Patents Assigned to Nippon Soken, Inc.
  • Patent number: 10891738
    Abstract: In a boundary line recognition apparatus, based on luminance levels of an image captured by a camera, candidate edge points of a boundary line sectioning a travel road are extracted, and a candidate line of the boundary line is extracted. An apparent width of the candidate line on an image is calculated, from a width of the candidate line in a horizontal direction of the image and an angle of the candidate line relative to a vertical direction of the image. A probability of a candidate line being a boundary line is calculated to be higher, as a degree of the candidate line having characteristics as a boundary line is higher. The calculated probabilities are integrated in respect of a plurality of characteristics to recognize a boundary line. The characteristics include a ratio of the calculated apparent width to an image blur degree is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Syunya Kumano, Naoki Kawasaki, Shunsuke Suzuki, Tetsuya Takafuji, Kazuma Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10371805
    Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus includes: a transceiver transmitting a transmission wave and receiving an ultrasonic wave; a transmission controller; a receiver circuit detecting a signal level of a receiving wave; a distance calculator sequentially calculating a distance to an object reflecting the transmission wave; a memory storing the distance to the object; an obstacle determination device determining whether the object is an obstacle; and a reception level monitoring device monitoring the signal level of the receiving wave before the transmission wave being transmitted. When the signal level exceeds a predetermined threshold, the obstacle determination device sets a first number of determination data elements to an increased number of determinations for a predetermined period to be used for determining whether the object is the obstacle, as being larger than a second number of determination data elements used when the signal level does not exceed the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Taketo Harada, Takuya Nomura, Motonari Ohbayashi, Hironobu Ishijima
  • Patent number: 10332399
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus is arranged to detect the distance to the object and includes: a transceiver repeatedly transmitting a wave as an ultrasonic wave and receives a reflection wave of the transmission wave; a transmission controller controlling the transceiver to transmit the transmission wave; a distance calculator calculating a distance to the object, based on a time interval from a moment when the transceiver transmits the wave to a moment when the reflection wave is received; and a transmission timing controller controlling timing at which the transmission controller controls the transmission wave to be transmitted. Moreover, the transmission timing controller inserts at least one type of temporary waiting time between a transmission/reception period in which the transceiver transmits the transmission wave and receives the reflection wave and a next transmission/reception period, when a predetermined crosstalk identification condition is established based on the distance to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Takuya Nomura, Hidenori Tanaka, Motonari Ohbayashi, Hironobu Ishijima
  • Patent number: 10242787
    Abstract: A solenoid device includes two electromagnetic coils, two stationary cores, two plungers and a yoke that surrounds the two electromagnetic coils. When a first electromagnetic coil is energized, magnetic flux flows through a first magnetic circuit that includes the first stationary core. When the two electromagnetic coils are energized, magnetic flux of the first electromagnetic coil flows through the first magnetic circuit, and magnetic flux of the second electromagnetic coil flows through a second magnetic circuit that includes a second stationary core. When energization of the first electromagnetic coil is stopped while maintaining energization of the second electromagnetic coil, the magnetic flux of the second electromagnetic coil continues to flow through the second magnetic circuit and a third magnetic circuit that includes the two stationary cores. A magnetism limiting portion is disposed in a portion of the second magnetic circuit that does not overlap the third magnetic circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO CORPORATION, ANDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Tanaka, Shota Iguchi, Tomoaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10180462
    Abstract: An AC component ?I addition unit of a diagnostic device superimposes an alternating current on an output current of a fuel cell. A Zn calculation unit calculates a cell impedance with respect to the alternating current with regard to any of a plurality of cells. A diagnosis unit diagnoses that any cell is subjected to hydrogen deficiency when an absolute value of the cell impedance exceeds (absolute value of a reference impedance+a predetermined value ?). It is diagnosed that any cell is subjected to oxygen deficiency when the absolute value of the cell impedance is smaller than (absolute value of the reference impedance?a predetermined value ?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Ishikawa, Takashi Yamamoto, Shigeki Hasegawa, Syuya Kawahara
  • Patent number: 10170938
    Abstract: An electric power receiving device has an electric power receiving unit that contactlessly receives electric power from an electric power transmission device, and the power receiving unit includes a first node, a second node, and a capacitor, a coil, a capacitor, a coil, and a capacitor, which are sequentially connected in series, between the first node and the second node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Yuasa, Ryohei Nishizaki, Norihito Kimura
  • Patent number: 10156633
    Abstract: In a sensor system, a monitoring ECU includes a result-transmission-instruction transmission section that transmits through a signal line a measurement result transmission instruction for transmitting distance data. The result-transmission-instruction transmission section transmits, during a new detection operation, the measurement result transmission instruction to at least one of the ultrasonic sensors engaged in a last detection operation. Upon receipt of the measurement result transmission instruction, a communication section of the ultrasonic sensors transmits a detection result during the new detection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Takuya Nomura, Taketo Harada, Mitsuyasu Matsuura
