Patents by Inventor Hiroyuki Kodama

Hiroyuki Kodama 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: 20100082212
    Abstract: A speed control device includes: a reference point setting unit that sets, based on shape and position of a curve in advance of a vehicle, first and second reference points within the curve, the second reference point being nearer the curve exit than the first reference point; a distance calculating unit that calculates, based on the vehicle location and the reference points, first and second distances, between the vehicle and the first and second reference points, respectively; a target speed determination unit that determines, based on the curve shape and the first and second distances, the first and second target vehicle speeds to be maintained, respectively, before and after passing the first reference point; and a speed control unit that controls the speed of the vehicle based on the target speeds and the detected speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki MIYAJIMA, Yoshiyuki YASUI, Hideaki KOTO, Hiroyuki KODAMA, Masaki MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 7686459
    Abstract: A lens array optical system includes a first lens array that includes plural first lens cells arranged in first and second directions, the first lens array being configured to split a light flux to plural split light fluxes and to condense each split flux; and a second lens array that includes plural second lens cells arranged in the first and second directions, each second lens cell being configured to receive the split lights from each first lens cell, wherein a ratio between a width of an arrangement area of the first lens cells and a width of an arrangement area of the second lens cells in the first direction is different from a ratio between a width of an arrangement area of the first lens cells and a width of an arrangement area of the second lens cells in the second direction, and wherein at least one of the first and second lens arrays has a toric surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Inoko, Hiroyuki Kodama
  • Publication number: 20090240413
    Abstract: A target vehicle speed at a predetermined position ahead of a host vehicle is obtained, and a plurality of deceleration patterns with different deceleration schemes is obtained for decelerating the host vehicle to the target vehicle speed. Based on a driving operation for controlling speed of the host vehicle, a deceleration pattern is selected from the plurality of deceleration patterns. Using the selected deceleration pattern as a reference, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is reduced to the target vehicle speed before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki MIYAJIMA, Fumiharu OGAWA, Atsushi TAKEUCHI, Masaki MARUYAMA, Hiroyuki KODAMA, Hideaki KOTO
  • Publication number: 20090234550
    Abstract: Factor information is acquired that indicates at least one factor that imposes a psychological effect on a driver of a host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on a road with a descending slope ahead of the host vehicle. An overall psychological effect that is imposed on the driver when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with the descending slope is acquired based on the factor information. The vehicle speed is controlled in a vehicle speed control section in accordance with the overall psychological effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi TAKEUCHI, Takayuki Miyajima, Fumiharu Ogawa, Hideaki Koto, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masaki Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20090192683
    Abstract: An anti-collision control is provided under circumstances where it is determined that there is a risk of collision between a host vehicle and a preceding vehicle. The anti-collision control utilizes host vehicle information, preceding vehicle information, and surrounding road conditions to determine whether or not a collision with the preceding vehicle can be avoided through a steering operation. If avoidance is determined to be possible, then a shift-hold control is applied to the AT, whereas if avoidance is determined to be impossible, then a down-shift control is applied to the AT.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshito Kondou, Takayuki Miyajima, Atsushi Takeuchi, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroyuki Kodama
  • Publication number: 20090187322
    Abstract: A motion control device for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed obtaining means for obtaining a speed of the vehicle, a curve shape obtaining means for obtaining a shape of a curve existing ahead of the vehicle on a road on which the vehicle is traveling, a position obtaining means for obtaining a relative position of the vehicle to the curve, a determining means for determining an appropriate vehicle speed for the vehicle to travel through the curve based on the shape of the curve obtained by the curve shape obtaining means, and a speed reduction controlling means for performing a speed reduction control on the vehicle based on the appropriate vehicle speed determined by the determining means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 23, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Keita Nakano, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masaki Maruyama, Takayuki Miyajima, Yoshito Kondo, Atsushi Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20090076699
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle automatic operation control device that can perform automatic operation of a vehicle while the actual acceleration favorably tracks the target acceleration. The device comprises a target required torque calculating part (31) which determines the target required torque from the respective calculated values of a feed-forward calculated value and a feedback calculated value, and an automatic operation control part D which causes the vehicle to operate automatically on the basis of the determined target required torque, and which performs slip suppression control that suppresses slip of the wheels when any of the wheels of the vehicle slip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Inventors: Shintaro OSAKI, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masayoshi Takeda, Kazunori Kadowaki, Syotarou Fukuda, Hajime Kumabe, Yasuhiro Nakai, Satoshi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20090063000
