enable a portion thereof in contact with a real object to flexibly deform so as to conform to deformation of the skin, and it is configured such that electrical stimulation by the electrodes is superimposed on the tactile sense of a human being, while maintaining the human tactile sense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Nippon Mektron, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Ozaki, Shingo Muromoto, Taisuke Kimura, Susumu Tachi, Kouta Minamizawa, Katsunari Sato
  • Publication number: 20150339899
    Abstract: A tactile sense presentation device is provided which is simple in structure, and is able to give a real tactile sense to a human body by causing electrical stimulation to effectively act thereon, while holding original human tactile sense. The electric tactile sense presentation device includes an electrode substrate adapted to be worn on a human body so as to be in contact with a skin, and a multitude of electrodes formed on a contact surface of the electrode substrate for contact with the skin to present a tactile sense by means of electrical stimulation, wherein the electrode substrate is composed of a flexible circuit body which is flexible to enable a portion thereof in contact with a real object to flexibly deform so as to conform to deformation of the skin, and it is configured such that electrical stimulation by the electrodes is superimposed on the tactile sense of a human being, while maintaining the human tactile sense.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuyuki OZAKI, Shingo MUROMOTO, Taisuke KIMURA, Susumu TACHI, Kouta MINAMIZAWA, Katsunari SATO
  • Patent number: 8411222
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device and a video display device using the same, for suppressing light unevenness at the end of a display region, the video display device is provided with a liquid crystal display device and a housing configured to support the liquid crystal display device, wherein the liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel, a first frame and a liquid crystal support member which interpose the liquid crystal panel therebetween, a light guide plate which is disposed at the liquid crystal support member on a side opposite to a side where the liquid crystal panel is disposed, and a light source which is disposed at a side surface of the light guide plate, and wherein a cushion member is disposed between the liquid crystal support member and the light guide plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitoyo Konno, Hiroshi Sasaki, Katsunari Sato
  • Patent number: 8350989
    Abstract: Each of plural light source units is formed by combining a light source formed of plural light emitting elements mounted on a wiring substrate with a light guide plate having a side surface serving as a light incident surface. The wiring substrate is attached to the chassis such that the light output surface of the light emitting element is perpendicular to the light emitting element mount surface of the wiring substrate. The wiring patterns each with the larger width than that of the electrode are formed on both upper and back surfaces of the substrate at the portion to which the power feeding electrode of the light emitting element is soldered. They are connected via the through holes which are arranged in plural rows around the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Ohashi, Yoshiharu Yamashita, Katsunari Sato