Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Saito

Hirotaka Saito 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: 20210148774
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes: a housing having a tubular shape, and including a front end including an opening; a diaphragm that is disposed to close the opening, and is structured to deform depending on a pressure exerted on a front side of the diaphragm, and includes a hole extending rearwardly from a front end face of the diaphragm; a sensor element structured to output a signal varying depending on an amount of the deformation of the diaphragm; and a heat receiver including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed in the hole of the diaphragm, and is joined with an inner periphery of the diaphragm defining the hole. The second portion is formed integrally with the first portion, and is disposed adjacent to a front end of the first portion, and is structured to cover the front end face of the diaphragm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke KASAHARA, Hirotaka SAITO
  • Patent number: 10746077
    Abstract: An exhaust gas sensor is diagnosed with high accuracy as much as possible while maintaining the function of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. In a diagnostic apparatus for an exhaust gas sensor which is applied to an internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas sensor, a fuel supplier, a controller configured to carry out predetermined fuel supply processing and predetermined oxygen concentration processing, and which diagnoses the exhaust gas sensor based on an output value thereof, provision is made for the controller that sets as a diagnostic output value a first output value, which is an output value at the side of the highest oxygen concentration in the output value of the exhaust gas sensor in a measurement period, and performs the diagnosis of the exhaust gas sensor based on the diagnostic output value, when predetermined fuel supply processing is carried out in the measurement period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hagiwara, Yasushi Iwazaki, Toru Kidokoro, Hirotaka Saito
  • Patent number: 10556540
    Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is configured to be provided in an own vehicle and to perform image display related to information on a situation of surroundings of the own vehicle. The own vehicle includes a windshield. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus includes an image generator and an image display. The image generator is configured to generate an image expressing an environment of the surroundings of the own vehicle. The image includes an own vehicle forward image having a view substantially equivalent to a view of a forward region of the own vehicle that is viewable by an occupant of the own vehicle through the windshield at a time of normal driving of the own vehicle. The image display is configured to be disposed on forward side of the occupant of the own vehicle and faces the occupant, and to display the image generated by the image generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Kazufumi Suzuki, Junya Seki
  • Patent number: 10414432
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle display device configured to be mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle display device includes a curve detection unit, a road state categorization unit, and a display unit. The curve detection unit detects a curve that is included in a target traveling line and has a curvature. The road state categorization unit categorizes a state of the road on which the target traveling line including the curve is set, in one class out of a plurality of classes, according to possibility of presence of the curve having the curvature of a predetermined value or more. The display unit displays a representation that indicates the curvature of the curve. The curvature corresponds to the class in which the state of the road has been categorized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Junya Seki, Kazufumi Suzuki, Yuki Osada
  • Patent number: 10324470
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle including an environment recognition unit and an automatic operation control unit. The environment recognition unit is configured to acquire information on surrounding environment around the vehicle, and provide the automatic operation control unit with the information on the surrounding environment. The automatic operation control unit is configured to acquire select one proposed traveling line, as a target traveling line of the vehicle, from a plurality of proposed traveling lines, on a basis of the information on the surrounding environment, and allow the vehicle to travel along the target traveling line. The vehicle control device is configured to acquire provide display of an image of one or more non-selected traveling lines other than the proposed traveling line selected as the target traveling line from the plurality of proposed traveling lines, together with display of an image of the target traveling line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Junya Seki, Kazufumi Suzuki, Yuki Osada
  • Patent number: 10293749
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle including headlights. The vehicle control device includes an environment recognition unit, an image generation unit, an image display unit, and an illumination range detector. The environment recognition unit acquires surrounding environment formation around the vehicle. The image generation unit generates, on a basis of the surrounding environment information, an environment image that includes forward environment information on environment forward of the own vehicle. The image display unit displays the environment image. The illumination range detector detects an illumination range, in which the illumination range is illuminated by the headlights. The environment image solely includes information acquired inside the illumination range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Junya Seki, Kazufumi Suzuki, Yuki Osada
  • Publication number: 20190072020
