Patents by Inventor Kazushi Konno

Kazushi Konno 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: 8784263
    Abstract: A hybrid driving apparatus includes a diesel engine outfitted with an exhaust brake, and a clutch between the diesel engine and a hybrid motor. The exhaust brake is shiftable between an operational state and a non-operational state, and a switch is operable to change the exhaust brake from the non-operational state to the operational state. The switch is configured to automatically change the exhaust brake which is in the operational state while the vehicle is turned on to the non-operational state when the vehicle is turned off. The clutch is automatically changed from an engaged condition, in which the diesel engine and the hybrid motor are connected, to the disengaged condition, in which the diesel engine and the hybrid motor are disconnected, when the vehicle decelerates while the exhaust brake is in the non-operational state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoya Takahashi, Kazuhiro Irie, Kazushi Konno
  • Publication number: 20130053213
    Abstract: A hybrid driving apparatus includes a diesel engine outfitted with an exhaust brake, and a clutch between the diesel engine and a hybrid motor. The exhaust brake is shiftable between an operational state and a non-operational state, and a switch is operable to change the exhaust brake from the non-operational state to the operational state. The switch is configured to automatically change the exhaust brake which is in the operational state while the vehicle is turned on to the non-operational state when the vehicle is turned off. The clutch is automatically changed from an engaged condition, in which the diesel engine and the hybrid motor are connected, to the disengaged condition, in which the diesel engine and the hybrid motor are disconnected, when the vehicle decelerates while the exhaust brake is in the non-operational state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicants: AISIN TECHNICAL CENTER OF AMERICA INC., AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoya TAKAHASHI, Kazuhiro Irie, Kazushi Konno
  • Patent number: 7882920
    Abstract: A braking force application control is performed when a change in a driver's posture takes place while a brake pedal is turned on when a vehicle is stopped. As a consequence, in a case in which the driver's posture changes such as when the driver turns to a rear seat side to get something without intending to release depression of the brake pedal, creep of the vehicle that the driver does not intend to happen can be inhibited. Furthermore, the vehicle stop retention is only performed when a travelling direction is a forward direction or a seatbelt is worn. As a result, performance of the vehicle stop retention can be inhibited when it is considered that the driver intentionally desires to let the vehicle creep.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chihiro Nitta, Kazuhide Adachi, Hideaki Morita, Manabu Matsuda, Kazushi Konno, Shoko Yokoyama
  • Publication number: 20090265063
    Abstract: A face image obtained by imaging a vehicle occupant by a CCD camera (10) is recorded in an image memory (140). A CPU (170) detects the position and the direction of a face of the occupant according to the face image recorded in the recording memory (140). The CPU (170) is triggered by an input from an obstacle detection sensor (60) to calculate a displacement amount and a rotation amount of a headrest (200) according to the face and the direction of the face of the occupant against the headrest (200) and the direction and the speed of the obstacle against the vehicle and adjust the position and angle of the headrest (200) by driving a motor (211).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Inventors: Junya Kasugai, Koichi Hirota, Kazushi Konno, Takaya Aiyama
  • Publication number: 20090124457
    Abstract: A braking force application control is performed when a change in a driver's posture takes place while a brake pedal is turned on when a vehicle is stopped. As a consequence, in a case in which the driver's posture changes such as when the driver turns to a rear seat side to get something without intending to release depression of the brake pedal, creep of the vehicle that the driver does not intend to happen can be inhibited. Furthermore, the vehicle stop retention is only performed when a travelling direction is a forward direction or a seatbelt is worn. As a result, performance of the vehicle stop retention can be inhibited when it is considered that the driver intentionally desires to let the vehicle creep.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Chihiro Nitta, Kazuhide Adachi, Hideaki Morita, Manabu Matsuda, Kazushi Konno, Shoko Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 7476216
    Abstract: An electric syringe according to the invention injects a dental anesthetic by pressing a rubber plug of a cartridge filled with an anesthetic. The electric syringe includes: a push member configured to press and move the rubber plug of the cartridge; a drive motor configured to generate a drive force; a transmission mechanism part configured to transmit the drive force to the push member; and a control unit configured to control a moving of the push member by controlling the drive motor, wherein the control unit controls the drive motor to move the push member to gradually increase an injection speed of the anesthetic in the beginning of the injection and to move the push member to inject the anesthetic in a constant injection speed after a predetermined time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Nippon Shika Yakuhin Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Takatsuka, Tomio Nagashima, Kazushi Konno
  • Publication number: 20070236563
    Abstract: A front camera for filming an area stretching forwards is disposed in a front portion of a vehicle. A side camera for filming an area stretching laterally and diagonally forwards is disposed in a lateral-left portion of the vehicle. An indicator display that can be visually recognized by a driver is disposed in a compartment of the vehicle. An amount of change in the direction of the vehicle, that is, a deflection angle of the vehicle is detected on the basis of a vehicle speed and a steering angle of a steering wheel, which have been detected by means of various sensors. After the indicator display has started displaying a lateral photo image filmed by the side camera, the photo image displayed by the indicator display is shifted from the lateral photo image filmed by the side camera to a front photo image filmed by the front camera if the deflection angle has reached a predetermined angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Makoto Takagi, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Kazushi Konno, Toshiaki Kakinami
  • Patent number: 7248283
    Abstract: A front camera for filming an area stretching forwards is disposed in a front portion of a vehicle. A side camera for filming an area stretching laterally and diagonally forwards is disposed in a lateral-left portion of the vehicle. An indicator display that can be visually recognized by a driver is disposed in a compartment of the vehicle. An amount of change in the direction of the vehicle, that is, a deflection angle of the vehicle is detected on the basis of a vehicle speed and a steering angle of a steering wheel, which have been detected by means of various sensors. After the indicator display has started displaying a lateral photo image filmed by the side camera, the photo image displayed by the indicator display is shifted from the lateral photo image filmed by the side camera to a front photo image filmed by the front camera if the deflection angle has reached a predetermined angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Takagi, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Kazushi Konno, Toshiaki Kakinami
