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).

  • Patent number: 10598863
    Abstract: A laser hazard at the time of non-connection can be prevented with a simple structure. A cylindrical connector exterior, and a block that is incorporated in one end side of the connector exterior and in which a light emitting portion or a light incident portion is mounted toward another end side are included. The light emitting portion or the light incident portion is mounted on the block such that an optical axis direction of the light emitting portion or the light incident portion is inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the connector exterior. For example, the connector exterior has a length at which at least a part of light emitted from the light emitting portion can be emitted to an inner side (inner wall) of the connector exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto, Ryohei Takahashi, Hiroshi Morita
  • Publication number: 20200088954
    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: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Applicant: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakama, Shigeo Takahashi, Hirotaka Asada, Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto, Ryohei Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10539755
    Abstract: There is provided a method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising starting control of emission of laser light from at least one light-emitting part of a receptacle, wherein the at least one light-emitting part comprises an optical member and a lens associated with the optical member, the start of the control of the emission of the laser light is based on a flow of current from a partner side electronic device to at least two electrical contacts of the receptacle and detection of a connection of a cable to the receptacle, and the at least one light-emitting part emits the laser light to communicate with the partner side electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Suzuki, Gen Ichimura, Hideyuki Suzuki, Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10502902
    Abstract: An optical communication connector, an optical communication cable, and an electronic device 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. There is provided an optical communication connector device that includes 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: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto, Ryohei Takahashi, Satoshi Muto, Tatsushi Nashida, Shinpei Hirano, Naofumi Yoneda
  • Patent number: 10477269
    Abstract: To make it possible to apply optimal decoding processing to an encoded stream including a plurality of pieces of encoded data having degree-of-priority information. An encoded stream including a plurality of pieces of encoded data having degree-of-priority information is acquired. Whether or not a decoding ability of a reception side is equal to or greater than a decoding ability of the own side is determined on the basis of decoding ability information of the reception side indicating to what number of degree of priority decoding can be performed. In a case where the decoding ability of the reception side is equal to or greater than the decoding ability of the own side, an encoded stream is transmitted. On the contrary, in a case where the decoding ability of the reception side is less than the decoding ability of the own side, a decoded stream including decoded data generated by subjecting the encoded stream to decoding processing is transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura, Satoshi Miyazaki
  • Publication number: 20190339061
    Abstract: An optical axis or a diameter of light of even a light beam having a non-uniform intensity distribution is stably obtained. An outer shape of a range of a light intensity having a specified ratio with respect to a total light intensity on a cross-section of a light beam is obtained. An approximate circle is obtained from this outer shape. For example, the approximate circle is calculated by using the least-squares method. An optical axis and/or a diameter of light of the light beam is obtained on the basis of this approximate circle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: HIROSHI MORITA, KAZUAKI TOBA, MASANARI YAMAMOTO, KENJIRO UEDA, RYOHEI TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 10452120
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a communication device, an information processing device, and a communication method. [Solution] A communication device including: a detector configured to detect an optical signal and convert the optical signal to an electric signal; a data processing unit configured to process the electric signal converted by the detector to acquire data; and a controller configured to control an operating state including a standby state in which the data processing unit is deactivated to reduce power consumption and an active state in which the data processing unit is capable of executing acquisition of the data on a basis of the optical signal detected by the detector, in which the detector detects the optical signal in the standby state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryohei Takahashi, Kazuaki Toba, Toshihisa Hyakudai, Hiroshi Morita
  • Patent number: 10440424
    Abstract: Connection with an apparatus with a lower standard is easily performed. A digital signal to which coding has been performed is transmitted to an external device by a differential signal through a plurality of channels via a transmission path. In this case, a digital signal to which first coding has been performed and from which clock extraction is not available is transmitted through a part of the plurality of channels, and a digital signal to which second coding has been performed and from which clock extraction is available is transmitted through the other channels of the plurality of channels. A reception side processes the digital signal received through the plurality of channels on the basis of the clock extracted from the digital signal received through any one of other channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuaki Toba
  • Publication number: 20190265420
    Abstract: Laser hazard at disconnection can be prevented with a simple structure. A tubular connector exterior, and a block that is incorporated on one end side of the connector exterior and on which a light emission portion or a light incident portion is mounted toward the other end side are provided. The light emission portion or the light incident portion is mounted on the block so that the optical axis direction thereof is tilted relative to the longitudinal direction of the connector exterior. The light emission portion is a lens through which light output from a light transmission path is collimated and emitted. At least part of the collimated light emitted through the lens is incident on a light diffusion portion provided inside the connector exterior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: KAZUAKI TOBA, MASANARI YAMAMOTO, RYOHEI TAKAHASHI, HIROSHI MORITA
  • Patent number: 10386905
