Patents Assigned to Alpine Electronics, Inc
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Publication number: 20140153774Abstract: A gesture recognition apparatus for recognizing a gesture of a predetermined operating body includes a storage unit, having stored therein, correspondence relationships between a plurality of coordinate ranges in relation to the operating body and to a plurality of operation target apparatuses, each of the plurality of coordinate ranges further corresponding to each operation target apparatus of the plurality of operation target apparatuses. An image capturing unit captures one or more images of the operating body, a coordinate detecting detects coordinates of the operating body based on the one or more captured images, and an operation target apparatus specifying unit selects an operation target apparatus corresponding to the detected coordinates of the operating body and the stored correspondence relationships. A gesture recognition processing unit recognizes a gesture associated with the operating body based on one or more captured images and corresponding to the selected operation target apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2013Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Kijuro Obata
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Patent number: 8743150Abstract: A display processing device for displaying a display object in a display window and changing a display range includes a sectioning unit that divides the display window into a plurality of sections (screens) by creating boundary lines. Maps of geographical ranges to be displayed are sectioned and displayed in the plurality of screens. In the event that a boundary line is moved through a user input, the geographical ranges of the maps in the screens for which the screen size has become larger than an initial screen size are enlarged, and the maps in the screens which have become smaller than the initial screen size are reduced in scale in accordance with the reduction in screen size, while maintaining the geographical range of the maps displayed in the display window prior to the boundary line being moved.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2008Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Taro Iwamoto, Akihiko Takizawa, Takeshi Kimoto, Mitsuhiro Yashiro, Makoto Nishiyama
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Publication number: 20140139983Abstract: A light-transmitting panel is disposed in front of a display panel, and an elastic frame surrounding a display screen is disposed between the display panel and the light-transmitting panel. The elastic frame includes a high-density frame region with an increased compression and a low-density frame region with a compression lower than that of the high-density frame region. Most of the portions of the light-transmitting panel are supported by a low-density frame region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2013Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Yukio Suzuki, Shuhei Shinohara
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Patent number: 8731820Abstract: A method and apparatus for entering an address for a navigation system allows a user to easily and quickly select a key indicating the next character of the address. At the start of operation, the navigation system shows a full alpha-numeric keyboard. Once the next candidate characters are narrowed down to a certain degree, the navigation system shows a simplified keyboard with a limited number of keys on the monitor screen and highlights the next candidate characters on the simplified keyboard. The navigation system displays both the simplified keyboard and a street name list on the same screen. Since the keys of the limited number are arranged within a small space such as in the three-by-three manner, the user can easily point a cursor or other pointing device to the desired key.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2012Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Kenny Chen, Mike Iao, Hikaru Wako, Andrew De Silva
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Patent number: 8730244Abstract: A device includes a character-data rotating section that rotates a regular-position character by a predetermined angle with respect to a reference point that is the center point of the background area of the regular-position character by using regular-position character data having a rotation angle of 0° and a center-point matching processing section that horizontally and/or vertically enlarges the background area of the rotated character data to cause the center point of the rotated character and the center point of BMP data to match each other even with respect to rotated character data. Thus, when multiple pieces of character data are arranged so that the center points thereof lie on a reference line, not only are the center points of the characters aligned along the reference line, but also bottom portions of the characters aligned with respect to the reference line.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2008Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Noboru Yamazaki
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Patent number: 8724024Abstract: A video signal output device and method are capable of easily displaying moving images while synchronizing transmission-side data and reception-side data even if video data is asynchronously transferred to the reception side from the transmission side. A video signal output device for receiving video data transmitted from a transmitter in sync with a first clock through a communication unit, storing the video data in a storage unit, reading the video data from the storage unit in sync with a second clock, and displaying moving images on a display unit, includes a synchronization adjustment unit for detecting a video data correction amount in accordance with a reference video data amount in one vertical synchronous period and a video data amount of the second clock in one vertical synchronous period to adjust a predetermined horizontal scanning period in accordance with the video data correction amount.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2007Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Akihiro Kubota
