Patents Assigned to Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
  • Patent number: 9101291
    Abstract: This disclosure provides an ultrasonic bone analyzing device, which includes a transmission module for transmitting an ultrasonic signal into the inside of a living body from an outer skin of the living body, a reception module for receiving an echo signal that is a reflection wave of the transmitted ultrasonic signal from the inside of the living body, and an analyzing module for generating analysis data indicative of a state of a cartilage using an amplitude value of an echo signal from the inside of the cartilage obtained from between a cartilage surface and a subchondral bone among the received echo signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Wataru Kiyan
  • Patent number: 8994579
    Abstract: An RF pulse signal generation switching circuit for controlling an output of a power FET for amplifying a high frequency signal to generate an RF pulse signal that is the high frequency signal pulse formed into a pulse-wave shape is provided. The circuit includes first and third n-type FETs of which gates are inputted with a control pulse that supplies a rise timing and a fall timing of a pulse, and a second n-type FET of which a gate is connected with a drain of the first FET. A source of the first FET and a source of the third FET are grounded, respectively. The drain of the first FET is applied with a first drive voltage via a resistor. A drain of the second FET is applied with a second drive voltage. A source of the second FET is connected with a drain of the third FET and the connection point therebetween is connected with the power FET. A capacitor is connected between the connection point and an end of the resistor from which the first drive voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: FURUNO Electric Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomonao Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150070213
    Abstract: Accurate long term satellite models for satellites include satellites of different navigation systems. Such a model is derived for a non-GPS satellite that broadcasts native orbital model data specified as valid within a first time period. Initial position and velocity data are determined from the native orbital model data, and orbit integration is performed to determine an orbital arc in an earth-centered-earth-fixed frame over a second time period longer than the first time period. Initial estimates of GPS or GPS-like orbit parameters are determined for the non-GPS satellite, and the orbital arc and the initial estimates of the GPS or GPS-like orbit parameters are input to an orbit parameter solver that determines GPS or GPS-like parameters that fit the orbital arc and is used to determine final orbital model parameters in GPS or GPS-like format for the non-GPS satellite.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicants: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY, LTD., ERIDE, INC.
    Inventors: SHAHRAM REZAEI, Paul W. McBurney
  • Patent number: 8488412
    Abstract: An underwater detection device includes a transceiver module for transmitting underwater an ultrasonic pulse signal that is frequency-modulated and receiving an echo signal corresponding to the transmitted signal, a pulse compression module for pulse-compressing the signal received by the transceiver module and outputting a signal pulse-compressed, a suppression range determining module for determining a suppression range where a range side lobe suppression process is performed for the pulse-compressed signal, an echo determining module for determining whether the data of the pulse-compressed signal at each depth corresponding to a range side lobe, a suppression value determining module for determining a suppression value for the data of the pulse-compressed signal at each depth, a suppression conducting module for performing a calculation to suppress the range side lobe based on the suppression value for the data determined to be data of the pulse-compressed signal corresponding to the range side lobe by the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunobu Asada
  • Patent number: 8391344
    Abstract: A transceiving device includes a transmission signal generating module for generating a transmission signal that is frequency-modulated by a predetermined frequency sweep width, a transceiver module for transmitting a pulse signal having substantially the same waveform as a waveform of the transmission signal and receiving an echo signal corresponding to the transmission signal from a detection range, and a pulse-compression filter for pulse-compressing the echo signal received by the transceiver module. The pulse-compression filter has an input/output characteristic. The characteristic has, when the pulse-compression filter is inputted with an input signal having substantially the same waveform as the waveform of the transmission signal, a window function shape such that a phase spectrum of an output signal corresponding to the input signal is linear and an amplitude spectrum of the output signal does not have a frequency component other than a frequency band with which a frequency sweep is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Watanabe, Yasunobu Asada, Shinji Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20120319894
    Abstract: A highly accurate positioning operation is achieved regardless of an existence of multipath. An observed pseudorange ?m(k) is acquired based on reception signals of positional signals (S101). A current determination estimated pseudorange ?mp(k) is calculated based on a previous estimation result (S102). A determination difference value Delta?m(k) is calculated based on the observed pseudorange ?m(k) and the estimated pseudorange ?mp(k) (S103). A determination threshold ?Delta? is calculated based on a C/No of the reception signal and PDOP (S104). If the determination difference value Delta?m(k) is below the threshold ?Delta?, an error variance ??m(k) is calculated using an approximate equation of the C/No (S105(NO)?S106), and if the determination difference value Delta?m(k) is above the threshold ?Delta?, the error variance ??m(k) is calculated based on the threshold ?Delta? (S105(YES)?S107).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD.