    Abstract: When a vehicle is started on an uphill road, slip may easily occur between vehicle wheels and a sloping road surface. When vehicle condition is changed from its stopping condition to its traveling condition on the uphill road, vehicle acceleration is controlled in a feed-back operation in such a manner that a target acceleration is made smaller as road gradient becomes larger or coefficient of friction becomes smaller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroyuki KODAMA, Masayoshi Takeda, Yasuhiro Nakai
  • Publication number: 20090055068
    Abstract: A vehicle drive control device includes an initially determined request acceleration calculation means for calculating an initially determined request acceleration, an automatic drive control means for receiving the initially determined request acceleration and applying a predetermined torque to each wheel, a torque calculation means for calculating an allowable torque not causing a slip at each wheel when the allowable torque is applied thereto, on the basis of a vertical load applied to thereto and a friction coefficient of a road surface, a limit acceleration calculation means for calculating a limit acceleration acting on the vehicle in a case where the calculated allowable torque is applied to each wheel, and a request acceleration determination means for obtaining a request acceleration on the basis of the limit acceleration and the initially determined request acceleration, and for outputting the request acceleration, replacing the initially determined request acceleration, to the automatic drive contr
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Inventors: Shintaro OSAKI, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masayoshi Takeda, Kazunori Kadowaki, Yasuhiro Nakai, Hajime Kumabe, Shotaro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20090048751
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls acceleration of a vehicle provided with a motive power generation apparatus and brake apparatuses. For the control, the control apparatus comprises calculation and actuating blocks. The calculation block calculates torque to be requested, based on a difference between an actual value of the acceleration and a target value thereof and a gain for feedback controlling the actual value of the acceleration to the target value thereof. The gain is differentiated in value between in a first case in which the brake apparatuses are used for the feedback control and a second case in which the brake apparatuses are not used for the feedback control. The actuating block actuates the motive power generation apparatus and the brake apparatuses based on the calculated torque. The value of the gain in the first case is made larger than the value of the gain in the second case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Hajime Kumabe, Shotaro Fukuda, Satoshi Niwa, Hiroyuki Kodama, Kazunori Kadowaki, Shintaro Osaki
  • Publication number: 20090048755
    Abstract: A vehicle speed control device calculates a desired axle torque for maintaining a speed of a vehicle to a set speed, and conducts cruise control. Specifically, the vehicle speed control device calculates a drive force including a feedforward component corresponding to the set speed and a travel resistance against the travel of the vehicle, and a feedback component corresponding to a deviation of the set speed from the actual speed of the vehicle as a desired axle torque. The vehicle speed control device interrupts the cruise control when a requested drive axle torque requested by an accelerator operation during the cruise control exceeds the desired axle torque, and restarts the cruise control when the requested drive axle torque becomes lower than the desired axle torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Hajime Kumabe, Syotarou Fukuda, Yasuhiro Nakai, Satoshi Niwa, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masayoshi Takeda, Shintaro Osaki, Kazunori Kadowaki
  • Publication number: 20090043474
    Abstract: A control apparatus is provided to control the stopping of a vehicle. The control apparatus comprises a speed detector that detects a speed of a vehicle, speed acquiring means, target setting means, and control means. The speed acquiring means acquires an actual speed of the vehicle from detected results of the speed detector. The target setting means sets a target acceleration of the vehicle depending on the actual speed when the vehicle is stopped automatically. The control means controls an actual acceleration of the vehicle at the target acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro NAKAI, Shotaro FUKUDA, Satoshi NIWA, Hajime KUMABE, Yukio MORI, Hiroyuki KODAMA, Takahisa YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20090024354
    Abstract: An estimated gradient value of a road is calculated based on a vehicle acceleration “A” and a time varying portion “A?” of a wheel speed. In a case that an acceleration corresponding value “Ggrad0” for the estimated gradient value is not regarded as indicating an exact figure, due to influences of disturbances, the acceleration corresponding value “Ggrad0” is corrected by a limiting value for rate-of-change with regard to the road gradient depending on respective vehicle speed, and by a limiting value for the road gradient. As a result, the acceleration corresponding value “Ggrad” for the estimated gradient value can be more exactly obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Shintaro Osaki, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masayoshi Takeda, Kazunori Kadowaki, Hajime Kumabe, Yasuhiro Nakai, Satoshi Niwa, Syotarou Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20080300766