  • Patent number: 10141145
    Abstract: A relay apparatus incorporates at least first and second relays having respective first and second electromagnetic coils, with a single yoke partially surrounding each of the coils. When current is passed through only the first electromagnetic coil, to activate the first relay, resultant magnetic flux acting on the armature of the second relay is attenuated by passing a current through the second electromagnetic coil to produce opposing-direction magnetic flux. When current is passed in the opposite direction through the second coil, to activate the second relay, the magnetic fluxes produced by the first and second electromagnetic coils become mutually reinforced, thereby reducing the power consumption required to activate both of the relays and to maintain that activated state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO CORPORATION, ANDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Tanaka, Shota Iguchi
  • Patent number: 10116182
    Abstract: An electric motor storing device for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an electric motor, the electric motor including a rotor shaft and an inner circumferential side rotational shaft disposed on an inner circumferential side of the rotor shaft in a manner to penetrate said rotor shaft, and a case configured to store the electric motor, the electric motor storing device includes: a support member for rotatably supporting the inner circumferential side rotational shaft and the rotor shaft; and an insulating section for insulating between the support member and the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Motoki Takeno, Takuya Kodama, Koki Kawamoto, Hiroaki Kiyokami, Ryoji Isarai
  • Patent number: 10076068
    Abstract: An electric power converter includes a semiconductor module, a cooler, and a pair of direct current bus bars. The direct current bus bars are connected to the semiconductor. The direct current bus bars serve as current paths between the direct current power supply and the switching element. The cooler is made of metal, and is electrically connected to ground. A proximal bypass capacitor is formed close to the switching element by a heat radiating plate integrated with the semiconductor module, the cooler, and an insulating layer interposed between them. The electric power converter further includes a pair of distal bypass capacitors, each of which has a larger capacitance than the proximal bypass capacitor has, and has a current path to the switching element of which a length is longer than a current path to the switching element from the proximal bypass capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO COPORATION
    Inventors: Shinji Ohoka, Naohisa Harada
  • Patent number: 10060305
    Abstract: A control device has two modes as control modes of an electric power supply to an electromagnetic solenoid, which are used when a first determining unit determines that a difference between a sensed value of a phase and a target value of the phase exceeds a permissible range. One of the modes is a special mode that is used when a second determining unit determines that the sensed value of the phase reaches a threshold value. Another one of the modes is a normal mode that is used when the second determining unit determines that the sensed value of the phase does not reach the threshold value. In the special mode, the control device controls supply of the electric power to the electromagnetic solenoid in such a manner that an opening degree of an advancing port is larger than the opening degree of the advancing port in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shota Toda, Shuhei Oe, Toshiki Fujiyoshi, Haruhito Fujimura, Yu Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 10038459
    Abstract: A network control device includes a communicator performing communications via a transmission line at a preset transmission speed in a wake-up mode, a low frequency attenuator attenuating a low frequency component in a transmission signal having a low transmission speed that is lower than the preset transmission speed at a position between the transmission line and the communicator to receive and transmit the transmission signal to and from the communicator, and a wake-up controller receiving and transmitting a wake-up signal for transitioning from a sleep mode to the wake-up mode, at a transmission line side position of the low frequency attenuator, where the wake-up signal at a low frequency band is subject to attenuation by the low frequency attenuator, for a selective wake-up of a network node via the transmission line for network communications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Mori, Youhei Sekiya, Yoshifumi Kaku, Shogo Akasaki
  • Publication number: 20180202569
    Abstract: An actuator includes a rod, an electric motor to generate a rotational driving force on supply of electricity, an output shaft to output the rotational driving force of the electric motor to the rod, a feed screw mechanism, and a rotation prevention mechanism. The feed screw mechanism includes a female screw portion formed on one of the output shaft and the rod, and a male screw portion formed on the other to mesh with the female screw portion. The rotation prevention mechanism is configured to regulate rotation of the rod caused by the rotational driving force of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicants: Nippon Soken, Inc., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro KAWASE, Yukikatsu OZAKI, Mikio MATSUDA, Tetsuya ITOU, Sadahisa ONIMARU, Hiroki ISHII
  • Patent number: 10002433
