Patents by Inventor Kazuhito Oshita

Kazuhito Oshita 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: 11959324
    Abstract: A control system includes a contact sensor configured to detect contact between an operation body and a door handle, a force sensor configured to detect a force applied by the operation body to the door handle, and a controller configured to control opening or closing of a door when the contact is detected by the contact sensor and the force is detected by the force sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takata, Takeshi Masaki, Kazuhito Oshita, Satoru Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20240118147
    Abstract: A detection device provided in an interior of a vehicle door handle including an inner casing includes a base portion, a displaceable member, and a sensor. The base portion has a longitudinal shape extending along a longitudinal direction of the door handle, is disposed fixedly to the inner casing, and is configured to deform in response to a pressure applied to the inner casing. The displaceable member has a longitudinal shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the door handle and is provided to face the base portion. Either or both of one end portion and the other end portion of the displaceable member are connected to the base portion. The displaceable member includes a displaceable portion configured to be displaced relatively to the base portion in accordance with deformation of the base portion. The sensor is configured to detect displacement of the displaceable portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Wataru SATO, Yuzuru KAWANA, Kazuhito OSHITA
  • Patent number: 11946294
    Abstract: A door handle including a capacitance sensor configured to detect an operation body is provided. The capacitance sensor includes a substrate formed of an insulator and having a surface, at least one first sensor electrode disposed on the surface of the substrate, a plurality of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, and a controller. The number of the plurality of second sensor electrodes is greater than the number of the at least one first sensor electrode. The controller applies a voltage to the plurality of second sensor electrodes and detects a coordinate position of the operation body, in a case where a capacitance between the operation body and the at least one first sensor electrode is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Oshita, Daisuke Takai
  • Publication number: 20230409155
    Abstract: Operation input device with few gesture operation erroneous detections is provided. Operation input device includes substrate; plurality of detecting electrodes provided on substrate surface; detecting unit detecting capacitance occurring between each detecting electrode and operating body upon operating body being brought close to substrate; and determining unit determining whether gesture operation by operating body has been performed. Detecting electrodes include first and second electrodes of which capacitance values decrease/increase to match amount of movement of operating body when operating body is moved in longer direction. Upon sensing of operation of moving operating body after being stopped relative to detecting electrodes, or operation of stopping operating body after being moved relative to detecting electrodes, gesture operation by operating body is determined to have been performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Satoru TAKIZAWA, Takeshi MASAKI, Takashi SASAKI, Kazuhito OSHITA, Yuzuru KAWANA
  • Publication number: 20230122321
    Abstract: The electrostatic capacitance detecting device includes a first substrate; a detection electrode provided on a front-side surface of the first substrate to detect a proximity of an operating body to an operating face; a stray capacitance coupling conductor provided in a direction with respect to the first substrate, the direction being opposite to a direction of the detection electrode with respect to the first substrate; a first peripheral electrode provided on the front-side surface of the first substrate to surround the detection electrode; and a plurality of lateral electrodes provided side by side to surround the detection electrode, the plurality of lateral electrodes extending along a thickness direction of the first substrate and connected to each of the first peripheral electrode and the stray capacitance coupling conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Satoru TAKIZAWA, Takeshi MASAKI, Takashi SASAKI, Hiroaki TAKAHASHI, Kazuhito OSHITA
  • Publication number: 20230079515
    Abstract: A door handle apparatus to be attached to a door of a vehicle is provided. The door handle apparatus includes a case, a strain body, and an elastic mechanism. The case includes an outer case provided so as to face a vehicle exterior side and an inner case provided so as to face a vehicle interior side. The outer case and the inner case are integrated with each other. The strain body is provided in the case, has a sensor mounted on a middle portion between one end portion and an opposite end portion of the strain body, and the one end portion of the strain body is fixed to a portion on a center side of the inner case. The elastic mechanism uses an elastic force to press the opposite end portion of the strain body against a fixing portion at an end of the inner case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Wataru SATO, Yuzuru KAWANA, Kazuhito OSHITA, Masaru KOMATSU
  • Publication number: 20230067991
    Abstract: In a door handle sensor system, a door handle device includes an electrostatic sensor to detect the user with respect to a door handle, and a pressure sensor to detect the operating force applied to the door handle. A control device determines whether the position of an operation is in a first end section, a second end section, or a center section of the door handle, and controls an unlatched state based on the determination result and the value detected by the pressure sensor. The electrostatic sensor includes a first electrode including multiple first electrode parts and a second electrode including multiple second electrode parts arranged alternately with the first electrode parts. The first electrode part other than the endmost first electrode part in the first direction and the second electrode part other than the endmost second electrode part in the first direction are arranged in the center section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Satoru TAKIZAWA, Masaru KOMATSU, Kazuhito OSHITA, Manabu TENJIN
  • Patent number: 11402281
    Abstract: A force sensor includes a substrate; a first electrode fixed to a first area on the substrate; a second electrode fixed to a second area different from the first area on the substrate, the second electrode extending to a position higher than the first electrode; a capacitance detecting unit configured to detect a capacitance corresponding to a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an operation member including a contact area that is in contact with the second electrode. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is provided in plurality. The second electrode is elastically deformed by a load applied to the second electrode by an operation with respect to the operation member, and the distance between the second electrode and the first electrode changes according to an elastic deformation of the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunio Sato, Daisuke Takai, Kazuhito Oshita, Hajime Shikata
  • Patent number: 11365571