    Abstract: In a cruise control system for a vehicle, a cruise ECU calculates a cornering resistance applied to the vehicle based upon a steering angle, when a vehicle turns. The cruise ECU calculates a speed reduction amount as a correction vehicle speed based upon the cornering resistance. The cruise ECU subtracts the correction vehicle speed from a set vehicle speed to set a target vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes lower as the cornering resistance is larger. The cruise ECU controls the vehicle speed to be within a permissible speed range of the target vehicle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Publication date: December 4, 2008
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kumabe, Yasuhiro Nakai, Satoshi Niwa, Shotaro Fukuda, Masayoshi Takeda, Hiroyuki Kodama
  • Publication number: 20080294047
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic urinary volume sensor capable of estimating a urinary volume in the bladder accurately corresponding to any particular individuals and/or conditions thereof by incorporating a space time series processing method allowing for an accurate estimation of the urinary volume in the bladder in association with the particular individuals and/or conditions thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2004
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicants: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE, TAKESHIBA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kodama, Yasuo Kuchinomachi, Hisashi Yoshimura
  • Publication number: 20080283325
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to increase driving force of driving wheels at starting a vehicle, when the vehicle runs on a ?-sprit road. At first, a road surface for a driving wheel is detected, which has a higher coefficient of friction than that of a road surface for the other driving wheel. An operation for controlling grounded load of the driving wheels is carried out during a period, in which differential rotations of the driving wheels are limited. The grounded load of the driving wheel which is traveling on a high-? road is increased, whereas the grounded load of the other driving wheel which is traveling on a low-? road is decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kodama, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Masahiro Inden, Toshiaki Hamada, Katsuhiko Sato
  • Publication number: 20080281491
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus for a vehicle having a power source for generating power, and drive shafts for transferring the power to driving wheels of the vehicle, and a traction control device for controlling braking torque applied to the wheels. The apparatus comprises a detection device for detecting the braking torque applied to the wheels, a calculation device for calculating a driving force difference between the wheels, on the basis of the detected braking torque, a power source state detection device for detecting an actuating state of the power source, and a control device for controlling steering torque created by the steering wheel, and applying torque steer reducing torque to the steering wheel. A desired value of the torque steer reducing torque is determined, based on the driving force difference and the actuating state of the power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroyuki Kodama, Kenji Asano, Toshihisa Kato
  • Publication number: 20080266526
    Abstract: A color combining optical system includes a first polarization splitting surface for light in a first wavelength range, and a second polarization splitting surface for light in a second and third wavelength range. The first polarization splitting surface guides illumination light in the first wavelength range to a first liquid crystal display (LCD) element and guides image light reflected from the first LCD element to a direction different from the illumination light. The second polarization splitting surface separates illumination light in the second and third wavelength range from each other, guides them to a second and third LCD element, respectively, and combines image light reflected from the second LCD element with image light reflected from the LCD element to guide combined light to the first polarization splitting surface which combines the image light reflected from the first LCD element with the combined light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kodama, Yu Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 7418329
    Abstract: A steering device is provided for controlling steering torque applied to a steering wheel of a vehicle. A braking device is provided for controlling longitudinal force applied to each wheel, and a control device is provided for performing at least one of an anti-skid control and a traction control. It is observed whether the control device is performing the control on a split road surface. The steering torque is controlled on the basis of a difference of longitudinal force applied to the right and left wheels, and a turning state amount deviation between a turning state amount and a desired amount thereof. The desired amount of turning state is calculated, on the basis of the turning state of the vehicle obtained when one of the anti-skid control and the traction control is performed on the split road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroyuki Kodama, Kenji Asano, Toshihisa Kato
  • Publication number: 20080079872
    Abstract: An image display apparatus includes a polarization conversion element which converts second color light of unpolarized light emitted from a light source into a first linear polarized light, and a light path separation element which separates the second color light emitted from the first and third color light; and performs image display by illuminating a first, a second and a third liquid crystal display elements with the first, second and third color light that pass through the light path separation element, wherein the light path separation element leads a first linear polarized light component of the second color light to the second liquid crystal display element, and wherein the light path separation element leads a second linear polarized light component whose direction of polarization is orthogonal to the first linear polarized light component of the second color light, in a direction different from any of the liquid crystal display elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: April 3, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Yamauchi, Hiroyuki Kodama