Patents by Inventor Kotaro Wakamatsu
Kotaro Wakamatsu 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).
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Patent number: 8195392Abstract: A position detecting apparatus and method used in a navigation system, which can improve positional accuracy and bearing accuracy even in a system equipped with few sensors, are provided. A position detecting apparatus used in a navigation system for detecting a vehicle position includes: a sensor unit including a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity sensor; and a dead reckoning calculating unit for calculating state quantity inclusive of a current vehicle position, a vehicle speed, and a vehicle attitude angle based on a signal output from each of the sensors at a predetermined periodic interval.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2009Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Takehiko Sakagami, Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Patent number: 8185308Abstract: Angular velocity correcting devices, angular velocity correcting methods, and navigation devices are disclosed. In some implementations, a first sensor sensitivity correcting method for considering variation of sensor sensitivity due to an oblique angle of an angular velocity detecting sensor with respect to a horizontal plane and a sensitivity error of the angular velocity detecting sensor and correcting the sensor sensitivity is enabled. A second sensor sensitivity correcting method for considering the variation of the sensor sensitivity due to the oblique angle of the angular velocity detecting sensor with respect to the horizontal plane without considering the sensitivity error and correcting the sensor sensitivity is enabled. The sensitivity error is calculated on the basis of a ratio of the sensor sensitivity obtained by the first sensor sensitivity correcting method to the sensor sensitivity obtained by the second sensor sensitivity correcting method.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2008Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Alpine Electronics Inc.Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takehiko Sakagami, Koji Sewaki
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Publication number: 20100030471Abstract: A position detecting apparatus and method used in a navigation system, which can improve positional accuracy and bearing accuracy even in a system equipped with few sensors, are provided. A position detecting apparatus used in a navigation system for detecting a vehicle position includes: a sensor unit including a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an angular velocity sensor; and a dead reckoning calculating unit for calculating state quantity inclusive of a current vehicle position, a vehicle speed, and a vehicle attitude angle based on a signal output from each of the sensors at a predetermined periodic interval.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2009Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Takehiko Sakagami, Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Patent number: 7561961Abstract: A vehicle position estimating apparatus for estimating a vehicle position on the basis of a vehicle position (GPS position) calculated from a signal received from a GPS satellite includes a travel direction history storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of vehicle travel direction history information and a position estimating unit for predicting the position of a vehicle at the next position measurement time and a vehicle position range in which the vehicle is likely to be located at the next position measurement time on the basis of the GPS position, a vehicle velocity (GPS velocity), and a vehicle travel direction (GPS travel direction) which are calculated from the transmitted GPS signal or on the basis of the position of the vehicle that has been predicted at the previous position measurement time, the GPS velocity, and data on a vehicle travel direction stored in the travel direction history storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2006Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Watanabe
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Publication number: 20090150075Abstract: Angular velocity correcting devices, angular velocity correcting methods, and navigation devices are disclosed. In some implementations, a first sensor sensitivity correcting method for considering variation of sensor sensitivity due to an oblique angle of an angular velocity detecting sensor with respect to a horizontal plane and a sensitivity error of the angular velocity detecting sensor and correcting the sensor sensitivity is enabled. A second sensor sensitivity correcting method for considering the variation of the sensor sensitivity due to the oblique angle of the angular velocity detecting sensor with respect to the horizontal plane without considering the sensitivity error and correcting the sensor sensitivity is enabled. The sensitivity error is calculated on the basis of a ratio of the sensor sensitivity obtained by the first sensor sensitivity correcting method to the sensor sensitivity obtained by the second sensor sensitivity correcting method.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2008Publication date: June 11, 2009Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takehiko Sakagami, Koji Sewaki
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Publication number: 20090063051Abstract: A method of updating the position and orientation of a vehicle at startup of a navigation system using both a GPS receiver and a dead reckoning sensor includes the acts of storing the vehicle position and orientation when the navigation system is inoperative and setting the stored vehicle position and orientation as the initial vehicle position and orientation when the navigation system is operative; estimating a vehicle position and orientation by using a signal output from the dead reckoning sensor and the initial vehicle position and orientation after the navigation system becomes operative; determining whether the reliability of a GPS orientation obtained by the GPS receiver becomes sufficiently high after the navigation system becomes operative; and updating the current vehicle position by using the GPS orientation and the estimated vehicle position when the reliability of the GPS orientation obtained by the GPS receiver becomes sufficiently high.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2008Publication date: March 5, 2009Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Takayuki Hoshizaki, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takehiko Sakagami
