Patents by Inventor Michiharu Yamamoto

Michiharu Yamamoto 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: 11970827
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped magnetic marker (1) to be laid on a road surface so as to be able to be detected by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle to achieve assist for driving operation of the vehicle by a driver or control on a vehicle side to achieve automatic driving independently from operation of the driver is divided into a plurality of regions in a matrix shape by a cut line (1C) cutting a magnet sheet (11) and a nonskid layer (181), with an adhesive layer being left. Thus, if peeling partially occurs, a region including the peeled part can be isolated, and expansion of peeling can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Masaaki Nakada
  • Publication number: 20240110998
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes: a sensor head having a magnetic material; a drive unit configured to energize the sensor head; a pickup coil close to the sensor head; and an information processing unit configured to generate a bias magnetic field by energizing the pickup coil and detect a signal corresponding to an induced voltage generated in the pickup coil, in which the information processing unit generates a difference signal indicating a difference between a first signal corresponding to a first voltage generated in the pickup coil when the sensor head is in an energized state and a second signal corresponding to a second voltage generated in the pickup coil when the sensor head is in a non-energized state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Ippei AKITA, Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Hitoshi AOYAMA, Takeshi KAWANO
  • Patent number: 11933633
    Abstract: A point cloud data acquiring system (1) is a system which acquires, as moving, point cloud data which serves as base data for a three-dimensional map representing a traveling environment of a vehicle includes range finding part (31) which acquires point cloud data representing azimuths and distances to planimetric features configuring the traveling environment, marker detecting part (2) which detects marker (10) laid in or on a traveling road of the vehicle, and a data recording part which records point cloud data acquired by range finding part (31) as linking thereto marker reference information including positional information with reference to any marker (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11921516
    Abstract: Provided is a driving assistance system using a magnetic marker capable of providing more pieces of information. In the driving assistance system for assisting driving of a vehicle, a magnetic marker (1) including a magnet sheet (11) serving as a magnetism generating unit which generates a magnetic field and also an RFID tag (15) as an information providing unit which provides information to a vehicle side is laid on a travelling road of the vehicle, and the vehicle includes a magnetic sensor serving as a magnetism detecting unit which magnetically detects the magnetic marker (1) and also a tag reader as an information acquiring unit which acquires the information provided by the RFID tag (15) included in the magnetic marker (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11906307
    Abstract: A correction method for a gyro sensor which measures angular velocity of a vehicle about an axis in a vertical direction includes a generation process of performing a process on a difference between a measured azimuth obtained by performing a process on an sensor output, which is an output from the gyro sensor, and a vehicle azimuth estimated by using markers arranged along a traveling road of the vehicle to obtain correction information and a correction process of correcting the measured azimuth obtained by performing the process on the sensor output, which is the output from the gyro sensor, by using the correction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Kazuo Urakawa, Kota Aratani
  • Publication number: 20240019506
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor includes a magneto-sensitive body whose electromagnetic properties change under an action of an external magnetic field, a coil disposed to obtain an induced voltage proportional to the external magnetic field, a sampler configured to sample the induced voltage generated in the coil and obtains a sampling voltage, and an automatic correction circuit configured to relatively adjust a rise timing of a magneto-sensitive body clock for driving the magneto-sensitive body and a rise timing of a sampler clock for driving the sampler according to the sampling voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Ippei AKITA, Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Hitoshi AOYAMA, Takeshi KAWANO
  • Patent number: 11875675
    Abstract: A vehicle including a magnetic detecting part for detecting a magnetic marker disposed in a road is configured to acquire marker state information indicating the state of the magnetic marker from an external server apparatus via wireless communication and diagnose the state of the magnetic detecting part by using a result of detection of the magnetic marker in which the state of the magnetic marker indicated by the marker state information is good, thereby allowing inspection cost and cost of maintenance of the magnetic detecting part for detecting the magnetic marker to be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20240010189
    Abstract: An automatic parking system which controls a vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to be moved to a parking place and accommodated in a parking frame provided in the parking place includes a route where magnetic marker is laid so as to be detectable by using a magnetic sensor array provided to the vehicle, RFID tag providing tag information capable of identifying laying position of the magnetic marker, and a control server device which identifies a vehicle position based on the laying positions of the magnetic markers, allowing highly-accurate identification of the position of the vehicle to be forwarded and allowing operation with high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240011231
    Abstract: A work system (1) including a work vehicle (11) which, as moving on a road (1R) where magnetic markers (10) are laid, detects the magnetic marker (10) to conduct work of preparation, maintenance, or management of the road (1R) has a control unit (13) which identifies a relative position of the work vehicle (11) with respect to the magnetic marker (10) and identifies a point to be worked on by the work vehicle (11) based on the relative position. With the work vehicle (11) conducting work at the point identified by the control unit (13), work regarding the traveling road where the magnetic markers are laid can be efficiently conducted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 11862014
    Abstract: In a magnetic marker system including a magnetic marker disposed in a travel environment so as to be detectable by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle and a server apparatus which acquires detection information of the magnetic marker from each vehicle, the detection information uploaded from a vehicle side to the server apparatus includes marker information, which is identification information of a corresponding magnetic marker, and the server apparatus estimates the state of the magnetic marker based on the detection information from each vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11808575
