Patents by Inventor Masaharu Sakai

Masaharu Sakai 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: 9003147
    Abstract: A virtual capacity acquisition unit acquires a size of virtual capacity of a save data area from an application. A storage capacity acquisition unit acquires a size of save data of the application. A writing control unit prohibits the application from writing the save data exceeding the virtual capacity in a recording device. A free space acquisition unit acquires a size of free space of the recoding device, and the writing control unit prohibits the writing of save data whose size is larger than that of the free space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Yoichiro Iino, Shinichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8932132
    Abstract: A processor is allowed to receive a request for downloading save data of a game, to check, in reference to a list containing an identifier that identifies the save data, an attribute indicating whether download of the save data is restricted, and a next downloadable time in association with one another, whether the save data has the attribute that indicates the download is restricted, to check, when the save data has the attribute that indicates the download is restricted, whether the request for downloading the save data was received at or after the time at which the save data becomes downloadable again, and to reject the request for downloading the save data and notify a user the next downloadable time when the request for downloading the save data was received before the time at which the save data becomes downloadable again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Akiko Iwaya
  • Publication number: 20140337588
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to, when execution of a program is started, in a case where a memory region used by the program when the execution of the program was stopped is usable, enable the past execution conditions of the program to be reproduced without reading in data disposed in the memory region used by the program, which data was stored when the execution of the program was stopped. When the execution of the program is stopped, a stop and end managing section (52) performs control to store at least a part of the data disposed in the memory region used by the program in association with the program while retaining the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventor: Masaharu Sakai
  • Patent number: 8870541
    Abstract: A centrifugal multiblade fan includes a rotatable shaft, blades, a side shroud, and a main shroud. A front edge has a shape inclined radially outward in a direction from the main shroud toward the side shroud. When viewed from an axial direction, a corner part on a positive pressure surface-side is located on a tangential line of a positive pressure surface reference curve at a positive pressure surface side reference corner part, and when viewed from the axial direction, a curvature radius of a negative pressure surface becomes larger in a direction from the side shroud toward the main shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Syoichi Imahigashi, Masaharu Sakai, Yasushi Mitsuishi
  • Patent number: 8684834
    Abstract: In a game device, a loading processor loads save data on which user ID information is attached from a storage device 80; an application executing unit executes a game program while using the loaded save data; a game requirement achievement determining unit determines whether or not a predetermined requirement of gameplay is achieved based on a progress status of the game; and item ID acquiring unit acquires an item ID associated with achieved requirement of gameplay; an item acquisition processing unit has a function for generating item acquisition information while using the acquired item ID; and a function limiting unit limits the function of an item acquisition processing unit in accordance with user ID information attached to the save data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Nobukazu Koyama, William Parks, Yasutaka Miwa, Masaharu Sakai, Shinichi Tanaka, Masaki Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20130159654
    Abstract: A virtual capacity acquisition unit acquires a size of virtual capacity of a save data area from an application. A storage capacity acquisition unit acquires a size of save data of the application. A writing control unit prohibits the application from writing the save data exceeding the virtual capacity in a recording device. A free space acquisition unit acquires a size of free space of the recoding device, and the writing control unit prohibits the writing of save data whose size is larger than that of the free space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Yoichiro Iino, Shinichi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8463103
    Abstract: A small-size digital device requires preferable operability and userfriendliness of the user interface. In a multimedia reproduction device (10), an operation unit (40) acquires an instruction concerning content reproduction via a user operation. A read-out unit (44) reads out a content from an external recording medium mounted as a content data storage area. A Storage unit (80) holds data on a plurality of function icons symbolizing a plurality of content reproduction function types and data on a plurality of media icons symbolizing the external recording medium types. A display processing unit (46) processes menu screen display and content reproduction. A menu unit (48) generates image data on a menu screen where a plurality of function icons and a plurality of media icons are arranged two-dimensionally according to a user function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Kojiro Umemura, Shuji Hiramatsu, Ryuji Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20130144956
    Abstract: A message data acquisition unit acquires message data including a message and additional information. An event ID acquisition unit acquires, when a condition fulfillment detection unit determines that a condition is fulfilled, condition identification information identifying the fulfilled playing condition in the game. A display information generation unit displays a message in the message data including the additional information corresponding to the acquired condition identification information, in a game screen displayed on a display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Masaharu Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120231880
    Abstract: A processor is allowed to receive a request for downloading save data of a game, to check, in reference to a list containing an identifier that identifies the save data, an attribute indicating whether download of the save data is restricted, and a next downloadable time in association with one another, whether the save data has the attribute that indicates the download is restricted, to check, when the save data has the attribute that indicates the download is restricted, whether the request for downloading the save data was received at or after the time at which the save data becomes downloadable again, and to reject the request for downloading the save data and notify a user the next downloadable time when the request for downloading the save data was received before the time at which the save data becomes downloadable again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Akiko Iwaya
  • Publication number: 20120231884
