Patents by Inventor Tetsu Natsume

Tetsu Natsume 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: 10075544
    Abstract: [Object] To associate information generated on the basis of an activity that is carried out by a user with respect to a content with the content, thereby effectively using the information. [Solution] Provided is an information processing apparatus including: an activity detection unit configured to detect an activity of a user who currently plays back a content; a tag generation unit configured to generate tag information on the basis of information on the activity; and a tag association unit configured to associate the tag information with one or more positions in the content, the one or more positions corresponding to the activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hiroaki Kitano, Shotaro Hori, Taiji Ito, Tetsu Natsume, Koichi Oshima, Hironari Mizumura, Yoshihiro Takagi, Yasuo Sakuma
  • Patent number: 9830352
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device including a storage unit configured to store identification data and attribute data of each of a plurality of pieces of content, the attribute data being associated with the identification data, and a retrieval unit configured to specify attribute data corresponding to a retrieval key and perform retrieval of identification data related to another attribute data associated with identification data related to the specified attribute data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Spranger, Kazumi Aoyama, Mario Tokoro, Tetsu Natsume, Katsuki Minamino
  • Patent number: 9737808
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including an attribute management unit configured to manage a variable attribute value associated with each one or more characters existing in a real space, a detection unit configured to detect an interaction event between a first character and a real object by using an image captured by a camera that captures the real space, and a setting unit configured to set a rule for changing the attribute value of the first character depending on the interaction event. In a case where the detection unit has detected the interaction event, the attribute management unit changes the attribute value of the first character in accordance with the rule set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexis Andre, Akichika Tanaka, Yasuhiro Takeda, Tetsu Natsume, Kenichi Okada, Takatoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9705361
    Abstract: A converter which converts first AC power input from an external power system to DC power, a storage device charged with the DC power from the converter, an inverter which converts DC power from the storage device to second AC power, an output AC power generating unit to which the first AC power and the second AC power are input, the unit which generates output AC power, and a controller which obtains external power information indicating a relationship between a power supply and a power demand in the external power system through a network and outputs a control signal to control the output AC power generating unit according to the external power information are provided. The controller controls the output AC power generating unit according to a state of a margin of the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ishibashi, Hiroaki Kitano, Shigeru Tajima, Tetsu Natsume
  • Publication number: 20160112524
    Abstract: [Object] To associate information generated on the basis of an activity that is carried out by a user with respect to a content with the content, thereby effectively using the information. [Solution] Provided is an information processing apparatus including: an activity detection unit configured to detect an activity of a user who currently plays back a content; a tag generation unit configured to generate tag information on the basis of information on the activity; and a tag association unit configured to associate the tag information with one or more positions in the content, the one or more positions corresponding to the activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: YASUHIRO SUTOU, HIROAKI KITANO, SHOTARO HORI, TAIJI ITO, TETSU NATSUME, KOICHI OSHIMA, HIRONARI MIZUMURA, YOSHIHIRO TAKAGI, YASUO SAKUMA
  • Patent number: 9231430
    Abstract: There is provided a charging system including at least one battery device that includes a secondary cell therein, a charging device that performs contactless power transmission to transmit power to the battery device, and a charging control device that controls the contactless power transmission between the charging device and the battery device, wherein the battery device is a hexagonal cylinder having a bottom surface with a substantially regular hexagonal shape and having a predetermined height, wherein the charging device is a hexagonal cylinder having a bottom surface with a substantially regular hexagonal shape and having a predetermined height, and wherein the contactless power transmission is performed between the charging device and the battery device under control of the charging control device by stacking the battery device on the charging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsu Natsume, Hiroaki Kitano
  • Publication number: 20150227580
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device including a storage unit configured to store identification data and attribute data of each of a plurality of pieces of content, the attribute data being associated with the identification data, and a retrieval unit configured to specify attribute data corresponding to a retrieval key and perform retrieval of identification data related to another attribute data associated with identification data related to the specified attribute data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael SPRANGER, Kazumi AOYAMA, Mario TOKORO, Tetsu NATSUME, Katsuki MINAMINO
  • Publication number: 20150080125
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including an attribute management unit configured to manage a variable attribute value associated with each one or more characters existing in a real space, a detection unit configured to detect an interaction event between a first character and a real object by using an image captured by a camera that captures the real space, and a setting unit configured to set a rule for changing the attribute value of the first character depending on the interaction event. In a case where the detection unit has detected the interaction event, the attribute management unit changes the attribute value of the first character in accordance with the rule set by the setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Alexis Andre, Akichika Tanaka, Yasuhiro Takeda, Tetsu Natsume, Kenichi Okada, Takatoshi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20140361734
    Abstract: There is provided a power supply method including an initial setting step of performing, by a charging control device, initial setting on a plurality of battery devices each including a secondary cell therein and a charging device performing contactless power transmission to transmit power to the battery devices that are provided in a stacked manner, a power transmission instruction step of providing, by the charging control device, an instruction to start the contactless power transmission from the charging device subjected to the initial setting in the initial setting step to the battery devices, a contactless power transmission step of performing the contactless power transmission from the charging device to the battery devices and a charging completion step of notifying, when charging of the battery devices is completed, the charging control device of completion of the charging by the battery devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamazaki, Masahiro Suzuki, Tetsu Natsume, Yoshihito Ishibashi, Shigeru Tajima, Yoshiaki Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20140091629
