Patents by Inventor Toshio Hosokawa

Toshio Hosokawa 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: 11919465
    Abstract: In an apparatus for determining a build of an occupant sitting in a seat within a cabin of a vehicle, an image acquirer is configured to acquire an image of the occupant. A position-information calculator is configured to calculate shoulder-joint information that is information representing positions of left and right shoulder joints of the occupant in the image. A twisted-posture determiner is configured to determine whether the occupant is in a twisted posture based on the shoulder-joint information. An occupant-build determiner is configured to determine a build of the occupant based on the shoulder-joint information. The occupant-build determiner is further configured to, in response to the twisted-posture determiner determining that the occupant is in the twisted posture, cancel making a determination of the build of the occupant based on shoulder-joint information that was used to determine that the occupant is in the twisted posture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Hiroki Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20210114541
    Abstract: In an apparatus for determining a build of an occupant sitting in a seat within a cabin of a vehicle, an image acquirer is configured to acquire an image of the occupant. A position-information calculator is configured to calculate shoulder-joint information that is information representing positions of left and right shoulder joints of the occupant in the image. A twisted-posture determiner is configured to determine whether the occupant is in a twisted posture based on the shoulder-joint information. An occupant-build determiner is configured to determine a build of the occupant based on the shoulder-joint information. The occupant-build determiner is further configured to, in response to the twisted-posture determiner determining that the occupant is in the twisted posture, cancel making a determination of the build of the occupant based on shoulder-joint information that was used to determine that the occupant is in the twisted posture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Toshio HOSOKAWA, Hiroki NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 10882484
    Abstract: An occupant detection apparatus includes a first camera and a second camera. The first camera is arranged in a passenger compartment of a vehicle to capture images within a first field of view in the passenger compartment. The second camera is arranged at a different position in the passenger compartment from the first camera to capture images within a second field of view in the passenger compartment. The second field of view is different from the first field of view. Moreover, the first camera is arranged within the second field of view which is the field of view of the second camera. On the other hand, the second camera is arranged within the first field of view which is the field of view of the first camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshio Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 10457162
    Abstract: A vehicular occupant determination apparatus includes a load detection portion, an occupant determination portion, an acceleration detection portion, a transition prohibition portion, a drive state detection portion, and a prohibition release portion. The load detection portion detects a load of a left part or a right part. The occupant determination portion determines occupant types, and maintains or transits a determination result. The transition prohibition portion sets a transition prohibition state when the acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined acceleration threshold. The prohibition release portion sets a prohibition release state when (i) the acceleration is equal to or greater than the acceleration threshold, and (ii) the prohibition release portion detects that the vehicle is in stop based on a detection value detected by the drive state detection portion, the transition prohibition state being released during the prohibition release state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20190256028
    Abstract: An occupant detection apparatus includes a first camera and a second camera. The first camera is arranged in a passenger compartment of a vehicle to capture images within a first field of view in the passenger compartment. The second camera is arranged at a different position in the passenger compartment from the first camera to capture images within a second field of view in the passenger compartment. The second field of view is different from the first field of view. Moreover, the first camera is arranged within the second field of view which is the field of view of the second camera. On the other hand, the second camera is arranged within the first field of view which is the field of view of the first camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventor: Toshio HOSOKAWA
  • Patent number: 10053053
    Abstract: Load sensors are disposed on four corners of a seat cushion. An occupant decision section of an occupant detection ECU decides a type of an occupant on a vehicle seat based on loads detected by the load sensors. A CRS changing section that prohibits the occupant decision section from changing a decision to a decision result that an adult is seated in the vehicle seat and changes the decision to a decision result that a child seat is attached on the vehicle seat when an engagement of a tongue plate with a buckle of a seat belt device is detected by a buckle switch and a buckle load calculated by buckle load calculation section is less than a predetermined buckling load threshold in a case where the occupant decision section decides that an adult is seated in the vehicle seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9902356
