Patents by Inventor Wataru Kokubo

Wataru Kokubo 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).

  • Publication number: 20090064596
    Abstract: When the opening-and-closing unit is pushed toward the base unit as if making them close such that the facing surfaces of the rotational body pinching units cover the outer surfaces of the rotational body to attach the opening-and-closing unit to the rotational body, the shaft end sections and the angle reference sections fit in the shaft supporting sections and the angle adjustment sections respectively, and thereby hold the rotational body so as to align the rotational range with the opening-and-closing range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Kokubo, Kenichi Hirano, Toshihiro Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20090067662
    Abstract: A speaker unit includes: a speaker that contains a magnet for vibrating a diaphragm to output sound; a speaker housing unit that houses the speaker so that the front of the diaphragm is exposed outside; an opening-and-closing unit that is attached to the speaker housing unit so that the opening-and-closing unit can both open, with respect to the speaker housing unit, to expose the front of the diaphragm outside and close to cover the front of the diaphragm; and a metallic component that is, when the opening-and-closing unit is closed with respect to the speaker housing unit, attracted to the magnet of the speaker to pull the opening-and-closing unit in a closing direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Ohguchi, Wataru Kokubo, Kenichi Hirano, Toshihiro Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20070042673
    Abstract: A traveling apparatus, including a housing, first and second wheels, a wheel driving section, and a control section. The first and second wheels are supported for individual rotation in one and the other direction around a common axis on the housing. The wheel driving section is configured to drive the first and second wheels to rotate individually. The control section is configured to control the wheel driving section and is operable to control, when traveling of the housing which is traveling is to be stopped, the wheel driving section to drive the first and second wheels to rotate in different conditions from each other so that the housing is revolved toward a first one of the leftward and rightward directions with respect to a traveling direction of the housing once and then revolved toward a second one of the leftward and rightward directions to stop the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Ishihara, Wataru Kokubo
  • Publication number: 20060269092
    Abstract: The present invention provides a speaker apparatus and reproducing apparatus with no limitation on their listening areas. The apparatus includes; the housing 2 substantially in the shape of a spheroid; the left speaker 5A, which is attached to the left end of the long side of the housing 2 such that the left speaker 5A faces outwardly of the housing 2; and the right speaker 5B, which is attached to the right end of the long side of the housing 2 such that the right speaker 5B faces outwardly of the housing 2. Therefore, the left speaker 5A and the right speaker 5B are approximately equivalent to a point sound source, and the sound from the left speaker 5A and the right speaker 5B smoothly radiates from the housing 2 in every direction. Thus, a listener can have good quality of sound from anywhere around the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Inventors: Wataru Kokubo, Tomohiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 7062356
    Abstract: A robot apparatus 1 is a four-legged mobile robot, and leg units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are connected to the left and side parts in the front and rear sides of a body unit 2. Ahead unit 4 is connected to the front end of the body unit 2. The head unit 4 has a mouth (jaw) part capable of biting and holding a toy 200 shaped like a bone. The mouth part is constituted by upper and lower jaw parts, and adopts a structure capable of biting and securely holding a bite part 203 of the bone 200. A CPU as a control part executes programs according to an image recognition processing algorithm for recognizing the bone 200, a bone-bite control algorithm for biting the bone, and a bone-bite detection algorithm for detecting the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Takamura, Wataru Kokubo, Shingo Tsurumi
  • Patent number: 7058476
    Abstract: A robot apparatus 1 is a four-legged mobile robot, and leg units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are connected to the left and side parts in the front and rear sides of a body unit 2. Ahead unit 4 is connected to the front end of the body unit 2. The head unit 4 has a mouth (jaw) part capable of biting and holding a toy 200 shaped like a bone. The mouth part is constituted by upper and lower jaw parts, and adopts a structure capable of biting and securely holding a bite part 203 of the bone 200. A CPU as a control part executes programs according to an image recognition processing algorithm for recognizing the bone 200, a bone-bite control algorithm for biting the bone, and a bone-bite detection algorithm for detecting the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Takamura, Wataru Kokubo, Shingo Tsurumi
  • Publication number: 20060069507
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a mobile section having left and right independently and concurrently driven wheels. The mobile device can rotate about the axis thereof by spinning the wheels in directions opposite to each other. The mobile device further includes a sensor to detect an obstacle in front. The mobile device activates the sensor while rotating 360 degrees by spinning the left and right wheels in opposite directions and determines the presence of an obstacle in the vicinity. The mobile device then determines an area determined as an area containing no obstacle to be an area where the mobile device is able to freely move around.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventor: Wataru Kokubo
  • Patent number: 6952629
    Abstract: A robot apparatus 1 is a four-legged mobile robot, and leg units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are connected to the left and side parts in the front and rear sides of a body unit 2. A head unit 4 is connected to the front end of the body unit 2. The head unit 4 has a mouth (jaw) part capable of biting and holding a toy 200 shaped like a bone. The mouth part is constituted by upper and lower jaw parts, and adopts a structure capable of biting and securely holding a bit part 203 of the bone 200. A CPU as a control part executes programs according to an image recognition processing algorithm for recognizing the bone 200, a bone-bite control algorithm for biting the bone, and a bone-bite detection algorithm for detecting the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Takamura, Wataru Kokubo, Shingo Tsurumi
