Patents by Inventor Masafumi Yamanoue

Masafumi Yamanoue 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: 7676401
    Abstract: A data distribution system includes a plurality of data sources each capable of transmitting a data item, and a data vending machine capable of receiving the data item from the plurality of data sources and selling the received data item to a user. The data vending machine includes a data selecting apparatus operated by a user to select a desired data item, a data source selecting apparatus connected to the data selecting apparatus for selecting, among the plurality of data sources, one that holds the data item selected by the data selecting apparatus, in accordance with a specific standard, a data receiving apparatus connected to the data source selecting apparatus for receiving selected data item from the data source selected by the data source selecting apparatus, and a data updating apparatus to which an external storage device is detachably mounted, for writing the data item received by the data receiving apparatus to the external storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sawada, Hisashi Saiga, Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7283129
    Abstract: An electronic book display control device capable of solving the problem of a conventional page turning method of an electronic book device that pages are turned in accordance with a value predetermined by a speed controller and hence it is difficult to turn pages flexibly in accordance with the contents of the book and the characteristics of the user. The control device is provided with a CPU (1) which controls the whole device, an image data storage unit (2) in which the contents of the book are stored as image data, an image data control unit (3) which receives the image data and performs the required control, a display preparation image data memory unit (4) in which image data of the page being displayed and the page to be displayed next are stored, and a display unit (5) on which information concerning the image data and information concerning the operation of the electronic book are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sawada, Yasuhisa Nakamura, Hisashi Saiga, Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7116180
    Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator has a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit that oscillates at a frequency according to a control voltage and a limiter circuit that limits the output of the voltage-controlled oscillator to a predetermined level. This configuration makes it possible to maintain a constant output level irrespective of the oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mutsumi Hamaguchi, Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20060106677
    Abstract: A data distribution system includes a plurality of data sources each capable of transmitting a data item, and a data vending machine capable of receiving the data item from the plurality of data sources and selling the received data item to a user. The data vending machine includes a data selecting apparatus operated by a user to select a desired data item, a data source selecting apparatus connected to the data selecting apparatus for selecting, among the plurality of data sources, one that holds the data item selected by the data selecting apparatus, in accordance with a specific standard, a data receiving apparatus connected to the data source selecting apparatus for receiving selected data item from the data source selected by the data source selecting apparatus, and a data updating apparatus to which an external storage device is detachably mounted, for writing the data item received by the data receiving apparatus to the external storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sawada, Hisashi Saiga, Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7023287
    Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator has a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit that oscillates at a frequency according to a control voltage and a limiter circuit that limits the output of the voltage-controlled oscillator to a predetermined level. This configuration makes it possible to maintain a constant output level irrespective of the oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mutsumi Hamaguchi, Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 6907407
    Abstract: An electronic copyrighted work distribution management system includes an electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus selling an electronic copyrighted work, a copyright management apparatus administering a copyright royalty of an electronic copyrighted work sold by the electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus, a seller terminal used by a seller, and a copyright terminal used by a copyright holder. The electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus calculates and transmits to the copyright management apparatus the copyright royalty of a selected electronic copyrighted work. The copyright management apparatus stores the received copyright royalty data for each copyright holder. Since the copyright management apparatus receives and stores for each copyright holder the copyright royalty data transmitted from the electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus, the copyright royalty can be administered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura, Yuji Sawada, Katsuhiko Sato, Masashi Hirosawa
  • Patent number: 6810147
    Abstract: A document image processing apparatus has the following construction in order to draw a manually input line portion along a desired character string in a document image in good style and high operability. More specifically, the image data of a document read by a scanner is displayed at a display portion. At this time, when the user operates a tablet to manually draw a line portion along a desired character string in the displayed document, a row region along which the manually input line portion is drawn is extracted from the region of the document image by a row extracting portion based on positional information represented by the input data of the manually drawn line portion and the document image data. The manually drawn line portion is corrected into a straight line along the extracted row region for display by curve correcting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuko Kanemoto, Masashi Hirosawa, Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 6745180
