Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Inou

Hiroshi Inou 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).

  • Publication number: 20180022382
    Abstract: A target steering angle calculator calculates, based on a target curvature, a target steering angle representing a steering angle of the vehicle at a target position. A current steering-angle obtainer obtains a current steering angle representing a steering angle of the vehicle at a current position. A steering controller controls the steering of the vehicle to cause the current steering angle to follow the target steering angle. A distance estimator estimates, based on at least one of the environmental information around the vehicle and control information about the vehicle, a visible distance representing a distance visibly recognizable by the driver of the vehicle to a front of the vehicle. The target curvature obtainer uses the visible distance as the target distance to obtain the target curvature at the predetermined target position that has the visible distance away from the current position along the road in the travelling direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Hisaya AKATSUKA, Hiroshi INOU
  • Publication number: 20170097642
    Abstract: In an apparatus for correcting a location of a vehicle, a satellite positioning unit mounted in the vehicle measures the location of the vehicle using navigation satellites. A locational trajectory generating unit generates a locational trajectory of the vehicle based on the location of the vehicle measured by the satellite positioning unit. A location correcting unit corrects the location of the vehicle based on the locational trajectory and map information stored in a map information storage. The location correcting unit, for each of the vehicle locations included in the locational trajectory, determines in which one of the lanes of the road the vehicle was traveling as the vehicle location was measured, and geometrically compares at least one traveled lane of the road acquired from the determination and the locational trajectory, and based on the comparison, calculates a locational correction amount of the location of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventors: Tsubasa Okuya, Minoru Okada, Hiroshi Inou
  • Patent number: 9505407
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus for a vehicle includes an actual longitudinal acceleration specifying section which specifies actual longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, a target longitudinal acceleration specifying section which specifies target longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, an acceleration and deceleration instruction section which allows acceleration and deceleration control so that the actual longitudinal acceleration specified by the actual longitudinal acceleration specifying section coincides with the target longitudinal acceleration specified by the target longitudinal acceleration specifying section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Hideaki Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9451380
    Abstract: An acoustic apparatus mounted on a vehicle driven by a driver includes: acquiring unit for acquiring a gaze point at which the driver gazes while driving the vehicle, reflecting parameters including a location of the vehicle, a running state of the vehicle and a running environment of the vehicle; generation unit for generating a sound image in the vehicle; and localization unit for localizing the sound image to be at the gaze point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Seiji Totsuka, Kenji Kudou
  • Patent number: 9191765
    Abstract: In a structure of an in-vehicle audio device, the audio system has an audio signal supplying section, an audio signal processing section, a balance adjustment section and an audio signal output section. A right audio signal processing section and a left audio signal processing section in the audio signal processing section perform a process of filtering audio signals supplied from the audio signal supplying section on the basis of a transfer function. The transfer function contains a head related transfer function H(s), a space transmission compensation function G0(s)?1 and a vehicle height compensation function G1(s). The space transmission compensation function G0(s)?1 is an inverse function of a space transfer function G0(s). A filtering process for the audio signal is performed by using the transfer function to guide a driver's visual line to be decreased when a vehicle height is high, and increased when the vehicle height is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Totsuka, Hiroshi Inou, Teppei Miyake
  • Publication number: 20150321669
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus for a vehicle includes an actual longitudinal acceleration specifying section which specifies actual longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, a target longitudinal acceleration specifying section which specifies target longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, an acceleration and deceleration instruction section which allows acceleration and deceleration control so that the actual longitudinal acceleration specified by the actual longitudinal acceleration specifying section coincides with the target longitudinal acceleration specified by the target longitudinal acceleration specifying section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: HIROSHI INOU, HIDEAKI SAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140198933
