Sony and others asking, Gilbert who?

Article Abstract:

Gilbert P. Hyatt, who has US rights to a patent for the microprocessor, will get royalties from Japanese companies such as Matsushita, Sony and NEC. Hyatt's patent is so basic that Japanese companies will have to pay him for almost any electronic device or appliance they sell in this country. Until recently, Hyatt was unknown in Japan, but Philips NV, the Dutch electronics company, is now acting as his agent there. Six large Japanese companies already have agreed to pay Hyatt. Industry observers estimate that Hyatt could make as much as $100 million on his patent. In other news, voice recognition research is the subject of much attention in Japan, stimulated partly because it is difficult to arrange an efficient way to deal with kanji characters on a computer's keyboard. Matsushita, which has applied for many patents in this area, has developed a prototype device that interprets spoken Japanese and translates into English. Matsushita already has a commercial product on the market. It is a voice-recognition feature used with a videocassette recorder.

Electronic computers, Research, Computer industry, Japan, Microprocessor, CPUs (Central processing units), Microprocessors, International aspects, Intellectual property, Inventors, Voice recognition, Speech recognition, Royalties, Royalties (Intellectual property), Patent

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An alliance of A.T.&T. with NEC; chip development pact raises question about Sematech consortium

Article Abstract:

AT and T and NEC Corp agree to share technologies in developing new ways to make semiconductors. Industry observers note that the Japanese-US alliance will focus on technologies to be used in a wide range of applications including high-definition television and digital telephones. The two companies say that they expect to have chips from their joint development available in mid-1995. Some analysts note that the alliance may create some problems for Sematech, an American semiconductor industry consortium of which AT and T is a member. Sematech was created to increase US competitiveness in the worldwide semiconductor industry but member companies are looking to the Japanese to develop technology because of the limited scope of Sematech.

Product development, T, Industrial research, NEC Corp., American Telephone and Telegraph Co., Consortia, Research and Development, Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Institute, Consortium

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Japan venture set by Texas Instruments

Article Abstract:

Texas Instruments Inc plans a joint venture with a Japanese company, Kobe Steel Ltd. The companies will build a $350 million plant in Japan, which will make advanced logic chips. This arrangement gives Texas Instruments a way to expand capacity in Japan; Kobe Steel gets an entry into the production of electronic devices. Finding a Japanese partner is seen as a way for an American company to assure success in Japanese markets, and a partnership is a way for an American company to finance the high costs of modern chip-fabrication operations.

Joint ventures, Integrated circuit fabrication, Texas Instruments Inc., TXN, Kobe Steel Ltd., Joint Venture

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