    Inventor: Takaki Tominaga
  • Publication number: 20120319898
    Abstract: An existence of multipath is detected accurately based on not only a C/No. A C/No (iv) of a reception signal, a pseudorange PR(iv), and a delta range DR(iv) are acquired (S101). First, as determination processing based on individual measurement values, thresholds are set thereto respectively, and the existence of multipath is detected (S102-S104). Next, as determination processing based on continuous values, an average value C/No(Av) and a standard deviation ?C/No of the C/No, and an average value DV(Av) and a standard deviation ?DV of the difference values are calculated, thresholds are similarly set thereto respectively, and the existence of multipath is determined (S105-S109). Then, if multipath is determined that it does not exist based on the individual measurement values and the continuous values, it is determined ultimately that multipath does not exist (S110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Takaki Tominaga, Takuji Yasumoto
  • Patent number: 8300500
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a detection device, which includes a transceiving module for periodically transmitting a detection pulse signal toward a space and receiving a reflection wave from a target object as a reception signal, a signal loading module for generating a distance section row by dividing a given detection distance range into a plurality of distance sections, obtaining reception data by sequentially sampling the reception signal for every distance section, and storing the reception signal in a memory, and an interference processing module for sequentially performing interference removal processing for the reception data of each of the distance sections stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuriko Onishi, Satoshi Misonoo
  • Patent number: 8295422
    Abstract: A code controller configures a code state at a substantially constant and low storage volume, and at a substantially constant computational processing amount, regardless of which state position a desired code state is present in within the state area of the code states. In one embodiment, a state processor detects the position of a desired code state based on an inputted code phase amount. Based on the detection, state processor performs processing for jumping the code state a predetermined interval, and obtains a specific code state near the code state. The state processor selects the appropriate process from among a process for delaying the code state one state at a time from the obtained code state and a process for transiting the code state one state at a time in the direction opposite the delay direction, transits the code state, and obtains the desired code state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd
    Inventor: Dun Wang
  • Patent number: 8256295
    Abstract: A speed-of-sound measurement apparatus includes a wave transmission module for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to a front surface of a subject's body, a plurality of wave reception modules which each receives the ultrasonic wave from the subject's body and outputs a waveform signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic wave, a presumed propagation time calculating module for calculating a propagation time from when the ultrasonic wave is transmitted by the wave transmission module to when the ultrasonic wave arrives at each of the wave reception modules after propagating along the front surface of the subject's body or inside the subject's body, based on a presumed value of speed-of -sound in the subject's body and a front surface shape of the subject's body, a validity index value calculating module for finding a validity index value to be an index of validity of the propagation time based on the waveform signals outputted by at least two of the plurality of wave reception modules, and a speed-of-sound de
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Suetoshi, Dorian Cretin, Atsushi Uodome
  • Patent number: 8246542
    Abstract: A bone strength diagnostic device includes a wave-transmission module that transmits an ultrasonic wave obliquely to a bone covered with soft tissues; a wave-reception module that receives the ultrasonic wave that exits from the bone to the side of the soft tissues; a shape detection module for detecting the shape of the front surface of the bone; and a speed-of-sound deriving module for deriving the speed of sound of the ultrasonic wave that propagates along the front surface of the bone, based on the received wave signals, and the shape of the front surface of the bone detected using the shape detection module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Suetoshi, Atsushi Uodome, Dorian Cretin
  • Patent number: 8059487
    Abstract: An underwater detection device includes a transceiver module for transmitting underwater an ultrasonic pulse signal that is frequency-modulated and receiving an echo signal corresponding to the transmitted signal, a pulse compression module for pulse-compressing the signal received by the transceiver module and outputting a signal pulse-compressed, a suppression range determining module for determining a suppression range where a range side lobe suppression process is performed for the pulse-compressed signal, an echo determining module for determining whether the data of the pulse-compressed signal at each depth corresponding to a range side lobe, a suppression value determining module for determining a suppression value for the data of the pulse-compressed signal at each depth, a suppression conducting module for performing a calculation to suppress the range side lobe based on the suppression value for the data determined to be data of the pulse-compressed signal corresponding to the range side lobe by the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunobu Asada
  • Patent number: 7987049
    Abstract: A GPS-Based ADS for determining attitude and heading of a moving body comprises a GPS receiver, an inertial sensor unit, a blockage area calculator, a sensor anomaly detector and a monitor. The GPS-Based ADS provides information useful for making a judgment on appropriateness of installation sites and mounting conditions of a GPS antenna and inertial sensors based on blockage area information concerning each satellite signal blockage area obtained by the blockage area calculator and sensor signal anomaly information concerning each inertial sensor anomaly obtained by the sensor anomaly detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Sadao Sato, Masaru Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7956798