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Patent number: 7414575Abstract: A position calculating apparatus that calculates a position of a moving body by using results of positioning by a GPS satellite and a self-contained sensor includes receiving means for receiving GPS orientation data measured by the GPS satellite and navigation orientation data measured by the self-contained sensor; first determining means for determining a reliability of the GPS orientation data; second determining means for determining a reliability of the navigation orientation data; and movement angle calculating means for calculating a movement angle of the moving body from the GPS orientation data or the navigation orientation data in accordance with the determination results of the first and second determining means.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2007Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Patent number: 7295155Abstract: Available-satellite data indicating satellites available for satellite positioning is obtained from a GPS receiver, and satellites continuously available for satellite positioning in the current instance and the previous n times are extracted as candidate satellites referring to available-satellite record data. Four of the candidate satellites are selected so that the satellites used for satellite positioning the previous time are selected with priority as the satellites to be used for satellite positioning in the current instance, and the selected satellites are set in designated-satellite data. The GPS receiver performs three-dimensional positioning using the four satellites designated by the designated-satellite data. If the number of extracted candidate satellites is three, these three extracted candidate satellites are selected as the designated satellites and are set in the designated-satellite data. The GPS receiver performs two-dimensional positioning using these three designated satellites.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2005Date of Patent: November 13, 2007Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Publication number: 20070257837Abstract: A position calculating apparatus that calculates a position of a moving body by using results of positioning by a GPS satellite and a self-contained sensor includes receiving means for receiving GPS orientation data measured by the GPS satellite and navigation orientation data measured by the self-contained sensor; first determining means for determining a reliability of the GPS orientation data; second determining means for determining a reliability of the navigation orientation data; and movement angle calculating means for calculating a movement angle of the moving body from the GPS orientation data or the navigation orientation data in accordance with the determination results of the first and second determining means.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2007Publication date: November 8, 2007Inventors: Takayuki Watanabe, Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Publication number: 20070150192Abstract: A vehicle position estimating apparatus for estimating a vehicle position on the basis of a vehicle position (GPS position) calculated from a signal received from a GPS satellite includes a travel direction history storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of vehicle travel direction history information and a position estimating unit for predicting the position of a vehicle at the next position measurement time and a vehicle position range in which the vehicle is likely to be located at the next position measurement time on the basis of the GPS position, a vehicle velocity (GPS velocity), and a vehicle travel direction (GPS travel direction) which are calculated from the transmitted GPS signal or on the basis of the position of the vehicle that has been predicted at the previous position measurement time, the GPS velocity, and data on a vehicle travel direction stored in the travel direction history storage unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2006Publication date: June 28, 2007Inventors: Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Watanabe
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Patent number: 7136015Abstract: When there is a large difference greater than a threshold value between a position determined at a time in satellite positioning by a GPS receiver based on a propagation delay of signals received from a GPS satellite, and an anterior position determined at an anterior time in satellite positioning by the GPS receiver, in position determination in a first period after the times, a present position is found based on a velocity vector found at the anterior time by the GPS receiver based on a Doppler shift occurring in the signals received from the GPS satellite and a previously determined position. In position determination in a second period after the first period, the present position is found based on a velocity vector found in the second period and the previously determined position. After that, processing is returned in which a satellite-determined position is used as a determined position.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2005Date of Patent: November 14, 2006Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Publication number: 20050259003Abstract: When there is a large difference greater than a threshold value between a position determined at a time in satellite positioning by a GPS receiver based on a propagation delay of signals received from a GPS satellite, and an anterior position determined at an anterior time in satellite positioning by the GPS receiver, in position determination in a first period after the times, a present position is found based on a velocity vector found at the anterior time by the GPS receiver based on a Doppler shift occurring in the signals received from the GPS satellite and a previously determined position. In position determination in a second period after the first period, the present position is found based on a velocity vector found in the second period and the previously determined position. After that, processing is returned in which a satellite-determined position is used as a determined position.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2005Publication date: November 24, 2005Inventor: Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Publication number: 20050195107Abstract: Available-satellite data indicating satellites available for satellite positioning is obtained from a GPS receiver, and satellites continuously available for satellite positioning in the current instance and the previous n times are extracted as candidate satellites referring to available-satellite record data. Four of the candidate satellites are selected so that the satellites used for satellite positioning the previous time are selected with priority as the satellites to be used for satellite positioning in the current instance, and the selected satellites are set in designated-satellite data. The GPS receiver performs three-dimensional positioning using the four satellites designated by the designated-satellite data. If the number of extracted candidate satellites is three, these three extracted candidate satellites are selected as the designated satellites and are set in the designated-satellite data. The GPS receiver performs two-dimensional positioning using these three designated satellites.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2005Publication date: September 8, 2005Inventor: Kotaro Wakamatsu
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Patent number: 6819268Abstract: A received information processing apparatus enables simplification of user manipulation when information relevant to an area is to be acquired. A position information extraction section extracts predetermined position information (for instance, postal codes) corresponding to the vehicle position calculated by a vehicle position calculation section. A received information extraction section extracts received information relevant to a specified area from among various kinds of information included in a data broadcast received by a digital broadcast receiver, based on position information received from the position information extraction section and predetermined extraction conditions stored in an extraction conditions storage section. Depiction data corresponding to the extracted received information is generated by a received information depiction section, and the content of the received information that is relevant to the vehicle position is displayed on a screen of a display device.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2001Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Kotaro Wakamatsu, Hiroyuki Nemoto
