Patents by Inventor Hidehiko Kawakami

Hidehiko 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).

  • Patent number: 8477096
    Abstract: A screen display apparatus includes an operation information reception unit that receives operation information regarding an inclination direction and an inclination angle of a joystick from the joystick, and a screen controller that performs a scroll process for scrolling a screen and a zoom process for zooming based on the operation information. The screen controller scrolls the screen according to the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the joystick, and continues a zoom-out process for zooming-out of the screen based on a detection of the inclination angle that is greater than a predetermined angle for a predetermined period until detecting the inclination angle of the joystick to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined angle or until zooming out to a predetermined minimum zoom rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Nagiyama, Hidehiko Kawakami, Motohiro Fukumoto, Keisuke Uto
  • Patent number: 8170917
    Abstract: In an information communication system, a portable apparatus stores owned content information as list information about a content already purchased by a user. The portable apparatus transmits the owned content information to an in-vehicle apparatus capable of wireless communication. When the in-vehicle apparatus does not store the content the user already purchased, the in-vehicle apparatus acquires content data for the content from a content delivery server. The information communication system can automatically supplement the in-vehicle apparatus to be used by the user with the content the user already purchased. As a result, the user can use the already purchased content on the in-vehicle apparatus without any inconvenient operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8128232
    Abstract: A projector projects a visible laser beam onto a region of a vehicle compartment. A control unit controls a direction of projecting the visible laser beam to provide information to at least one occupant in the compartment. The control unit expands the region of an object to which the visible laser beam is projected when the seatbelt has been fastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Kawai, Yoshihisa Sato, Kenichi Mori, Hidehiko Kawakami, Tetsuya Enokizaka
  • Publication number: 20110214087
    Abstract: A screen display apparatus includes an operation information reception unit that receives operation information regarding an inclination direction and an inclination angle of a joystick from the joystick, and a screen controller that performs a scroll process for scrolling a screen and a zoom process for zooming based on the operation information. The screen controller scrolls the screen according to the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the joystick, and continues a zoom-out process for zooming-out of the screen based on a detection of the inclination angle that is greater than a predetermined angle for a predetermined period until detecting the inclination angle of the joystick to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined angle or until zooming out to a predetermined minimum zoom rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei NAGIYAMA, Hidehiko KAWAKAMI, Motohiro FUKUMOTO, Keisuke UTO
  • Publication number: 20110210839
    Abstract: A projector projects a visible laser beam onto a region of a vehicle compartment. A control unit controls a direction of projecting the visible laser beam to provide information to at least one occupant in the compartment. The control unit expands the region of an object to which the visible laser beam is projected when the seatbelt has been fastened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Kawai, Yoshihisa Sato, Kenichi Mori, Hidehiko Kawakami, Tetsuya Enokizaka
  • Patent number: 7969412
    Abstract: A screen display apparatus includes an operation information reception unit that receives operation information regarding an inclination direction and an inclination angle of a joystick from the joystick, and a screen controller that performs a scroll process for scrolling a screen and a zoom process for zooming based on the operation information. The screen controller scrolls the screen according to the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the joystick, and continues a zoom-out process for zooming-out of the screen based on a detection of the inclination angle that is greater than a predetermined angle for a predetermined period until detecting the inclination angle of the joystick to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined angle or until zooming out to a predetermined minimum zoom rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Nagiyama, Hidehiko Kawakami, Motohiro Fukumoto, Keisuke Uto
  • Patent number: 7966123
    Abstract: A display device for a vehicle has a display unit that has a meter display area and a navigation display area. The meter display area displays vehicle operation condition, and the navigation display area displays travel route guidance. When a display color changes in the travel route guidance in the navigation display area, color of the vehicle operation condition in the meter display area is also changed so that the color of the travel route guidance becomes more eye-catching than the vehicle operation condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Watanabe, Miki Kato, Kiyotaka Taguchi, Hidehiko Kawakami, Hirokazu Shibata
  • Patent number: 7957896