    Abstract: A vehicular occupant determination apparatus includes a load detection portion, an occupant determination portion, an acceleration detection portion, a transition prohibition portion, and a transition permission portion. The transition permission portion detects whether an acceleration increases or decreases a load, and sets a transition permission state even during the transition prohibition state. In the transition permission state, a determination result of a first occupant type is permitted to transit to a determination result of a second occupant type with a smaller load than the load of the first occupant type when the acceleration increases the load, and the determination result of the first occupant type is permitted to transit to a determination result of a third occupant type with a greater load than the load of the first occupant type when the acceleration decreases the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20170088097
    Abstract: Load sensors are disposed on four corners of a seat cushion. An occupant decision section of an occupant detection ECU decides a type of an occupant on a vehicle seat based on loads detected by the load sensors. A CRS changing section that prohibits the occupant decision section from changing a decision to a decision result that an adult is seated in the vehicle seat and changes the decision to a decision result that a child seat is attached on the vehicle seat when an engagement of a tongue plate with a buckle of a seat belt device is detected by a buckle switch and a buckle load calculated by buckle load calculation section is less than a predetermined buckling load threshold in a case where the occupant decision section decides that an adult is seated in the vehicle seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9541446
    Abstract: An occupant determination apparatus includes a load sensor and a determination section. The load sensor detects a load of an occupant seated in a seat of a vehicle to provide the detected load as a load signal. The determination section determines presence or absence of the occupant and a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes that are ordered from small to large according to the physical sizes based on predetermined threshold loads. The subject class is stored as a determined class. The determination section permits the determined class to transition from a present class to an immediately adjacent larger class when the load signal equal to or larger than a threshold load between the present class and the immediately adjacent larger class continues being received for a threshold time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu, Mikihito Kojima
  • Publication number: 20160375850
    Abstract: A vehicular occupant determination apparatus includes a load detection portion, an occupant determination portion, an acceleration detection portion, a transition prohibition portion, and a transition permission portion. The transition permission portion detects whether an acceleration increases or decreases a load, and sets a transition permission state even during the transition prohibition state. In the transition permission state, a determination result of a first occupant type is permitted to transit to a determination result of a second occupant type with a smaller load than the load of the first occupant type when the acceleration increases the load, and the determination result of the first occupant type is permitted to transit to a determination result of a third occupant type with a greater load than the load of the first occupant type when the acceleration decreases the load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20160375797
    Abstract: A vehicular occupant determination apparatus includes a load detection portion, an occupant determination portion, an acceleration detection portion, a transition prohibition portion, a drive state detection portion, and a prohibition release portion. The load detection portion detects a load of a left part or a right part. The occupant determination portion determines occupant types, and maintains or transits a determination result. The transition prohibition portion sets a transition prohibition state when the acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined acceleration threshold. The prohibition release portion sets a prohibition release state when (i) the acceleration is equal to or greater than the acceleration threshold, and (ii) the prohibition release portion detects that the vehicle is in stop based on a detection value detected by the drive state detection portion, the transition prohibition state being released during the prohibition release state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9073505
    Abstract: A load sensor detects a load of an occupant on a seat of a vehicle and provides a load signal. A determination section determines a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes ordered from small to large based on threshold loads and performs an inter-class transition of the subject class from a transition source class into a transition destination class based on change of the received load signal. When (i) both the transition source class and the transition destination class belong to an airbag-inflating class that enables inflating of an airbag, and, simultaneously, (ii) the transition destination class is smaller than the transition source class and immediately adjacent to the transition source class, the determination section makes the determined class remain in the transition source class.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yusuke Muramatsu, Mikihito Kojima
  • Publication number: 20140305713
    Abstract: An occupant classification apparatus includes a load sensor, a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a determinator. The load sensor detects a load of an occupant on a seat of a vehicle. The longitudinal acceleration sensor detects a longitudinal acceleration in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The lateral acceleration sensor detects a lateral acceleration in a lateral direction of the vehicle. The determinator performs a class determination process to determine presence or absence of the occupant and a size of the occupant by classifying the load into one of classes based on predetermined load thresholds. The determinator stops the class determination process when a vehicle acceleration is not less than a predetermined acceleration threshold. The vehicle acceleration is the square root of the sum of the square of the longitudinal acceleration and the square of the lateral acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshio Hosokawa
  • Publication number: 20140297132
