Patents by Inventor Hirofumi Nishimura

Hirofumi Nishimura 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).

  • Publication number: 20170212231
    Abstract: An object detection device that detects an obstacle in an object by transmitting a signal by a transmission unit, and using reflection signals by a receiving unit, the device including: a sidewall detection circuit that determines whether the vehicle is running on a road having the sidewall, based on an azimuth angle of the object, a distance from the vehicle to the object, Doppler velocities of the reflection signals, and intensities of the reflection signals; a multiple reflection position detection circuit that detects multiple reflection wave components from the reflection signals, based on the Doppler velocities, the azimuth angle, and the reflection intensities when the road is determined to have the sidewall; a detection exclusion range setting circuit that removes the detected multiple reflection wave components from the reflection signals; and an object detection circuit that detects the object using the reflection signals with the multiple reflection wave components removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: HIROSHI IWAI, HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, ASAKO HAMADA
  • Patent number: 9689983
    Abstract: A radar receiver of a radar apparatus includes a Doppler frequency acquirer which, in operation, acquires a Doppler frequency for each of range bins from an echo signal, received via at least one antenna, which is a radar signal reflected by an object, a direction correlation power value calculator which, in operation, calculates, for each of combinations of the range bins and the Doppler frequencies, a direction correlation power value indicating strength of the echo signal for each of directions, a normalized direction correlation value calculator which, in operation, calculates, for each of the combinations of the range bins and the Doppler frequencies, a normalized direction correlation value indicating likelihood of a direction of arrival of the echo signal for each of the directions, and a running vehicle detector which, in operation, determines, on a basis of the direction correlation power value and the normalized direction correlation value, whether the object is a running vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yunyun Cao, Hirofumi Nishimura, Takaaki Kishigami
  • Patent number: 9618616
    Abstract: Each of antenna system processors of a radar receiver generates, through correlation calculation of a reflection signal and a radar transmission signal, an array correlation signal for each delay in arrival of the reflection signal at each Doppler frequency. A static target candidate extractor extracts, on the basis of outputs of the antenna system processors and a Doppler frequency of a reflection signal from a static target located at a side of a moving body, array correlation signals corresponding to a candidate for the static target. A reference signal detector outputs a reference signal regarding the side of the moving body using, among the outputs of the static target candidate extractor, array correlation signals whose consistency is high. A correction value calculator calculates, using outputs of the reference signal detector, a correction value for correcting deviations between reception antennas included in an array antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Hirofumi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9610946
    Abstract: A vehicle travel assistance apparatus includes a transceiver that transmits radio waves and receives reflected waves, a detector that detects a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a vehicle and a pedestrian based on intensities of the reflected waves, and a controller that, in a case the detector detects a stop state of the forward vehicle, a stop state of the vehicle and a presence of the pedestrian during the forward vehicle following, continues a stationary state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nishimura, Asako Hamada, Maiko Shikatani, Takaaki Kishigami
  • Publication number: 20170085160
    Abstract: Provided is a rotor (1) of a permanent magnet-type electric rotary machine, the rotor being able to restrain a decrease of a magnetic characteristic. A pair of endplates (6a, 6b) placed at both axial ends of a rotor core (3) are each provided with a pressing portion (10, 10) configured to abut with an outer peripheral side of an end of the rotor core (3) to apply a pressing force toward the other end plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi MAE, Toshiharu MOCHIDA, Masao SHUTO, Hirofumi NISHIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170063211
    Abstract: A permanent magnet embedded rotating electrical machine such that permanent magnets of a multiple of poles are embedded in an interior of a rotor of which one pole is configured by two permanent magnets has a rotor such that an outer periphery of the rotor and a magnet embedding hole housing the permanent magnet communicate. Magnet embedding holes are arrayed so as to form an inverted V-shape. An auxiliary process, which is a V-shape process, a boss process, a pinhole process, or a bolt hole process, is performed in a region between an inscribed circle of the magnet embedding hole and the outer periphery of the rotor in each rotor steel plate configuring the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu MOCHIDA, Akio TOBA, Hiroshi SHIMADA, Hirofumi NISHIMURA, Nobuyuki SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20160291143
    Abstract: A vehicle movement estimation device has a radar that is provided in a vehicle and that performs transmission of a radar wave and reception of a reflected wave that is the radar wave reflected by an object, a radar movement estimator that estimates a radar movement velocity and a radar movement direction of the radar based on the received reflected wave, an angular velocity estimator that estimates a rotational angular velocity of the vehicle, and a vehicle movement estimator that estimates a movement velocity and a movement direction of a prescribed position of the vehicle based on the estimated radar movement velocity and radar movement direction, the estimated rotational angular velocity, and a spatial relationship between the radar and the prescribed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: YUNYUN CAO, HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, TAKAAKI KISHIGAMI, ASAKO HAMADA
  • Patent number: 9459341