  • Publication number: 20050182520
    Abstract: A robot apparatus 1 is a four-legged mobile robot, and leg units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are connected to the left and side parts in the front and rear sides of a body unit 2. Ahead unit 4 is connected to the front end of the body unit 2. The head unit 4 has a mouth (jaw) part capable of biting and holding a toy 200 shaped like a bone. The mouth part is constituted by upper and lower jaw parts, and adopts a structure capable of biting and securely holding a bite part 203 of the bone 200. A CPU as a control part executes programs according to an image recognition processing algorithm for recognizing the bone 200, a bone-bite control algorithm for biting the bone, and a bone-bite detection algorithm for detecting the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Takamura, Wataru Kokubo, Shingo Tsurumi
  • Publication number: 20050182519
    Abstract: A robot apparatus 1 is a four-legged mobile robot, and leg units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are connected to the left and side parts in the front and rear sides of a body unit 2. Ahead unit 4 is connected to the front end of the body unit 2. The head unit 4 has a mouth (jaw) part capable of biting and holding a toy 200 shaped like a bone. The mouth part is constituted by upper and lower jaw parts, and adopts a structure capable of biting and securely holding a bite part 203 of the bone 200. A CPU as a control part executes programs according to an image recognition processing algorithm for recognizing the bone 200, a bone-bite control algorithm for biting the bone, and a bone-bite detection algorithm for detecting the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Takamura, Wataru Kokubo, Shingo Tsurumi
  • Publication number: 20050049752
    Abstract: A robot apparatus 1 is a four legged mobile robot, and leg units 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D are connected to the left and side parts in the front and rear sides of a body unit 2. A head unit 4 is connected to the front end of the body unit 2. The head unit 4 has a mouth (jaw) part capable of biting and holding a toy 200 shaped like a bone. The mouth part is constituted by upper and lower jaw parts, and adopts a structure capable of biting and securely holding a bite part 203 of the bone 200. A CPU as a control part executes programs according to an image recognition processing algorithm for recognizing the bone 200, a bone-bite control algorithm for biting the bone, and a bone-bite detection algorithm for detecting the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Publication date: March 3, 2005
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Takamura, Wataru Kokubo, Shingo Tsurumi
  • Patent number: 6385154
    Abstract: An optical disk can be stored safely within a case during its use and the case can be folded to a smaller size of a depth size less than a diameter of the optical disk during its non-use. The bottom cover and the bottom slider are connected to each other in such a way that they may be extended or retracted, the top cover and the top slider attached to the bottom cover and the upper part of the bottom slider in such a way that they may be opened or closed are also connected in such a way that they may be extended or retracted, thereby there is provided a case in which the top cover may also be extended or retracted in respect to the top slider, the case is extended to form the disk storing space within the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Kokubo, Akira Kadonaga
  • Patent number: 6317399
    Abstract: Vibrations transferred to the outside are lessened and high performance against external vibrations and impact is maintained. Further, data is recorded and reproduced satisfactorily. A CD-ROM drive device is provided which is capable of reproducing data at a standard speed, a quadruple speed and a sextuple speed. When a disk is mounted to the CD-ROM drive device, TOC information is read in a playback state at the standard speed (ST1). Next, the disk is placed in a playback state at the sextuple speed and is set to a state held at a predetermined address position (ST2). It is distinguished using a tracking error signal, a control signal for a spindle motor, etc. whether the disk is either an eccentric disk or an unbalance disk (ST3). When the disk is found not to be either the eccentric disk or the unbalance disk, a playback speed is set to the sextuple speed. On the other hand, when the disk is found to be either the eccentric disk or the unbalance disk, the playback speed is set to the quadruple speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hisao Ohtani, Takeshi Kunishima, Takafumi Arai, Katsunori Kitaru, Wataru Kokubo
  • Patent number: 6195322
    Abstract: Vibrations transferred to the outside are lessened and high performance against external vibrations and impact is maintained. Further, data is recorded and reproduced satisfactorily. A CD-ROM drive device is provided which is capable of reproducing data at a standard speed, a quadruple speed and a sextuple speed. When a disk is mounted to the CD-ROM drive device, TOC information is read in a playback state at the standard speed. Next, the disk is placed in a playback state at the sextuple speed and is set to a state held at a predetermined address position. It is distinguished using a tracking error signal, a control signal for a spindle motor, and so on whether the disk is either an eccentric disk or an unbalance disk. When the disk is found to be neither the eccentric disk nor the unbalance disk, a playback speed is set to the sextuple speed. On the other hand, when the disk is found to be either the eccentric disk or the unbalance disk, the playback speed is set to the quadruple speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hisao Ohtani, Takeshi Kunishima, Takafumi Arai, Katsunori Kitaru, Wataru Kokubo
  • Patent number: D579024
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihito Sawai, Tomohiro Yamada, Wataru Kokubo, Nobuhiko Ooguchi
  • Patent number: D579951
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihito Sawai, Tomohiro Yamada, Wataru Kokubo, Nobuhiko Ooguchi
  • Patent number: D582941
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihito Sawai, Tomohiro Yamada, Wataru Kokubo, Nobuhiko Ooguchi
  • Patent number: D583826
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihito Sawai, Tomohiro Yamada, Wataru Kokubo, Nobuhiko Ooguchi
  • Patent number: D598933
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihito Sawai, Tomohiro Yamada, Wataru Kokubo, Nobuhiko Ooguchi
  • Patent number: D601584
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihito Sawai, Tomohiro Yamada, Wataru Kokubo, Nobuhiko Ooguchi