Patents by Inventor Isao Hirota
Isao Hirota 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).
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Publication number: 20250102052Abstract: A power transmission device is provided with a differential case including an outer case for receiving torque and rotating about an axis and an inner case rotatable relative to the outer case, a clutch member fixed to or engaged with the outer case and structured so that the clutch member and the inner case form a dog clutch, the clutch member transmitting the torque from the outer case to the inner case when the dog clutch is in mesh, and a differential gear set. The gear set includes side gears rotatable about the axis and capable of making a differential motion relative to each other and forming a friction clutch in combination with the differential case, and a pinion gear supported by the inner case as to transmit the torque to the side gears and meshed with the side gears to allow the differential motion.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2024Publication date: March 27, 2025Inventors: Isao Hirota, Yousuke Kawai, Toru Funane, Kazutaka Kawata
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Publication number: 20250102051Abstract: A power transmission device is provided with a casing drivingly coupled to the power source to create a rotation about an axis, and a differential gear set supported by the casing to rotate with the casing about the axis. The differential gear set includes a pair of side gears capable of making a differential motion from each other, a friction section interposed between the casing and the differential gear set, or internal to the differential gear set, to frictionally limit the differential motion, a disconnect device coupled to one of output shafts for connectably disconnecting one of the side gears from the one of the output shafts, and a cam structure coupled directly or indirectly to the friction section to convert a torque in a direction for accelerating the rotation into a thrust force in an axial direction to exert the thrust force on the friction section.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2024Publication date: March 27, 2025Inventors: Isao Hirota, Yousuke Kawai, Toru Funane
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Publication number: 20250084918Abstract: An output gear of the differential apparatus includes a gear member and an operating member capable of being integrally rotatably engaged with the gear member via the cam portion. The cam portion includes a gear protrusion on the gear member, an operating protrusion on the operating member, and cam surfaces respectively provided on opposing surfaces of the gear protrusion and the operating protrusion. A corner portion on a tip side of at least one of the gear protrusion and the operating protrusion is provided with a retreating portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2024Publication date: March 13, 2025Inventors: Isao Hirota, Noboru Uchida, Yousuke Kawai, Daisuke Umetsu, Koji Takahashi, Koki Yamamoto, Naoki Hiraga
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Patent number: 12214666Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus is provided that includes a drive motor, an internal combustion engine, and an electrical generator and can inhibit a weight balance and motion performance of a vehicle from being deteriorated and lowered. A vehicle driving apparatus driving a vehicle by motive power of a motor, the vehicle driving apparatus including a drive motor that is driven by electric power, an internal combustion engine that produces motive power by fuel, and an electrical generator that is driven by the internal combustion engine, the vehicle driving apparatus being characterized in that the drive motor, the internal combustion engine, and the electrical generator are arranged in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle in order of the drive motor, the internal combustion engine, and the electrical generator.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2021Date of Patent: February 4, 2025Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATIONInventors: Isao Toda, Seiyo Hirano, Kei Yonemori, Satoshi Maruyama, Shinji Fujihira, Wataru Kuwahara, Tomoya Kakite, Yoshiaki Noguchi, Ryuichiro Amano, Mitsuhiro Hirota
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Publication number: 20250016468Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2024Publication date: January 9, 2025Applicant: Sony Group CorporationInventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
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Patent number: 12139118Abstract: A safe parking system is provided with: a torque-generating motor; a final drive including side gears drivingly coupled with the motor, a differential gear with a lock to prevent a differential motion between the side gears and an actuator for releasing the lock; an ignition key having an ON position and an OFF position; a differential-lock switch having an open position and a closed position; a switching unit for selecting whether the actuator is turned on or off; and a controller configured to, when the ignition key is detected to be in the OFF position, turn off the actuator if the differential-lock switch is in the open position, and execute no operation about the actuator if the differential-lock switch is in the closed position.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2022Date of Patent: November 12, 2024Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Takahiro Nagaoka
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Patent number: 12133007Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2023Date of Patent: October 29, 2024Assignee: Sony Group CorporationInventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
