Patents by Inventor Katsuhiko Kondo

Katsuhiko Kondo 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: 20220228862
    Abstract: This axial deviation estimating device estimates an axial deviation angle of a radar device mounted on a mobile body, and includes an acquiring unit, an extracting unit, a device-system coordinates unit, and an estimating unit. The estimating unit estimates an axial deviation angle using a relational expression. The relational expression is an expression that holds between at least one unknown parameter, which includes an axial deviation angle of a coordinate axis of the radar device about a target axis which is at least one of a horizontal axis and a traveling direction axis constituting the coordinate axes of the mobile body, and at least one element included in the device-system coordinates of a road surface reflection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Takuya TAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220229168
    Abstract: An axial misalignment estimation apparatus, mounted in a moving body, acquires reflection point information for each of reflection points detected by a radar apparatus, extracts, from the reflection points, at least a single road-surface reflection point detected by reflection on a road surface, based on the reflection point information. Based on the reflection point information, the axial misalignment estimation apparatus identifies, for each road-surface reflection point, apparatus system coordinates based on coordinate axes of the radar apparatus, and estimates an axial misalignment angle and a height of the radar apparatus using a relational expression established between at least two unknown parameters and at least two elements included in the apparatus system coordinates of the road-surface reflection point. The unknown parameters include the axial misalignment angle being a misalignment angle of a coordinate axis of the radar apparatus around a target axis, and a mounting height of the radar apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Akiyoshi MIZUTANI, Takuya TAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220228861
    Abstract: An estimation device mounted to a mobile object comprises an acquisition unit, an extraction unit, and an estimation unit. The acquisition unit acquires reflection point information for each of a plurality of reflection points detected by a radar device mounted to the mobile object. The extraction unit extracts, among the plurality of reflection points, at least one road surface reflection point detected by reflection on a road surface, based on at least the reflection point information. The estimation unit estimates a device height which is the height of the radar device mounted to the mobile object, based on at least a road surface reflection point distance which is the distance from the radar device to the road surface reflection point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Akiyoshi MIZUTANI
  • Patent number: 11366196
    Abstract: The radar device is provided with a transmission array antenna, phase shifters, a reception array antenna, a transmission control unit and a signal processing unit. The transmission control unit transmits transmission waves in either a directivity control mode or a MIMO mode. The directivity control mode controls directivity of the transmission array antenna by controlling the phase shifters. The MIMO mode transmits transmission waves so as not to interfere with each other from the selected at least two transmission antenna elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kondo, Yusuke Akamine, Yasuyuki Miyake
  • Publication number: 20220187422
    Abstract: An information acquisition section repeatedly acquires observation point information including an observation direction from a radar device. An axial misalignment acquisition section acquires an axial misalignment amount of an actual mounting direction representing the actual orientation of the radar device with respect to a reference mounting direction of the radar device. An aliasing calculation section calculates an aliasing direction of the observation direction included in the observation point information. An instantaneous determination section determines, as an actual direction, one of the observation direction and the aliasing direction that is closer to the reference mounting direction, which is estimated from the axial misalignment amount and the actual mounting direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Takuya TAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220065987
    Abstract: An axial misalignment estimation apparatus estimates an axial misalignment angle of a radar apparatus mounted in a moving body. The estimation apparatus repeatedly acquires, for each reflection point detected by the radar apparatus, reflection point information including at least a relative speed and an orientation angle. The estimation apparatus acquires a speed of the moving body and extracts a stationary reflection point estimated to be a stationary object from the reflection points based on the speed of the moving body. The estimation apparatus selects, for each divided region, the stationary reflection point included in the divided region such that a predetermined condition is met. The divided region is a detection region of the radar apparatus that is divided into a plurality of parts in at least either of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The estimation apparatus determines the axial misalignment angle using the stationary reflection point selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Takuya TAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11208114
    Abstract: An executing unit is configured to execute at least one of control of operating performance of a plurality of sensors which monitor different regions around a vehicle and predetermined processing for each of a plurality of output values output from the plurality of sensors. A specifying unit is configured to specify a direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference direction set on the basis of a road around the vehicle. A setting unit is configured to set priorities of the plurality of sensors in accordance with the direction of the vehicle specified by the specifying unit. The executing unit changes at least one of ratios of the operating performance of the plurality of sensors and ratios of amounts of processing performed for the plurality of output values on the basis of the priorities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kondo, Yusuke Akamine, Yasuyuki Miyake