    Abstract: In a structure of an in-vehicle audio device, the audio system has an audio signal supplying section, an audio signal processing section, a balance adjustment section and an audio signal output section. A right audio signal processing section and a left audio signal processing section in the audio signal processing section perform a process of filtering audio signals supplied from the audio signal supplying section on the basis of a transfer function. The transfer function contains a head related transfer function H(s), a space transmission compensation function G0(s)?1 and a vehicle height compensation function G1(s). The space transmission compensation function G0(s)?1 is an inverse function of a space transfer function G0(s). A filtering process for the audio signal is performed by using the transfer function to guide a driver's visual line to be decreased when a vehicle height is high, and increased when the vehicle height is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji TOTSUKA, Hiroshi INOU, Teppei MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20140023211
    Abstract: An acoustic apparatus mounted on a vehicle driven by a driver includes: acquiring unit for acquiring a gaze point at which the driver gazes while driving the vehicle, reflecting parameters including a location of the vehicle, a running state of the vehicle and a running environment of the vehicle; generation unit for generating a sound image in the vehicle; and localization unit for localizing the sound image to be at the gaze point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Seiji TOTSUKA, Kenji KUDOU
  • Patent number: 8489252
    Abstract: In an obtainer for obtaining speed feeling of a driver of a movable object, a gaze point setter sets a gaze point of the driver, and a motion detector detects relative motion of an environmental field around the mobile object with respect to the mobile object. A divergent component calculator projects the relative motion of the environmental field in a coordinate system. The coordinate system is formed by modeling a retina sphere of the driver of the mobile object. The divergent calculator calculates each of divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point. A speed feeling calculator calculates speed feeling of the driver based on the divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point calculated by the divergent component calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka
  • Patent number: 8401714
    Abstract: In an apparatus for supporting drive of a mobile object, a curl component calculator projects relative motion of a environmental field in a coordinate system formed by modeling a retina sphere of a driver of the mobile object. The curl component calculator calculates each of rotational components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field around a corresponding driver's eye direction to the gaze point. A target trajectory setter sets, as a target trajectory of the mobile object, an equal-magnitude line connecting a part of the rotational components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field, the part of the rotational components having a same magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka
  • Patent number: 8280588
    Abstract: A travel support apparatus sets a travel locus of a vehicle based on a gaze point of a driver of the vehicle. By utilizing the gaze point, the travel locus is calculated and set for the travel control of the vehicle, especially for a curved portion of a road, in a matching manner that the calculated travel locus approximates the travel locus created by the steering operation of the driver. The above locus calculation scheme generates a natural travel locus because the driver of the vehicle usually gazes at an exit of the curved portion of the road when he/she steers the vehicle on the road. The natural travel locus calculated and set by the travel support apparatus prevents the driver from having discomfort and/or unsafe feeling while the travel of the vehicle is controlled by the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Mamoru Sawada
  • Patent number: 8229643
    Abstract: An acceleration control system stores a target acceleration calculation equation acquired by transforming an equation that expresses that a product of the differentiation of the square power of the speed and the environmental factor ?env represents a sensed value ? of acceleration. A surrounding environment monitor device detects surrounding bodies present in the forward periphery of the vehicle, and an environmental factor calculation unit calculates the environmental factor ?env by using the detected positions of the surrounding bodies. A target acceleration setting unit successively sets target accelerations aref in compliance with the target acceleration calculation equation by using the environmental factor ?env. The acceleration is executed to match the driver's feeling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Minoru Okada, Takehito Fujii, Seiji Totsuka
  • Publication number: 20120070005
    Abstract: A stereophonic sound production system is provided which outputs audio signals in the form of sound through, for example, speakers to create virtual sound sources at desired locations in a three-dimensional space around a listener to develop a three-dimensional sound field. The virtual sound sources includes a direct sound source which produce a direct sound heard directly by the listener and Nth order reflected sound sources which produce Nth order reflected sounds resulting from reflection of the direct sound. The stereophonic sound production system produces audio signals to localize the Nth order reflected sound sources of the same order to the desired locations, as specified around a source-to-listener line extending from the direct sound source to the listener, thereby giving the listener a three-dimensional spatial perspective.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Mamoru Sawada
