Patents by Inventor Yukiko Shimizu

Yukiko Shimizu 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: 8060164
    Abstract: An input device that inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body contains a housing including an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and detects a slide position inputted by a slide operation depending on the operation body, and an operation unit that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along the sliding direction from one portion of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other portion of the operation surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Seiji Muramatsu, Tsutomu Takahashi, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada, Satoshi Kushima, Yuuji Arataki, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Kazuhiko Takeda
  • Patent number: 7741940
    Abstract: Disclosed is an actuator device for an optical device. The actuator device includes a core arranged in an optical device inside of which an optical path passes through, a coil wound around the core, and a rotational magnet formed into an approximately cylindrical shape, at least one end of which includes a bearing portion in an axial direction, and which rotates according to a direction of a magnet field output from the core by electrifying the coil. The actuator device further includes a drive pin rotated in association with the rotational magnet, a base member securely supporting the core and rotatably supporting the rotating magnet, and an optical member moving in and out of the optical path based on rotation of the rotational magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Masayuki Sugasawa, Atsushi Takano, Kunioki Takahashi, Kenji Hirano
  • Patent number: 7692345
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a vibration generating device used for mobile telephone, etc., which comprises a rotor (110), and a stator (120) for rotatably supporting the rotor, and serving to rotate the rotor to thereby generate vibration. The rotor comprises a bearing sleeve (160) consisting of resin molded material and rotatably attached to a fixed shaft (124) provided at the stator, a magnet (170) and a weight (180) positioned in eccentric state with respect to the bearing sleeve, wherein the bearing sleeve and the magnet are formed in the state where they are integrated by material resin of the bearing sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Toshinori Yamasue, Hiroshi Azuma, Hirokazu Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7671493
    Abstract: A vibration assembly includes a container, a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, at least two support members, a magnetic body, a coil having a spool axis, and a diaphragm that is attached to the container. Each of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration. An end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container. An end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Tsutomu Takahashi, Yukiko Shimizu, Hideki Okii, Takashi Sawada
  • Patent number: 7661892
    Abstract: An image-capturing device includes a lens barrel having therein an optical image-capturing system; a light control blade which opens and closes an optical path of the optical image-capturing system so as to control the amount of light entering the system; and a base body having a transmission hole through which the optical path extends and supporting the light control blade in a movable manner. The light control blade includes a multilayer laminate including a base material composed of a film and serving as a substrate, and at least a metallic layer disposed on the base material; and a light-blocking layer disposed on a first section of the multilayer laminate. A second section of the multilayer laminate not having the light-blocking layer disposed thereon defines a light adjustment filter for adjusting the amount of incident light. The first section having the light-blocking layer defines a light-blocking portion for blocking incident light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Atsushi Takano
  • Patent number: 7609148
    Abstract: An actuator is provided that includes: a diaphragm that vibrates to generate sound; a housing that is attached to an outer edge of the diaphragm to support the diaphragm; an accommodating space that is formed inside the diaphragm and the housing, and an axis of which extends in a thickness direction of the diaphragm in the middle of the diaphragm; a coil that is wound around the axis, is attached to a face of the diaphragm facing the accommodating space, and is disposed in the accommodating space; a movable body that is disposed in a radial inside space of the coil or on an extension of the space, within the accommodating space; and a spring that supports the movable body such that the movable body is movable in the axial direction within the accommodating space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Minoru Nakano, Yukiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090219175
    Abstract: An input device includes an input-sensing unit that contains a capacitive input sensor and a sensitivity-sensing unit that contains a capacitive sensitivity sensor. The input-sensing unit senses position information obtained by touch operation of an operation body to the capacitive input sensor. The sensitivity-sensing unit senses sensitivity information obtained by touch operation of the operation body to the capacitive sensitivity sensor. The input device includes a control unit determining whether or not the output level of the position information from the input-sensing unit is adjusted based on the sensitivity information sensed by the sensitivity-sensing unit and a sensitivity-adjusting unit that adjusts an output level of the position information from the input-sensing unit based on a result of the determination of the control unit. The control unit controls the sensitivity-adjusting unit to adjust the output level of the position information received from the input-sensing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Minoru Tomita, Yukiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090167109
    Abstract: Disclosed is a piezoelectric pump. The piezoelectric pump includes a pump body, a drive unit, a detection section, and a control unit. The pump body includes a hole for introducing a fluid from outside thereinto and jetting the fluid from inside, a wall portion disposed so as to face the hole, and a piezoelectric body provided on the wall portion to vibrate the wall portion. The drive unit drives the piezoelectric body. The detection section detects a signal corresponding to a discharge rate of the fluid from the hole. The control unit controls a drive voltage and a drive frequency of the drive unit on the basis of the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Tomita, Masahiro Suzuki, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20090160813
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive sheet member contains a body having predetermined hardness and a sheet shape and a sense-of-touch-representing unit that represents a sense of touch. The sense-of-touch-representing unit has a predetermined size and is arranged at positions of the body or at a predetermined position of the body. The touch-sensitive sheet member also contains a medium-supplying unit that supplies medium to the sense-of-touch-representing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicants: Sony Corporation, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Takashi Sawada, Yukiko Shimizu, Tsutomu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090140996
    Abstract: A press detection sensor contains a base member having predetermined length and width and also having a predetermined shape, a first conductor having predetermined length and being arranged on the base member, and a second conductor that is arranged on the base member with the second conductor being faced to the first conductor. The press detection sensor also contains a conductive contact body that is arranged between the first conductor and the second conductor. The conductive contact body connects the first and second conductors electrically in response to an external force. The press detection sensor further contains a covering member that includes the contact body on the inside thereof. The covering member covers a top of the base member which includes the first and second conductors. The covering member contains at least one of flexibility and elasticity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Tsutomu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20090135150