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Patent number: 11940015Abstract: A system for using a motor to control a power transmission device for driving a vehicle is provided with a clutch member movable bidirectionally in an axial direction; a base member prevented from rotating about an axis; a counter member axially away from and opposed to the base member, the counter member being restrained from moving in both a circumferential direction and the axial direction; an action member interposed between the base member and the counter member, movable in the axial direction, drivingly coupled with the clutch member, and coupled with the motor to create a rotational motion about the axis; and a cam slope tilting in the circumferential direction and ascending from the base member toward the counter member to convert the rotational motion into a motion of the action member in the axial direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2023Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Masato Horiguchi, Manabu Endou
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Publication number: 20240030244Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and electronic equipment that enable improvement of image quality of a captured image. In the solid-state imaging device, two or more photoelectric conversion layers including a photoelectric converter and a charge detector are laminated. The solid-state imaging device is configured to include a state in which light having entered one pixel of a first photoelectric conversion layer closer to an optical lens is received by the photoelectric converter of a plurality of pixels of the second photoelectric conversion layer farther from the optical lens. The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device that performs imaging.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2023Publication date: January 25, 2024Applicant: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventor: Isao HIROTA
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Patent number: 11879533Abstract: A differential device is provided with: a casing rotatable about an axis; a differential gear set including a pair of side gears housed in the casing and rotatable about the axis, a pinion shaft penetrating perpendicular to the axis and being secured to the casing; and pinion gears rotatably supported by the pinion shaft and so meshed with the side gears as to enable differential motion between the side gears; friction clutches interposed between the side gears and an inner periphery of the casing to limit the differential motion; a pair of repulsive bodies respectively applying force in directions along the axis to the friction clutches; and a block in contact with and supporting in the directions along the axis both the repulsive bodies, the block so fitting on the pinion shaft as to impose reaction forces from the friction clutches on the pinion shaft.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2022Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Manabu Endou, Masato Horiguchi
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Patent number: 11835122Abstract: A final drive differentially for distributing torque input into a shaft via a differential device to a pair of axles is provided with a ring gear coupled via gearing to the shaft to transmit the torque to the differential device. A housing unitarily includes a main portion supporting the shaft and enclosing the differential device, and a wall portion including a first opening through which one of the axles passes and supporting a first end of the differential device. A cover included a second opening through which the other of the axles passes, and is combined with the housing to support a second end of the differential device, wherein the wall portion, the ring gear, and the shaft are arranged, from the wall portion toward the cover, in an order of the wall portion, the ring gear, and the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2022Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Shungo Numabe, Hiromichi Fukuda, Isao Hirota
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Publication number: 20230341007Abstract: A system for using a motor to control a power transmission device for driving a vehicle is provided with a clutch member movable bidirectionally in an axial direction; a base member prevented from rotating about an axis; a counter member axially away from and opposed to the base member, the counter member being restrained from moving in both a circumferential direction and the axial direction; an action member interposed between the base member and the counter member, movable in the axial direction, drivingly coupled with the clutch member, and coupled with the motor to create a rotational motion about the axis; and a cam slope tilting in the circumferential direction and ascending from the base member toward the counter member to convert the rotational motion into a motion of the action member in the axial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2023Publication date: October 26, 2023Inventors: Isao Hirota, Masato Horiguchi, Manabu Endou
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Patent number: 11796043Abstract: A differential device includes a differential case, a first output gear and a second output gear, and an interrupting mechanism. The differential case is rotatable. A drive force can be input to the differential case. The first output gear and the second output gear are accommodated in the differential case. The first output gear and a second output are rotatable with respect to the differential case and output the drive force received from the differential case. The interrupting mechanism is disposed on a side of the first output gear and connects and disconnects power transmission between the differential case and the first output gear. The first output gear is coupled to an output shaft through an intermediate member.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Kazutaka Kawata