    Abstract: A game device includes: a display device; a rear touch panel provided on the other side of a surface on which the display device is mounted; an activation control unit operative, when the rear touch panel detects an operation of bringing an input means into contact with the rear touch panel and moving the input means in a predetermined direction, to activate a function determined in accordance with the direction; and a screen image managing unit operative to display a screen image displayed by the function activated by the activation control unit on the display device so that the screen image slides from an edge of the screen of the display device in the direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Masaharu Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120192171
    Abstract: In an information processing apparatus, a file system manages files in a storage unit. Upon receipt of a boot instruction, a process boot unit starts an application. Once the application is started, a path acquisition unit acquires the path to an application file and the path to a patch file in the storage unit. When there is contents with the same name in both the application file and the patch file, a path switching unit switches the path directed to the contents of the application file to the path directed to the contents of the patch file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Shinichi Tanaka, Masaharu Sakai
  • Publication number: 20120191683
    Abstract: In an information processing apparatus, a file system manages files in a storage unit. Upon receipt of a boot instruction, a process boot unit starts an application. Once the application is started, a path acquisition unit acquires the path to an application file in the storage unit. A mount unit associates the path acquired by the path acquisition unit with a predetermined virtual mount point. A processor specifies the predetermined mount point and then accesses the file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Shinichi Tanaka, Masaharu Sakai
  • Patent number: 8167550
    Abstract: A blower unit includes a rotation shaft, a centrifugal fan and a casing. The centrifugal fan has blades arranged around the rotation shaft. The casing has a wall part defining an opening. The ring part has a ring shape having a center coinciding with an axis of the rotation shaft. The ring part is provided at first axial ends of the blades and support the blades. The ring part includes an arcuate wall curved in a radially inward of the centrifugal fan. The centrifugal fan is housed in the casing such that the arcuate wall of the ring part is located radially inside of the opening of the wall part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takahito Nakamura, Koji Ito, Masaharu Sakai
  • Patent number: 8167562
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes a plurality of blades, a first wall disposed at first axial ends of the blades, and a second wall disposed at second axial ends of the blades and having a shaft portion at a center. At least one of the first wall and the second wall has a cutout portion configured to control balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Yoshiki Kondo, Toshinori Ochiai, Tomonori Akatsuka
  • Publication number: 20120057971
    Abstract: A centrifugal blower provided with a spiral shaped scroll chamber where a bottom part of the scroll chamber gradually expands downward in the axial direction of the fan well along with expansion of the spiral and where a flow area gradually expands toward an air outlet from a spiral start part of the casing, the centrifugal blower having an initial slant angle ?0 at the spiral start part of the bottom part of the scroll chamber of a range of angle of 5.2° to 27.5° or setting a backflow prevention rib at the fan outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Mitsuishi, Masaharu Sakai, Masanori Yasuda, Shouichi Imahigashi, Syunsuke Ishiguro
  • Publication number: 20110229327
    Abstract: A centrifugal multiblade fan includes a rotatable shaft, blades, a side shroud, and a main shroud. A front edge has a shape inclined radially outward in a direction from the main shroud toward the side shroud. When viewed from an axial direction, a corner part on a positive pressure surface-side is located on a tangential line of a positive pressure surface reference curve at a positive pressure surface side reference corner part, and when viewed from the axial direction, a curvature radius of a negative pressure surface becomes larger in a direction from the side shroud toward the main shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Syoichi Imahigashi, Masaharu Sakai, Yasushi Mitsuishi
  • Patent number: 8011891
    Abstract: A centrifugal multiblade fan according to the present invention sucks air from one end side of an axial direction of a rotation axis to a radial inside, and blows the air to a radial outside. The centrifugal multiblade fan includes a plurality of blades located around the rotation axis. Each blade has a leading edge positioned at the radial inside, and a trailing edge positioned at a radial outside. The leading edge of each blade has an edge shape with a radius of curvature of 0.2 mm or less, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Toshinori Ochiai, Masaharu Sakai, Hideki Seki
  • Patent number: 7972110
    Abstract: A centrifugal blower having a fan including a blade. A scroll casing houses the fan and has a first axial wall portion, a second axial wall portion, and a side wall extending between the first and second axial wall portions. The scroll casing includes a suction port in the first axial wall portion. The scroll casing also defines a scroll start portion and a scroll finish portion. The scroll casing has a scroll radius measured transverse to the rotation axis that changes from the scroll start portion to the scroll finish portion. Also, a maximum radius of the scroll radius is closer to the second axial wall portion than the first axial wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideki Seki, Masaharu Sakai, Toshinori Ochiai, Yasushi Mitsuishi
  • Publication number: 20110092280
    Abstract: In a game device, a loading processor loads save data on which user ID information is attached from a storage device 80; an application executing unit executes a game program while using the loaded save data; a game requirement achievement determining unit determines whether or not a predetermined requirement of gameplay is achieved based on a progress status of the game; and item ID acquiring unit acquires an item ID associated with achieved requirement of gameplay; an item acquisition processing unit has a function for generating item acquisition information while using the acquired item ID; and a function limiting unit limits the function of an item acquisition processing unit in accordance with user ID information attached to the save data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Nobukazu Koyama, William Parks, Yasutaka Miwa, Masaharu Sakai, Shinichi Tanaka, Masaki Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20110010667
    Abstract: A small-size digital device requires preferable operability and userfriendliness of the user interface. In a multimedia reproduction device (10), an operation unit (40) acquires an instruction concerning content reproduction via a user operation. A read-out unit (44) reads out a content from an external recording medium mounted as a content data storage area. A Storage unit (80) holds data on a plurality of function icons symbolizing a plurality of content reproduction function types and data on a plurality of media icons symbolizing the external recording medium types. A display processing unit (46) processes menu screen display and content reproduction. A menu unit (48) generates image data on a menu screen where a plurality of function icons and a plurality of media icons are arranged two-dimensionally according to a user function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Masaharu Sakai, Kojiro Umemura, Shuji Hiramatsu, Ryuji Nakayama