Patents by Inventor Toshinori Date

Toshinori Date 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: 7488254
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a-20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: SEGA Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Patent number: 7081051
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a–20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Publication number: 20050233808
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a-20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Patent number: 6752719
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a-20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Publication number: 20020107071
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a-20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: August 8, 2002
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Publication number: 20020103026
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a-20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Publication number: 20020098887
    Abstract: An expansion unit 50, 60 or 70 is connected to a controller body 10 including an analog direction key 12, a digital direction key 14, command buttons 20a-20z, command levers 22l, 22r, etc. An expansion unit 50 including a photo emitting unit 52 is connected to thereby make the controller cordless. An expansion unit 60 including a photo detecting unit 65, whereby shooting games in which an enemy on a monitor screen can be shot can be played. An expansion unit 70 including a vibration unit 75 is connected, whereby a vibration is given to the controller body 10 to make a shooting game more realistic. New functions can be added to the conventional controller, and the new functions can be added freely without making no change to the controller body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Inventors: Atsunori Himoto, Kenji Tosaki, Toshinori Date
  • Patent number: 6153843
    Abstract: A control-key device is provided for use as a controller for a video game including a direction specifying key mounted on a housing which an operator manipulates to control the play of a video game, where the surface of said direction specifying key comprises a combination of concave portions to facilitate use of the direction specifying key. The unit preferably comprises a push button and a housing including a hole through which the push button protrudes. The housing extends along a plane wherein said plane intersects a plane perpendicular to an axis of said push button at a predetermined angle, and said plane of said housing also extending parallel to a plane defined by the surface of said push button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Date, Johnny D. Couch, Sarah Mason Richmond
  • Patent number: 5644113
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a control-key device having a shape such that the control-key device easily fits the hands of an operator. The control-key device has a top case 11 and a bottom case 12 having a curved shape. The control-key device has three circuit substrates 81, 82 and 83 having angles formed therebetween so that the curved shape of the top case and bottom case matches these the three circuit substrates. Rubber contact members 70, 63 and 22 are placed on the circuit substrates, push buttons 31, 32, 33 and 60 and a direction specifying key 20 being placed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Sega Eenterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Date, Johnny D. Couch, Sarah Mason Richmond
  • Patent number: 5498843
    Abstract: A control key device includes a casing having a generally dome-shaped portion provided at an arbitrary part of the casing, the dome-shaped portion having a top surface and a hole provided at a central part of the dome-shaped portion, a substrate provided within the casing and having a plurality of electrical contacts, a resilient member provided on the substrate and having a plurality of bulges at positions corresponding to the electrical contacts of the substrate, each of the bulges having an electrically conductive portion which makes electrical contact with a corresponding one of the electrical contacts when the bulge is resiliently deformed, a contact pressing member provided on the resilient member and having a plurality of legs at positions corresponding to the bulges of the resilient member, and a key secured on the contact pressing member via the hole in the dome-shaped portion of the casing, the key having a home position and a tilted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Date, Yasuo Takasu
  • Patent number: 5496977
    Abstract: A control key device having a contact member which comprises at least a first and second contact portion such that when an operating force is applied to the first contact portion the second contact portion is caused to touch the first contact portion so that predetermined electrical contact is established. The causing of the second contact portion touching the first contact portion results from an operating force elastically transforming the shape of the contact member. A tilting mechanism is provided by a guiding member of predetermined shape having a through hole. The tilting mechanism functions to tilt the contact member in response to an operating force applied to the contact member. The contact member has a key portion and a pad portion defining a home position and a tilted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinori Date, Yasuo Takasu
  • Patent number: D349527
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshinori Date
  • Patent number: D415145
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akitoshi Oikawa, Toshinori Date