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Patent number: 11796044Abstract: A gear device drivingly coupling a drive shaft with first and second axles is provided with a case coupled via gearing with the drive shaft, and rotatable about an axis; a hub that is couplable with the first axle; a clutch member retained by the case and disengageably engaged with the hub; a biasing element retaining the clutch member at a position where the clutch member engages with the hub; and a differential gear set coupling the case via gearing with the first and second axles and locked by the clutch member to prevent differential motion between the first axle and the second axle.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Noboru Higano, Manabu Endou, Kazuhiro Ohashi, Shungo Numabe
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Publication number: 20230308781Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2023Publication date: September 28, 2023Applicant: Sony Group CorporationInventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
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Patent number: 11731506Abstract: A driving system includes an electric motor, a transmission apparatus, a differential apparatus and a brake. The differential apparatus includes an input portion coupled to an output portion of the transmission apparatus, a pair of output portions, and a differential device that allows differential rotation of the pair of output portions. A brake is provided in a drive path from an output portion of the electric motor to the input portion of the differential apparatus. The differential apparatus includes a clutch member movable between a first position in which a differential rotation of the differential device is allowed and a second position in which the differential rotation of the differential device is stopped, a clutch actuator that moves the clutch member to the first position, and a holding portion that holds the clutch member to the second position when the clutch actuator is in a non-operating state.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2021Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Kazutaka Kawata
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Patent number: 11728357Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and electronic equipment that enable improvement of image quality of a captured image. In the solid-state imaging device, two or more photoelectric conversion layers including a photoelectric converter and a charge detector are laminated. The solid-state imaging device is configured to include a state in which light having entered one pixel of a first photoelectric conversion layer closer to an optical lens is received by the photoelectric converter of a plurality of pixels of the second photoelectric conversion layer farther from the optical lens. The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device that performs imaging.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2019Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventor: Isao Hirota
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Patent number: 11711629Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup device and an electronic apparatus by which a phase-difference detection pixel that avoids defects such as lowering of sensitivity to incident light and lowering of phase-difference detection accuracy can be realized. A solid-state image pickup device as a first aspect of the present disclosure is a solid-state image pickup device in which a normal pixel that generates a pixel signal of an image and a phase-difference detection pixel that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of a phase-difference signal for controlling an image-surface phase difference AF function are arranged in a mixed manner, in which, in the phase-difference detection pixel, a shared on-chip lens for condensing incident light to a photoelectric converter that generates a pixel signal used in calculation of the phase-difference signal is formed for every plurality of adjacent phase-difference detection pixels.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2022Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Sony Group CorporationInventors: Sozo Yokogawa, Isao Hirota
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Patent number: 11649885Abstract: A differential apparatus includes a differential unit and a multi-plate clutch. The differential unit includes a differential case, a differential gear and a pair of output gears. The differential case includes a case main body and a cover body to close an opening of the case main body. The opening of the case main body is formed on a side of one of the pair of output gears. The multi-plate clutch is provided only on a side of the opening of the case main body. Outer clutch plates of the multi-plate clutch are engaged with the differential case. Inner clutch plates of the multi-plate clutch are engaged with the one of the pair of the output gears.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2022Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: GKN Automotive LimitedInventors: Isao Hirota, Noboru Higano, Yousuke Kawai
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Publication number: 20230104316Abstract: A safe parking system is provided with: a torque-generating motor; a final drive including side gears drivingly coupled with the motor, a differential gear with a lock to prevent a differential motion between the side gears and an actuator for releasing the lock; an ignition key having an ON position and an OFF position; a differential-lock switch having an open position and a closed position; a switching unit for selecting whether the actuator is turned on or off; and a controller configured to, when the ignition key is detected to be in the OFF position, turn off the actuator if the differential-lock switch is in the open position, and execute no operation about the actuator if the differential-lock switch is in the closed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2022Publication date: April 6, 2023Inventors: Isao Hirota, Takahiro Nagaoka