Patents by Inventor Hirohito Mukai

Hirohito Mukai 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: 20230249691
    Abstract: An attitude estimation system includes an obtainer, an estimator, and an outputter. The obtainer obtains a detection result of a first sensor attached to a vehicle. The estimator calculates a relative angle of a road surface on which the vehicle travels with respect to the first sensor, based on the detection result of the first sensor obtained by the obtainer, and estimates a constant deviation of the attitude of the vehicle with respect to a reference attitude of the vehicle. The outputter outputs attitude information indicating the deviation estimated by the estimator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya URAZOE, Hirohito MUKAI, Jun IMAMURA
  • Patent number: 11002849
    Abstract: A driving lane detection device of the present disclosure includes: an object detector, a vehicle detector, and a driving lane detector. The object detector generates object data relating to a distance and direction from the vehicle to an object and a movement direction of the object based on one or more reflection waves that are a radar signal transmitted by a radar device and reflected by the one or more object. The vehicle detector detects each object as at least one of a parallel-running vehicle running in a same direction as the vehicle or an oncoming vehicle running in an opposite direction to the vehicle, based on the object data. The driving lane detector detects a driving lane based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to at least one of the detected parallel-running and the detected oncoming vehicles and lane information on at least one of lane widths and a number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohito Mukai, Tomohiro Yui, Yoshinao Kawai
  • Patent number: 10551494
    Abstract: A road information detector acquires road information by emitting a beam via a variable directivity transmission antenna to a road sign having plural flat portions and includes a transceiver that controls the antenna to scan the beam by switching an emission angle including an azimuth angle relative to the front direction of a vehicle and receives, as reflected wave signals, waves reflected by the flat portions, a distance and reflected wave intensity detector that detects a distance between the vehicle and each of the flat portions and a reflected wave intensity of each of the reflected waves, an emission angle detector that detects the emission angle based on the reflected wave signal, and a road information analyzer that acquires the road information by generating a heat map based on the emission angles, distances, and reflected wave intensities and analyzing the heat map using a threshold value of the wave intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshito Hirai, Tomohiro Yui, Hidekuni Yomo, Hirohito Mukai
  • Publication number: 20190212440
    Abstract: A driving lane detection device of the present disclosure includes: an object detector, a vehicle detector, and a driving lane detector. The object detector generates object data relating to a distance and direction from the vehicle to an object and a movement direction of the object based on one or more reflection waves that are a radar signal transmitted by a radar device and reflected by the one or more object. The vehicle detector detects each object as at least one of a parallel-running vehicle running in a same direction as the vehicle or an oncoming vehicle running in an opposite direction to the vehicle, based on the object data. The driving lane detector detects a driving lane based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to at least one of the detected parallel-running and the detected oncoming vehicles and lane information on at least one of lane widths and a number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Hirohito Mukai, Tomohiro Yui, Yoshinao Kawai
  • Patent number: 10310076
    Abstract: A driving lane detection device of the present disclosure includes: an object detector, a vehicle detector, and a driving lane detector. The object detector generates object data relating to a distance and direction from the vehicle to an object and a movement direction of the object based on one or more reflection waves that are a radar signal transmitted by a radar device and reflected by the one or more object. The vehicle detector detects each object as at least one of a parallel-running vehicle running in a same direction as the vehicle or an oncoming vehicle running in an opposite direction to the vehicle, based on the object data. The driving lane detector detects a driving lane based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to at least one of the detected parallel-running and the detected oncoming vehicles and lane information on at least one of lane widths and a number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohito Mukai, Tomohiro Yui, Yoshinao Kawai
  • Patent number: 10274597
    Abstract: A driving lane detection device of the present disclosure includes: an object detector, a vehicle detector, and a driving lane detector. The object detector generates object data relating to a distance and direction from the vehicle to an object and a movement direction of the object based on one or more reflection waves that are a radar signal transmitted by a radar device and reflected by the one or more object. The vehicle detector detects each object as at least one of a parallel-running vehicle running in a same direction as the vehicle or an oncoming vehicle running in an opposite direction to the vehicle, based on the object data. The driving lane detector detects a driving lane based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to at least one of the detected parallel-running and the detected oncoming vehicles and lane information on at least one of lane widths and a number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohito Mukai, Tomohiro Yui, Yoshinao Kawai
  • Patent number: 10222453
