Patents by Inventor Kouichiro Takashima

Kouichiro Takashima 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: 8073138
    Abstract: An information input device is provided which is to make input of information by operating a disk-shaped rotating member. The device includes the rotating member (36) which is rotatable with one main side thereof being operated, rotation detecting means (23, 32) for detecting a rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch activator (26) provided at the center of rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch (270) which is activated by operating the central switch activator (26), and a plurality of peripheral switches (27) which are turned on when a portion, apart from the center of rotation, of the rotating member (36) is pressed. Rotating the rotating member and pressing the apart portion makes input of information, and operating the central switch activator sets the information thus entered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yasuhiro Kataoka, Hiroshi Azuma, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Tsuyoshi Uchida
  • Patent number: 8060164
    Abstract: An input device that inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body contains a housing including an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and detects a slide position inputted by a slide operation depending on the operation body, and an operation unit that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along the sliding direction from one portion of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other portion of the operation surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Seiji Muramatsu, Tsutomu Takahashi, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada, Satoshi Kushima, Yuuji Arataki, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Kazuhiko Takeda
  • Patent number: 7991149
    Abstract: An information input device is provided which is to make input of information by operating a disk-shaped rotating member. The device includes the rotating member (36) which is rotatable with one main side thereof being operated, rotation detecting means (23, 32) for detecting a rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch activator (26) provided at the center of rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch (270) which is activated by operating the central switch activator (26), and a plurality of peripheral switches (27) which are turned on when a portion, apart from the center of rotation, of the rotating member (36) is pressed. Rotating the rotating member and pressing the apart portion makes input of information, and operating the central switch activator sets the information thus entered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yasuhiro Kataoka, Hiroshi Azuma, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Tsuyoshi Uchida
  • Publication number: 20110116013
    Abstract: A liquid crystal module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel, a transparent panel member configured to include a display section constituting a display image plane while overlapping the liquid crystal panel, and a step section connected to the display section and lower than an image plane position by one step, at least one light source disposed in the step section of the transparent panel member, and a diffusion mechanism provided in a part other than the display image plane of the display section and a face opposite thereto, and diffusing light from the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
    Inventors: Motonori SANO, Kouichiro TAKASHIMA
  • Patent number: 7860237
    Abstract: An information input device is provided which is to make input of information by operating a disk-shaped rotating member. The device includes the rotating member (36) which is rotatable with one main side thereof being operated, rotation detecting means (23, 32) for detecting a rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch activator (26) provided at the center of rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch (270) which is activated by operating the central switch activator (26), and a plurality of peripheral switches (27) which are turned on when a portion, apart from the center of rotation, of the rotating member (36) is pressed. Rotating the rotating member and pressing the apart portion makes input of information, and operating the central switch activator sets the information thus entered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yasuhiro Kataoka, Hiroshi Azuma, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Tsuyoshi Uchida
  • Publication number: 20100245321
    Abstract: A display device includes a first light-transmissive glass plate having a first electrode for connection to a power supply, a second light-transmissive glass plate having a second electrode for connection to the power supply, a light dispersing element sealed between the first and second glass plates for transmitting light when voltage is applied and dispersing the light when the voltage is not applied, a light-transmissive transparent element laminated on the second glass plate and having a predetermined refractive index, a light guide plate laminated on the transparent element and having a refractive index lower than the transparent element for surface-emitting the light toward a side viewed by a user, a light emitting part provided on a lateral side of the light guide plate for emitting light, and a display control part for turning on or off the voltage applied to the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi OGITA, Kouichiro Takashima
  • Publication number: 20100188372
    Abstract: An information input device is provided which is to make input of information by operating a disk-shaped rotating member. The device includes the rotating member (36) which is rotatable with one main side thereof being operated, rotation detecting means (23, 32) for detecting a rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch activator (26) provided at the center of rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch (270) which is activated by operating the central switch activator (26), and a plurality of peripheral switches (27) which are turned on when a portion, apart from the center of rotation, of the rotating member (36) is pressed. Rotating the rotating member and pressing the apart portion makes input of information, and operating the central switch activator sets the information thus entered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yasuhiro Kataoka, Hiroshi Azuma, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Tsuyoshi Uchida
  • Publication number: 20100188373
    Abstract: An information input device is provided which is to make input of information by operating a disk-shaped rotating member. The device includes the rotating member (36) which is rotatable with one main side thereof being operated, rotation detecting means (23, 32) for detecting a rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch activator (26) provided at the center of rotation of the rotating member (36), a central switch (270) which is activated by operating the central switch activator (26), and a plurality of peripheral switches (27) which are turned on when a portion, apart from the center of rotation, of the rotating member (36) is pressed. Rotating the rotating member and pressing the apart portion makes input of information, and operating the central switch activator sets the information thus entered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yasuhiro Kataoka, Hiroshi Azuma, Yoshihiro Tanabe, Tsuyoshi Uchida
  • Patent number: 7751650
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing program, and an image processing method for making various operations be performed more comfortably. A rotation input section 14 is provided substantially at the center of a mobile phone 1. When the rotation input section 14 is rotated in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, an image displayed on a display section 13 is rotated to be displayed. In addition, when the rotation input section 14 is pressed at an upper, lower, left or right portion thereof toward inside of the mobile phone 1, a display range of the image displayed on the display section 13 is switched. For example, in a case where a map is displayed, the map is rotated when the rotation input section 14 is rotated, and the map is scaled up/down when a predetermined position of the rotation input section 14 is pressed. The present invention may be applied to mobile phones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan
    Inventors: Naoki Tada, Kouichiro Takashima
  • Patent number: 7671493