    Abstract: A converter which converts first AC power input from an external power system to DC power, a storage device charged with the DC power from the converter, an inverter which converts DC power from the storage device to second AC power, an output AC power generating unit to which the first AC power and the second AC power are input, the unit which generates output AC power, and a controller which obtains external power information indicating a relationship between a power supply and a power demand in the external power system through a network and outputs a control signal to control the output AC power generating unit according to the external power information are provided. The controller controls the output AC power generating unit according to a state of a margin of the power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ishibashi, Hiroaki Kitano, Shigeru Tajima, Tetsu Natsume
  • Publication number: 20130169225
    Abstract: There is provided a charging system including at least one battery device that includes a secondary cell therein, a charging device that performs contactless power transmission to transmit power to the battery device, and a charging control device that controls the contactless power transmission between the charging device and the battery device, wherein the battery device is a hexagonal cylinder having a bottom surface with a substantially regular hexagonal shape and having a predetermined height, wherein the charging device is a hexagonal cylinder having a bottom surface with a substantially regular hexagonal shape and having a predetermined height, and wherein the contactless power transmission is performed between the charging device and the battery device under control of the charging control device by stacking the battery device on the charging device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsu Natsume, Hiroaki Kitano
  • Patent number: 7692630
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes the following elements. An image data acquisition unit acquires image data of a captured image including a code having a fixed area in which a predetermined fixed area code is formed and a variable area in which a variable area code formed by a combination of a plurality of codes is formed. A fixed area code recognition unit analyzes the captured image to recognize the predetermined fixed area code of the fixed area. A variable area code default value setting unit sets the default value of the variable area code based on the predetermined fixed area code. A variable area code recognition unit analyzes the captured image to recognize the variable area code. A comparator compares the variable area code with the default value to determine the difference therebetween. A command designation unit designates a command to be executed based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsu Natsume, Yuji Ayatsuka, Junichi Rekimoto
  • Patent number: 7576742
    Abstract: A picture display controller can display picture data taken from a plurality of viewpoints in a flexible manner. For displaying moving-picture data taken from the plurality of viewpoints, read from a storage medium or received from a server, switching can be made at any time between a manual mode in which a picture is selected or synthesized based on designated information such as viewpoint position included in a viewpoint setting command from the controller operated by the user or from the sensor such as head tracker and displayed and a preset mode in which moving-picture data taken from different viewpoints are selected one after another according to a picture display program preset for a moving picture and displayed. With this system design, a user's setting can be made effective only for a picture portion in which he is interested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
    Inventors: Koichi Kanematsu, Tetsu Natsume, Tsukasa Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20070187507
    Abstract: An information processing system is provided, which is capable of easily changing a two-dimensional bar code at a low cost, and further capable of detecting the change and creating a computer graphics image corresponding to the change. An object (10) to be imaged has a display section (11) thereon for displaying and making changeable part of a two-dimensional bar code (10a) arranged on the object (10). An information processing apparatus (20) detects the two-dimensional bar code (10a) from a captured image obtained by imaging the object, and creates and outputs a computer graphics image corresponding to the two-dimensional bar code (10a). If the object (10) changes the two-dimensional bar code (10a), the information processing apparatus (20) creates and outputs a computer graphics image corresponding to the change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsu Natsume, Tsukasa Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20060150113
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes the following elements. An image data acquisition unit acquires image data of a captured image including a code having a fixed area in which a predetermined fixed area code is formed and a variable area in which a variable area code formed by a combination of a plurality of codes is formed. A fixed area code recognition unit analyzes the captured image to recognize the predetermined fixed area code of the fixed area. A variable area code default value setting unit sets the default value of the variable area code based on the predetermined fixed area code. A variable area code recognition unit analyzes the captured image to recognize the variable area code. A comparator compares the variable area code with the default value to determine the difference therebetween. A command designation unit designates a command to be executed based on the difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: Tetsu Natsume, Yuji Ayatsuka, Junichi Rekimoto
  • Publication number: 20030122949
    Abstract: A picture display controller is provided which can display picture data having been taken from a plurality of viewpoints in a flexible manner. For displaying moving-picture data having been taken from the plurality of viewpoints, read from a storage medium or received from a server, switching can be made at any time between a manual mode in which a picture is selected or synthesized based on designated information such as viewpoint position included in a viewpoint setting command from the controller operated by the user or from the sensor such as head tracker and displayed and a preset mode in which moving-picture data having been taken from different viewpoints are selected one after another according to a picture display program preset for a moving picture and displayed. With this system design, it is possible to make a user's setting effective only for a picture portion in which he is interested.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Inventors: Koichi Kanematsu, Tetsu Natsume, Tsukasa Yoshimura