Patents by Inventor Arata Sato
Arata Sato 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).
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Publication number: 20230286464Abstract: In a technique for determining a seating position of each of users in a vehicle based on wireless signals from mobile devices carried by the users, a controller identifies a position of a mobile device within a distance from a door outside the vehicle via communication between exterior communicators and the mobile devices. When receiving a signal of boarding, the controller determines whether the mobile device is present in the vehicle via communication between an interior communicator and the mobile device. When the mobile device is determined to be present in the vehicle, the controller determines that a seat corresponding to the position of the mobile device is a seating position of a user corresponding to the mobile device.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2023Publication date: September 14, 2023Inventors: Kentaro ASAI, Arata SATO
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Patent number: 11673559Abstract: A disembarkation action determination device includes: an upper body movement detection section configured to detect for a first state in which an upper body of an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat has been lifted upright, based on a signal from a first sensor provided inside a vehicle cabin; a hand position detection section configured to detect for a second state in which a hand of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat is in proximity to or contacting a door inside handle, based on a signal either from the first sensor or from a second sensor separate from the first sensor; and a disembarkation action determination section configured to determine that the occupant has initiated a disembarkation action in cases in which the first state has been detected by the upper body movement detection section and the second state has been detected by the hand position detection section.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2021Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20220194386Abstract: A disembarkation action determination device includes: an upper body movement detection section configured to detect for a first state in which an upper body of an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat has been lifted upright, based on a signal from a first sensor provided inside a vehicle cabin; a hand position detection section configured to detect for a second state in which a hand of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat is in proximity to or contacting a door inside handle, based on a signal either from the first sensor or from a second sensor separate from the first sensor; and a disembarkation action determination section configured to determine that the occupant has initiated a disembarkation action in cases in which the first state has been detected by the upper body movement detection section and the second state has been detected by the hand position detection section.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Arata SATO
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Patent number: 11272143Abstract: A method of monitoring and verifying weather information using a weather condition detection system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving weather information by a computing device within the vehicle. The weather information is verified locally at the vehicle using the computing device. Verifying the weather information includes optically verifying the weather information using a vehicle video system of the vehicle comprising a camera.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2016Date of Patent: March 8, 2022Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 10661757Abstract: A system for automatically deploying a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position includes one or more processors, an actuator coupled to the windshield wiper blade and communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, one or more optical sensors communicatively coupled to the one or more processors that output an optical signal, and one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more memory modules store logic that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to receive the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, detect whether an accumulation of a substance has formed on the vehicle based on the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, and deploy, with the actuator, the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in response to detecting the accumulation of the substance.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2016Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 10102747Abstract: A method of providing current traffic light status information to a driver of an object vehicle for one or more traffic light devices at an intersection is provided. The method includes receiving current traffic light status information by an intersection traffic signal indicator system of the object vehicle from a source external the object vehicle using one or both of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The current traffic light status information is indicative of a traffic light of a traffic light device visible to an oncoming vehicle. A reproduction of the traffic light visible to the oncoming vehicle is displayed as a graphic object on a display of the object vehicle using the traffic light status information.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2016Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 10093253Abstract: A system and method for notifying a user about a temperature condition of a passenger compartment of a vehicle after a lapse of a remote start of a drive system of the vehicle. The system and method include retrieving a weather forecast for an area in which the vehicle is located and estimating a future temperature of the passenger compartment in response to a remote start request. The future temperature of the passenger compartment is a temperature of the passenger compartment after a lapse of a predetermined runtime. In response to determining that the estimated future temperature is outside of the predetermined temperature range a notice is sent to a computing device.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2017Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 10035464Abstract: A vehicle includes a rear door assembly having an open configuration that allows access to a rear storage volume and a closed configuration that inhibits access to the rear storage volume. A multi-level rear storage system is located in the rear storage volume. The multi-level storage system has a retracted configuration where a shelf member is relatively near a rear floor of the rear storage volume and an extended configuration with the shelf member spaced-apart from the rear floor thereby defining an upper rear storage volume above the shelf member and a lower rear storage volume below the shelf member.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2016Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180148008Abstract: A system and method for notifying a user about a temperature condition of a passenger compartment of a vehicle after a lapse of a remote start of a drive system of the vehicle. The system and method include retrieving a weather forecast for an area in which the vehicle is located and estimating a future temperature of the passenger compartment in response to a remote start request. The future temperature of the passenger compartment is a temperature of the passenger compartment after a lapse of a predetermined runtime. In response to determining that the estimated future temperature is outside of the predetermined temperature range a notice is sent to a computing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2017Publication date: May 31, 2018Inventors: Sergei Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180086310Abstract: A system for automatically deploying a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position includes one or more processors, an actuator coupled to the windshield wiper blade and communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, one or more optical sensors communicatively coupled to the one or more processors that output an optical signal, and one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more memory modules store logic that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to receive the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, detect whether an accumulation of a substance has formed on the vehicle based on the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors, and deploy, with the actuator, the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in response to detecting the accumulation of the substance.