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Patent number: 8726162Abstract: An audio apparatus contains a plurality of playable files stored in a database and organized in folders. The folders can be listed in a manner understandable at a glance even when viewed on a small display area and when the hierarchical structure shows a minimum level of detail. A folder selection section selects a folder from a database, and a directly-under-folder detection section detects if a playable file exists directly under a folder selected. A folder-under-folder detection section detects if a playable file exists directly under any folder located under the selected folder assuming no playable file exists directly under the selected folder.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2010Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Takeru Mishima, Noboru Yamazaki
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Patent number: 8719028Abstract: An information processing apparatus for playing back data includes an oral reading unit, a storage unit storing text templates for responses to questions from a user and text template conversion rules, an input unit for inputting a question from a user, and a control unit for retrieving data and items of information associated with the data. The control unit analyzes a question about a data from a user, for example, a question about a tune, to select a text template for a response to the question and detects the characters in items of tune information of the tune. The characters are designated to replace replacement symbols included in the text template. The control unit also converts the text template based on whether the characters can be read aloud, generates a text to be read aloud using the converted text template, and causes the oral reading unit to read the text aloud.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2009Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Michiaki Otani
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Publication number: 20140118133Abstract: On-board display control methods and systems are provided. In one implementation for displaying speedometer information and miscellaneous information on an instrument panel display, a nonuse region determination unit of an on-board display control device determines a nonuse speed region in a speedometer in accordance with a traveling status of a vehicle. A display control unit of the on-board display control device then exercises control such that an enlarged view of the miscellaneous information is displayed over the nonuse speed region when the nonuse region determination unit determines that there is the nonuse speech region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2013Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Hiroki Oba
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Patent number: 8708092Abstract: A speaker device includes a cabinet from which a duct for adjusting the back pressure protrudes, a speaker unit mounted in the cabinet, and an intermediate hollow member including first and second connection portions. A cabin space in which the cabinet is installed is separated from a non-cabin space by a partition wall. If there is a subframe facing the partition wall, the duct cannot be directly connected to the opening formed in the partition wall. The intermediate hollow member is disposed in a small space between the subframe and the partition wall, the second connection portion is connected to the opening, and the duct is connected to the first connection portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Ryo Ito, Akio Suzuki, Arata Tada
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Patent number: 8713212Abstract: An electronic device includes a connection unit that enables a USB connection to a smartphone, a normal communication mode in which communication is performed by using a device class prepared in advance in the smartphone, a request unit that makes a request for switching to a unique communication mode, a search unit that searches for a device class usable in the normal communication mode after the request for switching to the unique communication mode has been made, a determination unit that determines, on the basis of a search result, whether or not a disadvantageous change has occurred in the normal communication mode, and a reset unit that resets the USB connection when it is determined that a disadvantageous change has occurred.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2013Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Takashi Yoshinaga
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Voice recognition dictionary generation apparatus and voice recognition dictionary generation method
Patent number: 8706484Abstract: A voice recognition dictionary generation apparatus and method for suppressing reduction of processing speed at the time of updating. The apparatus includes an input unit configured to receive a text subjected to voice recognition, a storage unit configured to store the text with respect to each file of a predetermined item, a reading data generation unit configured to analyze the text and generate a reading data, and a voice recognition dictionary configured to include content dictionaries that store therein the reading data of the text with respect to each file of the predetermined item. When the file of the predetermined item including the text stored in the storage unit is updated, a control unit detects a total number of the content dictionaries, and when the total number is smaller than a predetermined limit, the control unit generates the content dictionaries with respect to each updated predetermined item.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2010Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Chiharu Takeda, Fumihiko Aoyama -
Publication number: 20140104682Abstract: A multilayer display apparatus included in an in-vehicle system includes a stereoscopic vision display device formed by a 3D display unit and a 3D display control unit that display a three-dimensional image utilizing the principle of binocular disparity, a two-dimensional display device formed by a 2D display unit and a 2D display control unit that display a two-dimensional image on a two-dimensional display face, and a half-silvered mirror. The position of the two-dimensional display face is set within a predetermine range of the position of the screen of the stereoscopic vision display device by using the half-silvered mirror.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2013Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Osamu Nagahara