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Publication number: 20020067288Abstract: A received information processing apparatus enables simplification of user manipulation when information relevant to an area is to be acquired. A position information extraction section extracts predetermined position information (for instance, postal codes) corresponding to the vehicle position calculated by a vehicle position calculation section. A received information extraction section extracts received information relevant to a specified area from among various kinds of information included in a data broadcast received by a digital broadcast receiver, based on position information received from the position information extraction section and predetermined extraction conditions stored in an extraction conditions storage section. Depiction data corresponding to the extracted received information is generated by a received information depiction section, and the content of the received information that is relevant to the vehicle position is displayed on a screen of a display device.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2001Publication date: June 6, 2002Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Kotaro Wakamatsu, Hiroyuki Nemoto
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Patent number: 6224568Abstract: A needle connecting portion of a syringe which includes a drug accommodating chamber accommodating a first component is arranged opposite to a takeout port of a hermetically closed container which includes a container chamber accommodating a second component. The syringe is connected to the container through a connector so as to be movable in mutual proximity and adapted to be separable from the connector. There is provided a communication passage capable of communicating the drug accommodating chamber with the container chamber. The communication passage is cut off by a closure member arranged between both of the chambers. The syringe and the container chamber are moved in proximity to each other, thereby displacing the closure member so as to open the communication passage. An injector of the present invention is compact in shape but can surely retain sterility while being stored and surely mix both of the components accommodated therein through a simple operation just before administration.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1998Date of Patent: May 1, 2001Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Shuji Morimoto, Kazuhiro Okochi, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Nobuyoshi Tanaka
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Patent number: 5865799Abstract: A prefilled syringe capable of separate storage of different substances before use. It includes a tubular body having an injection needle at one end and a plunger at the other end, and a partition axially slidable in the tubular body. The partition includes a front part and a rear part independent of each other, and as a whole divides the interior space of the tubular body into a front compartment and a rear compartment in a sealing manner for storing mutually different substances. A bypass is disposed generally between the front and rear compartments to introduce the substance in the rear compartment into the front compartment when the partition is slid under pressure provided by the plunger to be adjacent to the bypass to thereby mix the substances immediately prior to injection.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 1997Date of Patent: February 2, 1999Assignee: Takeda Chemical IndustriesInventors: Nobuo Tanaka, Jotaro Kishimoto, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Hagihara, Seiji Ohtani
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Patent number: 5817056Abstract: A prefilled syringe capable of separate storage of different substances before use. It includes a tubular body having an injection needle at one end and a plunger at the other end, and a partition slidable axially in the tubular body. The partition includes a front part and a rear part independent of each other, and as a whole dividing the interior space of the tubular body into a front compartment and a rear compartment in a sealing manner for storing mutually different substances. A bypass is disposed generally between the front and rear compartments to introduce the substance in the rear compartment into the front compartment when the partition is slid under pressure provided by the plunger to be adjacent to the bypass to thereby mix the substances immediately prior to injection.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1996Date of Patent: October 6, 1998Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Nobuo Tanaka, Jotaro Kishimoto, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Hagihara, Seiji Ohtani
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Patent number: 5716339Abstract: A prefilled syringe is capable of separate storage of different substances before use. It includes a tubular body having an injection needle at one end and a plunger at the other end, and a partition axially slidable in the tubular body. The partition includes a front part and a rear part independent of each other, and as a whole divides the interior space of the tubular body into a front compartment and a rear compartment in a sealing manner for storing mutually different substances. A bypass is disposed generally between the front and rear compartments to introduce the substance in the rear compartment into the front compartment when the partition is slid under pressure provided by the plunger to be adjacent to the bypass to thereby mix the substances immediately prior to injection.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1995Date of Patent: February 10, 1998Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Nobuo Tanaka, Jotaro Kishimoto, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Hagihara, Seiji Chtani
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Patent number: 5605542Abstract: A prefilled syringe is capable of separate storage of different substances before use. It includes a tubular body having an injection needle at one end and a plunger at the other end, and a partition axially slidable in the tubular body. The partition includes a front part and a rear part independent of each other, and as a whole divides the interior space of the tubular body into a front compartment and a rear compartment in a sealing manner for storing mutually different substances. A bypass is disposed generally between the front and rear compartments to introduce the substance in the rear compartment into the front compartment when the partition is slid under pressure provided by the plunger to be adjacent to the bypass to thereby mix the substances immediately prior to injection.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1995Date of Patent: February 25, 1997Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Nobuo Tanaka, Jotaro Kishimoto, Kotaro Wakamatsu, Takayuki Hagihara, Seiji Ohtani