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2016Publication date: March 29, 2018Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180063487Abstract: A method of monitoring and verifying weather information using a weather condition detection system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving weather information by a computing device within the vehicle. The weather information is verified locally at the vehicle using the computing device. Verifying the weather information includes optically verifying the weather information using a vehicle video system of the vehicle comprising a camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2016Publication date: March 1, 2018Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180056880Abstract: A vehicle includes a rear door assembly having an open configuration that allows access to a rear storage volume and a closed configuration that inhibits access to the rear storage volume. A multi-level rear storage system is located in the rear storage volume. The multi-level storage system has a retracted configuration where a shelf member is relatively near a rear floor of the rear storage volume and an extended configuration with the shelf member spaced-apart from the rear floor thereby defining an upper rear storage volume above the shelf member and a lower rear storage volume below the shelf member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2016Publication date: March 1, 2018Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180047286Abstract: A method of providing current traffic light status information to a driver of an object vehicle for one or more traffic light devices at an intersection is provided. The method includes receiving current traffic light status information by an intersection traffic signal indicator system of the object vehicle from a source external the object vehicle using one or both of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The current traffic light status information is indicative of a traffic light of a traffic light device visible to an oncoming vehicle. A reproduction of the traffic light visible to the oncoming vehicle is displayed as a graphic object on a display of the object vehicle using the traffic light status information.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2016Publication date: February 15, 2018Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 9892578Abstract: A vehicular garage door operating assembly, a vehicle and a method of opening or closing a garage door. The assembly includes an electronic control unit, a receiver, a garage door remote control, and a gear status indicator. Upon receipt of at least a signal pertaining to a spatial position of the vehicle, a signal pertaining to a positional status of the garage door and a signal indicating that a change in vehicular gear selection, the garage door remote control selectively transmits an instruction signal for automatic opening or closing the garage door without manual intervention by the driver. In this way, when an egress maneuver by the vehicle relative to the garage is being initiated such as by a shift in gears, this is detected along with whether the vehicle is situated within the garage and whether the garage door is closed, the garage door may be automatically moved to an open position to permit egress of the vehicle from the garage.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2016Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 9884627Abstract: A device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to responsive to an altered vehicle surface area are disclosed. An operation of the method receives vehicle surface data, which indicates a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area. A second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value are determined, and the method operates to transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2016Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180029611Abstract: Provided is a method and device for providing feedback for constant acceleration in a vehicle, which includes sampling velocity data at sample rate during an increase in a velocity rate over time to produce a plurality of sampled velocity data. An acceleration parameter is generated based on a difference of the sampled velocity data over a respective time interval. A determination is made as to whether the acceleration parameter indicates a constant acceleration. When the acceleration parameter does indicate a constant acceleration, a near real-time feedback signal is produced and announced to advise of the constant acceleration.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2016Publication date: February 1, 2018Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Publication number: 20180029597Abstract: A device and method for adjusting vehicle fuel efficiency to responsive to an altered vehicle surface area are disclosed. An operation of the method receives vehicle surface data, which indicates a transition from a first vehicle drag coefficient value relating to a vehicle surface area to a second vehicle drag coefficient value relating to the altered vehicle surface area. A second plurality of powertrain parameter values associated with the second vehicle drag coefficient value are determined, and the method operates to transmit the second plurality of powertrain parameter values for adjusting of the vehicle fuel efficiency.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2016Publication date: February 1, 2018Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 9873438Abstract: Provided is a method and device for providing feedback for constant acceleration in a vehicle, which includes sampling velocity data at sample rate during an increase in a velocity rate over time to produce a plurality of sampled velocity data. An acceleration parameter is generated based on a difference of the sampled velocity data over a respective time interval. A determination is made as to whether the acceleration parameter indicates a constant acceleration. When the acceleration parameter does indicate a constant acceleration, a near real-time feedback signal is produced and announced to advise of the constant acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.Inventors: Sergei I. Gage, Arata Sato
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Patent number: 9148552Abstract: The image processing apparatus includes a memory configured to store information on a specific image pickup condition under which a specific blur component is generated in an input image produced by image capturing using an optical system, the specific blur component being caused by the optical system; an image pickup condition acquirer configured to acquire information on an actual image pickup condition when capturing the input image; and a processor configured to perform, when the actual image pickup condition coincides with the specific image pickup condition, a blur detection process to detect the specific blur component included in the input image.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2013Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Arata Sato, Koshi Hatakeyama
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Patent number: 8976271Abstract: The optical system capable of performing zooming includes a first lens unit and a second lens unit and satisfies conditions of |(?TMyu+?TMyl)/(?WMyu+?WMyl)|<0.67 and 0.75<|(?WMyu+?WMyl)|/2P<16.0. ?WMyu represents a lateral aberration amount for a d-line of a 70 percent upper ray reaching an 80 percent image height at a wide-angle side middle focal length, ?WMyl represents a lateral aberration amount for the d-line of a 70 percent lower ray reaching the 80 percent image height at the wide-angle side middle focal length, ?TMyu represents a lateral aberration amount for the d-line of the 70 percent upper ray reaching the 80 percent image height at a telephoto side middle focal length, ?TMyl represents a lateral aberration amount for the d-line of the 70 percent lower ray reaching the 80 percent image height at the telephoto side middle focal length, and P represents a pixel pitch of the image sensor.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2013Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takayoshi Yokoyama, Arata Sato