Patents by Inventor Shigefumi Hirabayashi

Shigefumi Hirabayashi 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: 7243984
    Abstract: In a floor panel structure of a vehicle body in which a floor of an automotive vehicle is formed by a floor panel coupled to a plurality of frame members extending in substantially longitudinal and width directions of the vehicle, there are provided a panel area formed by being enclosed at least by the frame members, a heavy-weight area located at a substantially central portion of the panel area, and a peripheral area located substantially around the heavy-weight area, wherein the heavy-weight area is configured so as to be heavier than the peripheral area. Accordingly, the vibration energy transmitted from the frame members to the floor panel can be reduced and thereby the acoustic emission generated from the floor panel can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sugihara, Seiichi Nakabayashi, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 7158842
    Abstract: An audio apparatus (audio system) made up of the car-mounted audio apparatus 100 and portable audio apparatuses 200a and 200b transmits/receives contents data such as music via radio communication. As the communication system in this in-car radio communication, a short-distance data communication system is used, which allows respective apparatuses to recognize and authenticate with one another and perform data communication between those apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Masao Ushio, Kouji Hosoda, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 7135993
    Abstract: An on-vehicle information provision apparatus is provided that visually provides a vehicle occupant with an advertisement. The apparatus includes display condition setting device that sets predetermined display conditions for displaying the advertisement, condition determination device that determines whether or not the display condition applies, and advertisement display device that, when said display condition does apply, visually provides the occupant with the advertisement shown superimposed on an actual landscape being viewed by the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Okamoto, Youko Hoshino, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20050285432
    Abstract: In a floor panel structure of a vehicle body in which a floor of an automotive vehicle is formed by a floor panel coupled to a plurality of frame members extending in substantially longitudinal and width directions of the vehicle, there are provided a panel area formed by being enclosed at least by the frame members, a heavy-weight area located at a substantially central portion of the panel area, and a peripheral area located substantially around the heavy-weight area, wherein the heavy-weight area is configured so as to be heavier than the peripheral area. Accordingly, the vibration energy transmitted from the frame members to the floor panel can be reduced and thereby the acoustic emission generated from the floor panel can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sugihara, Seiichi Nakabayashi, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20050264041
    Abstract: The panel area is formed in the substantially rectangular shape with sides thereof which extend substantially straight, by being enclosed by the frame member and the vibration restraint portion to control a vibration area, such as beads and the bent line portion, and the high-rigidity area and the low-rigidity area are formed within the panel area. Accordingly, the vibration energy can be increased at the low-rigidity area properly. As a result, the vibration energy transmitted from the frame members to the floor panel can be reduced, and thereby the acoustic emission generated from the floor panel can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Sugihara, Seiichi Nakabayashi, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6937732
    Abstract: An audio apparatus for a vehicle made up of a car-mounted audio apparatus 100 and portable audio apparatuses 200a and 200b transmits/receives contents data such as music via radio communication. As a communication system for this in-car radio communication, a short-distance data communication system is used, which allows the apparatuses to recognize and authenticate one another and perform data communication with one another in the vehicle. Received music data is reproduced/output in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Masao Ushio, Kouji Hosoda, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6912452
    Abstract: A server for changing control gains of a vehicle is disclosed. The server includes a first receiver for receiving environment data obtained by vehicles of a plurality of users running in specific areas, and a second receiver for receiving learned data obtained by a plurality of users operating vehicles, and a storage device for accumulating the environment data and the learned data. The server further includes a transmitter for fetching environment data and learned data necessary to produce control gains from among the accumulated environment data and the learned data and transmitting the fetched environment data and learned data to a user requesting the environment data and the learned data. In a vehicle of the user, the control gains are newly produced and previously produced control gains are changed to the newly produced ones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Sakamoto, Shin Takehara, Hiroshi Ohmura, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20050107952
    Abstract: An on-vehicle information provision apparatus is provided that visually provides a vehicle occupant with positional information on an object. The apparatus includes object setting device that sets the object, visibility determination device that determining whether or not the occupant can see the object and positional information display device that, when it is determined that the occupants can see the object, visually informs the occupant of an apparent position of the object within an actual landscape that is being seen by the occupant by displaying image information showing the object superimposed on the landscape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Youko Hoshino, Yoshihisa Okamoto, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20050093719
    Abstract: An on-vehicle information provision apparatus is provided that visually provides a vehicle occupant with an advertisement. The apparatus includes display condition setting device that sets predetermined display conditions for displaying the advertisement, condition determination device that determines whether or not the display condition applies, and advertisement display device that, when said display condition does apply, visually provides the occupant with the advertisement shown superimposed on an actual landscape being viewed by the occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Okamoto, Youko Hoshino, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6882911
    Abstract: Service information of a vehicle owned by a first user is provided through a communication line to a second user specified by the first user, and the second user is allowed to input a reply to a reply item about the service information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Michitaka Hayakawa, Takahiro Ida, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20040133317
    Abstract: Service information of a vehicle owned by a first user is provided through a communication line to a second user specified by the first user, and the second user is allowed to input a reply to a reply item about the service information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Michitaka Hayakawa, Takahiro Ida, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6738711