    Abstract: In a boundary line recognition apparatus, based on luminance levels of an image captured by a camera, candidate edge points of a boundary line sectioning a travel road are extracted, and a candidate line of the boundary line is extracted. An apparent width of the candidate line on an image is calculated, from a width of the candidate line in a horizontal direction of the image and an angle of the candidate line relative to a vertical direction of the image. A probability of a candidate line being a boundary line is calculated to be higher, as a degree of the candidate line having characteristics as a boundary line is higher. The calculated probabilities are integrated in respect of a plurality of characteristics to recognize a boundary line. The characteristics include a ratio of the calculated apparent width to an image blur degree is larger than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Syunya Kumano, Naoki Kawasaki, Shunsuke Suzuki, Tetsuya Takafuji, Kazuma Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9967526
    Abstract: An image processing device includes an image input section inputting images taken by a vehicle camera, a calibration target specifying section specifying a calibration target included both in a first image and in a second image, a vehicle information input section inputting information indicating travel distance and orientation change of the vehicle, a calculation section, and a storing control section. The calculation section converts the first and the second images to the first and second bird's-eye view images, respectively, arranges the first and the second birds-eye view images on common coordinate system with consideration of corresponding image taking positions and image taking orientations, and calculates at least one orientation parameter of the camera which minimizes position difference and rotation angle difference between the two calibration targets included in the first and second birds-eye view images. The storing control section stores the orientation parameter in storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Bingchen Wang, Hirohiko Yanagawa, Masakazu Takeichi, Masayuki Imanishi
  • Patent number: 9960001
    Abstract: A relay system is provided which is designed to avoid flow of inrush current through a capacitor in a pre-charge mode wherein the capacitor is pre-charged. The relay system includes a pair of power lines, a capacitor, a series-connected assembly, a control circuit, and a relay module. The relay module includes two main switches, a main coil, and a sub-coil. In the pre-charge mode, the control circuit energizes both the main and sub-coils to turn on only one of the main switches. Before entering the pre-charge mode, the control circuit diagnoses the sub-coil. When the sub-coil is determined as being malfunctioning, the control circuit inhibits the pre-charge mode from being entered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON SOKEN, INC., DENSO CORPORATION, ANDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Tanaka, Shota Iguchi, Tomoaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9945363
    Abstract: A cylinder is configured into a bottomed tubular form and includes an inner peripheral wall, an inner bottom wall, an outer peripheral wall and an intake hole and a discharge hole. The inner peripheral wall slidably guides the plunger. The intake hole and the discharge hole communicate between the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall. A pump housing includes a cylinder receiving hole that includes an inner peripheral wall, into which the cylinder is inserted. A pressurizing chamber is formed by the inner peripheral wall and the inner bottom wall of the cylinder and a distal end outer wall of the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Teppei Matsumoto, Masatoshi Kuroyanagi, Osamu Hishinuma
  • Patent number: 9930615
    Abstract: A relay device includes a communication signal relay unit for relaying a communication signal and a wake-up signal relay unit for relaying, by bypassing the communication signal relay unit, a wake-up signal that is transmitted using a frequency band which is lower than a communication frequency band used in transmitting the communication signal. The communication signal relay unit includes a low frequency wave attenuation unit for attenuating a signal with a frequency band lower than the communication frequency band. The wake-up signal relay unit includes a wake-up signal filter unit for passing through a signal with a frequency band lower than the communication frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Youhei Sekiya, Hiroyuki Mori, Yoshifumi Kaku, Shogo Akasaki
  • Patent number: 9903942
    Abstract: An obstacle detection device includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a detection control unit. The detection control unit detects an object by using one of at least two of the ultrasonic sensors as a transmission sensor that transmits an ultrasonic wave and the other of the at least two of the ultrasonic sensors as a reception sensor that receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the transmission sensor and reflected. A difference of heights of the one used as the transmission sensor and the other used as the reception sensor attached to a surface of a vehicle body from a ground is a predetermined threshold height that is defined based on twice a height of a bump on the ground as a non-detection object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Taketo Harada, Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Keiko Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9864057
    Abstract: An ultrasonic object detection device includes: a first echo prolongation determination unit that sequentially determines whether a measured echo time of an ultrasonic sensor is prolonged from a reference echo time; a second echo prolongation determination unit that determines whether an addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time when the measured echo time is not prolonged from the reference echo time, and the ultrasonic sensor detects a reflected wave, the addition echo time being obtained by adding, to the measured echo time, a time from termination of an echo to termination of a first reflected wave; and a short distance object detection unit that determines that an object is disposed within a short distance so as to receive the reflected wave while the echo is not terminated when one of the measured echo time or addition echo time is prolonged from the reference echo time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Taiki Yoshida, Takuya Nomura, Taketo Harada, Motonari Ohbayashi