    Abstract: In a radar device mounted in a host vehicle, a radar transmitting unit transmits a radar signal; a light detection unit detects ON or OFF of a light of another vehicle in which the radar device is mounted; and a timing control unit sets a transmission timing of the radar signal and a light ON timing of a light of the host vehicle, the light ON timing is synchronized with the transmission timing on basis of detected ON or OFF of the light of the other vehicle. The set transmission timing is different from a transmission timing of a radar signal of the radar device mounted in the other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekuni Yomo, Hirohito Mukai, Tomohiro Yui, Yoshito Hirai
  • Patent number: 10145949
    Abstract: A pulse transmission controller generates transmission timing signals for a high-frequency radar transmission signal in every transmission cycle. A transmission phase shifter gives a transmission signal generated by a modulator phase shifts each corresponding to a transmission cycle on the basis of the transmission timing signals generated at intervals that are equal to the transmission cycle. A reception phase shifter gives a reception signal that is output from an A/D converter reception phase shifts that are opposite in direction to the respective transmission phase shifts given by the transmission phase shifter on the basis of the transmission timing signals generated at intervals that are equal to the transmission cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Hirohito Mukai, Tadashi Morita
  • Publication number: 20180095103
    Abstract: A state calculation apparatus includes an receiver that receives azimuths of objects around a vehicle and their relative velocities to the vehicle, detected by a first sensor used for the vehicle, as target information, and a velocity and a travel direction of the vehicle, detected by a second sensor installed on the vehicle and having an error variance, as state information, and a controller that calculates velocities and travel directions of the vehicle, using the state information and based on a plurality of the azimuths and a plurality of the relative velocities extracted from the target information and that outputs at least either a velocity or a travel direction of the vehicle by using a specified filter to filter mean values of and error variances in the calculated velocities and travel directions and at least either the velocity or the travel direction detected by the second sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: YOSHITO HIRAI, HIROHITO MUKAI, YUNYUN CAO, HIROSHI TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180052230
    Abstract: A road information detector acquires road information by emitting a beam via a variable directivity transmission antenna to a road sign having plural flat portions and includes a transceiver that controls the antenna to scan the beam by switching an emission angle including an azimuth angle relative to the front direction of a vehicle and receives, as reflected wave signals, waves reflected by the flat portions, a distance and reflected wave intensity detector that detects a distance between the vehicle and each of the flat portions and a reflected wave intensity of each of the reflected waves, an emission angle detector that detects the emission angle based on the reflected wave signal, and a road information analyzer that acquires the road information by generating a heat map based on the emission angles, distances, and reflected wave intensities and analyzing the heat map using a threshold value of the wave intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: YOSHITO HIRAI, TOMOHIRO YUI, HIDEKUNI YOMO, HIROHITO MUKAI
  • Patent number: 9733347
    Abstract: A radar transmitter Txs (s=1) generates a baseband transmission signal by modulating a first code sequence having a prescribed code length on the basis of a first transmission timing signal and gives a first transmission phase shift corresponding to each transmission cycle to the transmission signal. A radar receiver Txs (s=2) generates a baseband transmission signal by modulating a second code sequence having the prescribed code length on the basis of a second transmission timing signal and gives, to the transmission signal, a second transmission phase shift that correspond to each transmission cycle and opposite to the first transmission phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Hirohito Mukai
  • Publication number: 20170160390
    Abstract: A pulse transmission controller generates transmission timing signals for a high-frequency radar transmission signal in every transmission cycle. A transmission phase shifter gives a transmission signal generated by a modulator phase shifts each corresponding to a transmission cycle on the basis of the transmission timing signals generated at intervals that are equal to the transmission cycle. A reception phase shifter gives a reception signal that is output from an A/D converter reception phase shifts that are opposite in direction to the respective transmission phase shifts given by the transmission phase shifter on the basis of the transmission timing signals generated at intervals that are equal to the transmission cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Takaaki KISHIGAMI, Hirohito MUKAI, Tadashi MORITA
  • Patent number: 9664777
    Abstract: Under control of a first transmission code controlling section, a first radar transmitting section periodically transmits a first radar transmission signal with a first transmission period based on a first transmission trigger signal produced after elapse of a first delay time period from reception of a predetermined synchronization establishment signal by a first transmission trigger signal producing section. Under control of a second transmission code controlling section, a second radar transmitting section periodically transmits a second radar transmission signal with a second transmission period similarly. In accordance with the first delay time period and the second delay time period, arrival times of interference signals from the first radar transmitting section and the second radar transmitting section are within transmission zones of the second radar transmission signal and the first radar transmission signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Yoichi Nakagawa, Hirohito Mukai
  • Publication number: 20160349354
