Patents by Inventor Takao Mokutani

Takao Mokutani 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: 6690530
    Abstract: A cassette auto changer system including a member for selectably providing a plurality of cassettes to be loaded into one or more tape signal readers. A cassette rack is provided including a plurality of cassette receiving compartments, a cassette port accessible from an outer side of the auto changer apparatus whereby cassettes may be inserted or removed from the auto changer apparatus, a tape transfer mechanism operable to selectably transport cassettes between the cassette rack and the tape signal reader, and the cassette port. A YES/NO sensor at the cassette port determines whether a cassette is present in the cassette port. In applicants' cassette auto changer system, when a YES indicator determined by the YES/NO sensor changes to a NO determination, a controller sets the cassette port an IN port empty condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tadokoro, Noriyuki Yamazaki, Junichi Saiki, Hideaki Noguchi, Nobuhiro Tsurumaki, Takao Mokutani, Toru Yumine, Koichi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 6674651
    Abstract: An electronic equipment has an enclosure, a backplane board, a connector, a child board, a connection plate on the bottom edge of the child board mating with the connector, a guide, a rack gear, and a pinion gear. The guide moves within a child board housing part inside the enclosure between an upper and a lower position along a substantially vertical direction. At the upper position, the guide slidably mates with the child board and guides the child board to a temporary attachment position substantially vertically, and movement from the upper to the lower position causes the child board at the temporary attachment position to move substantially vertically to a fully attached position. The rack gear fixed relative to the guide, and the rotating shaft has a pinion gear meshing with the rack gear, and is supported so as to rotate freely relative to the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Momiyama, Takao Mokutani
  • Publication number: 20030206362
    Abstract: A cassette auto changer system includes a cassette console mounting a rack for holding a plurality of tape cassettes, a drive console for mounting a tape playing or playing and recording device or a plurality of such devices. A base console mounts the cassette and drive consoles and the entire cassette auto changer system is housed in a housing console. According to a compact design a cassette shuttle portion of the transport mechanism is rotatable both vertically and horizontally and includes means, such as a cassette hand portion, for effecting insertion and extraction of a cassette from one of a plurality of cassette compartments provided in the cassette rack. The cassette hand may also include a release lever engaging a lock lever at each cassette compartment. Further, grasping members include a centering device for achieving a predetermined support position for a cassette. In addition, paired positional detection portions and a corresponding sensors are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Tadokoro, Noriyuki Yamazaki, Junichi Saiki, Hideaki Noguchi, Nobuhiro Tsurumaki, Takao Mokutani, Toru Yumine, Koichi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 6493236
    Abstract: An electronic equipment enclosure has a lower housing part and a main board fixed relative thereto. A main board connector is fixed to the main board and faces the lower housing part. A sub board is inserted to a temporary attachment position within the lower housing part and faces the main board at the temporary attachment position. A sub board connector is fixed relative to the sub board and mates and connects with the main board connector. A guide rail is movable freely between a lower position and an upper position within the lower housing part. At the lower position the guide rail guides the sub board toward the temporary attachment position. By the guide rail moving from the lower position to the upper position, the sub board is caused to move from the temporary attachment position to the fully attached position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Momiyama, Takao Mokutani
  • Publication number: 20020181213
    Abstract: An electronic equipment enclosure has a lower housing part and a main board fixed relative thereto. A main board connector is fixed to the main board and faces the lower housing part. A sub board is inserted to a temporary attachment position within the lower housing part and faces the main board at the temporary attachment position. A sub board connector is fixed relative to the sub board and mates and connects with the main board connector. A guide rail is movable freely between a lower position and an upper position within the lower housing part. At the lower position the guide rail guides the sub board toward the temporary attachment position. By the guide rail moving from the lower position to the upper position, the sub board is caused to move from the temporary attachment position to the fully attached position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroaki Momiyama, Takao Mokutani
  • Publication number: 20020154490
    Abstract: An electronic equipment has an enclosure, a backplane board, a connector, a child board, a connection plate on the bottom edge of the child board mating with the connector, a guide, a rack gear, and a pinion gear. The guide moves within a child board housing part inside the enclosure between an upper and a lower position along a substantially vertical direction. At the upper position, the guide slidably mates with the child board and guides the child board to a temporary attachment position substantially vertically, and movement from the upper to the lower position causes the child board at the temporary attachment position to move substantially vertically to a fully attached position. The rack gear fixed relative to the guide, and the rotating shaft has a pinion gear meshing with the rack gear, and is supported so as to rotate freely relative to the enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroaki Momiyama, Takao Mokutani
  • Patent number: 6433947
    Abstract: A cassette auto changer system includes a cassette console mounting a rack for holding a plurality of tape cassettes, a drive console for mounting a tape playing or playing and recording device or a plurality of such devices. A base console mounts the cassette and drive consoles and the entire cassette auto changer system is housed in a housing console. According to a compact design a cassette shuttle portion of the transport mechanism is rotatable both vertically and horizontally and includes structure, such as a cassette hand portion, for effecting insertion and extraction of a cassette from one of a plurality of cassette compartments provided in the cassette rack. The cassette hand may also include a release lever engaging a lock lever at each cassette compartment. Further, grasping members include a centering device for achieving a predetermined support position for a cassette. In addition, paired position detection portions and corresponding sensors are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tadokoro, Noriyuki Yamazaki, Junichi Saiki, Hideaki Noguchi, Nobuhiro Tsurumaki, Takao Mokutani, Toru Yumine, Koichi Aikawa
  • Patent number: 6166877
    Abstract: A cassette auto changer system including a tape signal reading member and a selection member for selecting between a plurality of cassettes. The cassette auto changer includes a base console including a port for tape insertion or extraction operations and having a tape insert compartment. The base console has upper and lower guide rails. A drive console mounts the tape signal reading member and a cassette console mounts a plurality of compartments for storing the tape cassettes. A tape transfer member transports the tape cassettes selectively between the base console, the drive console and the cassette console. An electrically conductive rail is disposed proximate to the guide rails which is powered by enclosed electrical wiring circuitry. In addition, an unmagnetized cassette shuttle body of the tape transfer member is driven along the electrically conductive rail and is guided along the guide rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Keiji Tadokoro, Noriyuki Yamazaki, Junichi Saiki, Hideaki Noguchi, Nobuhiro Tsurumaki, Takao Mokutani, Toru Yumine, Koichi Aikawa