Patents by Inventor Katsutoshi Sakao

Katsutoshi Sakao 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: 20080046341
    Abstract: A business management method, a business management apparatus and a data broadcast delivery method are disclosed which allows contents to be broadcast over an unused bandwidth in satellite broadcasting so that the contents are stored and later reproduced as needed for quick access to a desired destination recorded in the contents. A data broadcast is assigned to an unused broadcast bandwidth over a broadcast band for transmitting programs in satellite broadcasting. The data broadcast over the unused bandwidth are stored onto a storage medium in a TV set. The stored data contents are sorted out by category for selective viewing by operation of the TV set. If the selected content offers e-commerce, a virtual shop handing desired offerings is accessed as per the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Hisamatsu, Takamichi Mitsuhashi, Tadashi Saito, Katsutoshi Sakao
  • Patent number: 7257233
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method which are high in user-friendliness and entertainment and enhanced in convenience in viewing broadcast programs. Through a modem (40), program guide data are obtained from a server arranged on the Internet, the obtained program guide data are stored in an EPG memory, and viewing log data for a selected broadcast program are stored in a viewing log memory (35). On the basis of the viewing log data and the program attribute of the program guide data, the viewing period of time for each program attribute is summarized and, on the basis of the summarized data, each character image formed by the image data stored in a character data memory is altered in accordance with user's liking in viewing broadcast programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Kimata, Katsutoshi Sakao, Yasunori Matsui
  • Patent number: 7188068
    Abstract: An integrated receiver decoder (IRD) includes a receiver and an MPEG audio decoder for receiving and decoding a compressed digital broadcast signal. A first output terminal connects to a bi-directional data communication line according to a first digital interface standard to provide the received digital signal to an external device. A second output terminal connects to a one-way data communication line according to a different digital interface standard to provide audio data decoded from the received digital signal to the external device. A controller controls the IRD to output the digital signal or the decoded digital audio data according to the connection state of the external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakao, Tadaharu Koga
  • Publication number: 20060206917
    Abstract: The present invention propose an broadcast reception system, wherein a program reception control apparatus is connected to Internet via a network interface to which a terminal apparatus carrying by a user. The broadcast received at an antenna is selected by a tuner, A/D converted, compressed at a compression unit, and encrypted at an encryption unit. The encrypted data from the encryption unit changed to packets at packet creation unit, and transmitted to the terminal apparatus via the network interface. A User is able to view the program in real time before the end of the broadcast for the program by successively creating data based on the received data, and transmitting them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi, Shinji Okazaki, Katsutoshi Sakao
  • Publication number: 20060206915
    Abstract: The present invention propose an broadcast reception system, wherein a program reception control apparatus is connected to Internet via a network interface to which a terminal apparatus carrying by a user. The broadcast received at an antenna is selected by a tuner, A/D converted, compressed at a compression unit, and encrypted at an encryption unit. The encrypted data from the encryption unit changed to packets at packet creation unit, and transmitted to the terminal apparatus via the network interface. A User is able to view the program in real time before the end of the broadcast for the program by successively creating data based on the received data, and transmitting them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi, Shinji Okazaki, Katsutoshi Sakao
  • Publication number: 20060206916
    Abstract: The present invention propose an broadcast reception system, wherein a program reception control apparatus is connected to Internet via a network interface to which a terminal apparatus carrying by a user. The broadcast received at antenna is selected by a tuner, A/D converted, compressed at a compression unit, and encrypted at an encryption unit. The encrypted data from the encryption unit changed to packets at packet creation unit, and transmitted to the terminal apparatus via the network interface. A User is able to view the program in real time before the end of the broadcast for the program by successively creating data based on the received data, and transmitting them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi, Shinji Okazaki, Katsutoshi Sakao
  • Publication number: 20060190971
    Abstract: In an information-processing system shown in FIG. 1, a server (106) for delivering remote-operation control information in accordance with an audio/video instrument (110) and an information-processing apparatus (103) with a remote-operation screen display function for remote-controlling the audio/video instrument (110) based on control information acquired from this server (106) are connected to each other through the Internet (105) etc. The information-processing apparatus (103) makes a request to the server (106) to deliver the remote-operation control information in accordance with this audio/video instrument (110) and, based on the control information delivered from the server (106) owing to this delivery request, performs display processing of a remote-operation screen and, based on remote-operation information input by operations on the remote-operation screen, remote-controls the audio/video instrument (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakao, Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi
  • Publication number: 20060184974