    Abstract: A vibration assembly includes a container, a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, at least two support members, a magnetic body, a coil having a spool axis, and a diaphragm that is attached to the container. Each of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration. An end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container. An end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Tsutomu Takahashi, Yukiko Shimizu, Hideki Okii, Takashi Sawada
  • Patent number: 7612826
    Abstract: A connector on an electronic device includes a pair of locking plates, a guide groove, and a space. Each locking plate has, on its edge, a first concave portion, a first convex portion, a second concave portion, and a second convex portion. An intermediate surface for determining a position of an accessory device below the guide groove is provided below the second concave portion and the second convex portion. A contact mounting surface provided with plural contacts is provided below the first convex portion. Guide surfaces for determining a position of the accessory device in the width direction of the guide groove are provided below the first concave portion and the first convex portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Yoichi Miyajima, Yoshitake Takahashi, Nobutatsu Takahashi, Yuichiro Nogo, Kiyoshi Miyamori, Masayoshi Iida, Nobuhito Ebine
  • Patent number: 7609148
    Abstract: An actuator is provided that includes: a diaphragm that vibrates to generate sound; a housing that is attached to an outer edge of the diaphragm to support the diaphragm; an accommodating space that is formed inside the diaphragm and the housing, and an axis of which extends in a thickness direction of the diaphragm in the middle of the diaphragm; a coil that is wound around the axis, is attached to a face of the diaphragm facing the accommodating space, and is disposed in the accommodating space; a movable body that is disposed in a radial inside space of the coil or on an extension of the space, within the accommodating space; and a spring that supports the movable body such that the movable body is movable in the axial direction within the accommodating space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Minoru Nakano, Yukiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090219175
    Abstract: An input device includes an input-sensing unit that contains a capacitive input sensor and a sensitivity-sensing unit that contains a capacitive sensitivity sensor. The input-sensing unit senses position information obtained by touch operation of an operation body to the capacitive input sensor. The sensitivity-sensing unit senses sensitivity information obtained by touch operation of the operation body to the capacitive sensitivity sensor. The input device includes a control unit determining whether or not the output level of the position information from the input-sensing unit is adjusted based on the sensitivity information sensed by the sensitivity-sensing unit and a sensitivity-adjusting unit that adjusts an output level of the position information from the input-sensing unit based on a result of the determination of the control unit. The control unit controls the sensitivity-adjusting unit to adjust the output level of the position information received from the input-sensing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Minoru Tomita, Yukiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090160813
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive sheet member contains a body having predetermined hardness and a sheet shape and a sense-of-touch-representing unit that represents a sense of touch. The sense-of-touch-representing unit has a predetermined size and is arranged at positions of the body or at a predetermined position of the body. The touch-sensitive sheet member also contains a medium-supplying unit that supplies medium to the sense-of-touch-representing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Takashi Sawada, Yukiko Shimizu, Tsutomu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090140996
    Abstract: A press detection sensor contains a base member having predetermined length and width and also having a predetermined shape, a first conductor having predetermined length and being arranged on the base member, and a second conductor that is arranged on the base member with the second conductor being faced to the first conductor. The press detection sensor also contains a conductive contact body that is arranged between the first conductor and the second conductor. The conductive contact body connects the first and second conductors electrically in response to an external force. The press detection sensor further contains a covering member that includes the contact body on the inside thereof. The covering member covers a top of the base member which includes the first and second conductors. The covering member contains at least one of flexibility and elasticity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Tsutomu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090135150
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive sheet member contains a first raw material member having predetermined hardness and a second raw material member that presents sense of touch. The second raw material member is disposed in the first raw material member. The second raw material member has hardness different from the hardness of the first raw material member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada
  • Publication number: 20090122147
    Abstract: An information-processing apparatus processes information obtained by shooting an image of a subject and by collecting ambient sound of the subject. The apparatus contains an image-and-sound-recording unit that shoots the image of the subject to output image information on the image and collects the ambient sound of the subject to output sound information on the ambient sound and an information output unit that detects living-body information showing emotion of living-body of an operator who operates the image-and-sound-recording unit to output the living-body information. The apparatus also contains an information-processing unit that establishes correspondence between the living-body information outputted from the information output unit and at least one of the image information of the subject and the sound information of the ambient sound of the subject, the image information and the sound information being outputted from the image-and-sound-recording unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouichiro Takashima
  • Patent number: 7528901
    Abstract: A backlight device includes a light guiding plate disposed on a drive substrate directly attached with a light source to confront the light source to guide the light emitted from the light source into the light guiding plate; and a diffusion sheet and a prism sheet superimposed on the light guiding plate, and arranged to refract the light guided into the light guiding plate, and to emit the light from a front surface of the prism sheet. The prism sheet extends toward the light source, and covering above the gap between the light source and the light guiding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuo Hashimoto, Shouta Takezawa, Kouichiro Takashima
  • Publication number: 20090103250
    Abstract: An input device that inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body contains a housing including an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and detects a slide position inputted by a slide operation depending on the operation body, and an operation unit that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along the sliding direction from one portion of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other portion of the operation surface thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Seiji Muramatsu, Tsutomu Takahashi, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada, Satoshi Kushima, Yuuji Arataki, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Kazuhiko Takeda
  • Publication number: 20090079698
    Abstract: An input device inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body. The device contains a housing having an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and includes an electrostatic capacitance sheet member which detects a slide position of the operation body to output a position detection signal, and an operation unit that covers an entire surface of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along a sliding direction from one direction of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other direction of the operation surface thereof. The electrostatic capacitance sheet member includes a switch portion that is switched by a press-in operation of the operation body to the operation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Seiji Muramatsu, Tsutomu Takahashi, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada, Satoshi Kushima, Shinji Kanada, Minoru Tomita