Patents by Inventor Katsuji Matsuoka

Katsuji Matsuoka 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: 7843381
    Abstract: A radar device of FM pulse system, in which a pulsed radio wave with frequency modulated is transmitted or received, to calculate a distance to a target 203 and a relative velocity, comprising: range gate setting means 205 for determining a sampling timing every time a predetermined time period has passed from a transmission timing; sampling means 206 for making a sampling in a frequency up zone or frequency down zone in each range gate; and measurement time changing means 207 for setting a measurement data used as an input of Fourier transform based on sampling data obtained by the sampling means 206, and when letting a time period required to make a sampling of all measurement data a measurement time period, changing the measurement time period in each range gate. An optimum distance resolution and relative velocity resolution can be set based on the distance to a target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7737882
    Abstract: A radar device can reliably, and rapidly detect dirt adhered to a radome surface without misdetection. The radar device includes a transmit/receive shared antenna (306) that transmits an electric wave to an object and receives a reflected wave that has been reflected from the object, a mixer (307) that mixes a transmission signal and a reception signal together to generate a beat signal, and a signal processing unit (312) that measures a distance to the object and a relative speed of the object on the basis of the beat signal. The transmit/receive shared antenna (306) modulates an unmodulated wave into a pulse and transmits the pulse modulated wave at a specific timing. In the case where the unmodulated pulse is transmitted, the beat signal that has been generated by the mixer (307) is converted into a digital voltage value by an A/D converter (310).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20090322591
    Abstract: A radar device of FM pulse system, in which a pulsed radio wave with frequency modulated is transmitted or received, to calculate a distance to a target 203 and a relative velocity, comprising: range gate setting means 205 for determining a sampling timing every time a predetermined time period has passed from a transmission timing; sampling means 206 for making a sampling in a frequency up zone or frequency down zone in each range gate; and measurement time changing means 207 for setting a measurement data used as an input of Fourier transform based on sampling data obtained by the sampling means 206, and when letting a time period required to make a sampling of all measurement data a measurement time period, changing the measurement time period in each range gate. An optimum distance resolution and relative velocity resolution can be set based on the distance to a target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuji MATSUOKA
  • Patent number: 7579982
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes: a plurality of receiving antennas disposed at regular spacings; two transmitting antennas which are positioned each at opposed ends of the receiving antennas, and a spacing of which away from the receiving antennas adjacent thereto is a natural number multiple of half a disposition spacing of the plurality of the receiving antennas; and a signal processor which, after the two transmitting antennas transmit electric waves in time divisions, and then one for each of the plurality of receiving antennas receives waves reflected from a target, subjects the obtained received signals to a digital beam forming process, in which case the signal processor, after subjecting the received signals to a fast Fourier transform process in a time direction, carries out a fast Fourier transform process in a space direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7545310
    Abstract: In an in-vehicle mount radar device which has a reception antenna array containing plural reception antennas and two transmission antennas and in which a transmission pulse is time-divisionally and alternately transmitted from each of the two transmission antennas, a reception pulse based on the transmission pulse reflected from a target is received by each of the reception antennas, and at least angle information concerning the target is calculated by using reception data obtained by each reception antenna, the reception antenna array is constructed by arranging the plural reception antennas so that the reception antennas are spaced from one another at an interval d, each of the two transmission antennas is disposed so as to be spaced from the reception antenna located at each of both the end portions of the reception antenna array at an interval D, and the interval D is set to any value larger than the interval d.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20090046000
    Abstract: In an in-vehicle mount radar device which has a reception antenna array containing plural reception antennas and two transmission antennas and in which a transmission pulse is time-divisionally and alternately transmitted from each of the two transmission antennas, a reception pulse based on the transmission pulse reflected from a target is received by each of the reception antennas, and at least angle information concerning the target is calculated by using reception data obtained by each reception antenna, the reception antenna array is constructed by arranging the plural reception antennas so that the reception antennas are spaced from one another at an interval d, each of the two transmission antennas is disposed so as to be spaced from the reception antenna located at each of both the end portions of the reception antenna array at an interval D, and the interval D is set to any value larger than the interval d.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsuji MATSUOKA
  • Patent number: 7486222
