Patents by Inventor Satoru Kuragaki

Satoru Kuragaki 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: 7337046
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling an automotive vehicle are disclosed, in which a control amount for securing safety of the vehicle and the control amount for achieving a state intended for by the driver of the vehicle are switched in such a manner as to reduce the shock due to the change in the torque generated from the power train, thereby accomplishing both safety and maneuverability at the same time. A first target value is set for controlling at least selected one of the driving torque, the driving force and the acceleration/deceleration rate. A second target value is calculated in accordance with the drive mode intended for by the driver or the driving environment ahead of the vehicle. In the case where a deviation exceeding a predetermined value develops between the first target value and the second target value, the fluctuations of at least one of the driving torque, the driving force and the acceleration/deceleration rate are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimichi Minowa, Tatsuya Ochi, Satoru Kuragaki, Mitsuo Kayano, Tokuji Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20070212016
    Abstract: In a brake control system of a vehicle, a non-volatile memory of a micro controller mounted on a control apparatus can be rewritten data. The integrated control apparatus and a plurality of control apparatuses, which control the brake apparatuses to correspondingly installed at each wheel, are connected via the network. The integrated control apparatus, in the case where a request to rewrite a program to a control apparatus is sent from the service terminal which is connected via other networks, transmits an updated program sent from the service terminal, to a target control apparatus of the rewrite request via the network, after sending a brake command to make a vehicle stop. The control apparatus executes rewriting of a program stored in a non-volatile memory of the control apparatus has, by means of the updated program transmitted via the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kurisu, Satoru Kuragaki
  • Publication number: 20070159381
    Abstract: This invention provides a ground-speed measuring apparatus for a vehicle that can detect a velocity along the movement of the vehicle (in the fore direction), a velocity across the movement of the vehicle (in the athwartships direction), a side-skid angle of the vehicle, and an angular velocity of the vehicle. A ground-speed measuring apparatus comprising three or more transceivers each of which contains a transmitter for transmitting a wave and a receiver for receiving a reflection of the wave transmitted from the transmitter, wherein at least three of said transceivers are placed outside a cylindrical area whose axis of symmetry passes through a point on the floor of the vehicle, three straight lines which respectively pass through said transceivers perpendicularly thereto intersect with each other or skewed in said cylindrical area, and the transmitter of each transceiver is at a preset angle with the floor of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Inventors: Takao Kojima, Satoru Kuragaki, Shiho Izumi
  • Publication number: 20070114843
    Abstract: The invention provides an electro-mechanical brake system which can keep a stop state even if a malfunction is generated in a parking brake, and an electro-mechanical brake apparatus used for the electro-mechanical brake system. An electro-mechanical brake actuator presses a brake pad to a disc rotor so as to independently brake a braking force of each of wheels. A parking brake is constituted by a pawl portion attached to a motor of a motor driving the electro-mechanical actuator and a latch. A main controller detects a failure of the parking brake on the basis of a motor displacement at a time of reducing a motor current, and increases the pressing force in the remaining normal parking brake in the case that the parking brake failure in one wheel or more is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinari Kawahara, Atsushi Yokoyama, Satoru Kuragaki, Hirotaka Oikawa, Kenji Hiraku
  • Publication number: 20070106448
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling an automotive vehicle are disclosed, in which a control amount for securing safety of the vehicle and the control amount for achieving a state intended for by the driver of the vehicle are switched in such a manner as to reduce the shock due to the change in the torque generated from the power train, thereby accomplishing both safety and maneuverability at the same time. A first target value is set for controlling at least selected one of the driving torque, the driving force and the acceleration/deceleration rate. A second target value is calculated in accordance with the drive mode intended for by the driver or the driving environment ahead of the vehicle. In the case where a deviation exceeding a predetermined value develops between the first target value and the second target value, the fluctuations of at least one of the driving torque, the driving force and the acceleration/deceleration rate are suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2007
    Publication date: May 10, 2007
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshimichi MINOWA, Tatsuya Ochi, Satoru Kuragaki, Mitsuo Kayano, Tokuji Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20070090991
    Abstract: In a configuration of a technique in the related art, since two Doppler sensors are used to measure velocity in two directions, and a set of transmission circuit and reception circuit are provided for each of directions to be measured, a device becomes large and expensive. Moreover, in the related art, since signal processing is performed by using output of each of the two Doppler sensors, axis adjustment in each of emission directions of the two Doppler sensors needs to be performed separately, therefore there is a difficulty that appropriate axis adjustment is complicated and difficult.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Tokuji Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Kuroda, Satoru Kuragaki, Toshiyuki Nagasaku
