Patents by Inventor Kazuaki Toba

Kazuaki Toba 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: 20210103107
    Abstract: A lock mechanism of an optical connector suited for practical use and having robustness is provided. A first optical connector, a second optical connector, a first lock member, and a second lock member are equipped. The first optical connector is attached to an electronic device, and corresponds to a so-called receptacle. The second optical connector is attached to an end portion of an optical cable, is fittable to the first optical connector, and corresponds to a so-called plug. The first lock member is attached to the electronic device at a position corresponding to the first optical connector in such a manner as not to prevent fitting of the second optical connector to the first optical connector. The second lock member is attached to the optical cable at a position corresponding to the second optical connector in such a manner as not to prevent fitting of the second optical connector to the first optical connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Inventors: MASANARI YAMAMOTO, KAZUAKI TOBA, RYOHEI TAKAHASHI, SHINPEI HIRANO, YOSHITAKA SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20210082601
    Abstract: It is made possible to perform data transmission through a cable satisfactorily. A cable is connected between first electronic equipment and second electronic equipment. The cable includes a current consumption unit that receives supply of current from the first electronic equipment through a power supply line, a current monitor unit that observes a current amount the first electronic equipment is capable of supplying to the power supply line, and an information transmission unit that transmits control information according to the observed current amount to the first electronic equipment. The first electronic equipment controls the state of data to be supplied to the cable, on the basis of the control information transmitted thereto from the cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi MORITA, Kazuaki Toba, Kazuo YAMAMOTO, Masanari YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210072470
    Abstract: [Abstract] [Object] To provide a connector, a connector set, a cable, and an electronic apparatus that prevent light from an optical transmission path from being directly emitted to the outside of an optical connector during non-optical coupling. [Solving Means] A connector includes an optical component and a movable member. The optical component emits light. Light from the optical component is incident upon the movable member and the movable member is movable between a first state taken during non-fitting to a counterpart connector and a second state taken during fitting to the counterpart connector. Incident light incident upon the movable member from the optical component is, in the first state, attenuated and emitted to an outside such that power of the light is lower than power of the light when the movable member is held in the second state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: HIROSHI MORITA, KAZUAKI TOBA, MASANARI YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10917603
    Abstract: Bidirectional transmission is performed by switching transmission directions of a serial transmission path. A transmission system includes the first device that includes a transmission circuit which performs transmission to the second device through the transmission path, and a transmission direction reversal control unit which opens the transmission path after making a request for reversal of a transmission direction in the transmission path to the second device, and reverses the transmission direction at the transmission circuit in response to permission for reversal from the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura
  • Patent number: 10897243
    Abstract: A transmission device is enabled to satisfactorily detecting whether or not a reception device is in the operating state even in a case where an element that adjusts signal quality is interposed in a data line. A cable is connected between the transmission device and the reception device. The element that adjusts signal quality is interposed in the data line. A detection unit detects that the reception device is in the operating state. An information supply unit supplies detection information to the transmission device through a predetermined line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Morita, Kazuaki Toba, Kazuo Yamamoto, Masanari Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20200412514
    Abstract: A signal is transmitted at a high speed in a direction opposite to a transmitting direction of a main large-capacity channel. A first transmitting unit transmits a first signal including a clock component to an external device through a transmission path as a differential signal. A second transmitting unit superimposes a second signal including a clock component on the transmission path as an in-phase signal to transmit to the external device. A state notifying unit communicates with the external device through a pair of differential transmission paths included in the transmission path and notifies the external device of a connection state of its own device by a DC bias potential of at least one of the pair of differential transmission paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: KAZUAKI TOBA, GEN ICHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200374580
    Abstract: In a case where a main stream and a control signal are transmitted in parallel between two devices, transmission of the main stream is continued without interruption of the transmission of the main stream even in a case where communication quality of the control signal is deteriorated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: KAZUAKI TOBA, MASANARI YAMAMOTO, HIROSHI MORITA
  • Patent number: 10805057
    Abstract: Provided is an interface circuit that includes a circuitry that extracts a first signal, including a clock component, from a differential signal received from an external device through a transmission path. The circuitry extracts a second signal, including a clock component, from an in-phase signal received from the external device. The circuitry communicates with the external device through a pair of differential transmission paths included in the transmission path. The circuitry is notified by the external device of a connection state of the external device by a DC bias potential of at least one of the pair of differential transmission paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura
  • Publication number: 20200322692
    Abstract: It is possible to preferably transmit a command received from an external network to a corresponding device in an internal network. A command transmitted from a device on a first network is received. Transmitter information and receiver information are added to the received command, and the command is sent to a command transmission path of a second network. The transmitter information added to the command is rewritten from information regarding a proxy device to information regarding a device capable of transmitting the command when the proxy device is a device incapable of transmitting the received command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: SATOSHI MIYAZAKI, GEN ICHIMURA, KAZUAKI TOBA, KAZUO YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10791349
    Abstract: Provided is a frame generation apparatus including an image division section that divides a video signal into high-order bits and low-order bits for each pixel element, a frame generation section that generates a first frame including the high-order bits and a second frame including the low-order bits and a transmission operation control section that causes an operation of a transmission section of transmitting the second frame to a receiver to stop in a case where information regarding the receiver is prescribed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihisa Hyakudai, Kazuaki Toba
  • Publication number: 20200296475