    Abstract: A load sensor detects a load of an occupant on a seat of a vehicle and provides a load signal. A determination section determines a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes ordered from small to large based on threshold loads and performs an inter-class transition of the subject class from a transition source class into a transition destination class based on change of the received load signal. When (i) both the transition source class and the transition destination class belong to an airbag-inflating class that enables inflating of an airbag, and, simultaneously, (ii) the transition destination class is smaller than the transition source class and immediately adjacent to the transition source class, the determination section makes the determined class remain in the transition source class.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshio Hosokawa
  • Publication number: 20140291041
    Abstract: An occupant determination apparatus includes a load sensor and a determination section. The load sensor detects a load of an occupant seated in a seat of a vehicle to provide the detected load as a load signal. The determination section determines presence or absence of the occupant and a physical size of the occupant by classifying the load signal into a subject class among a plurality of classes that are ordered from small to large according to the physical sizes based on predetermined threshold loads. The subject class is stored as a determined class. The determination section permits the determined class to transition from a present class to an immediately adjacent larger class when the load signal equal to or larger than a threshold load between the present class and the immediately adjacent larger class continues being received for a threshold time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshio Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8665103
    Abstract: A seat has an occupant detecting function and is installed in a vehicle. The seat includes a seating portion, a capacitance sensor, a controller, and a supporting member. The seating portion is adapted to support buttocks and thighs of an occupant of the vehicle. The seating portion includes a seat cushion therein. The capacitance sensor is attached to the seating portion. The controller is installed to the seating portion and configured to apply a voltage to the sensor and to detect a value of an electric current, which passes through the sensor because of the voltage. The supporting member supports the controller from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction, such that the controller is rotatable about the supporting member when the seating portion is pressed by the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hayakawa, Shoichi Yamanaka, Toshio Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8523600
    Abstract: An electronic device includes an electronic control unit, a wire, and a wiring-side connector. When a movable member is arranged in a first arrangement relative to a wiring-side connector main body, the movable member is in a position where the movable member does not prevent the wire from projecting from the main body to extend straight in a counter-fitting direction. When the movable member rotates from the first arrangement to a second arrangement relative to the main body, a restricting member approaches a portion of the main body from which the wire projects, to press and bend the wire, so a direction in which the wire projects from the main body is limited to a direction crossing the counter-fitting direction. When the movable member is arranged in the second arrangement and the main body is fitted to an ECU-side connector, the second arrangement is maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Hosokawa, Yasuo Takemura, Yuji Ishitani
  • Patent number: 8252398
    Abstract: An adhesive vinylidene fluoride resin sheet, including: an extruded sheet of a vinylidene fluoride copolymer composition comprising 100 wt. parts of polymerized units of a vinylidene fluoride monomer containing at least 60 wt. % of vinylidene fluoride, and 0.01-0.8 wt. part of polymerized units of a monoester of unsaturated dibasic acid. The vinylidene fluoride resin sheet is excellent in adhesiveness with another thermoplastic resin layer, and provides a lamination extrusion sheet with such another thermoplastic resin layer taking advantage of the good adhesiveness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Kureha Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sakabe, Toshio Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8236865
    Abstract: A hydrophilic vinylidene fluoride resin composition, comprising: porous vinylidene fluoride polymer particles and a hydrophilic polymer having a weight-average molecular weight of at least 2×105 contained in the pores of the porous vinylidene fluoride polymer particles. The composition is preferably obtained by subjecting a slurry containing porous vinylidene fluoride polymer particles after suspension polymerization to an appropriate degree of heat treatment for adjusting the amount of residual polymerization initiator, then impregnating the Polymer particles with a hydrophilic monomer and polymerizing the monomer. The thus-obtained vinylidene fluoride resin composition exhibits persistent hydrophilicity and good processability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Kureha Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Kawakami, Toshio Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 8191432
    Abstract: A load detecting device includes a substrate, a load receiver arranged on a first face of the substrate, a load detecting element arranged between the substrate and the load receiver, and a supporting portion to support the substrate. The supporting portion is made of metal. The supporting portion is located to overlap with the load receiver in a direction approximately perpendicular to the substrate. The supporting portion has a plurality of projections contacting with a second face of the substrate opposite from the first face. The projections located adjacent to each other are distanced from each other through a trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hayakawa, Toshio Hosokawa, Kenji Morikawa