Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Kitano

Hiroaki Kitano 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: 10202146
    Abstract: A steering control device capable of causing a steering torque to follow a target steering torque when a driver holds a steering wheel for steering, and making an adjustment so that the steering wheel returns to a neutral position at an appropriate speed, when the driver releases his or her hands from the steering wheel. A motor is controlled based on a motor steering assist torque, which is a sum of a first steering assist torque, which is proportional to an integral value of a deviation between the target steering torque and the steering torque, and a second steering assist torque, which is proportional to a motor rotational angular velocity and acting in a direction of suppressing a return speed of the steering wheel when the steering wheel returns to the neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Endo, Hidetoshi Ikeda, Yoshihiko Kinpara, Hiroaki Kitano
  • Patent number: 10082120
    Abstract: Provided is a device for automatically stopping an engine when an automatic stop condition is satisfied and restarting the engine thereafter when a restart condition is satisfied, the device including: a ring gear (12) to be coupled to a crankshaft of the engine; a starter motor (14) for starting the engine; a pinion gear (16) for transmitting rotation of the starter motor to the ring gear; pinion-gear moving means (17) for moving the pinion gear by energization to bring the pinion gear into meshing engagement with the ring gear; and starter control means (11) for controlling a voltage to be applied to the pinion-gear moving means so as to fall within a predetermined range when the pinion gear and the ring gear are brought into meshing engagement by moving the pinion gear by the pinion-gear moving means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitano, Daisuke Mizuno, Koichiro Kamei, Kazuhiro Odahara
  • Patent number: 10075544
    Abstract: [Object] To associate information generated on the basis of an activity that is carried out by a user with respect to a content with the content, thereby effectively using the information. [Solution] Provided is an information processing apparatus including: an activity detection unit configured to detect an activity of a user who currently plays back a content; a tag generation unit configured to generate tag information on the basis of information on the activity; and a tag association unit configured to associate the tag information with one or more positions in the content, the one or more positions corresponding to the activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hiroaki Kitano, Shotaro Hori, Taiji Ito, Tetsu Natsume, Koichi Oshima, Hironari Mizumura, Yoshihiro Takagi, Yasuo Sakuma
  • Publication number: 20180230957
    Abstract: The rotation speed and the crank position of an engine in an engine stopping process are detected; then, in the case where when the detected crank position is at an intermediate point between the top death center of any one of the cylinders and the top death center of the cylinder following said one of the cylinders, it is determined that the engine rotation speed is within a predetermined range, drive of the starter is prohibited for a predetermined time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro KAMEI, Daisuke MIZUNO, Hiroaki KITANO, Naohito KANEDA, Kazuhiro ODAHARA
  • Patent number: 10042541
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a processor configured to cause a display to show a screen, the screen including an input area which accepts a text input or a drag & drop input performed by a user, a first icon which is associated with the input area and executes a first operation based on an input accepted by the input area, a second icon which is associated with the input area and executes a second operation based on an input accepted by the input area, the second operation being different from the first operation, a first display area for information acquired by the first operation, and a second display area for information acquired by the second operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sutou, Hiroaki Kitano, Midori Kawano
  • Publication number: 20180135583
    Abstract: Provided is a motor generator, which is always connected to an engine via a belt, and is configured to carry out start control of the engine and power generation control, the motor generator having a two-output power transmission mechanism including: a belt driving mechanism, which is configured to drive the engine through the belt; and a gear driving mechanism, which includes a pinion gear to be coupled to a ring gear on the engine side in accordance with an external instruction, and is configured to drive the engine by the pinion gear being coupled to the ring gear, in which an output of the belt driving mechanism and an output of the gear driving mechanism are arranged at positions opposing each other in an axial direction of a rotor of the motor generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke MIZUNO, Hiroaki KITANO, Koichire KAMEI, Kensuke KATO, Kazuhiro ODAHARA, Naohito KANEDA
  • Publication number: 20180118258
    Abstract: When an adjustment information input unit (1) acquires one of information of a feeling value and steering control information, a steering control information calculation unit (2) calculates data of a control characteristic graph visually representing control characteristics of steering using the acquired information. An adjustment information display unit (3) displays, on the same screen, a control characteristic graph in accordance with the data of the control characteristic graph and a feeling value operation section visually showing the feeling value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Reiko SAKATA, Yoshimichi UMEKI, Tsutomu MATSUBARA, Yoshiki ONO, Hiroaki KITANO, Masaya ENDO