  • Patent number: 7209821
    Abstract: In a system of accelerating a car using a brake operating mechanism, the driver is required to be ready to step on the brake operating mechanism so as to rapidly decelerate the car in order to avoid danger, if necessary, while he is releasing his foot from the brake operating mechanism, which is a burden for the driver. Therefore, a footrest function range and a braking force increasing function range are provided to an operating amount or an operating force of a pedal 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimichi Minowa, Satoru Kuragaki, Kazuhiko Satou, Tokuji Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7206685
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control apparatus which makes it possible to share information by a plurality of devices and which can improve controllability. An OS switching means (OS-CH) switches a plurality of operating system (OS1, OS2). A shared object (CO) has a memory resource which can be referred to from the plurality of operating systems. The shared object (CO) shares at least road information, and the road information registered by the application of one of the operating systems can be referred to from the application of the other operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Kuragaki, Jiro Takezaki, Kimio Nishino, Toshimichi Minowa, Tokuji Yoshikawa, Yoshinori Endo
  • Patent number: 7162353
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling an automotive vehicle are disclosed, in which a control amount for securing safety of the vehicle and the control amount for achieving a state intended for by the driver of the vehicle are switched in such a manner as to reduce the shock due to the change in the torque generated from the power train, thereby accomplishing both safety and maneuverability at the same time. A first target value is set for controlling at least selected one of the driving torque, the driving force and the acceleration/deceleration rate. A second target value is calculated in accordance with the drive mode intended for by the driver or the driving environment ahead of the vehicle. In the case where a deviation exceeding a predetermined value develops between the first target value and the second target value, the fluctuations of at least one of the driving torque, the driving force and the acceleration/deceleration rate are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimichi Minowa, Tatsuya Ochi, Satoru Kuragaki, Mitsuo Kayano, Tokuji Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7141889
    Abstract: Highly convenient automobile engine starting uses an individual authentication device which utilizes biological information and provides a security function required when starting the engine, while protecting a sensor for receiving the biological information. An engine starting system can comprise an ignition switch for controlling a state of an automobile; a key for changing a state of the ignition switch; a registration key for registering biological information; a switch for starting an engine; a sensor for inputting biological information; a device for storing biological information; a collating unit for collating the inputted biological information with the stored biological information; and a lid for covering the sensor of an authentication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiro Takezaki, Naoto Miura, Takafumi Miyatake, Akio Nagasaka, Satoru Kuragaki
  • Patent number: 7136736
    Abstract: In a vehicular control device, it is necessary to measure or calculate six physical quantities-forward-reverse speed, left-right speed, vertical speed, pitch angle, roll angle, and angle of sideslip-representing vehicular movement and to control the braking force of each wheel and/or the damping coefficient of each suspension shock absorber in order to further shorten braking distance particularly at the time of braking and to prevent spin at that time. In this case, it is necessary to furnish sensors to measure speed and angle directly. In the present invention, four radar sensors are used in order to directly measure the forward-reverse speed and the left-right speed. Also, the vertical speed, the pitch angle, the roll angle, and the angle of sideslip are indirectly measured from the output of the radar sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Kuragaki, Tokuji Yoshikawa, Shiho Izumi, Hiroshi Kuroda, Takao Kojima, Toshimichi Minowa, Toshio Manaka, Nobuyuki Ueki, Kazuaki Takano
  • Patent number: 7084761
    Abstract: There is provided a device in which surroundings of a building can be monitored using a sensor; when detecting an intruder, an object can be detected even in the case of bad weather; and a predetermined area can be monitored using as few sensors as possible. The device includes a security system which emits a radio wave from a building to a predetermined area outside the building to detect an object, and on the basis of output of the object detecting unit, a judgment is made as to whether or not the object will intrude into the predetermined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiho Izumi, Hiroshi Kuroda, Satoru Kuragaki, Kazuhiko Sato, Terumi Nakazawa, Kenichi Mitzuishi, Kazuaki Takano, Mitsuhide Sasaki, Hiroshi Kondoh, Mikito Tsubota
  • Publication number: 20060161820
    Abstract: The highly reliable distributed system is composed of a communication protocol processing unit which comprises a mailbox for storing a communication message, and executes communication protocol processing between data of an application program and a network controller using the network controller performing network communication of the message in the mailbox; an error detection coding unit; an error detection decoding unit which reconverts data converted from communication data by the error detection coding unit to the original data, and detects that the content of the data is damaged if it is damaged; and a data comparing unit for checking whether or not two kinds of data agree with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Publication date: July 20, 2006