    Abstract: A radar signal processing apparatus is disclosed which includes: time-series phase data generating section 3 generating time-series phase data in a range bin of interest based on a range profile indicating, for each range bin, a phase of a reflected wave of a radio wave from a target; phase-rotation-amount time-series data generating section 4 that divides the time-series phase data into segments of a predetermined time length, calculates an amount of phase rotation that occurs in the segments, and generates time-series data on the amount of phase rotation; pattern matching section 6 that performs pattern matching between the generated time-series data on the amount of phase rotation and a template of time-series data on the amount of phase rotation that is defined by a distance and a moving speed; and speed detection section 7 that detects the moving speed of the target based on a result of the pattern matching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi Tokuhiro, Hirofumi Nishimura, Takaaki Kishigami
  • Publication number: 20160284213
    Abstract: A radar receiver of a radar apparatus includes a Doppler frequency acquirer which, in operation, acquires a Doppler frequency for each of range bins from an echo signal, received via at least one antenna, which is a radar signal reflected by an object, a direction correlation power value calculator which, in operation, calculates, for each of combinations of the range bins and the Doppler frequencies, a direction correlation power value indicating strength of the echo signal for each of directions, a normalized direction correlation value calculator which, in operation, calculates, for each of the combinations of the range bins and the Doppler frequencies, a normalized direction correlation value indicating likelihood of a direction of arrival of the echo signal for each of the directions, and a running vehicle detector which, in operation, determines, on a basis of the direction correlation power value and the normalized direction correlation value, whether the object is a running vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: YUNYUN CAO, HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, TAKAAKI KISHIGAMI
  • Patent number: 9424645
    Abstract: Provided is a calibration device that can calculate the mounting state of a stereo camera without the placing of a physical marker. In this device, an area setting processor (113) preliminarily sets, for an integrated image in which a road surface image region and a setting-prohibited region are integrated, an arrangement pattern having a plurality of area setting frames, and adjusts the arrangement pattern so that the plurality of area setting frames recede from each other. An extraction processor (114) extracts from distance images a plurality of partial images corresponding to the plurality of area setting frames. A mounting-state calculation unit (104) calculates a mounting-state parameter on the basis of a plurality of partial images, such parameter relating to the mounting state of a stereo camera used to pick up stereo images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Oho, Hirofumi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20160178742
    Abstract: A radar apparatus is mountable on a vehicle, transmits a radar signal, and includes a radio receiver that receives reflected wave signals being the radar signal reflected by multiple objects present in the viewing angle of the radar apparatus via a receiving antenna mountable on a side of the vehicle, a signal processing unit that determines the azimuths of the objects, the Doppler speeds between the radar apparatus and the objects, and the intensities of the reflected wave signals by using the reflected wave signals, and a radar state estimation unit that estimates the speed and traveling direction of the radar using the azimuths of the objects, the Doppler speeds, and the intensities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: MAIKO SHIKATANI, HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, ASAKO HAMADA, TAKAAKI KISHIGAMI
  • Publication number: 20160170020
    Abstract: An on-board radar apparatus includes a transmitter/receiver that transmits a radar signal to a detection range every frame and receives one or more reflected signals which are the radar signal reflected by one or more objects; a detector that detects, every frame in each direction within the detection range, a position of a reflection point closest to the on-board radar apparatus as a boundary candidate position, which serves as a boundary with a region where no object exists within the detection range, among one or more reflection points detected on the basis of the one or more reflected signals; a calculator that calculates movement amount concerning an amount of movement of the on-board radar apparatus; an estimator that generates, every frame in each direction within the detection range, an estimated boundary position by converting the boundary candidate position detected in a past frame into a boundary position in a current frame on the basis of the movement amount; and a smoother that performs, every fr
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: ASAKO HAMADA, HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, KIYOTAKA KOBAYASHI, MAIKO SHIKATANI
  • Patent number: 9367758
    Abstract: Device (10) comprises: a comparison object pixel acquisition unit (433) which acquires pixel values of a plurality of comparison object pixels which, when each pixel of an image is designated as a pixel of interest, and a ring-shaped region with the pixel of interest being designated as the center thereof being designated a vicinity region, said comparison object pixels are included in the vicinity region; a pixel difference calculation unit (434) which calculates the difference between the pixel value of the pixel of interest and the pixel values of each comparison object pixel; and a local binary pattern generation unit (435) which generates a local binary pattern for each pixel. A plurality of vicinity regions are present for each pixel of interest, and the distance of the vicinity regions are established on the basis of the spatial frequency characteristics of a lens with which the image is photographed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yunyun Cao, Hirofumi Nishimura, Sugiri Pranata, Zhiheng Niu
  • Publication number: 20160152235