    Abstract: To extend an interface function. Provided is an electronic apparatus including: a receptacle configured to connect to a plug of a cable for connecting the electronic apparatus to an external apparatus. The receptacle includes a first power supply terminal, and a second power supply terminal having a greater current capacity than a current capacity of the first power supply terminal. For example, in the receptacle, the first power supply terminal is provided on a surface of a flat plate having a predetermined thickness, extends in a direction in which the plug is inserted, and has a first width, and the second power supply terminal is provided on an end surface of the flat plate, extends in the direction in which the plug is inserted, and has a width greater than the first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuaki Toba
  • Patent number: 10317631
    Abstract: [Object] To have excellent maintenance properties and restrain parallel light (collimated light) from being directly emitted to the outside of an optical connector during non-optical coupling. [Solution] An optical communication connector according to the present disclosure includes: a collimating lens configured to collimate light from an optical transmission path; and a diffusion section arranged on a leading end side with respect to the collimating lens, and configured to diffuse the light from the optical transmission path output from the collimating lens. According to this configuration, in the optical communication in which insertion and removal are frequently performed, it is possible to achieve their safety during non-fitting at the same time while having an advantage because of a collimating signal since light from an optical transmission path is diffused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto, Satoshi Muto, Takeo Arai, Tatsushi Nashida, Shinpei Hirano, Naofumi Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20190162909
    Abstract: A laser hazard at the time of non-connection can be prevented with a simple structure. A cylindrical connector exterior, and a block that is incorporated in one end side of the connector exterior and in which a light emitting portion or a light incident portion is mounted toward another end side are included. The light emitting portion or the light incident portion is mounted on the block such that an optical axis direction of the light emitting portion or the light incident portion is inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of the connector exterior. For example, the connector exterior has a length at which at least a part of light emitted from the light emitting portion can be emitted to an inner side (inner wall) of the connector exterior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki TOBA, Masanari YAMAMOTO, Ryohei TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi MORITA
  • Publication number: 20190165919
    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: January 16, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: KAZUAKI TOBA, GEN ICHIMURA
  • Patent number: 10291948
    Abstract: It is made possible to easily acquire and use various kinds of information of each HDMI device in an HDMI cluster. A database in which at least an HDMI CEC logical address, an HDMI CEC physical address, and acquisition destination information for acquiring unique information are registered for each HDMI device in an HDMI cluster is included. A processing unit performs processing using this database. For example, the processing unit transmits the database to an external device. Also, for example, the processing unit displays an HDMI device in an HDMI cluster, a connection status thereof, and unique information of each HDMI device on the basis of this database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Miyazaki, Gen Ichimura, Kazuaki Toba
  • Patent number: 10255875
    Abstract: Transmission of a high-definition video signal or the like that requires a wide transmission band is realized. A video signal is divided by frames to generate divisional video signals, and the respective divisional video signals are transmitted to an external device via transmission channels independent of one another Transmission of a high-definition video signal or the like that requires a wider transmission band than the transmission band of one transmission channel can be realized in a preferred manner. For each frame, first information indicating the existence of the other divisional video signal to be combined therewith and second information for establishing synchronization with the other divisional video signal to be combined therewith are added to the divisional video signals to be transmitted by a data transmitting unit. In the external device, a reception video signal can be easily obtained by arranging the divisional video signals in the frame order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura
  • Publication number: 20190094479
    Abstract: There is provided a cable including at least one optical fiber cable, at least two electrical cables provided so as to sandwich the optical fiber cable, and plugs positioned at both ends and each having an electrical contact part connected to each of the electrical cables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: KAZUYOSHI SUZUKI, GEN ICHIMURA, HIDEYUKI SUZUKI, KAZUAKI TOBA, MASANARI YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10222567
    Abstract: There is provided an electronic device including: a receptacle comprising at least two electrical contacts and a plurality of a light-emitting parts configured to emit laser light for performing communication by light to a sink device; and a light emission control part configured to control emission of laser light from the plurality of light-emitting parts, wherein the light emission control parts starts control of the emission of the laser light from the plurality of light-emitting parts by a current when a cable is connected to the receptacle and the current flow to the electrical contacts from the sink device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Suzuki, Gen Ichimura, Hideyuki Suzuki, Kazuaki Toba, Masanari Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10218488
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Gen Ichimura
  • Publication number: 20190014285
    Abstract: This technology is to enable high quality audio reproduction on the reception side without supplying a transmission clock using a clock signal line from the reception side to the transmission side. The transmission apparatus receives encoded data capable of clock recovery from a reception apparatus (external device), generates an audio clock on the basis of a carrier clock recovered from the encoded data, and transmits audio data to the reception apparatus in synchronization with the audio clock. The reception apparatus transmits the encoded data capable of clock recovery to the external device in synchronization with the carrier clock generated on the basis of an self-generating audio clock, receives the audio data from the transmission apparatus (external device), and processes the audio data on the basis of the self-generating audio clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki TOBA, Toshihisa HYAKUDAI
  • Patent number: D839202
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuaki Toba