    Abstract: A vehicle traveling control method for causing a vehicle to travel along a traveling road where magnetic markers are arrayed is a control method including an azimuth measuring process of performing a process on angular velocity, which is an output of a gyro sensor, and measuring a measured azimuth indicating an orientation of the vehicle, a control process of controlling the vehicle so that the measured azimuth is matched with a target azimuth corresponding to a direction of the traveling road, and a correction process of correcting a degree of control by the control process, in order to bring a lateral shift amount of the vehicle with reference to each of the magnetic markers closer to zero, in accordance with the lateral shift amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Kota Aratani, Kazuo Urakawa
  • Patent number: 11808000
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped magnetic marker to be laid on a road surface so as to be able to be detected by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle to achieve assist for driving operation of the vehicle by a driver or control on a vehicle side to achieve automatic driving independently from operation of the driver has a magnet sheet (11) as a magnetism generation source and a wireless tag (2) which outputs information via wireless communication to the vehicle side. In the magnetic marker, the wireless tag (2) is interposed between a sheet (11A) and a sheet (11B) configuring the magnet sheet (11), and the entire wireless tag (2) is accommodated inside the magnet sheet (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Masaaki Nakada, Ryota Fujimura
  • Patent number: 11801827
    Abstract: An automatic parking system which controls a vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to be moved to a parking place and accommodated in a parking frame provided in the parking place includes a route where magnetic marker is laid so as to be detectable by using a magnetic sensor array provided to the vehicle, RFID tag providing tag information capable of identifying laying position of the magnetic marker, and a control server device which identifies a vehicle position based on the laying positions of the magnetic markers, allowing highly-accurate identification of the position of the vehicle to be forwarded and allowing operation with high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20230333177
    Abstract: A magneto-impedance sensor element includes a magneto-sensitive body having electromagnetic properties that vary by a magnetic field externally acting thereon; and a detection coil wound around the magneto-sensitive body, in which a voltage corresponding to the intensity of the magnetic field acting on the magneto-sensitive body is output from the detection coil by applying a pulse current or a high-frequency current to the magneto-sensitive body. The magneto-sensitive body includes a first magneto-sensitive section and a second magneto-sensitive section that are configured to carry a pulse current or a high-frequency current in opposite directions to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Applicant: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Ryusuke YAMASHITA, Shiori ITABUCHI, Shunichi TATEMATSU
  • Publication number: 20230271630
    Abstract: In an operation system (1) for a bus (5) including a connection point database which stores identification information of a magnetic marker (10) positioned so as to correspond to a connection point (13) between a dedicated lane (111) having magnetic markers (10) laid thereon and a general lane (112), the connection point (13) is set so as to correspond to the magnetic marker (10) according to identification information stored in a connection point database, thereby allowing flexibility in changing a route to be improved in the operation system which causes a vehicle to operate along a route defined in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230259140
    Abstract: In a vehicle-oriented system (1) for providing information to a vehicle (5) side by using an information providing area (11) provided on a plane where a vehicle (5) moves, a magnetic distribution indicating the information by a plurality of N-pole magnetic markers (10N) is formed in the information providing area (11), and a sign (100) for identifying a position and orientation of the information providing area (11) is provided in the information providing area (11). Therefore, information can be provided by a magnetic method irrespective of a forwarding direction of the vehicle (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230250598
    Abstract: In a marker system (1) which includes a plurality of magnetic markers (10) disposed on a road surface for driving assist control of a vehicle (5) including automatic traveling control and in which a wireless tag is affixed to a partial magnetic marker (10A) of the plurality of magnetic markers (10), a sign (1M) for distinguishing between a partial magnetic marker (10A) with a wireless tag affixed thereto and another magnetic marker (10B) without a wireless tag affixed thereto is provided. Thus, it is possible to associate the detected magnetic marker (10) and the wireless tag as a transmission source of tag waves with each other with high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 11687088
    Abstract: A vehicular system where a vehicle moves in a traveling area in which magnetic markers are arranged so that magnetic polarities form a predetermined pattern and a wireless tag is annexed correspondingly to some of the magnetic markers, the wireless tag outputting, by wireless communication, tag information allowing a position of the magnetic marker to be identified, includes a first position identifying part which identifies a vehicle position where the vehicle is located based on the position of the magnetic marker identified by using the tag information and a second position identifying part which identifies, on a route after the vehicle passes over the magnetic marker serving as a reference when the first position identifying part identifies the vehicle position, a magnetic marker newly detected by the vehicle based on detection history of magnetic markers and identifies the vehicle position based on the position of the identified magnetic marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11631111
    Abstract: A driving support system including an information acquiring part which acquires, from a vehicle side detecting a magnetic marker laid in a road and capable of acquiring marker identification information for identifying the magnetic marker detected, upload information including the marker identification information, an information providing part which provides the vehicle side as a transmission source of the upload information with support information, a configuration which provides information acquisition right which is a right to receive the support information to the vehicle, and a transmission source management area for registering the identification information of the vehicle as a provision destination of the support information by recording the identification information of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11621584
    Abstract: A wireless power-feeding apparatus that enables efficient wireless feeding to a power-receiving coil embedded at the center of a spherical power-receiving device. The apparatus includes: a holding member for holding the power-receiving device; a power-transmitting coil; a driver circuit for supplying the power-transmitting coil with high-frequency current to generate a magnetic flux for wireless power-feeding to the power-receiving coil; and a wireless data receiver for receiving data transmitted regularly from a wireless data transmitter, the power-transmitting coil being positioned relative to the holding member in such a manner that the axes of the power-receiving coil and the power-transmitting coil are parallel to each other when the power-receiving device is held by the holding member in such a manner that a mark provided on the surface of the power-receiving device faces a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignees: MAXELL, LTD., MIZUNO CORPORATION, AICHI STEEL CORPORATION, SUNWISE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiichi Tanii, Takeshi Naruo, Shohei Shibata, Masaki Mori, Michiharu Yamamoto, Yasushi Senda