    Abstract: An automotive radar device that can securely detect dirt adhering to the surface of a vehicle-side radome irrespective of the positional relation between the vehicle-side radome and a radar. The automotive radar device has a radio-type radar housed in a vehicle-side radome installed on a vehicle, the radio-type radar including a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The automotive radar device sends and receives radio waves from the radar through the vehicle-side radome and measures distance and relative velocity with respect to a subject. The automotive radar device includes a guiding unit that is arranged between the vehicle-side radome and the radar and that guides a reflected wave from adhering matter on a surface of the vehicle-side radome to the receiving unit of the radar, and an adhering matter judging unit that judges the existence/non-existence of the adhering matter on the surface of the vehicle-side radome on the basis of signal level of the reflected wave received by the receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20080303711
    Abstract: A radar apparatus includes: a plurality of receiving antennas disposed at regular spacings; two transmitting antennas which are positioned each at opposed ends of the receiving antennas, and a spacing of which away from the receiving antennas adjacent thereto is a natural number multiple of half a disposition spacing of the plurality of the receiving antennas; and a signal processor which, after the two transmitting antennas transmit electric waves in time divisions, and then one for each of the plurality of receiving antennas receives waves reflected from a target, subjects the obtained received signals to a digital beam forming process, in which case the signal processor, after subjecting the received signals to a fast Fourier transform process in a time direction, carries out a fast Fourier transform process in a space direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji MATSUOKA
  • Patent number: 7346453
    Abstract: An alarm device according to the present invention includes a distance measuring sensor for detecting an object in a slanting rear direction of a vehicle and a distance to the object from the vehicle, a direction indicator switch, an alarming object determination part for determining whether the object detected by the distance measuring sensor is an alarming object, and an alarm generation part for generating an alarm to the driver based on the determination result at the alarming object determination part, and so on. The alarming object determination part determines whether the object is an alarming object based on a change with time in the distance between the object detected by the distance measuring sensor and the vehicle, and detection duration of the object by the distance measuring sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7342532
    Abstract: Provided are a radar system and a contamination judging method capable of reducing adjustment costs and detecting contamination adhering to a radome with accuracy. The radar system includes an antenna for transmitting a transmission wave in a plurality of different directions and for receiving a reflected wave, a radome for protecting the antenna, and a signal processing unit for calculating a distance to an object based on the transmission wave and the reflected wave, in which the radome has a metallic reflecting section provided in a predetermined direction with respect to the antenna, the signal processing unit has a contamination judging unit which calculates a deviation between a reception level of the reflected wave from the reflecting section in the predetermined direction and a reception level of the reflected wave from directions other than the predetermined direction and judges contamination adhering to the radome based on the deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20070085728
    Abstract: A automotive radar device is provided that can securely detect dirt adhering to the surface of a vehicle-side radome irrespective of the positional relation between the vehicle-side radome and a radar. The automotive radar device has a radio-type radar housed in a vehicle-side radome installed on a vehicle, the radar-type radar including a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The automotive radar device sends and receives radio waves from the radar through the vehicle-side radome and measures distance and relative velocity with respect to a subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20070040727
    Abstract: A radar device can reliably, and rapidly detect dirt adhered to a radome surface without misdetection. The radar device includes a transmit/receive shared antenna (306) that transmits an electric wave to an object and receives a reflected wave that has been reflected from the object, a mixer (307) that mixes a transmission signal and a reception signal together to generate a beat signal, and a signal processing unit (312) that measures a distance to the object and a relative speed of the object on the basis of the beat signal. The transmit/receive shared antenna (306) modulates an unmodulated wave into a pulse and transmits the pulse modulated wave at a specific timing. In the case where the unmodulated pulse is transmitted, the beat signal that has been generated by the mixer (307) is converted into a digital voltage value by an A/D converter (310).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7173523
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicular rear and side warning device which does not issue a warning against a roadside stationary body such as a guard rail or a wall, and certainly issues a warning against a vehicle approaching from behind or a vehicle existing in a blind spot region of an own vehicle. A warning object judgment unit includes a noted sampling timing setting unit for setting a noted sampling timing on the basis of a peak timing obtained by a peak detection unit, and a frequency judgment unit for judging whether a frequency component not lower than a frequency threshold set by a frequency threshold setting unit exists with respect to an FFT operation result at the noted sampling timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20060077052
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicular rear and side warning device which does not issue a warning against a roadside stationary body such as a guard rail or a wall, and certainly issues a warning against a vehicle approaching from behind or a vehicle existing in a blind spot region of an own vehicle. A warning object judgment unit includes a noted sampling timing setting unit for setting a noted sampling timing on the basis of a peak timing obtained by a peak detection unit, and a frequency judgment unit for judging whether a frequency component not lower than a frequency threshold set by a frequency threshold setting unit exists with respect to an FFT operation result at the noted sampling timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20050248445
