Patents Assigned to Alpine Electronics, Inc
  • Patent number: 11127389
    Abstract: An active noise control unit generates a noise canceling sound of a single frequency that cancels engine sound heard by an occupant and outputs the noise canceling sound to a speaker through an amplifier. A second harmonic detector and a third harmonic detector detect a magnitude of a harmonic component of the noise canceling sound included in sound collected by a microphone. A controller controls a frequency of the noise canceling sound generated by the active noise control unit to a fundamental frequency of the engine sound based on a rotation frequency of the engine, and in addition, causes an output level control unit to control a level of the noise canceling sound to be output to the amplifier so that the level of the noise canceling sound becomes higher when the magnitude of the harmonic component exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Taku Sugai
  • Patent number: 11118934
    Abstract: A method and system of route guidance for a vehicle alerts traffic restriction considering its towing status. The vehicle's towing status may be obtained either by automatically detecting a towed vehicle or manually setting such status by a user. When it is determined that the vehicle is towing another vehicle, traffic restriction information such as a speed limit and a dimension limit associated with each link in a route is obtained by accessing to a map database including such traffic restriction information. Based on the traffic restriction information, it is possible to provide the best route with a more correctly estimated time of arrival, while avoiding links which have dimension limits not suitable for the towing vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Tetsu Ohba
  • Publication number: 20210278907
    Abstract: When a gesture operation of a hand moving close to a display from left to right is performed, the return movement of the hand to the left side due to reflection by the wrist or the like may be detected. A detection control unit detects the approach of the hand to the display and notifies a data processing device of non-detection of hand approach when the amount of movement of the hand in the right direction starts to decrease after exceeding a threshold value. The data processing device accepts the right-moving gesture operation to perform a predetermined process when the amount of movement exceeds the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Masato Ito
  • Patent number: 11112633
    Abstract: A frame-shaped reinforcement member is bonded and fixed to a rear surface of a cover panel, such as a glass plate. The reinforcement member has a rigidity higher than that of the cover panel. Since the reinforcement member is provided, the flatness of flat portions of the cover panel can be maintained at a high level. The reinforcement member is bonded and fixed to a rear support member after display cell elements are bonded to the flat portions and backlights are fixed to the reinforcement member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mochiji, Satoshi Hara
  • Publication number: 20210232259
    Abstract: Four infrared LEDs and two photodiodes PD are arranged below a lower side of a display surface in the order of an LED1, a PD1, an LED2, an LED3, a PD2, and an LED4. A detection signal A1 of the PD1 when the LED1 emits light, a detection signal A2 of the PD1 when the LED2 emits light, a detection signal A3 of the PD2 when the LED3 emits light, and a detection signal A4 of the PD2 when the LED4 emits light are used to estimate a reflection generation position in the left-right direction, and a threshold Th is set such that the threshold Th increases when the reflection generation position is on the left side, which is a driver's seat side. If the maximum value of A1, A2, A3, and A4 exceeds the threshold Th, the approach of the user's hand is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Teiichi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11073931
    Abstract: In determining a definitive value, if a measured value detected at one timing changes by an amount less than a reference amount from a definitive value generated at a timing one cycle before the one timing, a definitive-value determination unit of a press detection apparatus determines the measured value detected at the one timing as a definitive value at the one timing, and if the measured value detected at the one timing has changed by an amount equal to or more than the reference amount from the definitive value at the preceding timing, the definitive-value determination unit determines a value obtained by adding the reference amount to the definitive value at the preceding timing as a definitive value at the one timing. This allows a value in which the influence of vibration is limited to be used in a determination of a pressing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Shunichi Suto
  • Publication number: 20210225351
    Abstract: An active noise control unit generates a noise canceling sound of a single frequency that cancels engine sound heard by an occupant and outputs the noise canceling sound to a speaker through an amplifier. A second harmonic detector and a third harmonic detector detect a magnitude of a harmonic component of the noise canceling sound included in sound collected by a microphone. A controller controls a frequency of the noise canceling sound generated by the active noise control unit to a fundamental frequency of the engine sound based on a rotation frequency of the engine, and in addition, causes an output level control unit to control a level of the noise canceling sound to be output to the amplifier so that the level of the noise canceling sound becomes higher when the magnitude of the harmonic component exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Taku Sugai
  • Publication number: 20210223884
    Abstract: An input device includes a touch panel having a plurality of transparent electrodes disposed side by side, a hover signal generation unit for generating a hover signal used to detect a height of an indicator located above a surface of the touch panel to input the hover signal to the plurality of electrodes, an XY position detection unit for detecting an X position and a Y position of the indicator based on a signal component that appears on each of the electrodes, and a height detection unit for detecting a height of the indicator based on a signal component that appears on each of the electrodes. The height detection unit performs a correction to the height of the indicator when the XY position of the indicator is within a peripheral portion of the touch panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Kenji Shimatsu
  • Publication number: 20210227665
    Abstract: A plurality of infrared LEDs, e.g., four, and a plurality of photodiodes, e.g., two, are arranged side by side in interleaved fashion in the order of an LED1, a PD1, an LED2, an LED3, a PD2, and an LED4, and are arranged slightly ouside a side of the display surface. A threshold value Th is set so as to become small as max(Ei)/max(Aj) calculated from a detection signal of the PD1 when the LED1 emits light, a detection signal of the PD1 when the LED2 emits light, a detection signal of the PD2 when the LED3 emits light, a detection signal of the PD2 when the LED4 emits light, a detection signal of the PD2 when the LED1 emits light, and a detection signal of the PD1 when the LED4 emits light, and the approach of the hand of the user is detected when max(Aj) exceeds the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Teiichi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20210222457
    Abstract: An operating device includes a lock mechanism unit that regulates relative movement of an operating unit with respect to a supporting member, and a controller that releases locking of the lock mechanism unit when input of an operator is detected by an operation detector. When contact of a finger with a surface panel is detected by a first detection member, locking of the operating unit by the lock mechanism unit is released. In addition, when a pressing operation to the operating unit is detected by a second detection member, control is performed so that a response force providing mechanism operates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Tomoki Otsuka