  • Patent number: 11148595
    Abstract: An image output device outputs a periphery image of a vehicle to a display; acquires a capture image of the periphery; acquires detection information of the periphery; determines an accuracy factor of detection of each object; calculates a position of the object in the capture image; determines whether objects overlap with each other in the capture image; and sets an image transmission region to at least a part of a region displaying a first object disposed on a near side among the objects determined to overlap with each other in the capture image, generates the periphery image for visually confirming a second object disposed on a far side of the first object, and changes a transmittance defined in the image transmission region higher as the accuracy factor of the detection of the second object is higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kondo, Yusuke Akamine, Yasuyuki Miyake
  • Publication number: 20210190934
    Abstract: An object-detecting device includes a first detector, an object tracker, a second detector, and an axial misalignment determiner. The first detector detects a distance between a moving body and an object and an orientation of the object relative to the moving body based on detection information acquired from detection sensors including a search wave sensor that searches a detection region with a search wave. The object tracker tracks the same object passing through a different detection region based on the detection information. The second detector detects at least either one of a height of the object or a lateral distance of the object as object information based on the detection information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20210133465
    Abstract: An intersecting road estimation device includes an object detection unit that detects an object existing around an own vehicle and a position of the object, an object extraction unit that extracts a stationary object and a position of the stationary object from an object detection result, a first estimation unit that estimates a road edge of a traveling road on which the own vehicle is traveling based on the position of the stationary object, a candidate extraction unit that extracts a stationary object existing outside the road edge of the traveling road estimated by the first estimation unit as a candidate for an outside stationary object representing a road edge of an intersecting road intersecting the traveling road, and a second estimation unit that estimates the road edge of the intersecting road based on a position of the outside stationary object extracted by the candidate extraction unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Yusuke AKAMINE, Katsuhiko KONDO, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20210088644
    Abstract: The position detecting apparatus repeatedly acquires, from a radar apparatus, object information including at least an object distance as a distance between the radar apparatus and a reflecting object and a relative speed between the radar apparatus and a reflecting object. The position detecting apparatus calculates a speed ratio as a ratio between the relative speed and the travelling speed. The position detecting apparatus calculates, based on the speed ratio, a projection distance between a projected position of the reflecting object projected onto a projection plane and a position of the radar apparatus on the projection plane, the projection plane having a predetermined angle with respect to a center axis indicating a direction along which the radar waves are transmitted by the radar apparatus and including the radar apparatus. The position detection apparatus calculates the position of the reflecting object based on the calculated projection distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Takuya TAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200346653
    Abstract: A vehicle radar system includes at least one radar, a detection section, an extraction section, a pair determination section, and a target position determination section. The extraction section extracts at least one observation point pair from a plurality of detected observation points. The observation point pair is a pair of the observation points located in the same direction. The target position determination section calculates a surface direction of a reflection surface from a reflection surface observation point of the observation point pair and observation points around the reflection surface observation point, and determines a position of the target from the calculated surface direction and the at least one observation point pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yusuke AKAMINE, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20200241131
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus detects a target object present in a periphery of a moving body. The object detection apparatus derives recognition information indicating a state of a target object, and predicts a state of the target object at a next second observation timing, based on the recognition information derived at a first observation timing. The object detection apparatus derives a score based on a degree of difference between a state of the target object observed at the second observation timing and a next state of the target object predicted at the first observation timing. The object detection apparatus derives a reliability level by statistically processing scores related to the target object derived at a plurality of observation timings from past to present. In response to the reliability level satisfying a predetermined reference, the object detection apparatus determines that the target object related to the reliability level is actually present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yusuke AKAMINE, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20200189467