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Publication number: 20140085787Abstract: A first drive arm and a second drive arm are rotatably coupled. A tip portion of the first drive arm and a device main body are connected to each other through a first connection link, and a tip portion of a second drive arm and the device main body are connected to each other through a second connection link. Because each of the drive arms and the device main body are connected to each other through an axial rotational portion, the device main body is moves smoothly between an extended position and a retracted position, and vibration and rattling are suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Kazunari Kato
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Patent number: 8676497Abstract: An apparatus and method searches and provides additional Points-of-interest (POI) information to a user when basic POI information such as POI name, address, phone number, etc. is specified. In one aspect, the system includes an information managing unit to search, display and transmit POI information, a communication interface and a plurality of information providers adapted to stream information to the communication interface, and a communication network adapted to connect the information managing unit and the communication interface. The basic information and an additional POI information search request can be transmitted from the information managing unit to the communication interface to search for the additional POI information in the information providers and transmit the additional POI information back to the information managing unit. The additional POI information may be filtered and organized before presenting to the user.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2009Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Kyte Feng, Bharathi Peddi
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Patent number: 8677284Abstract: A user interface with multiple applications which can be operated concurrently and/or independently by using simple finger gestures allows a user to intuitively operate and control digital information, functions, applications, etc. to improve operability. The user is able to use finger gesture to navigate the user interface via a virtual spindle metaphor to select different applications. The user can also split the user interface to at least two display segments which may contain different applications. Moreover, each display segment can be moved to a desirable location on the user interface to provide a seamless operation environment.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2009Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Antonio Aguilar
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Patent number: 8674946Abstract: A method and apparatus adjusts a timing of state change of an electronics apparatus having an input device by measuring user's input speed for the input device and a distance of user's finger from the input device. The method includes the steps of measuring a current interval CI between recent two input operations in a series of input operations conducted through the input device, calculating an average interval AI of the series of input operations, calculating a reference interval RI determined from the equation: RI=K×AI, where K denotes a proportional coefficient, determining whether a current interval CI is equal to or less than the reference interval, and suspending an occurrence of the second system state change until a first system state has been responded in case when the current interval CI is equal to or less than the reference interval RI.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2007Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Linh Doan, Michael Sabin
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Publication number: 20140063718Abstract: An in-vehicle display apparatus includes a display panel including a rectangular display screen; a pair of semicircular decorative rings (frames) obtained by dividing an annular member into two parts along a line extending in a lateral direction of the display screen; and a driving mechanism that drives the decorative rings to reciprocate toward and away from each other in a longitudinal direction of the display screen. The decorative rings are rotatable around axes extending in the lateral direction of the display screen. The driving mechanism moves the decorative rings while the decorative rings are in front of the display panel and in parallel positions in relation to the display screen. The decorative rings are rotated on sides of the display panel in a longitudinal direction of the display panel and stored in storage spaces.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2013Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Takashi Yasumoto, Kazunari Kato
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Publication number: 20140062858Abstract: An information system includes a camera located at a central position in a horizontal direction in front of two users who face the camera and who are aligned side by side, a gesture recognizing unit configured to recognize a gesture of a hand of a user based on a target image captured by the camera, a determining unit that determines whether a central point in a width direction of an arm in the target image is at a right side or at a left side with respect to a center of the hand in the target image, and an operation user configured to determine that a performer of the gesture is a right side or a left side userType: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2013Publication date: March 6, 2014Applicant: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Takashi Yasumoto
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Patent number: D705756Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventors: Karl Kerstein, Chris Teguh, Melvin Diaz