    Abstract: An alarm device according to the present invention includes a distance measuring sensor for detecting an object in a slanting rear direction of a vehicle and a distance to the object from the vehicle, a direction indicator switch, an alarming object determination part for determining whether the object detected by the distance measuring sensor is an alarming object, and an alarm generation part for generating an alarm to the driver based on the determination result at the alarming object determination part, and so on. The alarming object determination part determines whether the object is an alarming object based on a change with time in the distance between the object detected by the distance measuring sensor and the vehicle, and detection duration of the object by the distance measuring sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 6859165
    Abstract: A pulse radar device includes a rectangular signal generating section for generating a rectangular signal that is a reference signal; a transmit timing voltage setting section for setting a voltage value for determining a transmit timing; a transmit pulse generating section for generating a transmit pulse based on the rectangular signal and the voltage value; a receive section for receiving a reflection wave obtained by reflecting the electric wave transmitted by the transmit section by a plurality of objects; a receive saw-tooth wave generating section for generating a saw-tooth wave in synchronism with the transmit pulse; a receive signal sample hold section for sample-holding the receive signal based on the outputs from the saw-tooth wave and the rectangular signal; and a detecting and distance measuring section for detecting the objects and measuring a distance to the objects based on the sample/hold output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20040196175
    Abstract: A pulse radar device includes a rectangular signal generating section for generating a rectangular signal that is a reference signal; a transmit timing voltage setting section for setting a voltage value for determining a transmit timing; a transmit pulse generating section for generating a transmit pulse based on the rectangular signal and the voltage value; a receive section for receiving a reflection wave obtained by reflecting the electric wave transmitted by the transmit section by a plurality of objects; a receive saw-tooth wave generating section for generating a saw-tooth wave in synchronism with the transmit pulse; a receive signal sample hold section for sample-holding the receive signal based on the outputs from the saw-tooth wave and the rectangular signal; and a detecting and distance measuring section for detecting the objects and measuring a distance to the objects based on the sample/hold output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 6646592
    Abstract: A pulse radar device includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a first integrating unit for sampling a reception signal at predetermined time intervals from transmission and integrating results of a predetermined number of times of the sampling at each sampling timing, a differential operating unit for, each time a predetermined time period has passed, reading results of the integrating at each sampling timing and differentiating the read results of the integrating in a sampling direction, a second integrating unit for integrating absolute values of a predetermined number of outputs from the differential operating unit at each sampling timing, a peak detecting unit for detecting the peak of an output from the second integrating unit, a distance measuring and detecting unit for calculating a distance to an object and judging presence or absence of an object based on an output from the peak detecting unit and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20030151545
    Abstract: A pulse radar device includes a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, a first integrating unit for sampling a reception signal at predetermined time intervals from transmission and integrating results of a predetermined number of times of the sampling at each sampling timing, a differential operating unit for, each time a predetermined time period has passed, reading results of the integrating at each sampling timing and differentiating the read results of the integrating in a sampling direction, a second integrating unit for integrating absolute values of a predetermined number of outputs from the differential operating unit at each sampling timing, a peak detecting unit for detecting the peak of an output from the second integrating unit, a distance measuring and detecting unit for calculating a distance to an object and judging presence or absence of an object based on an output from the peak detecting unit and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Katsuji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 6452533
    Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring device includes a transmitting circuit 3 for generating a transmission wave, an antenna 4 installed on the periphery or in the interior of a door mirror of a subject vehicle for radiating the transmission wave generated from the transmitting circuit as a formed beam having a directivity which propagates over a region expanding over an adjacent lane area from side portions of the subject vehicle toward the rear portion thereof, a receiving circuit 6 for receiving a reflected wave from an object which is in the periphery of the subject vehicle through an antenna 5, an arithmetically operating circuit 2 for arithmetically operating a distance between the subject vehicle and the object on the basis of a period of time required since the transmission wave generated from the transmitting circuit is radiated from the antenna until the transmission wave is reflected by the object and received by the receiving circuit and arithmetically operating a relative velocity from Doppler frequenc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamabuchi, Katsuji Matsuoka, Katsuhisa Kodama