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a first communication section, a second communication section, and a processing section. The first communication section is configured to perform communication using an IP. The second communication section is configured to perform communication using a non-IP wired interface. The processing section is configured to communicate a control command using one of the first communication section and the second communication section according to a specified condition, the first communication section being used to communicate an IP control command that is the control command using the IP, the second communication section being used to communicate a wire control command that is the control command with respect to a communication using the wired interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: SATOSHI MIYAZAKI, GEN ICHIMURA, KAZUAKI TOBA, KAZUO YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10768380
    Abstract: A ferrule that holds an end part of an optical fiber includes a fiber hole into which the optical fiber is inserted and an upper wall part and a lower wall part that define a hollow adhesive filling part, where the lower wall part faces the upper wall part. The adhesive filling part is filled with an adhesive applied between the optical fiber inserted in the fiber hole and an inner wall surface of the adhesive filling part. The upper wall part has an upper opening through which the adhesive passes into the adhesive filling part, and the lower wall part has a lower opening that ventilates the adhesive filling part to outside of the ferrule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakama, Shigeo Takahashi, Hirotaka Asada, Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto, Ryohei Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20200280757
    Abstract: A cable may be satisfactorily used that has a specific function such as a register that holds specification data and a current consumption unit such as an element for adjusting signal quality. The cable is connected between a first electronic device and a second electronic device. A determination unit determines whether or not the first electronic device is a compatible electronic device. A control unit performs control to operate in a compatible mode when the first electronic device is a compatible electronic device and operate in a non-compatible mode when the first electronic device is not a compatible electronic device on the basis of the determination result by the determination unit. Furthermore, an electronic device is connected to an external device via the cable. The determination unit determines whether or not the cable is a compatible cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: HIROSHI MORITA, KAZUAKI TOBA, KAZUO YAMAMOTO, MASANARI YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200243038
    Abstract: Damaging a device that is not compatible with a functional extension is to be avoided. A signal is transmitted to an external device through a transmission channel. A data block containing capability information indicating existence/non-existence of compatibility with an extended function is received from the external device through the transmission channel. A layer field that indicates the connection layer is provided in this data block. A check is made to determine whether all the devices existing in the path are compatible with the extended function based on the value of the layer field provided in the data block, and the contents of the transmission signal are then determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: KAZUAKI TOBA, GEN ICHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200212898
    Abstract: A transmission device is enabled to satisfactorily detecting whether or not a reception device is in the operating state even in a case where an element that adjusts signal quality is interposed in a data line. A cable is connected between the transmission device and the reception device. The element that adjusts signal quality is interposed in the data line. A detection unit detects that the reception device is in the operating state. An information supply unit supplies detection information to the transmission device through a predetermined line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: HIROSHI MORITA, KAZUAKI TOBA, KAZUO YAMAMOTO, MASANARI YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200209942
    Abstract: It is made possible to consume current without adversely affecting the others. A cable is connected between a first device and a second device. A power line that supplies a current from the first device to the second device, and a current consumption unit that receives supply of a current from the first device through the power line, are included. A detection unit that detects that the second device is in the operating state, and a control unit that cancels a stop state of current consumption of the current consumption unit in response to the detection information, are further included.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: HIROSHI MORITA, KAZUAKI TOBA, KAZUO YAMAMOTO, MASANARI YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10674132
    Abstract: A frame generation apparatus including an image division section configured to, in a case where a horizontal-direction pixel number in a video signal is set to integers of 0 to N?1 and a vertical-direction line number in the video signal is set to integers of 0 to M?1, perform an operation of dividing a pixel group included in a line of which the vertical-direction line number is 2m and a pixel group included in a line of which the vertical-direction line number is (2m+1) on a basis of color format information of the video signal, for all integers m satisfying 0?m?(M/2)?1, and thereby obtain a plurality of divided signals, and a frame generation section configured to generate a plurality of frames individually including the plurality of divided signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihisa Hyakudai, Kazuaki Toba
  • Patent number: 10657922
    Abstract: Damaging a device that is not compatible with a functional extension is to be avoided. A signal is transmitted to an external device through a transmission channel. A data block containing capability information indicating existence/non-existence of compatibility with an extended function is received from the external device through the transmission channel. A layer field that indicates the connection layer is provided in this data block. A check is made to determine whether all the devices existing in the path are compatible with the extended function based on the value of the layer field provided in the data block, and the contents of the transmission signal are then determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura
  • Publication number: 20200142639
    Abstract: A transmission apparatus is capable of accessing a register of a cable satisfactorily. An inquiry about the presence or absence of a register in a cable connected between the transmission apparatus and a reception apparatus is performed. In response to the inquiry, information indicating the presence or absence of the register is received from the cable. When the information indicates the presence of the register, the register of the cable is accessed so that acquisition of storage data or writing in the storage data is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: MASANARI YAMAMOTO, HIROSHI MORITA, KAZUAKI TOBA, KAZUO YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200110221
    Abstract: [Object] To propose an optical communication connector, an optical communication cable, and an electronic device being novel and improved that have excellent maintenance properties and can prevent parallel light (collimated light) from being directly emitted to the outside of an optical connector during non-optical coupling. [Solution] There is provided an optical communication connector device including: a collimating lens configured to collimate light from an optical transmission path; a refracting section arranged on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, and configured to refract and eject light from the optical transmission path ejected from the collimating lens; and a scattering section configured to scatter at least a part of the light ejected from the refracting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Inventors: KAZUAKI TOBA, MASANARI YAMAMOTO, RYOHEI TAKAHASHI, SATOSHI MUTO, TATSUSHI NASHIDA, SHINPEI HIRANO, NAOFUMI YONEDA