    Abstract: In an information-processing system shown in FIG. 1, a server (106) for delivering remote-operation control information in accordance with an audio/video instrument (110) and an information-processing apparatus (103) with a remote-operation screen display function for remote-controlling the audio/video instrument (110) based on control information acquired from this server (106) are connected to each other through the Internet (105) etc. The information-processing apparatus (103) makes a request to the server (106) to deliver the remote-operation control information in accordance with this audio/video instrument (110) and, based on the control information delivered from the server (106) owing to this delivery request, performs display processing of a remote-operation screen and, based on remote-operation information input by operations on the remote-operation screen, remote-controls the audio/video instrument (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakao, Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi
  • Publication number: 20060123446
    Abstract: A restarter is capable of recovering from a hung base unit from a remote location. The restarter includes a communication controller circuit connected to a network to receive a control command transmitted from a terminal unit; a detection circuit for achieving control command detection when a first control command is received by the communication controller circuit; and a switch which is subjected to on/off control exercised according to a detection output from the detection circuit. The switch is serially connected to a power supply line between a power input end of the base unit and a power supply end of the base unit. When a first control command is transmitted from the terminal unit, the switch is controlled during a predetermined period so that the status of the switch changes from ON to OFF and then back to ON in accordance with the detection output from the detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Sakao
  • Publication number: 20060105765
    Abstract: A wireless communication terminal is disclosed which has mass data such as stream data delivered thereto efficiently over a wireless communication network so that the overall utilization efficiency of the network is improved as well. While a wireless communication terminal (100) is receiving stream data for its use, a main controller (120) checks a radio wave reception level LB coming from a receiver unit (103) in the terminal. If the reception level is found to drop below a predetermined level, the main controller (100) causes a frequency synthesizer (105) to control reception frequencies fed to the receiver unit (103) so as to receive radio waves from a plurality of base stations in the vicinity. A search is thus made for a base station which offers a radio wave reception level higher than the predetermined level and which is delivering the stream data in question, and that base station is selected preferentially.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2003
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunori Matsui, Katsutoshi Sakao, Hirokatsu Kimata
  • Publication number: 20050240660
    Abstract: In an information-processing system shown in FIG. 1, a server (106) for delivering remote-operation control information in accordance with an audio/video instrument (110) and an information-processing apparatus (103) with a remote-operation screen display function for remote-controlling the audio/video instrument (110) based on control information acquired from this server (106) are connected to each other through the Internet (105) etc. The information-processing apparatus (103) makes a request to the server (106) to deliver the remote-operation control information in accordance with this audio/video instrument (110) and, based on the control information delivered from the server (106) owing to this delivery request, performs display processing of a remote-operation screen and, based on remote-operation information input by operations on the remote-operation screen, remote-controls the audio/video instrument (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakao, Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi
  • Publication number: 20050210527
    Abstract: A data transmission device transmits a data broadcast using a narrow unused broadcasting band in a digital broadcast, and to record the data broadcast, which has been received, on a receiving side so that the receiving side can play back the data broadcast after a data stream is totally recorded. The transmission device generates a first data stream, which is recorded on a recording medium on a receiving side, and a second data stream including audio and video data, which is transmitted as a broadcasting program. The transmission device multiplexes the first and the second data streams and then transmits the multiplexed data stream. The transmission of the multiplexed data stream is controlled so that a transmission rate for the multiplexed data stream does not exceed the maximum transmission rate, and so that a transmission rate for the first data stream becomes lower than that for the second data stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Inventors: Ryuichiro Hisamatsu, Takamichi Mitsuhashi, Tadashi Saito, Katsutoshi Sakao, Yasuhisa Nakajima, Hiroshige Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20050210238
    Abstract: An information transmitting/receiving system is disclosed which includes a base station apparatus and a monitor apparatus, the system being arranged to let the base station apparatus offer more content information to the monitor apparatus than before. On receiving a content transmission request, the base station apparatus performs an authenticating process using monitor apparatus registration information in order to send content information only to the registered monitor apparatus authorized to receive the content information. The monitor apparatus may register with a plurality of units of the base station apparatus. When the monitor apparatus selects any one of the multiple units of the base station apparatus to request transmission of content information therefrom, the selected base station unit transmits the requested content information to the requesting monitor apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: September 22, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Taro Takita, Satoru Maeda, Katsutoshi Sakao, Mariko Nakada
  • Publication number: 20050165918