    Abstract: A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display, a navigation data producing device for producing first data that is to be displayed on the display, and a transmitting device for transmitting intermediate data to the vehicular meter device. The vehicular meter device includes a receiving device for receiving the intermediate data from the in-vehicle navigation device and a navigation data display area for displaying second data. A display size changing device for changing the first data into the second data is included in at least one of the in-vehicle navigation device and the vehicular meter device. A display size of the first data is different from the display size of the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kawakami, Tetsuya Enokizaka, Akihiro Watanabe, Tsuneo Uchida, Kiyotaka Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7912632
    Abstract: A navigation system stores setting record information related to places designated as destination or reached place. The setting record information includes setting frequencies with which corresponding places were designated. A control unit searches a map database for places meeting a keyword inputted by a user and causes a display unit to present the places in the descending order of their corresponding setting frequencies in the stored setting record information. The user then selects as a destination a certain place from the presented places. The control unit stores the selected certain place to update the setting record information. Thus, the names of places meeting the keyword inputted are directly displayed in the descending order of the setting frequency with which they have been designated in the past. Therefore, the user need not perform an operation to hierarchically select a desired place by region or facility name.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuko Ohashi, Yoshinori Watanabe, Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7903843
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus uses a bird's eye image for supporting a backing operation of a vehicle for parking. The bird's eye image is processed to display an area view that at least includes a parking lot captured in the image. Then, the area view is displayed in a display space in a display unit of the image processing apparatus for representing a parking area and related information. In this manner, the area view excludes unnecessary part from the bird's eye image for effectively providing a visual support for the backing operation by a driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Sawaki, Masatoshi Aboh, Takemi Ueno, Yoshinori Watanabe, Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7899617
    Abstract: A navigation system for a vehicle determines a recommended route to a destination among a plurality of possible routes to the destination based on total profile values of the plurality of possible routes. The navigation system guides the vehicle to the destination along the recommended route. Here, navigation system determines whether an upstream side section of one of the plurality of possible routes is located on a multi-lane road in a specific condition. The navigation system determines whether an exit road and an entrance road are connected to the multi-lane road on a common side of the multi-lane road. The navigation system sets an amount of increase to be reflected into the total profile value of the one of the plurality of possible routes based on determination results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kawakami, Michima Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7801679
    Abstract: A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display, a navigation data producing device for producing first data that is to be displayed on the display, and a transmitting device for transmitting intermediate data to the vehicular meter device. The vehicular meter device includes a receiving device for receiving the intermediate data from the in-vehicle navigation device and a navigation data display area for displaying second data. A display size changing device for changing the first data into the second data is included in at least one of the in-vehicle navigation device and the vehicular meter device. A display size of the first data is different from the display size of the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kawakami, Tetsuya Enokizaka, Akihiro Watanabe, Tsuneo Uchida, Kiyotaka Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7774136
    Abstract: When an accessory switch of a vehicle is turned on, a TFT display device in an instrument panel is in a magnified display mode, where a navigation image is displayed in a magnified area of a navigation display area with no meter images displayed. A driver is therefore allowed to attentively view the navigation image in order to perform a route set or to change scales of a displayed map. When the driver further turns on an ignition switch, the magnified display mode is switched to a normal display mode. In the normal display mode, a meter display area and a vehicle state display area coexist with the navigation display area in the TFT display device; a navigation image is displayed in a normal area of the navigation display area with a meter image, e.g., a speed meter image, and a warning indicator image displayed simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miki Kato, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kiyotaka Taguchi, Hidehiko Kawakami, Tsuneo Uchida, Tetsuya Enokizaka
  • Patent number: 7725255