  • Patent number: 11062125
    Abstract: A facial feature detecting apparatus includes a feature sensor configured to acquire information on facial features of a subject; a feature detecting unit configured to detect the facial features of the subject from the information acquired by the feature sensor; a three-dimensional coordinates calculating unit configured to calculate three-dimensional coordinates of the facial features of the subject; and a feature position estimating unit configured to estimate first three-dimensional coordinates of a first facial feature from second three-dimensional coordinates of a second facial feature of the detected facial features, on a basis that the first facial feature and the second facial feature are located at bilaterally symmetrical positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Takuya Ishii
  • Publication number: 20210191178
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a BS-ITO provided on a display surface side to prevent noise from being emitted from a display element to the outside; a touch ITO provided outside the BS-ITO to perform position detection; a hover signal generation unit that generates a detection signal to be input to the touch ITO and the BS-ITO for detection of an indicator approaching the display surface; a VCOM-ITO that applies a common voltage to derive the display element; a cancellation signal generation unit that generates a cancellation signal which cancels a signal component leaking from the BS-ITO to the VCOM-ITO; and a voltage addition unit that superimposes a cancellation signal on the common voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Tomoaki Waragai
  • Publication number: 20210195050
    Abstract: A proximity detection device detects the proximity of an object using a light emitting element and a light receiving element that receives reflected light of irradiation light from the light emitting element reflected by the object. A mirror is provided near the light emitting element to reflect part of the irradiation light emitted from the light emitting element toward an area at which the irradiation light from the light emitting element does not sufficiently arrive, and a mirror is provided near the light receiving element to enable reception of the reflected light from the light emitting element in a wide range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Teiichi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11043202
    Abstract: Two subsystems, each including a microphone, a speaker, a canceling sound-generating adder, an error-computing adder, and two adaptive filters and two auxiliary filters that accept two noises as input, are provided in correspondence with two cancellation positions. Each canceling sound-generating adder adds together the outputs from the adaptive filters and outputs the result to the speaker of each subsystem. Each error-computing adder adds together the output from the microphone of the subsystem and the output from the auxiliary filter of the subsystem, and the result is treated as the error of the adaptive filters of each subsystem. A transfer function is learned in advance and set in each auxiliary filter such that each error computed by each error-computing adder becomes zero (0) when a transfer function in which each noise is canceled at each cancellation position in a predetermined standard acoustic environment is set in each adaptive filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Tachi, Yoshinobu Kajikawa
  • Publication number: 20210173508
    Abstract: In determining a definitive value, if a measured value detected at one timing changes by an amount less than a reference amount from a definitive value generated at a timing one cycle before the one timing, a definitive-value determination unit of a press detection apparatus determines the measured value detected at the one timing as a definitive value at the one timing, and if the measured value detected at the one timing has changed by an amount equal to or more than the reference amount from the definitive value at the preceding timing, the definitive-value determination unit determines a value obtained by adding the reference amount to the definitive value at the preceding timing as a definitive value at the one timing. This allows a value in which the influence of vibration is limited to be used in a determination of a pressing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Shunichi Suto
  • Publication number: 20210173541
    Abstract: In a first state before a first event is detected, a determination unit of a press detection apparatus prevents a definitive value from increasing steeply when the pressing force has increased steeply, and decreases the definitive value steeply when the pressing force has decreased steeply. In a second state after the first event is detected and before a second event is detected, the determination unit prevents the definitive value from increasing steeply when the pressing force has increased steeply, and prevents the definitive value from decreasing steeply when the pressing force has decreased steeply. This reduces the possibility that the definitive value increases steeply in the first state and increases and decreases steeply in the second state even under vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Shunichi Suto
  • Publication number: 20210173452
    Abstract: A display device has a first elastic member and a second elastic member between an outer support member and an extension portion outside an image display area of a front panel. The second elastic member is disposed at the position closest to an operation portion provided on the front panel in three directions. An elastic member pressing area is provided on a lower support plate of the outer support member. The second elastic member has a high compression ratio in the front-back direction, so the second elastic member acts as a pressure resistive portion. When the front panel is pressed with a finger in the operation portion, the strain of the front panel can be suppressed to a minimum due to a pressure resistive force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Toshio Haruki
  • Patent number: 11024011
    Abstract: An image display apparatus includes an imaging device configured to generate image data; a receiving unit configured to receive movement of a display area in a vertical direction or in a horizontal direction within the image data, the display area being displayed on a display device, and also receive rotation of the image data; an image processing unit configured to rotate the image data in accordance with an amount of rotation, and, in a case where the movement of the display area in the vertical direction or in the horizontal direction is received with respect to the rotated image data, move the display area in the vertical direction or in the horizontal direction within the rotated image data; an image cutting unit configured to cut the display area from the image data; and an outputting unit configured to display the display area on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Keita Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11010989
    Abstract: An electronic device performs an emergency call operation using a secondary battery as a power source, and includes a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the secondary battery, an intermittent emergency call processing unit which performs the emergency call operation intermittently when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is in a low-temperature state lower than a predetermined value, and a continuous emergency call processing unit which performs the emergency call operation continuously when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: Koichi Narita
  • Patent number: D924865
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Hideki Endo, Hiroshi Fujimoto