    Abstract: This invention relates to a network control verification system, a control communication terminal, a server apparatus, and a network control verification method whereby a user away from a recording apparatus is notified of information such as whether the recording apparatus has completed unattended recording of a broadcast program as reserved. Specifically, a recording/reproducing apparatus 4 records a broadcast program to a recording medium in accordance with unattended recording reservation settings. The apparatus 4 extracts one picture frame from the pictures recorded on the recording medium and turns the extracted frame into a thumbnail image. The recording/reproducing apparatus 4 then transmits an e-mail including a recording start date, a recording start time, a recording stop time, a broadcast channel, and a recording mode regarding the recorded broadcast program to a mobile phone 53 together with an attachment of the thumbnail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Publication date: July 28, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Wantanabe, Takashi Kitajima, Katsutoshi Sakao, Yasunori Matsui, Hirokatsu Kimata, Satoru Maeda
  • Publication number: 20050143128
    Abstract: The communication card has a communication circuit for receiving digital data that has been sent as a streaming broadcast through a network and a decoder for decoding the digital data received by the communication circuit to convert it into data having a format that can be reproduced in a streaming player that the personal computer has. The card also has a connector for connecting the card into a connector in a card slot of the personal computer. The card has an interface for interfacing the card and the personal computer to supply the digital data output by the decoder to the connector of the card. Thus, the personal computer reproduces information by the digital data sent as a streaming broadcast through the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakao, Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi, Shinji Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20050034169
    Abstract: The present invention propose an broadcast reception system, wherein a program reception control apparatus is connected to Internet via a network interface to which a terminal apparatus carrying by a user. The broadcast received at an antenna is selected by a tuner, A/D converted, compressed at a compression unit, and encrypted at an encryption unit. The encrypted data from the encryption unit changed to packets at packet creation unit, and transmitted to the terminal apparatus via the network interface. A User is able to view the program in real time before the end of the broadcast for the program by successively creating data based on the received data, and transmitting them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Manabu Onishi, Shinji Okazaki, Katsutoshi Sakao
  • Publication number: 20050005292
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming method which are high in user-friendliness and entertainment and enhanced in convenience in viewing broadcast programs. Through a modem (40), program guide data are obtained from a server arranged on the Internet, the obtained program guide data are stored in an EPG memory, and viewing log data for a selected broadcast program are stored in a viewing log memory (35). On the basis of the viewing log data and the program attribute of the program guide data, the viewing period of time for each program attribute is summarized and, on the basis of the summarized data, each character image formed by the image data stored in a character data memory is altered in accordance with user's liking in viewing broadcast programs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Kimata, Katsutoshi Sakao, Yasunori Matsui
  • Patent number: 6778935
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system composed of a monitor unit including a display and being driven by a battery and a base unit for transmitting image information to the monitor unit, which system is capable of charging the battery for driving the monitor unit without the need of provision of any special charging unit. The monitor unit has a configuration that a battery is mounted on a back surface portion and a stand is contained in the back surface portion, and also a groove portion is formed in a bottom surface and a charge terminal is provided in the groove portion. The base unit has a configuration that a holding rail is formed in a lower portion of a front surface portion and a charge terminal is provided on the holding rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Tomoya Oguni, Katsutoshi Sakao, Kiyotada Yokogi, Noriyuki Uchiumi
  • Publication number: 20040148626
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus with improved operatability. With the information processing apparatus in which the user is capable of watching a television program and connecting to the Internet, the index panel 1 shows channel buttons 2 to be operated to select a desired program, a site button 71 to be operated to make an access to site A available on the Internet and a site button 72 to be operated to make an access to site B on the Internet. The present invention allows the user to watch a television program and can be applied to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, which can be connected to the Internet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Sakao, Nobutaka Tani, Satoru Maeda
  • Publication number: 20030004690
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system composed of a monitor unit including a display and being driven by a battery and a base unit for transmitting image information to the monitor unit, which system is capable of charging the battery for driving the monitor unit without the need of provision of any special charging unit The monitor unit has a configuration that a battery is mounted on a back surface portion and a stand is contained in the back surface portion, and also a groove portion is formed in a bottom surface and a charge terminal is provided in the groove portion. The base unit has a configuration that a holding rail is formed in a lower portion of a front surface portion and a charge terminal is provided on the holding rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: January 2, 2003
    Inventors: Satoru Maeda, Tomoya Oguni, Katsutoshi Sakao, Kiyotada Yokogi, Noriyuki Uchiumi