    Abstract: A vehicular display system includes an in-vehicle navigation device and a vehicular meter device. The in-vehicle navigation device includes a display device, a character string storing device, and a character string converting device. The character string storing device stores a navigation display character string that is to be displayed in the display device. The character string converting device converts the navigation display character string into a meter display character string. The vehicular meter device includes a navigation display area. The meter display character string is displayed in a navigation display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidehiko Kawakami, Hirokazu Shibata, Kiyotaka Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7642901
    Abstract: When an ignition switch is turned on to display an image on a display apparatus, the display apparatus first displays a needle image of meter images and a warning indicator image. Out of the meter images, the display apparatus displays the needle image for a specified time period (e.g., 0.2 seconds), and then displays a dial image. After displaying the dial image for a specified time period, the display apparatus displays a navigation image. The specified time period may be set to 0.5 through 1.0 second, for example, long enough to visually check or recognize display of the meter image and the warning indicator image. Accordingly, it is possible to visually check the meter image and the warning indicator image while the navigation image is not displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miki Kato, Tsuneo Uchida, Kiyotaka Taguchi, Yoshinori Watanabe, Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20080249889
    Abstract: In an information communication system, a portable apparatus stores owned content information as list information about a content already purchased by a user. The portable apparatus transmits the owned content information to an in-vehicle apparatus capable of wireless communication. When the in-vehicle apparatus does not store the content the user already purchased, the in-vehicle apparatus acquires content data for the content from a content delivery server. The information communication system can automatically supplement the in-vehicle apparatus to be used by the user with the content the user already purchased. As a result, the user can use the already purchased content on the in-vehicle apparatus without any inconvenient operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20080198335
    Abstract: A visible laser beam projector is arranged to provide information to passengers in a vehicle compartment by projecting a visible laser beam onto a portion in the compartment. The visible laser beam projector is arranged in front of an inner mirror of the compartment and projects the visible laser beam to only a front end portion on the upper surface of an instrument panel of the compartment. Thus, the visible laser beam is allowed to be projected in high intensity while suppressing the probability of its adverse effect on eyes of passengers in the compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Kawai, Yoshihisa Sato, Kenichi Mori, Hidehiko Kawakami, Tetsuya Enokizaka
  • Patent number: 7395152
    Abstract: A map image showing a current position and its surroundings, a route, and an arrow are displayed and superimposed on one another. The arrow has a base indicating the current position and a length indicating a predetermined distance along the route. The arrow has the transparency adjusted to be half transparent to make the map image and route discernible. The arrow moves along with the current position as a vehicle travels on the route. When the route is rectilinear, the shape and length of the arrow do not change. When the route is turned left at an intersection, the arrowhead is turned left after reaching the intersection. Since the arrow is displayed along the route, the arrowhead is disposed on a road to which the vehicle is brought by a left turn made on a road on which the base is disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Watanabe, Masatoshi Abo, Kiyotaka Taguchi, Hidehiko Kawakami, Hirokazu Shibata
  • Publication number: 20070230745
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus uses a bird's eye image for supporting a backing operation of a vehicle for parking. The bird's eye image is processed to display an area view that at least includes a parking lot captured in the image. Then, the area view is displayed in a display space in a display unit of the image processing apparatus for representing a parking area and related information. In this manner, the area view excludes unnecessary part from the bird's eye image for effectively providing a visual support for the backing operation by a driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Sawaki, Masatoshi Aboh, Takemi Ueno, Yoshinori Watanabe, Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20070226646
    Abstract: A screen display apparatus includes an operation information reception unit that receives operation information regarding an inclination direction and an inclination angle of a joystick from the joystick, and a screen controller that performs a scroll process for scrolling a screen and a zoom process for zooming based on the operation information. The screen controller scrolls the screen according to the inclination direction and the inclination angle of the joystick, and continues a zoom-out process for zooming-out of the screen based on a detection of the inclination angle that is greater than a predetermined angle for a predetermined period until detecting the inclination angle of the joystick to be equal to or smaller than the predetermined angle or until zooming out to a predetermined minimum zoom rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Nagiyama, Hidehiko Kawakami, Motohiro Fukumoto, Keisuke Uto