    Abstract: A data supply controlling device comprises a data base for user data which stores user data matched with each user. The data base of user data can be queried in accordance with the user data so that a data server performs a search according to the query and stores the search results in a search result data base. User ID management can be performed for separately managing the identifying data to identify each user and user specifying data to specify each user. A search result matched with the identifying data of the user from the search results stored in the search result data base is provided for a user terminal. Once the user data is stored, it is not required to carry out further communications to input the user data. Privacy protection of the user and improvement of communications efficiency are both fulfilled in the system to search for information in accordance with user data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20040093279
    Abstract: An electronic copyrighted work distribution management system includes an electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus (1) selling an electronic copyrighted work, a copyright management apparatus (4) administering a copyright royalty of an electronic copyrighted work sold by the electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus (1), a seller terminal (5) used by a seller, and a copyright terminal (7) used by a copyright holder. The electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus (1) calculates and transmits to the copyright management apparatus (4) the copyright royalty of a selected electronic copyrighted work. The copyright management apparatus (4) stores the received copyright royalty data for each copyright holder. Since the copyright management apparatus (4) receives and stores for each copyright holder the copyright royalty data transmitted from the electronic copyrighted work sales apparatus (1), the copyright royalty can be administered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura, Yuji Sawada, Katsuhiko Sato, Masashi Hirosawa
  • Publication number: 20040090278
    Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator has a voltage-controlled oscillation circuit that oscillates at a frequency according to a control voltage and a limiter circuit that limits the output of the voltage-controlled oscillator to a predetermined level. This configuration makes it possible to maintain a constant output level irrespective of the oscillation frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Mutsumi Hamaguchi, Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 6720965
    Abstract: An image display device allowing viewing of zoomed images with good operability includes a divided line region extracting portion (2) for dividing a line region included in an input image in a line direction, and extracting a plurality of divided line regions; and a processing portion (4, 5) connected to the divided line region extracting portion (2) for zooming in or out, arranging and displaying the divided line regions at a predetermined zoom rate in units each formed of the extracted divided line region while keeping a sequence of arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Hirosawa, Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 6701331
    Abstract: A data processing device enabling stable data processing reads digital data including object data, an identifier indicating a type of the object data, and an attached program associated with at least one identifier for performing a predetermined process for object data associated with the identifier, to process the object data. The data processing device includes a program storing unit for recording an internal program including a processing module associated with the at least one identifier, an input unit for reading the digital data, and an external program executing unit for processing the object data by one of the attached program and the processing module when the attached program associated with the identifier of the read object data is present in the digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sawada, Hisashi Saiga, Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 6628244
    Abstract: A display device includes a data acquiring unit for acquiring data, a display unit for displaying data acquired by said data acquiring unit, an operation unit for operating the display device, a controller for controlling the display device, a communication unit for communicating with other display devices, and a coupling unit for structurally coupling the display device with other display devices with which communication is made by the communication unit. Accordingly, a plurality of display devices capable of individually operating can be coupled or decoupled in a flexible manner, and display contents can be updated to be displayed such that they are consistent with each other even if the display devices are coupled or decoupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Hirosawa, Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Publication number: 20030174907