    Abstract: An image output device outputs a periphery image of a vehicle to a display; acquires a capture image of the periphery; acquires detection information of the periphery; determines an accuracy factor of detection of each object; calculates a position of the object in the capture image; determines whether objects overlap with each other in the capture image; and sets an image transmission region to at least a part of a region displaying a first object disposed on a near side among the objects determined to overlap with each other in the capture image, generates the periphery image for visually confirming a second object disposed on a far side of the first object, and changes a transmittance defined in the image transmission region higher as the accuracy factor of the detection of the second object is higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yusuke AKAMINE, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20190377059
    Abstract: The radar device is provided with a transmission array antenna, phase shifters, a reception array antenna, a transmission control unit and a signal processing unit. The transmission control unit transmits transmission waves in either a directivity control mode or a MIMO mode. The directivity control mode controls directivity of the transmission array antenna by controlling the phase shifters. The MIMO mode transmits transmission waves so as not to interfere with each other from the selected at least two transmission antenna elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yusuke AKAMINE, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20190351898
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus supports driving of the vehicle. The driving support apparatus includes a brake pedal detection unit, a retraction speed calculation unit and a driving operation device setting unit. The brake pedal detection unit detects an operation amount of the brake pedal. The retraction speed calculation unit calculates a retraction speed of the brake pedal, based on the operation amount of the brake pedal detected by the brake pedal detection unit. The driving operation device setting unit sets a reaction force exerted by a driving operation device to a larger value as the retraction speed calculated by the retraction speed calculation unit becomes higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yusuke AKAMINE, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20190315373
    Abstract: An executing unit is configured to execute at least one of control of operating performance of a plurality of sensors which monitor different regions around a vehicle and predetermined processing for each of a plurality of output values output from the plurality of sensors. A specifying unit is configured to specify a direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference direction set on the basis of a road around the vehicle. A setting unit is configured to set priorities of the plurality of sensors in accordance with the direction of the vehicle specified by the specifying unit. The executing unit changes at least one of ratios of the operating performance of the plurality of sensors and ratios of amounts of processing performed for the plurality of output values on the basis of the priorities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Katsuhiko KONDO, Yusuke AKAMINE, Yasuyuki MIYAKE
  • Patent number: 10249553
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus for a heat-generating element includes: a heat sink on which the heat-generating element is mounted; a cooling component having a recess, the cooling component and the heat sink being faced and joined to each other so that the recess forms a coolant passage; and a sealing member provided between the heat sink and the cooling component so as to seal the coolant passage and separate an interior and exterior of the coolant passage. A first distance is longer than a second distance with regard to a distance between facing surfaces of the heat sink and the cooling component near the sealing member, the first distance being between the facing surfaces at an interior side of the coolant passage separated by the sealing member, and the second distance is a distance between the facing surfaces at an exterior side of the coolant passage separated by the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gou Ninomiya, Motoyuki Furukawa, Katsuhiko Kondo
  • Publication number: 20160064303
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus for a heat-generating element includes: a heat sink on which the heat-generating element is mounted; a cooling component having a recess, the cooling component and the heat sink being faced and joined to each other so that the recess forms a coolant passage; and a sealing member provided between the heat sink and the cooling component so as to seal the coolant passage and separate an interior and exterior of the coolant passage. A first distance is longer than a second distance with regard to a distance between facing surfaces of the heat sink and the cooling component near the sealing member, the first distance being between the facing surfaces at an interior side of the coolant passage separated by the sealing member, and the second distance is a distance between the facing surfaces at an exterior side of the coolant passage separated by the sealing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventors: Gou NINOMIYA, Motoyuki FURUKAWA, Katsuhiko KONDO
  • Patent number: 7472910
    Abstract: The present invention enables relatively easy animation display without requiring a special resource, and facilitates easy generation of the animation. When an image to be displayed as animation is constructed with a background, leg, body and head, these images are distributed as a layer. For each layer, a timing schedule is set with attribute data which includes display update timing and display effects. According to the schedule, display for each layer is updated at the scheduled timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Canon Aptex Kabushiki Kaisha, Tacmi Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Okada, Katsuhiko Kondo, Isao Maruoka, Akihiro Yokota