Patents by Inventor Kimiyasu Satoh

Kimiyasu Satoh 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: 7800590
    Abstract: An input apparatus causes the user to feel a force sense as a feedback from an operation surface that he or she has pressed. When the input apparatus is in the standby state for the user to press the operation surface, a drive voltage is not supplied to a piezoelectric actuator. When the operation surface is pressed at timing T401, the drive voltage is gradually increased. At this point, as the piezoelectric actuator is curved, the operation surface is gradually raised. After predetermined period T1 has elapsed, at timing T402, the piezoelectric actuator is quickly curved in the reverse direction. At timing T403, the operation surface is deformed to the lowest position. This position of the operation surface is kept until the operation surface has been pressed at T404. When period T1 is sufficiently larger than period T2, immediately after the operation surface is pressed, it is deformed. Thereafter, since the operation surface is deformed in the reverse direction, the user can feel a strong force sense.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kimiyasu Satoh, Hiroyuki Inokawa
  • Patent number: 7701445
    Abstract: A pair of through-holes 41a and 41b having the same shape are formed and aligned in a flexible board 4 on which a wiring pattern 42 is formed. A piezoelectric actuator 3 made of a piezoelectric bi-morph device is inserted into the first through-hole 41a and then into the second through-hole 41b from the opposite surface side. As a result, both the ends in the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric actuator 3 contact the same surface of the flexible board 4. The flexible board 4 is disposed so that it contacts a touch sensor portion except for a part of the flexible board 4. Thus, a high performance force sense feedback function caused by the panel that deforms corresponding to an input operation can be accomplished at low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Inokawa, Kimiyasu Satoh
  • Publication number: 20060050059
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an input apparatus that causes the user to feel a force sense as a feedback from an operation surface that he or she has pressed. When the input apparatus is in the standby state for the user to press the operation surface, a drive voltage is not supplied to a piezoelectric actuator. When the operation surface is pressed at timing T401, the drive voltage is gradually increased. At this point, as the piezoelectric actuator is curved, the operation surface is gradually raised. After predetermined period T1 has elapsed, at timing T402, the piezoelectric actuator is quickly curved in the reverse direction. At timing T403, the operation surface is deformed to the lowest position. This position of the operation surface is kept until the operation surface has been pressed at T404. When period T1 is sufficiently larger than period T2, immediately after the operation surface is pressed, it is deformed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventors: Kimiyasu Satoh, Hiroyuki Inokawa
  • Publication number: 20050253643
    Abstract: A pair of through-holes 41a and 41b having the same shape are formed and aligned in a flexible board 4 on which a wiring pattern 42 is formed. A piezoelectric actuator 3 made of a piezoelectric bi-morph device is inserted into the first through-hole 41a and then into the second through-hole 41b from the opposite surface side. As a result, both the ends in the longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric actuator 3 contact the same surface of the flexible board 4. The flexible board 4 is disposed so that it contacts a touch sensor portion except for a part of the flexible board 4. Thus, a high performance force sense feedback function caused by the panel that deforms corresponding to an input operation can be accomplished at low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Inokawa, Kimiyasu Satoh
  • Patent number: 6804827
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel transmission system suitable for a digital broadcasting system that broadcasts television programs of many channels. Specifically, a selected one of television programs of a plurality of channels is supplied to an AV adjusting device. At this time, the selected television program is supplied to a monitor to allow recognition of its adjustment state. Since video signals and audio signals of television programs supplied from respective program supplying companies and program producing companies have different characteristics, they need to be adjusted to have common characteristics. Adjusted television programs and unselected television programs are supplied to a multiplexing section via routers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Furukawa, Takashi Hirasawa, Kimiyasu Satoh, Michio Mita, Katsuhito Tsujimura, Yasushi Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 6351258
    Abstract: The present invention switches an input/output route for each signal, even if types of signals are increased, without installing additional switchers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kimiyasu Satoh
  • Patent number: 6031834
    Abstract: According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a signal switching apparatus for reducing cross point identification name data stored in a memory required to generate switching control data according to a combination of a selected destination operating switch and a selected source operating switch so that a memory capacity of the memory can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Michio Mita, Kimiyasu Satoh
  • Patent number: 5557300
    Abstract: A display apparatus for use with a system for routing at least one type of signal between a desired source device and a desired destination device. The display apparatus includes a panel having a plurality of buttons mounted thereon. Each of the buttons respectively represents the type(s) of signal(s), the available source device(s) and the available destination device(s). The type(s) of signal(s) may be selected by a terminal device included in the system and the source and destination devices may be selected by activating the respective button. Each of the buttons contains a plurality of luminous elements each adapted to emit light of a respective color. As a result, the type(s) of signal(s), the source device(s) and the destination device(s) represented by the buttons and selected ones thereof may be readily identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kimiyasu Satoh