    Abstract: A touch-sensitive sheet member contains a first raw material member having predetermined hardness and a second raw material member that presents sense of touch. The second raw material member is disposed in the first raw material member. The second raw material member has hardness different from the hardness of the first raw material member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada
  • Publication number: 20090103250
    Abstract: An input device that inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body contains a housing including an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and detects a slide position inputted by a slide operation depending on the operation body, and an operation unit that covers at least a portion of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along the sliding direction from one portion of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other portion of the operation surface thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Seiji Muramatsu, Tsutomu Takahashi, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada, Satoshi Kushima, Yuuji Arataki, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Kazuhiko Takeda
  • Publication number: 20090079698
    Abstract: An input device inputs information by a slide operation depending on an operation body. The device contains a housing having an operation surface, a detection unit that is provided in the housing and includes an electrostatic capacitance sheet member which detects a slide position of the operation body to output a position detection signal, and an operation unit that covers an entire surface of the detection unit and is slide-operated along the operation surface of the housing. The operation unit has a convex shape which becomes thicker along a sliding direction from one direction of the operation surface of the housing and also which becomes thinner toward the other direction of the operation surface thereof. The electrostatic capacitance sheet member includes a switch portion that is switched by a press-in operation of the operation body to the operation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Seiji Muramatsu, Tsutomu Takahashi, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada, Satoshi Kushima, Shinji Kanada, Minoru Tomita
  • Publication number: 20090015555
    Abstract: An optical input device has a display screen, a portion of the display screen being shielded from light by an operating member to implement input processing based on a plurality of input modes. The input device includes an input detection unit including a display unit that displays predetermined input information, and a control unit. The input detection unit detects an area and/or brightness of a light-shielded portion formed on the display screen by the operating member by approaching the display unit. The control unit provides display control of the display unit and input control on the basis of the detected area and/or brightness. The control unit compares the detected area and/or brightness with a predetermined threshold value to select a desired input mode from among the plurality of input modes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicants: SONY CORPORATION, SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC.
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Tsutomu Takahashi, Satoshi Kushima, Hideki Okii, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Takashi Sawada
  • Publication number: 20080259564
    Abstract: There is provided an axial fan apparatus including an axial-flow impeller, a drive unit, and a housing. The axial-flow impeller is capable of rotating and includes a plurality of blades inclined with respect to a rotational axis direction. The drive unit rotates the axial-flow impeller. The housing is mounted with the drive unit, and includes a sidewall, and a plurality of slits that circulate gas. The sidewall is provided around the axial-flow impeller. The plurality of slits are provided to the sidewall and inclined with respect to the rotational axis direction in a direction opposed to a direction in which the plurality of blades incline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Kazutoshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20080225480
    Abstract: Provided is an axial fan apparatus including a housing and an axial-flow impeller. The axial-flow impeller is capable of rotating inside the housing and includes a plurality of axial-flow wings each having a negative pressure generation surface for generating a negative pressure, and an auxiliary vane standing on the negative pressure generation surface at an end portion of each of the plurality of axial-flow wings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Kazutoshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20080216578
    Abstract: A vibration assembly includes a container, a vibration member containing a hollow portion with a bottom, at least two support members, a magnetic body, a coil having a spool axis, and a diaphragm that is attached to the container. Each of the support members has a flat and corrugated configuration. An end of the one of the support members is bonded to a portion of an edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the one of the support members is fixed to a portion of an upper edge of the container. An end of the other support member is bonded to the other portion of the edge portion of the hollow portion of the vibration member. The other end of the other support member is fixed to the other portion of the upper edge of the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicants: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN, INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kouichiro Takashima, Shun Kayama, Tsutomu Takahashi, Yukiko Shimizu, Hideki Okii, Takashi Sawada
  • Publication number: 20080207844
    Abstract: A molded article obtained by blending a poly-functional monomer in a biodegradable polyester, kneading the blend, and molding the kneaded material into a predetermined shape is irradiated with ionizing radiation at an irradiation dose of 50 to 200 kGy to crosslink the biodegradable polyester to a gel fraction of 50 to 90%, where the flexural modulus is from 100 to 400 MPa, and the Young's modulus is from 60 to 240 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Inventors: Shinichi Kanazawa, Yoshito Sakamoto, Satoshi Yamazaki, Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20080055027
    Abstract: Disclosed is an actuator device for an optical device. The actuator device includes a core arranged in an optical device inside of which an optical path passes through, a coil wound around the core, and a rotational magnet formed into an approximately cylindrical shape, at least one end of which includes a bearing portion in an axial direction, and which rotates according to a direction of a magnet field output from the core by electrifying the coil. The actuator device further includes a drive pin rotated in association with the rotational magnet, a base member securely supporting the core and rotatably supporting the rotating magnet, and an optical member moving in and out of the optical path based on rotation of the rotational magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Kayama, Yukiko Shimizu, Masayuki Sugasawa, Atsushi Takano, Kunioki Takahashi, Kenji Hirano
  • Patent number: 7222409
    Abstract: A driver IC and passive parts, which convert a direct current voltage into a three-phase voltage, and an FP coil for cyclically generating a magnetic field through the driver IC are mounted on a flexible substrate, which constitutes a small vibration motor. The driver IC is a so-called bare chip in which a circuit section is exposed and is not molded with resin and the like. Magnets and an unbalance weight are installed on a yoke having a shaft. The FP coil and the magnet are placed so as to face each other. A cover is caulked to fixed to a bottom plate. Thus, the vibration motor can be miniaturized and thinned. Moreover, the vibration motor can be automatically manufactured, and installing them to an electronic apparatus can be automatically performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Yoshida, Shun Kayama, Katsuhiro Yoneyama, Yukiko Shimizu