    Abstract: A map and other information distribution system for distributing map information and information other than map information is disclosed. The map and other information distribution system comprises an information center including a database storing map information and information other than map information, and a transmitter for transmitting at least said map information under a fee-based navigation contract concluded beforehand, and a mobile navigation system including a location detector for detecting the present location of a mobile unit, a receiver for receiving at least the map information from the information center under the fee-based navigation contract concluded beforehand, and a controller for displaying the map information around the present location of the mobile unit on a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20040093284
    Abstract: There is disclosed a server which provides a high quality service taking into account a balance of business processing of a dealer and a desire of a client. More specifically, the server in accordance with the present invention receives specification information specifying specifications of a vehicle and an estimation request, and decides whether to sends an estimated price stored in an estimated price database to the client terminal or to inquire an estimated price from a dealer. In addition, the server in accordance with the present invention refers to automatic reply prohibited client data and decides whether or not the client is stored in the data as a client to whom an estimated price should not be automatically returned. Moreover, the server in accordance with the present invention decides whether or not a comment of the client is included in estimation request data from the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Takaoka, Shigefumi Hirabayashi, Norihiko Uchida
  • Patent number: 6678591
    Abstract: A server for remote vehicle troubleshooting from a remote location includes a troubleshooting program transmitter for transmitting to a vehicle a troubleshooting program for performing vehicle troubleshooting at the vehicle side upon receiving a request from an owner of the vehicle or at a predetermined time, a vehicle inspection result receiver for receiving from the vehicle inspection results regarding the vehicle obtained by executing the vehicle inspection program, and a trouble determining device for determining troubles particulars by analyzing the inspection results, and a trouble particular transmitter for transmitting the trouble particulars to the vehicle. The server enables vehicle troubleshooting and inspection to be performed simply without the need for the vehicle owner to visit a dealer and/or auto service shop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Koji Hosoda, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6675089
    Abstract: In order to make better use of personal information manager data and to improve the convenience for the user, in cases where such personal information manager data is used in a vehicle V, the personal information manager data including position data and time data and traffic information are input from outside the vehicle V so as to guide the user using the vehicle V along a travel route based on the personal information manager data and in association with the position data, whereby it is possible to appropriately guide the user using the vehicle V along the travel route according to the position data of the personal information manager data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shigefumi Hirabayashi, Norihiko Uchida
  • Publication number: 20030050742
    Abstract: A server for changing control gains of a vehicle is disclosed. The server includes a first receiver for receiving environment data obtained by vehicles of a plurality of users running in specific areas, and a second receiver for receiving learned data obtained by a plurality of users operating vehicles, and a storage device for accumulating the environment data and the learned data. The server further includes a transmitter for fetching environment data and learned data necessary to produce control gains from among the accumulated environment data and the learned data and transmitting the fetched environment data and learned data to a user requesting the environment data and the learned data. In a vehicle of the user, the control gains are newly produced and previously produced control gains are changed to the newly produced ones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Sakamoto, Shin Takehara, Hiroshi Ohmura, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 6462674
    Abstract: A navigation unit 1 sends map image information representing a map image of an area around a current position of an automobile in which the unit 1 is installed to a communication apparatus 9 with which the unit 1 is communicating, if the communication apparatus 9 does not have geographical data. The map image information includes information such as a symbol image that allows the current position of the navigation unit 1 to be identified. The data format of the map image information is a data format that allows the information to be reproduced in an ordinary personal computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Masao Ushio, Kouji Hosoda, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20020103583
    Abstract: A system for remotely performing troubleshooting of vehicles via a network using a server is disclosed. The server is equipped with a first database for storing owner information including personal data regarding individual owners and vehicle data regarding vehicles owned by the owners, a second database for storing model-specific information including model-specific information on vehicle problems and a third database for storing a troubleshooting program for performing vehicle troubleshooting, a device for transmitting the troubleshooting program over a network to vehicles of owners regarding whom owner information is stored in the first database. The vehicles are equipped with a device for requesting the server to supply a troubleshooting program, a device for receiving the troubleshooting program, a device for using the received troubleshooting program to inspect the vehicle and obtain inspection results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Koji Hosoda, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20020103582
    Abstract: A server for remote vehicle troubleshooting for performing vehicle troubleshooting from a remote location is disclosed. The server comprises a troubleshooting program transmitter for transmitting to a vehicle a troubleshooting program for performing vehicle troubleshooting at the vehicle side upon receiving a request from an owner of the vehicle or at a predetermined time, a vehicle inspection result receiver for receiving from the vehicle inspection results regarding the vehicle obtained by executing the troubleshooting program, a trouble determining device for determining trouble particulars by analyzing the inspection results, and a trouble particular transmitter for transmitting the trouble particulars to the vehicle. The server enables vehicle troubleshooting and inspection to be performed simply without need for the vehicle owner to visit a dealer and/or auto service shop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Koji Hosoda, Shigefumi Hirabayashi
  • Publication number: 20020077745
    Abstract: A map and other information distribution system for distributing map information and information other than map information is disclosed. The map and other information distribution system comprises an information center including a database storing map information and information other than map information, and a transmitter for transmitting at least said map information under a fee-based navigation contract concluded beforehand, and a mobile navigation system including a location detector for detecting the present location of a mobile unit, a receiver for receiving at least the map information from the information center under the fee-based navigation contract concluded beforehand, and a controller for displaying the map information around the present location of the mobile unit on a display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Shigefumi Hirabayashi