    Abstract: An exhaust gas sensor is diagnosed with high accuracy as much as possible while maintaining the function of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine. In a diagnostic apparatus for an exhaust gas sensor which is applied to an internal combustion engine including an exhaust gas sensor, a fuel supplier, a controller configured to carry out predetermined fuel supply processing and predetermined oxygen concentration processing, and which diagnoses the exhaust gas sensor based on an output value thereof, provision is made for the controller that sets as a diagnostic output value a first output value, which is an output value at the side of the highest oxygen concentration in the output value of the exhaust gas sensor in a measurement period, and performs the diagnosis of the exhaust gas sensor based on the diagnostic output value, when predetermined fuel supply processing is carried out in the measurement period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji HAGIWARA, Yasushi IWAZAKI, Toru KIDOKORO, Hirotaka SAITO
  • Patent number: 10169895
    Abstract: A surrounding risk displaying apparatus includes an environment recognizer, a surrounding risk recognizer, and a display. The environment recognizer is capable of recognizing an environment around a vehicle. The surrounding risk recognizer is capable of extracting risk objects each having a risk potential not less than a predetermined risk potential, estimating a distribution of the risk potential around each of the risk objects, and calculating a risk approaching determination value that increases depending on relative approaching of the risk objects. The display is capable of displaying images in a superimposed fashion on the corresponding risk objects. The images each indicate the distribution of the risk potential around corresponding one of the risk objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Subaru Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Junya Seki, Kazufumi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20180287350
    Abstract: A spark plug including a bottomed tubular insulator, a tubular metal shell, a conductive layer, and a terminal. The insulator extends along an axial line from a front end side to a rear end side and is closed at a front end. The metal shell has a ledge portion that projects radially inward and locks the insulator from the front end side. The metal shell holds the insulator from an outer peripheral side. The conductive layer covers at least a part of an inner peripheral surface of a portion of the insulator which is located on the front end side with respect to a locking portion locked by the ledge portion. The terminal is electrically connected to the conductive layer and is insulated from the metal shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Naoyuki MUKOYAMA
  • Patent number: 10090648
    Abstract: A spark plug including a bottomed tubular insulator, a tubular metal shell, a conductive layer, and a terminal. The insulator extends along an axial line from a front end side to a rear end side and is closed at a front end. The metal shell has a ledge portion that projects radially inward and locks the insulator from the front end side. The metal shell holds the insulator from an outer peripheral side. The conductive layer covers at least a part of an inner peripheral surface of a portion of the insulator which is located on the front end side with respect to a locking portion locked by the ledge portion. The terminal is electrically connected to the conductive layer and is insulated from the metal shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Naoyuki Mukoyama
  • Patent number: 9929541
    Abstract: An ignition plug capable of improving ignition performance while preventing pre-ignition includes a center electrode, a bottomed cylindrical insulator enclosing a front end portion of the center electrode and a cylindrical metal shell holding therein the insulator. The insulator has, on a front end side thereof, a protruding portion protruding from and located frontward of a front end of the metal shell. In the ignition plug, a difference between an outer diameter of the center electrode and an inner diameter of the insulator is 0.01 mm or more; an axial length of the protruding portion is 6.7 mm to 12.7 mm; and the following condition is satisfied: 1.07?S/V1?1.35 where S is an outer surface area of the protruding portion; and V1 is a volume of the protruding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saito, Kohei Usami, Kenji Ban
  • Publication number: 20180041013
    Abstract: An ignition plug capable of improving ignition performance while preventing pre-ignition includes a center electrode, a bottomed cylindrical insulator enclosing a front end portion of the center electrode and a cylindrical metal shell holding therein the insulator. The insulator has, on a front end side thereof, a protruding portion protruding from and located frontward of a front end of the metal shell. In the ignition plug, a difference between an outer diameter of the center electrode and an inner diameter of the insulator is 0.01 mm or more; an axial length of the protruding portion is 6.7 mm to 12.7 mm; and the following condition is satisfied: 1.07?S/V1?1.35 where S is an outer surface area of the protruding portion; and V1 is a volume of the protruding portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicant: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Kohei USAMI, Kenji BAN
  • Publication number: 20170305460
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle display device configured to be mounted on a vehicle. The vehicle display device includes a curve detection unit, a road state categorization unit, and a display unit. The curve detection unit detects a curve that is included in a target traveling line and has a curvature. The road state categorization unit categorizes a state of the road on which the target traveling line including the curve is set, in one class out of a plurality of classes, according to possibility of presence of the curve having the curvature of a predetermined value or more. The display unit displays a representation that indicates the curvature of the curve. The curvature corresponds to the class in which the state of the road has been categorized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Junya SEKI, Kazufumi SUZUKI, Yuki OSADA
  • Publication number: 20170287186