    Inventors: Wataru Nagaura, Takanori Yokoyama, Shoji Suzuki, Satoru Kuragaki, Takaaki Imai
  • Publication number: 20060149453
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control apparatus which makes it possible to share information by a plurality of devices and which can improve controllability. An OS switching means (OS-CH) switches a plurality of operating system (OS1, OS2). A shared object (CO) has a memory resource which can be referred to from the plurality of operating systems. The shared object (CO) shares at least road information, and the road information registered by the application of one of the operating systems can be referred to from the application of the other operating system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Kuragaki, Jiro Takezaki, Kimio Nishino, Toshimichi Minowa, Tokuji Yoshikawa, Yoshinori Endo
  • Patent number: 7072749
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control apparatus which makes it possible to share information by a plurality of devices and which can improve controllability. An OS switching means (OS-CH) switches a plurality of operating system (OS1, OS2). A shared object (CO) has a memory resource which can be referred to from the plurality of operating systems. The shared object (CO) shares at least road information, and the road information registered by the application of one of the operating systems can be referred to from the application of the other operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Kuragaki, Jiro Takezaki, Kimio Nishino, Toshimichi Minowa, Tokuji Yoshikawa, Yoshinori Endo
  • Patent number: 7036050
    Abstract: The highly reliable distributed system is composed of a communication protocol processing unit which comprises a mailbox for storing a communication message, and executes communication protocol processing between data of an application program and a network controller using the network controller performing network communication of the message in the mailbox; an error detection coding unit; an error detection decoding unit which reconverts data converted from communication data by the error detection coding unit to the original data, and detects that the content of the data is damaged if it is damaged; and a data comparing unit for checking whether or not two kinds of data agree with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Nagaura, Takanori Yokoyama, Shoji Suzuki, Satoru Kuragaki, Takaaki Imai
  • Patent number: 6980899
    Abstract: In a system of accelerating a car using a brake operating mechanism, the driver is required to be ready to step on the brake operating mechanism so as to rapidly decelerate the car in order to avoid danger, if necessary, while he is releasing his foot from the brake operating mechanism, which is a burden for the driver. Therefore, a footrest function range and a braking force increasing function range are provided to an operating amount or an operating force of a pedal 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Inventors: Toshimichi Minowa, Satoru Kuragaki, Kazuhiko Satou, Tokuji Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20050203705
    Abstract: A vehicle driving control device includes a body detection mechanism for detecting a body existing forward of a driver's own vehicle, a driver's own vehicle speed detection mechanism for detecting velocity of the driver's own vehicle, a steering control mechanism for controlling steering angle of steered wheels on the basis of operation of a steering wheel, a body-size detection mechanism for detecting size of the body, and a control-characteristics change mechanism for changing control characteristics of the steering control mechanism on the basis of position information on the body detected by the body detection mechanism, the size information on the body, and the velocity information on the driver's own vehicle. When the driver tries to avoid collision by handle operation, it becomes possible to avoid a collision in a direction in which the driver has turned the handle, and also prevents over-operation from occurring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: September 15, 2005
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiho Izumi, Satoru Kuragaki, Takao Kojima
  • Publication number: 20050143890
    Abstract: In a system of accelerating a car using a brake operating mechanism, the driver is required to be ready to step on the brake operating mechanism so as to rapidly decelerate the car in order to avoid danger, if necessary, while he is releasing his foot from the brake operating mechanism, which is a burden for the driver. Therefore, a footrest function range and a braking force increasing function range are provided to an operating amount or an operating force of a pedal 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Publication date: June 30, 2005
    Inventors: Toshimichi Minowa, Satoru Kuragaki, Kazuhiko Satou, Tokuji Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20050110673
    Abstract: A vehicle-mounted radar includes a transmission antenna for radiating a radio wave and three antennas including first, second and third reception antennas for receiving reflected wave of the radio wave from an object, wherein a horizontal width of the second reception antenna is less than a horizontal width of each of the first and third reception antennas. It then becomes possible to separately detect two objects, such as two preceding vehicles, each of the rate and distance to the radar mounting vehicle of which is identical with each other, as two objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Publication date: May 26, 2005
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiho Izumi, Hiroshi Kuroda, Satoru Kuragaki