Patents by Inventor Fumihiko Sakakibara
Fumihiko Sakakibara 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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Patent number: 8170792Abstract: A vehicle control device which can at least provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency or compatibility between quietness and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheel 2 is adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact in a first tread 21 is increased and ground contact in a second tread 22 is decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance or the quietness is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel 2 is adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact in the first tread 21 is decreased and the ground contact in the second tread 22 is increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance or the quietness and the fuel saving.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2007Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Mizuno, Hisanori Shirai, Munehisa Horiguchi, Fumihiko Sakakibara, Minoru Abe, Takashi Naito, Masao Ando
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Patent number: 8073575Abstract: To provide a vehicle which can move independently as an own independent vehicle and can run integrally in linkage with another vehicle. A plurality of single-seat vehicles which can move independently are combined and they move integrally while a predetermined formation is maintained through linkage among respective vehicles. One of all the vehicles moving in linkage serves as a host vehicle and an occupant in the host vehicle becomes a driver in the linkage moving. A host vehicle 1 runs with speed/direction according to running operation conducted by an occupant. Simultaneously therewith, the host vehicle 1 instructs following vehicles 2 to 4 to synchronize (follow) the host vehicle. The host vehicle 1 transmits a speed, a direction, and a relative position to the host vehicle to the following vehicles 2 to 4 as moving information in order to synchronize the following vehicles with the host vehicle (maintain linkage relationship).Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2006Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos ResearchInventors: Takumi Tachibana, Nobuaki Miki, Munehisa Horiguchi, Fumihiko Sakakibara
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Patent number: 8016060Abstract: A vehicle has a drive wheel, a seat, an attitude sensor, a balancer movable relative to the seat, a drive control, an attitude control for controlling the attitude of the seat by moving the balancer and a main controller. The main controller calculates a torque T1 for tilting the seat and a torque T2 for moving the balancer forward, compares T1 with T2max (the maximum torque which can be generated by the balancer), and outputs commands to the drive control and the attitude control. When the calculated torque T1 exceeds T2max, responsive to a command for T2max, the attitude control moves the balancer to generate a reaction torque corresponding to T2max, and the main controller supplies an adjustment torque value T3 for the drive wheel. The drive control controls the drive wheel in accordance with the drive command and the adjustment torque value T3.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2006Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Nobuaki Miki, Munehisa Horiguchi, Takumi Tachibana, Fumihiko Sakakibara, Katsunori Doi, Toshio Fukuda, Takayuki Matsuno
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Patent number: 8014919Abstract: A vehicle control device and a vehicle are provided with compatibility between high grip performance and fuel efficiency. When a camber angle of a wheel is adjusted as a negative camber, the ground contact pressure on a first tread is increased and the ground contact pressure on a second tread is decreased, thus providing the high grip performance. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel is adjusted as a positive camber, the ground contact pressure on the first tread is decreased and the ground contact pressure on the second tread is increased, thereby reducing rolling resistance and achieving fuel saving. By adjusting the camber angle of the wheel, compatibility can be provided between high grip performance and fuel saving which otherwise conflict with each other.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Equos Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumihiko Sakakibara, Masao Ando, Nobuaki Miki, Hisanori Shirai, Munehisa Horiguchi, Akira Mizuno
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Publication number: 20100030397Abstract: To provide a vehicle which can move independently as an own independent vehicle and can run integrally in linkage with another vehicle. A plurality of single-seat vehicles which can move independently are combined and they move integrally while a predetermined formation is maintained through linkage among respective vehicles. One of all the vehicles moving in linkage serves as a host vehicle and an occupant in the host vehicle becomes a driver in the linkage moving. A host vehicle 1 runs with speed/direction according to running operation conducted by an occupant. Simultaneously therewith, the host vehicle 1 instructs following vehicles 2 to 4 to synchronize (follow) the host vehicle. The host vehicle 1 transmits a speed, a direction, and a relative position to the host vehicle to the following vehicles 2 to 4 as moving information in order to synchronize the following vehicles with the host vehicle (maintain linkage relationship).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2006Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research, c/o Equos Research Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takumi Tachibana, Nobuaki Miki, Munehisa Horiguchi, Fumihiko Sakakibara
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Publication number: 20100023213Abstract: A vehicle control device which can at least provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency or compatibility between quietness and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheel 2 is adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact in a first tread 21 is increased and ground contact in a second tread 22 is decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance or the quietness is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel 2 is adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact in the first tread 21 is decreased and the ground contact in the second tread 22 is increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance or the quietness and the fuel saving.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2007Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: EQUOS RESEARCH CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira Mizuno, Hisanori Shirai, Munehisa Horiguchi, Fumihiko Sakakibara, Minoru Abe, Takashi Naito, Masao Ando
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Publication number: 20090281691Abstract: A vehicle control device and a vehicle are provided with compatibility between high grip performance and fuel efficiency. When a camber angle of a wheel is adjusted as a negative camber, the ground contact pressure on a first tread is increased and the ground contact pressure on a second tread is decreased, thus providing the high grip performance. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel is adjusted as a positive camber, the ground contact pressure on the first tread is decreased and the ground contact pressure on the second tread is increased, thereby reducing resistance and achieving fuel saving. By adjusting the camber angle of the wheel, compatibility can be provided between high grip performance and fuel saving which otherwise conflict with each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2007Publication date: November 12, 2009Inventors: Fumihiko Sakakibara, Masao Ando, Nobuaki Miki, Hisanori Shirai, Munehisa Horiguchi, Akira Mizuno
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Publication number: 20080164083Abstract: A vehicle utilizing the attitude control of an inverted pendulum, wherein the attitude of the vehicle is dynamically controlled by moving a balancer. The inclination of a vehicle body is detected by a gyro-sensor, a torque T1 against the inclination of a boarding part is calculated by using the angular acceleration of the vehicle body, and a torque T2 for returning the boarding part in the opposite direction of an inclination direction by canceling that torque is generated by moving the balancer (B). Namely, a reaction torque T3 against the torque T2 is allowed to act on the boarding part by driving the balancer with the torque T2(>T1) in the inclination direction. The boarding part is pushed back in the opposite direction of the first inclination direction by the reaction torque T3.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2006Publication date: July 10, 2008Applicants: Kabushikikaisha Equos Research, Toshio Fukuda, Takayuki MatsunoInventors: Nobuaki Miki, Munehisa Horiguchi, Takumi Tachibana, Fumihiko Sakakibara, Katsunori Doi, Toshio Fukuda, Takayuki Matsuno