    Abstract: A surrounding risk displaying apparatus includes an environment recognizer, a surrounding risk recognizer, and a display. The environment recognizer is capable of recognizing an environment around a vehicle. The surrounding risk recognizer is capable of extracting risk objects each having a risk potential not less than a predetermined risk potential, estimating a distribution of the risk potential around each of the risk objects, and calculating a risk approaching determination value that increases depending on relative approaching of the risk objects. The display is capable of displaying images in a superimposed fashion on the corresponding risk objects. The images each indicate the distribution of the risk potential around corresponding one of the risk objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Junya SEKI, Kazufumi SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20170282798
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle including headlights. The vehicle control device includes an environment recognition unit, an image generation unit, an image display unit, and an illumination range detector. The environment recognition unit acquires surrounding environment formation around the vehicle. The image generation unit generates, on a basis of the surrounding environment information, an environment image that includes forward environment information on environment forward of the own vehicle. The image display unit displays the environment image. The illumination range detector detects an illumination range, in which the illumination range is illuminated by the headlights. The environment image solely includes information acquired inside the illumination range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Junya SEKI, Kazufumi SUZUKI, Yuki OSADA
  • Publication number: 20170285647
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle including an environment recognition unit and an automatic operation control unit. The environment recognition unit is configured to acquire information on surrounding environment around the vehicle, and provide the automatic operation control unit with the information on the surrounding environment. The automatic operation control unit is configured to acquire select one proposed traveling line, as a target traveling line of the vehicle, from a plurality of proposed traveling lines, on a basis of the information on the surrounding environment, and allow the vehicle to travel along the target traveling line. The vehicle control device is configured to acquire provide display of an image of one or more non-selected traveling lines other than the proposed traveling line selected as the target traveling line from the plurality of proposed traveling lines, together with display of an image of the target traveling line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Junya SEKI, Kazufumi SUZUKI, Yuki OSADA
  • Publication number: 20170282797
    Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is configured to be provided in an own vehicle and to perform image display related to information on a situation of surroundings of the own vehicle. The own vehicle includes a windshield. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus includes an image generator and an image display. The image generator is configured to generate an image expressing an environment of the surroundings of the own vehicle. The image includes an own vehicle forward image having a view substantially equivalent to a view of a forward region of the own vehicle that is viewable by an occupant of the own vehicle through the windshield at a time of normal driving of the own vehicle. The image display is configured to be disposed on forward side of the occupant of the own vehicle and faces the occupant, and to display the image generated by the image generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITO, Kazufumi SUZUKI, Junya SEKI
  • Publication number: 20140003999
    Abstract: An accurate determination of deterioration of a NOx storage reduction catalyst. A supply device supplies a reducing agent to the NOx catalyst to change an air fuel ratio of an exhaust gas passing through the NOx catalyst, an NH3 detection device detects NH3 in the exhaust gas at the downstream side of the NOx catalyst, a control device adjusts an amount of the reducing agent so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes a predetermined rich air fuel ratio, and a determination device makes a determination that the NOx catalyst has deteriorated, when a detected value of the NH3 detection device becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value, at the time of supplying the reducing agent while adjusting the amount of the reducing agent so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes the predetermined rich air fuel ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Nakamura, Hirotaka Saito, Toru Kidokoro, Hiroshi Sawada, Kenji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20130336841
    Abstract: The determination of deterioration of a NOx storage reduction catalyst (4) is carried out more accurately. When a reducing agent is supplied from a supply device (5) to the NOx catalyst (4), a first supply of the reducing agent and a second supply of the reducing agent are carried out in a sequential manner by adjusting an amount of the reducing agent in such a manner that an air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas becomes a predetermined rich air fuel ratio, and a determination whether or not the NOx catalyst (4) has deteriorated is made based on a detected value of a detection device (8), which detects NH3 in the exhaust gas at the downstream side of the NOx catalyst (4), after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the start of the first supply of the reducing agent, and after the start of the second supply of the reducing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Nakamura, Hirotaka Saito, Toru Kidokoro, Hiroshi Sawada, Kenji Sakurai
  • Publication number: 20130330234
    Abstract: The deterioration judgment for an absorption reduction type NOx catalyst is performed quickly and correctly. A catalyst deterioration judging system includes a judging unit which judges that the absorption reduction type NOx catalyst is deteriorated if a detected value of an NH3 detecting unit is not more than a threshold value within a predetermined time immediately after starting supply of a reducing agent from a supply unit while regulating an amount of the reducing agent so that the air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas is a rich air-fuel ratio by means of a control unit when NOx is absorbed by the absorption reduction type NOx catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Nakamura, Hirotaka Saito, Toru Kidokoro, Hiroshi Sawada