  • Patent number: 9928414
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing system including a first control unit configured to associate handwriting action trajectory information indicating a user's handwriting action trajectory with meta information capable of being detected from an actual environment where the user's handwriting action is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Saito, Hiroaki Kitano
  • Patent number: 9726138
    Abstract: The engine starter includes a pinion-mobile component which is linked to an output shaft by a helical spline and can be slid in a shaft direction, in a state where the pinion-mobile component includes; an overrunning clutch which is idled when the pinion gear, which is engaged to the ring gear, is driven by the engine via the ring gear so as to be rotated at a rotational speed which is higher than a rotational speed of the output shaft; and a breaking mechanism in which the overrunning clutch breaks a transmission of a torque, which is generated in accordance with a rotation of the motor and is transmitted to the ring gear, when a value of the torque is a predetermined condition value with respect to a direction where the torque is transmitted to the ring gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sasaki, Daisuke Mizuno, Hiroaki Kitano, Koichiro Kamei, Kazuhiro Odahara, Takenobu Matsubara
  • Patent number: 9705361
    Abstract: A converter which converts first AC power input from an external power system to DC power, a storage device charged with the DC power from the converter, an inverter which converts DC power from the storage device to second AC power, an output AC power generating unit to which the first AC power and the second AC power are input, the unit which generates output AC power, and a controller which obtains external power information indicating a relationship between a power supply and a power demand in the external power system through a network and outputs a control signal to control the output AC power generating unit according to the external power information are provided. The controller controls the output AC power generating unit according to a state of a margin of the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihito Ishibashi, Hiroaki Kitano, Shigeru Tajima, Tetsu Natsume
  • Patent number: 9684764
    Abstract: In a plurality of data analysis apparatuses communicatively coupled to one another, a database is accessed at a given access level. Based on the data acquired from the database, an application program is executed to perform data analysis. Communication control is performed to allow transmission and reception of a data analysis result with respect to another data analysis apparatus at a different access level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignees: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, SBX Corporation, The Systems Biology Institute
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitano, Samik Ghosh, Yukiko Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 9631596
    Abstract: The engine starting device for stopping, when an engine automatic stop condition is satisfied, fuel injection to the engine to automatically stop the engine, and for thereafter restarting the engine when an engine restart condition is satisfied, includes: a ring gear coupled to a crankshaft of the engine; a starter motor rotated by a current supply; a pinion gear for transmitting the rotation of the starter motor to the ring gear; a pinion gear moving part for moving the pinion gear toward the ring gear by a current supply, thereby meshing the pinion gear with the ring gear; and a fuel injection control part for restarting the fuel injection so that combustion is generated in a predetermined compression cylinder after the engine restart condition is satisfied and after the pinion gear moving part starts the movement of the pinion gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitano, Daisuke Mizuno, Osamu Ishikawa, Takeru Okabe, Koichiro Kamei
  • Patent number: 9624894
    Abstract: In an automatically stopped internal combustion engine, a rotation speed at next and subsequent ignition timings is predicted at every ignition timing of the internal combustion engine after the internal combustion engine is stopped automatically. Whether self-restorable restarting is allowed is determined according to a comparison result of the predictive rotation speed and a self-restoration determination rotation speed, so that self-restorable restarting is performed in a reliable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohisa Shoda, Osamu Ishikawa, Takeru Okabe, Hiroaki Kitano
  • Patent number: 9571385
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a distribution information acquisition section which acquires distribution information indicating that content-related data is distributed from a first user to a second user through a social network to which the first user and the second user belong, and a route information generation section which generates route information based on the distribution information, the route information indicating a route through which the content-related data is distributed among users belonging to the social network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kitano
  • Publication number: 20170015351