    Abstract: A radar apparatus having an integral ARPA function transmits at least two kinds of pulse signals, each of which has different pulselength, according to a specific transmission pattern and receives echoes of the transmitted pulse signal. The radar apparatus includes an echo data generator for generating display echo data for each range scale selected for on-screen presentation by using an echo signal obtained with each transmission pulselength, an ARPA processor for generating a single set of motion-related information on each tracked target to be superimposed on the display echo data by using echo signals obtained with the different pulselengths, a display output synthesizer for superimposing the motion-related information on each tracked target generated by the ARPA processor on the display echo data, and a display unit for displaying a superimposed picture produced by the display output synthesizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Yanagi, Koji Dai, Sae Takemoto
  • Patent number: 7693177
    Abstract: A navigational aid for use as an AIS apparatus includes a memory for storing information about previous use of individual time slots synchronized with transmission schedules of other stations and a signal detector for judging whether an information signal exists in a time slot specified in accordance with a synchronization timing signal based on the information stored in the memory and a result of monitoring of the behavior of a baseband signal obtained from a received signal on an IQ-plane. The navigational aid transmits information about own station based on a result of judgment by the signal detector. The monitoring of the behavior of the received baseband signal plotted on the IQ-plane can be accomplished by performing pattern recognition operation, for which a carrier sense technique, such as a support vector machine, subspace method or neural network, can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Hiraoka
  • Publication number: 20100030080
    Abstract: A bone strength diagnostic device includes a wave-transmission module for deriving a speed of sound that transmits an ultrasonic wave from a wave-transmission transducer for deriving the speed of sound obliquely to a bone covered with soft tissues; a wave-reception module for deriving the speed of sound that receives, with a plurality of wave-reception transducers for deriving the speed of sound, the ultrasonic wave that exits from the bone to the side of the soft tissues, the ultrasonic wave being received after it is transmitted from the wave-transmission module for deriving the speed of sound and propagating along a front surface of the bone; a shape detection module for detecting the shape of the front surface of the bone; and a speed-of-sound deriving module for deriving the speed of sound of the ultrasonic wave that propagates along the front surface of the bone, based on the received wave signals, using the wave-reception module for deriving the speed of sound, and the shape of the front surface of the
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoichi SUETOSHI, Atsushi UODOME, Dorian CRETIN
  • Patent number: 7573337
    Abstract: A code is provided which outputs a predetermined code enable signal by executing a simple control, depending on a clock signal frequency, with an optimal circuit scale. A multiplexer receives integers which are relatively prime, and outputs either of them to an adder, depending on comparator output signal. The adder adds an integer latched by the register and an integer output by the multiplexer, and outputs the result via a multiplexer to the register. The register latches and outputs the received integer to the comparator with a sampling clock signal frequency. In accordance with a threshold set based on the integers and the number of bits of the adder or the register, the comparator outputs a signal having the High state only when the output integer of the register satisfies the threshold condition. The code outputs this as a code enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Dun Wang, Tsutomu Okada
  • Publication number: 20090030612
    Abstract: A GPS-Based ADS for determining attitude and heading of a moving body comprises a GPS receiver, an inertial sensor unit, a blockage area calculator, a sensor anomaly detector and a monitor. The GPS-Based ADS provides information useful for making a judgment on appropriateness of installation sites and mounting conditions of a GPS antenna and inertial sensors based on blockage area information concerning each satellite signal blockage area obtained by the blockage area calculator and sensor signal anomaly information concerning each inertial sensor anomaly obtained by the sensor anomaly detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hayashi, Sadao Sato, Masaru Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7463109
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are directed to a transition between a waveguide and a microstrip. One embodiment features an open-ended waveguide having an exposed side at a distal end, a substrate coupled to the open-ended waveguide at a proximate end, a resonator coupled to the substrate, a microstrip line electromagnetically coupled to the resonator, and a backshort coupled to the substrate. Another embodiment features receiving an electromagnetic wave, collecting an incident portion of the received electromagnetic wave, generating first wave having a resonance at a predetermined frequency using the incident portion of the received electromagnetic wave, reflecting a portion of the received electromagnetic wave off of a reduced scale backshort, back towards a collector, generating a second wave having a resonance at a predetermined frequency using the reflected portion of the received electromagnetic wave, and combining the first wave and the second wave in phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Iio
  • Publication number: 20080169974
    Abstract: A radar system configured to present plural echo signals in a mixed form includes an image mixer for determining display colors for individual radar image regions based on combinations of the levels of the echo signals obtained from the same locations. The image mixer classifies the combinations of the levels of the echo signals into a predetermined number of groups according to the number of the echo signals to be mixed and selects display colors for the individual groups as well as shades of each display color according to the levels of the echo signals to be mixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: Furuno Electric Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi Fujikawa, Takashi Inaoka, Kouichi Kobayashi