    Abstract: In a radar device mounted in a host vehicle, a radar transmitting unit transmits a radar signal; a light detection unit detects ON or OFF of a light of another vehicle in which the radar device is mounted; and a timing control unit sets a transmission timing of the radar signal and a light ON timing of a light of the host vehicle, the light ON timing is synchronized with the transmission timing on basis of detected ON or OFF of the light of the other vehicle. The set transmission timing is different from a transmission timing of a radar signal of the radar device mounted in the other vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: HIDEKUNI YOMO, HIROHITO MUKAI, TOMOHIRO YUI, YOSHITO HIRAI
  • Patent number: 9470784
    Abstract: Each antenna system processor performs coherent integration on a prescribed number of correlation values between a reception signal and a transmission code. A correlation matrix generator generates a correlation matrix on the basis of coherent integration values. A distance estimator estimates a distance to a target. A direction vector storage is stored with direction vectors each of which includes an azimuth component with respect to a target and an elevation angle component of a line connecting a transmission antenna and the target in which a prescribed direction is used as a reference. An incoming direction estimator estimates a signal incoming direction from the target using the correlation matrix and the direction vectors in which the elevation angle component range is restricted on the basis of the distance to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Hirohito Mukai
  • Patent number: 9448303
    Abstract: A first radar transmitter and a second radar transmitter transmit a first modulation signal and a second modulation signal which are generated by repeating a predetermined time of code sequences, each of which has a predetermined code length, using a first code width and a second code width, respectively. An A/D converter converts the modulation signal into a discrete signal in a sampling cycle shorter than a difference between the first code width and the second code width. A positioning section separates a plurality of reception signals using a first correlation value based on outputs from the A/D converter and a first delay section corresponding to the first code width and a second correlation value based on outputs from the A/D converter and a second delay section corresponding to the second code width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Yoichi Nakagawa, Hirohito Mukai
  • Patent number: 9426761
    Abstract: A WiGig wireless device partially performs a masking processing on a preamble of a transmission signal frame and generates a repetition pattern of the same pulse capable of being used in a correlation detection of a sensor. That is, a repetition pattern of a Golay code is output by intermittently performing the masking processing on the Golay code sequence. The sensor performs the correlation detection using a pulse compression technology, thereby detecting the antenna radiation pattern even in an environment where a reflected wave is generated, by separating the direct wave and the reflected wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Morita, Takaaki Kishigami, Hirohito Mukai
  • Publication number: 20160238705
    Abstract: A driving lane detection device of the present disclosure includes: an object detector, a vehicle detector, and a driving lane detector. The object detector generates object data relating to a distance and direction from the vehicle to an object and a movement direction of the object based on one or more reflection waves that are a radar signal transmitted by a radar device and reflected by the one or more object. The vehicle detector detects each object as at least one of a parallel-running vehicle running in a same direction as the vehicle or an oncoming vehicle running in an opposite direction to the vehicle, based on the object data. The driving lane detector detects a driving lane based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to at least one of the detected parallel-running and the detected oncoming vehicles and lane information on at least one of lane widths and a number of lanes of a road on which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: HIROHITO MUKAI, TOMOHIRO YUI, YOSHINAO KAWAI
  • Patent number: 9372259
    Abstract: A pulse transmission controller generates transmission timing signals for a high-frequency radar transmission signal in every transmission cycle. A transmission phase shifter gives a transmission signal generated by a modulator phase shifts each corresponding to a transmission cycle on the basis of the transmission timing signals generated at intervals that are equal to the transmission cycle. A reception phase shifter gives a reception signal that is output from an A/D converter reception phase shifts that are opposite in direction to the respective transmission phase shifts given by the transmission phase shifter on the basis of the transmission timing signals generated at intervals that are equal to the transmission cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Hirohito Mukai, Tadashi Morita
  • Patent number: 9239378
    Abstract: A radar device is provided, which includes a first sector radar and a second sector radar, each including a code generator that generates two code sequences, a multiplier that multiplies the two code sequences by a coefficient sequence, wherein the two coefficient sequences of the first and second sector radars, respectively, are orthogonal to each other, a transmission signal generator that modulates the orthogonalized two code sequences, and an RF transmitter that transmits the modulated signal including the two orthogonalized two code sequences. At least one of the two orthogonal coefficient sequences for the first and second sector radars, respectively, includes one or more negative coefficients. The two orthogonal coefficient sequences include coefficients, which are identical to each other, in a first transmission cycle, and include coefficients, which are different from each other, in a second transmission cycle different from the first transmission cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaaki Kishigami, Yoichi Nakagawa, Hirohito Mukai