  • Patent number: 8131443
    Abstract: An acceleration control system controls acceleration of a vehicle to match the driver's feeling. In this control, the vehicle is controlled so that acceleration remains constant at the initial stage and then a differentiated value of a square power of a vehicle speed remains constant. This control is based on the finding of a normal acceleration operation attained by a driver. A linear relation exists between the acceleration in the initial stage of acceleration and the differentiated value of the square power of the speed. Switching of control from the constant acceleration to the constant differentiated value of the square power of the speed is made at a change-over speed determined by the linear relation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Minoru Okada, Seiji Totsuka
  • Publication number: 20120049594
    Abstract: A device for retaining a person's seated position is provided as seats for vehicles, for example. The device has a seat member and an upper body support member. The seat member has a seat surface on which a person is seated. The seat surface has a pair of reference ridges each of which is fit to a recess between a biceps femoris muscle and a semimembranosus muscle of each of thighs of the person. The upper body support member has an upper body support surface that supports an upper body back of the person. Various types of ridges are provided on the upper body support surfaces for stabilizing the upper body of the person seated on the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka, Hisako Nomura, Kenichi Muraguchi, Hiroyuki Mishima
  • Publication number: 20120049593
    Abstract: A seat device capable of retaining a person's seated position is provided as seats for vehicles, for example. The seat device has an upper body support member having an upper body support surface that supports an upper body back of a person seated. The upper body support surface has slant ridges for ribs. The slant ridges can touch the ribs of the person from beneath and are slanted according to the ribs, the ribs descending with person's exhalation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka, Hisako Nomura, Kenichi Muraguchi, Hiroyuki Mishima
  • Publication number: 20120049592
    Abstract: A device for retaining a person' seated position is provided as seats for vehicles, for example. The device has a seat member and an upper body support member. The seat member a seat surface on which a person is seated. The upper body support member has an upper body support surface that supports an upper body back of the person. The upper body support surface has a pair of support projections for ilia, which are fit to a pair of ilium projections of the person, the ilium projections being projected rearward when the person is seated on the seat surface of the seat member. The seat surface has a pair of accommodating recesses for ischiums, which accommodates therein a pair of ischium projected portions of the person, the ischium projected portions being projected downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka, Hisako Nomura, Kenichi Muraguchi, Hiroyuki Mishima
  • Publication number: 20120049595
    Abstract: A seat device has an upper body support member having an upper body support surface that supports an upper back of a person. The support surface has aid ridges for shoulder blades. The aid ridges are located to be fit to a range of fifth to seventh ribs of the ribs in a vertical direction of the seat member, and are substantially horizontal in a width direction of the seat device. The support surface is located such that a length from a center line of the support surface in a width direction thereof to a center-line-side end of each of the aid ridges is equal to or larger than a length from a backbone center line to a backbone end of the person and equal to or smaller than a length from the backbone center line to a shoulder blade of the person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka, Hisako Nomura, Kenichi Muraguchi, Hiroyuki Mishima
  • Publication number: 20120046803
    Abstract: In an obtainer for obtaining speed feeling of a driver of a movable object, a gaze point setter sets a gaze point of the driver, and a motion detector detects relative motion of an environmental field around the mobile object with respect to the mobile object. A divergent component calculator projects the relative motion of the environmental field in a coordinate system. The coordinate system is formed by modeling a retina sphere of the driver of the mobile object. The divergent calculator calculates each of divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point. A speed feeling calculator calculates speed feeling of the driver based on the divergent components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field radially expanding from the gaze point calculated by the divergent component calculator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka
  • Publication number: 20120046802
    Abstract: In an apparatus for supporting drive of a mobile object, a curl component calculator projects relative motion of a environmental field in a coordinate system formed by modeling a retina sphere of a driver of the mobile object. The curl component calculator calculates each of rotational components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field around a corresponding driver's eye direction to the gaze point. A target trajectory setter sets, as a target trajectory of the mobile object, an equal-magnitude line connecting a part of the rotational components of the projected relative motion of the environmental field, the part of the rotational components having a same magnitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Mamoru Sawada, Seiji Totsuka