    Abstract: A document image processing apparatus has the following construction in order to draw a manually input line portion along a desired character string in a document image in good style and high operability. More specifically, the image data of a document read by a scanner is displayed at a display portion. At this time, when the user operates a tablet to manually draw a line portion along a desired character string in the displayed document, a row region along which the manually input line portion is drawn is extracted from the region of the document image by a row extracting portion based on positional information represented by the input data of the manually drawn line portion and the document image data. The manually drawn line portion is corrected into a straight line along the extracted row region for display by curve correcting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: YUKO KANEMOTO, MASASHI HIROSAWA, MASAFUMI YAMANOUE
  • Patent number: 6441811
    Abstract: An electronic book display control device capable of solving the problem of a conventional page turning method of an electronic book device that pages are turned in accordance with a value predetermined by a speed controller and hence it is difficult to turn pages flexibly in accordance with the contents of the book and the characteristics of the user. The control device is provided with a CPU (1) which controls the whole device, an image data storage unit (2) in which the contents of the book are stored as image data, an image data control unit (3) which receives the image data and performs the required control, a display preparation image data memory unit (4) in which image data of the page being displayed and the page to be displayed next are stored, and a display unit (5) on which information concerning the image data and information concerning the operation of the electronic book are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Sawada, Yasuhisa Nakamura, Hisashi Saiga, Masafumi Yamanoue, Keisuke Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20020103806
    Abstract: There are provided:
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 5966112
    Abstract: An integrated image-input type display unit employs a conventional liquid crystal display panel and is capable of optically writing an original image directly at a high resolution into liquid crystal display panel and electrically reading the image. This unit has an image input/output device comprising a liquid crystal cell which contains light-sensitive molecules. The light-sensitive molecules are capable of changing their structure to a first molecular structure when being irradiated with light of a first wavelength range and to a second molecular structure when being irradiated with light of a second wavelength range, and are further capable of changing their alignment in accordance with the structural change of the light-sensitive molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayuki Katagiri, Masafumi Yamanoue, Hitoshi Nohno, Yoshikazu Taniguchi, Toshio Nomura
  • Patent number: 5659488
    Abstract: The shading correction is performed with respect to a signal "A" indicative of the image density read by an optical read device in accordance with a reference signal "B". Both the signals "A" and "B" consist of n bits. An inputted signal having an initial value "A" is doubled by a multiplier when A=B and B.noteq.0. A subtracter subtracts the reference signal "B" from a signal "X" outputted from the multiplier and discriminates whether or not a signal "X-B" is negative. An S/P conversion register doubles an integrated value "S" having an initial value "0" and changes the integrated value from "S" to "2S" when the signal "X-B" is negative. In contrast, when the signal "X-B" is not negative the S/P conversion register adds "1" to "2S" and changes the integrated value from "S" to "2S+1". The signal "X" outputted from the multiplier is again inputted into the multiplier when the signal "X-B" is negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masafumi Yamanoue
  • Patent number: 5163089
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image data transmission apparatus which includes an image reading unit for reading the original image, and a transmission apparatus main body. The main body includes a memory for storing the image data read by the image reading unit and transmits the content of the memory. The image reading unit is detachably mounted on the transmission apparatus main body. The transmission apparatus main body is further provided with a conveying device for conveying the original in a state in which the image reading unit is mounted on the transmission apparatus main body to thereby read the original. The image reading unit may also scan the original to read an original image, in a state in which the image reading unit is dismounted from the transmission apparatus main body. Further, a sheet element made of a material of a low coefficient of friction, as opposed to the original, may be disposed at a position corresponding to the mounted state of the image reading unit on the transmission apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Matahira Kotani, Masafumi Matsumoto, Junichiro Matsumoto, Motohiko Hayashi, Mamoru Fujii, Masafumi Yamanoue, Katsuyuki Sakai, Kouichi Mino, Naomitsu Murata, Hiroya Inagaki, Mitsunobu Kondo
  • Patent number: 5060082
    Abstract: A facsimile apparatus including image data conversion unit for converting image data corresponding to an image to be printed in such a manner that two adjacent dots on a main scanning line of the image data are converted into one dot a smoothing unit connected to the conversion unit for modifying converted image data in such a manner that, if a pattern of a region formed by a predetermined number of converted dots coincides with a predetermined pattern, the converted image data is changed to have a pattern corresponding to the predetermined pattern in the region; and selection unit connected to the image data conversion unit and the smoothing unit and adapted to select an output of the image data conversion unit as printing data if it is detected that the image data has been transmitted in a fine mode, and select an output of the smoothing unit as printing data if it is detected that the image data has been transmitted in a standard mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Matsumoto, Masafumi Yamanoue, Hiroshi Morimoto