Patents by Inventor Yoshinaka Kawakami

Yoshinaka Kawakami 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).

  • Apparatus for detecting awareness of a vehicle driver and method thereof
    Patent number: 5769085
    Abstract: A heartbeat rate detection apparatus and method which can accurately detect a heartbeat of a driver by simultaneously detecting a heartbeat rate of the driver with an infrared sensor, and detecting a heartbeat rate of the driver from a potential difference due to pulsation between both hands with a potencial type heartbeat sensor, comparing the the heartbeat rate detected by the infrared type heartbeat sensor with the heartbeat rate detected by the potential type heartbeat sensor, and selects one as an effective heartbeat rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinaka Kawakami, Yoshiharu Takigawa, Kouichi Kamiya, Katsunori Hamatani, Eiji Sato, Yasufumi Sekine
  • Apparatus for judging driving attentiveness with respect to a ratio of steering frequency components and a method therefor
    Patent number: 5717606
    Abstract: Driving attentiveness judging method and apparatus for accurately determining the driver's attentiveness level during driving of a motor vehicle are provided wherein steering angle data and vehicle speed data, respectively supplied from a steering angle sensor and a vehicle speed sensor, are sampled by a steering angle data sampling section and a vehicle speed data sampling section, respectively. Respective levels of road shape component, visual steering component, and corrective steering component of the steering angle data are detected by a steering angle data processing section, and a fuzzy inference output representing a driving attentiveness level is obtained by a fuzzy inference section in accordance with fuzzy rules and the three steering component levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Hara, Koichi Kamiya, Yoshinaka Kawakami, Tetsuya Furuichi
  • Apparatus and method for improving the awareness of vehicle drivers
    Patent number: 5574641
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting heartbeat pulse information of a driver, including determining a level of awareness of the driver from the heartbeat pulse information, detecting a steering angle of the vehicle, determines the level of awareness, of the driver from the steering angle and activating at least one warning according to the level of awareness of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinaka Kawakami, Yoshiharu Takigawa, Arihiro Isomura, Kouichi Kamiya, Katsunori Hamatani
  • Apparatus and method for improving the awareness of vehicle drivers
    Patent number: 5488353
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for a driver of a vehicle in which a level of awareness of the driver is determined, and compared with a reference value to determine a decrease in awareness. A warning is generated when driver awareness is low. The driver responds by terminating the warning. The reference value of the awareness determination means is corrected according to a response time of the driver to the warning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinaka Kawakami, Yoshiharu Takigawa, Arihiro Isomura, Kouichi Kamiya, Katsunori Hamatani