    Abstract: A vehicle travel assistance apparatus includes a transceiver that transmits radio waves and receives reflected waves, a detector that detects a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a vehicle and a pedestrian based on intensities of the reflected waves, and a controller that, in a case the detector detects a stop state of the forward vehicle, a stop state of the vehicle and a presence of the pedestrian during the forward vehicle following, continues a stationary state of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, ASAKO HAMADA, MAIKO SHIKATANI, TAKAAKI KISHIGAMI
  • Patent number: 9338434
    Abstract: A disparity calculation apparatus for a stereo camera implements ranging of an object that includes consecutive similar patterns. In stereo matching, if a plurality of corresponding point candidates are present in a sum of absolute differences or similar evaluation value distribution for a target point, an evaluation value map is generated by superimposing an evaluation value distribution of a target point, for which a plurality of corresponding points are determined to be present, and an evaluation value distribution of each other target point present in a peripheral area of that target point. The shape of an object is represented in real space around a target point for which a plurality of corresponding points are determined to be present. The true distance of a railing that extends in a straight line is determined by extracting a line segment with the strongest linearity in the evaluation value map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nanri, Hirofumi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9297887
    Abstract: Provided is a device for detecting intruding objects that enables the detection of intruding objects without requiring antenna switching. Delay units (102) use different delay amounts to delay signals received at each of a plurality of antennas (110). A signal synthesis unit (103) synthesizes the delayed signals. A frequency conversion unit (106) converts the synthesized signal frequency to a baseband. A wave detection unit (107) detects the signal that has undergone frequency conversion. A radar profile generation unit (104) uses the detected signal to generate a profile formed from the distance from the antenna, and the signal strength at each distance from the antenna. A detection processing unit (105) detects a peak in the profile at which the signal strength exceeds a preset threshold value, and determines whether an intruding object is present in a detection region on the basis of the detected peak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Yasugi, Hirofumi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9294665
    Abstract: Provided is a feature extraction device including a sub region setting unit (433) which sets a plurality of sub regions with respect to a pixel of interest, and a binary pattern generation unit (434) which generates a local binary pattern indicating pixel value comparison results relative to each sub region with respect to each pixel of interest. The sub region setting unit (433) sets (436) a region constituted by a plurality of pixels including a pixel separated from the pixel of interest as a sub region, and the binary pattern generation unit (434) calculates (437) a representative value for each sub region and generates (439) a local binary pattern indicating whether or not the difference (438) between the representative value and the value of the pixel of interest is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yunyun Cao, Hirofumi Nishimura, Sugiri Pranata, Zhi Heng Niu
  • Publication number: 20160072348
    Abstract: Cracking and flying around of permanent magnets in a permanent magnet embedded-type rotating electric machine is prevented. Thermally hardening FRP is used as a reinforcement sheet, and the reinforcement sheet is wrapped around the periphery of a permanent magnet and caused to adhere to the surface of the permanent magnet by being thermally hardened. Subsequently, the permanent magnet to which the reinforcement sheet is adhering is embedded in magnet embedding holes of the rotor. The surface of the reinforcement sheet after thermal hardening is in a state of not being attached to the inner wall surface of the magnet embedding holes. Consequently, no stress caused by the difference between the linear expansion coefficients of the rotor and permanent magnets acts on the permanent magnets when the temperature of the rotor rises, and cracking of the permanent magnets can thus be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiharu MOCHIDA, Takashi SAKIYAMA, Masao SHUTO, Toshiya SASAKI, Hirofumi NISHIMURA, Takeshi IWAMOTO, Yuji NAKAZAKI, Takasumi CHIKAZAWA, Keizou KATO
  • Patent number: 9275463
    Abstract: Provided is a stereo image processing device, with which it is possible to compute disparity with high precision even for an object of a small image region size in a baseline length direction. With this device, an image matching unit (102) acquires a correspondence point of a reference image for a target point of a target image. An image cropping unit (201) extracts first two-dimensional pixel data including the target point from the target image, and extracts second two-dimensional pixel data including the correspondence point from the reference image. An image reconfiguration unit (202) reconfigures the respective first two-dimensional pixel data and second two-dimensional pixel data into first one-dimensional pixel data and second one-dimensional pixel data. A peak position detection unit (104) computes disparity based on the correlation between the first one-dimensional pixel data and the second one-dimensional pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuya Nanri, Hirofumi Nishimura, Junko Ueda, Koji Arata
  • Publication number: 20160041260
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes an antenna that receives echo signals, each of the echo signals being a radar signal reflected by one or more objects; a Doppler-frequency acquirer that acquires Doppler frequencies at each range bin from the received echo signals; a direction correlation power-value calculator that calculates direction correlation power values for respective combinations of the Doppler frequencies and at least one of a distance to the one or more objects and an arrival direction of the echo signals, each direction correlation power value indicating a strength of a corresponding echo signal; and a normalized direction correlation-value calculator that calculates, for the respective combinations, normalized direction correlation values, each normalized direction correlation value indicating a probability of the arrival direction of the corresponding echo signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: YUNYUN CAO, HIROFUMI NISHIMURA, ASAKO HAMADA, TAKAAKI KISHIGAMI