    Abstract: A steering control device capable of causing a steering torque to follow a target steering torque when a driver holds a steering wheel for steering, and making an adjustment so that the steering wheel returns to a neutral position at an appropriate speed, when the driver releases his or her hands from the steering wheel. A motor is controlled based on a motor steering assist torque, which is a sum of a first steering assist torque, which is proportional to an integral value of a deviation between the target steering torque and the steering torque, and a second steering assist torque, which is proportional to a motor rotational angular velocity and acting in a direction of suppressing a return speed of the steering wheel when the steering wheel returns to the neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUBHISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya ENDO, Hidetoshi IKEDA, Yoshihiko KINPARA, Hiroaki KITANO
  • Patent number: 9334845
    Abstract: The engine starting device includes a pinion unit which is spline-coupled to an output shaft side of a starter motor to slide in an axial direction, the pinion unit including a one-way clutch which spins for rotation in the same direction as that of rotation of the engine, and a pushing mechanism for moving the pinion unit to a position in which the pinion unit comes into meshing engagement with a ring gear. A pinion gear of the pinion unit is movable in the axial direction as a single body, and includes a chamfered portion having a curved surface along a tooth surface on a non-torque transmitting surface side and a large length in the axial direction, the chamfered portion being provided to a ring-gear side distal end portion of the tooth surface on the non-torque transmitting surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Mizuno, Akihiko Imagi, Hiroaki Kitano, Koichiro Kamei, Kazuhiro Odahara, Masami Abe
  • Publication number: 20160112524
    Abstract: [Object] To associate information generated on the basis of an activity that is carried out by a user with respect to a content with the content, thereby effectively using the information. [Solution] Provided is an information processing apparatus including: an activity detection unit configured to detect an activity of a user who currently plays back a content; a tag generation unit configured to generate tag information on the basis of information on the activity; and a tag association unit configured to associate the tag information with one or more positions in the content, the one or more positions corresponding to the activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: YASUHIRO SUTOU, HIROAKI KITANO, SHOTARO HORI, TAIJI ITO, TETSU NATSUME, KOICHI OSHIMA, HIRONARI MIZUMURA, YOSHIHIRO TAKAGI, YASUO SAKUMA
  • Patent number: 9267479
    Abstract: Provided is an engine starting device, including: starter control means for causing, when the restart condition is established during a period in which a meshing inhibition condition for a ring gear and a pinion gear is established, the pinion gear and the ring gear to mesh with each other after the meshing inhibition condition is released, thereby restarting the engine. The starter control means determines the meshing permission condition and the meshing inhibition condition based on at least an engine rotation speed, and determines the release of the meshing inhibition condition before the engine completely stops based on at least one of the engine rotation speed and an elapsed time after the establishment of the meshing inhibition condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitano, Daisuke Mizuno, Yuhei Tsukahara, Osamu Ishikawa, Takeru Okabe, Koichiro Kamei
  • Patent number: 9255561
    Abstract: The engine starting device includes a starter motor, a pinion portion, a pushing mechanism for pushing a pinion gear of the pinion portion to a position at which the pinion gear comes into meshing engagement with a ring gear, and an integrated switch for operating a motor-energization switch to pull a plunger after the pinion gear is pushed, by configuring a switch for actuating the pushing mechanism and turning ON/OFF an energization current to the starter motor by a single plunger coil. When a restart request is issued after an engine stop is requested and therefore the integrated switch is placed in an ON state, operation timing of the pushing mechanism and coil-operation timing of the plunger coil are set so that the starter motor avoids operating until the pinion gear comes into contact or meshing engagement with the ring gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Mizuno, Haruhiko Shimoji, Koichiro Kamei, Masami Abe, Kazuhiro Odahara, Hiroaki Kitano
  • Patent number: 9249770
    Abstract: The engine starter includes: a starter motor; a pinion unit (30) for sliding in an axial direction on an output shaft of the starter motor; and a ring gear (100) which meshes with a pinion pushed out by a push-out mechanism (60) and receives a transmission of a rotational force of the starter motor to thereby start an engine, and the pinion portion (30) includes a pinion gear divided in the axial direction into two pinion gears which are a first pinion gear (35) having a protruded shape for synchronization, for first colliding with the ring gear upon start of meshing with the ring gear, and a second pinion gear (34) for serving to transmit the rotational force after the meshing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Mizuno, Haruhiko Shimoji, Koichiro Kamei, Masami Abe, Kazuhiro Odahara, Masahiko Kurishige, Hiroaki Kitano, Yuhei Tsukahara, Masahiro Iezawa