  • Patent number: 6940423
    Abstract: A back camera image from a back camera mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle body is displayed on a display mounted on the console inside the vehicle cabin when the vehicle is parallel parking. After the vehicle passes a steering direction reversal point in this state, a corner camera image from a corner camera mounted on a corner portion of a front portion of the vehicle body is displayed on the display when the vehicle nears a vehicle parked in front, or, more specifically, when an angle of the vehicle after it has reached the steering direction reversal point has reached a predetermined value. Guidance images may be overlaid upon the camera images during some or all of the parallel parking maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Makoto Takagi, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Kazushi Konno, Toshiaki Kakinami, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Publication number: 20040073168
    Abstract: An electric syringe according to the invention injects a dental anesthetic by pressing a rubber plug of a cartridge filled with an anesthetic. The electric syringe includes: a push member configured to press and move the rubber plug of the cartridge; a drive motor configured to generate a drive force; a transmission mechanism part configured to transmit the drive force to the push member; and a control unit configured to control a moving of the push member by controlling the drive motor, wherein the control unit controls the drive motor to move the push member to gradually increase an injection speed of the anesthetic in the beginning of the injection and to move the push member to inject the anesthetic in a constant injection speed after a predetermined time has elapsed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Applicant: Nippon Shika Yakuhin Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Takatsuka, Tomio Nagashima, Kazushi Konno
  • Publication number: 20030090570
    Abstract: A front camera for filming an area stretching forwards is disposed in a front portion of a vehicle. A side camera for filming an area stretching laterally and diagonally forwards is disposed in a lateral-left portion of the vehicle. An indicator display that can be visually recognized by a driver is disposed in a compartment of the vehicle. An amount of change in the direction of the vehicle, that is, a deflection angle of the vehicle is detected on the basis of a vehicle speed and a steering angle of a steering wheel, which have been detected by means of various sensors. After the indicator display has started displaying a lateral photo image filmed by the side camera, the photo image displayed by the indicator display is shifted from the lateral photo image filmed by the side camera to a front photo image filmed by the front camera if the deflection angle has reached a predetermined angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Inventors: Makoto Takagi, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Kazushi Konno, Toshiaki Kakinami
  • Publication number: 20030080877
    Abstract: A back camera image from a back camera mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle body is displayed on a display mounted on the console inside the vehicle cabin when the vehicle is parallel parking. After the vehicle passes a steering direction reversal point in this state, a corner camera image from a corner camera mounted on a corner portion of a front portion of the vehicle body is displayed on the display when the vehicle nears a vehicle parked in front, or, more specifically, when an angle of the vehicle after it has reached the steering direction reversal point has reached a predetermined value. Guidance images may be overlaid upon the camera images during some or all of the parallel parking maneuver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Makoto Takagi, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Kazushi Konno, Toshiaki Kakinami, Yosifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 6487481
    Abstract: A parking assisting apparatus displays an image of a rear view from a vehicle, which is acquired by a camera, on a display located in a passenger compartment, thus assisting in a parking procedure. The parking procedure assisted by the parking assisting apparatus is, for example, a parallel parking procedure in which the rotating direction of the steering wheel must be switched. An assumed path along which the vehicle is moved during the parking procedure is determined in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel when the parking procedure is started. In the parking procedure, the display indicates a steering information that informs the driver of a timing at which the rotating direction of the steering wheel must be switched, in accordance with the assumed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyoda Jidoshakabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Toshiaki Kakinami, Yoshifumi Iwata, Kazushi Konno, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Yuichi Kubota, Osamu Okazaki
  • Publication number: 20020026269
    Abstract: A parking assisting apparatus displays an image of a rear view from a vehicle, which is acquired by a camera, on a display located in a passenger compartment, thus assisting in a parking procedure. The parking procedure assisted by the parking assisting apparatus is, for example, a parallel parking procedure in which the rotating direction of the steering wheel must be switched. An assumed path along which the vehicle is moved during the parking procedure is determined in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel when the parking procedure is started. In the parking procedure, the display indicates a steering information that informs the driver of a timing at which the rotating direction of the steering wheel must be switched, in accordance with the assumed path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2001
    Publication date: February 28, 2002
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Toshiaki Kakinami, Yoshifumi Iwata, Kazushi Konno, Toshiyasu Katsuno, Yuichi Kubota, Osamu Okazaki
  • Patent number: 4357751
    Abstract: An electrical contact manufacturing method and apparatus with which entrance of the contact into a base metal plate is prevented during forming of the contact to thereby increase the service life of the contact. A contact material is welded in the form of a spot to a predetermined position on a base metal plate. The contact material is depressed from above by an upper punch to mold the electrical contact. Simultaneously, the portion of the base metal plate lying directly below the contact is depressed with a lower punch to raise that portion of the base metal plate and the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1982
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Akimoto, Kazushi Konno, Toshimasa Hagyu