    Abstract: An operation input device includes a substrate formed of an insulator, a plurality of detecting electrodes provided on a surface of the substrate, and a controller, wherein the controller detects capacitance generated between each of the detecting electrodes and an operation body when the operation body is positioned in proximity to the substrate, and determines that a gesture operation by the operation body is performed when a duration from when the capacitance becomes a first threshold or greater to when the capacitance becomes a second threshold or greater is a predetermined value or greater, or when a length in which the operation body is moved from when the capacitance becomes the first threshold or greater to when the capacitance becomes the second threshold or greater is a predetermined value or greater, the first threshold being a threshold for the capacitance, and the second threshold being greater than the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Oshita, Daisuke Takai, Toshiki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20220154498
    Abstract: A door handle, to be attached to a door, includes an outer case, an inner case integrated with the outer case, and a pressure detector configured to detect pressure applied to the inner case. The inner case includes a recess in proximity to an end portion in a longitudinal direction, and the pressure detector detects a displacement of a first inner wall surface on a center portion side of the inner case in the recess, caused by the pressure applied to the inner case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Wataru SATO, Yuzuru KAWANA, Hajime SHIKATA, Kazuhito OSHITA, Takeshi MASAKI, Takashi SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20210164281
    Abstract: A control system includes a contact sensor configured to detect contact between an operation body and a door handle, a force sensor configured to detect a force applied by the operation body to the door handle, and a controller configured to control opening or closing of a door when the contact is detected by the contact sensor and the force is detected by the force sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Masahiro TAKATA, Takeshi MASAKI, Kazuhito OSHITA, Satoru TAKIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20210164270
    Abstract: A door handle including a capacitance sensor configured to detect an operation body is provided. The capacitance sensor includes a substrate formed of an insulator and having a surface, at least one first sensor electrode disposed on the surface of the substrate, a plurality of second sensor electrodes disposed on the surface of the substrate, and a controller. The number of the plurality of second sensor electrodes is greater than the number of the at least one first sensor electrode. The controller applies a voltage to the plurality of second sensor electrodes and detects a coordinate position of the operation body, in a case where a capacitance between the operation body and the at least one first sensor electrode is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuhito OSHITA, Daisuke TAKAI
  • Publication number: 20200181953
    Abstract: An operation input device includes a substrate formed of an insulator, a plurality of detecting electrodes provided on a surface of the substrate, and a controller, wherein the controller detects capacitance generated between each of the detecting electrodes and an operation body when the operation body is positioned in proximity to the substrate, and determines that a gesture operation by the operation body is performed when a duration from when the capacitance becomes a first threshold or greater to when the capacitance becomes a second threshold or greater is a predetermined value or greater, or when a length in which the operation body is moved from when the capacitance becomes the first threshold or greater to when the capacitance becomes the second threshold or greater is a predetermined value or greater, the first threshold being a threshold for the capacitance, and the second threshold being greater than the first threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuhito OSHITA, Daisuke Takai, Toshiki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10671230
    Abstract: An input device for detecting a change in capacitance in accordance with proximity of an object is provided. The input device includes: a sensor unit including multiple capacitive coupling parts formed between multiple driving electrodes and multiple sensing electrodes; a capacitance detector for detecting a capacitance value of each of the capacitive coupling parts; and a two-dimensional data generating unit for generating a two-dimensional data matrix consisting of the capacitance values of the capacitive coupling parts. When a target row or a target column in the two-dimensional data matrix matches a first pattern indicating that multiple capacitive coupling parts each having a capacitance value greater than a reference value are arranged consecutively, the input device updates the reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masafumi Takagi, Naoyuki Hatano, Kazuhito Oshita
  • Publication number: 20190361570
    Abstract: An input device for detecting a change in capacitance in accordance with proximity of an object is provided. The input device includes: a sensor unit including multiple capacitive coupling parts formed between multiple driving electrodes and multiple sensing electrodes; a capacitance detector for detecting a capacitance value of each of the capacitive coupling parts; and a two-dimensional data generating unit for generating a two-dimensional data matrix consisting of the capacitance values of the capacitive coupling parts. When a target row or a target column in the two-dimensional data matrix matches a first pattern indicating that multiple capacitive coupling parts each having a capacitance value greater than a reference value are arranged consecutively, the input device updates the reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Masafumi TAKAGI, Naoyuki HATANO, Kazuhito OSHITA
  • Publication number: 20190339142
    Abstract: A force sensor includes a substrate; a first electrode fixed to a first area on the substrate; a second electrode fixed to a second area different from the first area on the substrate, the second electrode extending to a position higher than the first electrode; a capacitance detecting unit configured to detect a capacitance corresponding to a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an operation member including a contact area that is in contact with the second electrode. At least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is provided in plurality. The second electrode is elastically deformed by a load applied to the second electrode by an operation with respect to the operation member, and the distance between the second electrode and the first electrode changes according to an elastic deformation of the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kunio SATO, Daisuke TAKAI, Kazuhito OSHITA, Hajime SHIKATA
  • Publication number: 20190033997
    Abstract: An input control device includes a reception unit configured to receive a first input from a screen input device that detects an operation performed on an operation screen, and a second input from one or more other input devices, a setup unit configured to set, on a basis of the second input, decision criteria for deciding whether an operation performed on at least a part of a target region in the operation screen is valid, and a decision unit configured to decide whether the operation performed on at least a part of the target region is valid, on a basis of the first input and the decision criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuhito Oshita, Masaru Komatsu, Hiroshi Shigetaka, Koichi Miura, Tetsuo Muranaka, Naoyuki Hatano
  • Patent number: 10175815
    Abstract: There is provided an electrostatic input device including a plurality of electrodes, and receiving an input operation according to electrostatic capacitances generated between the plurality of electrodes and an object when the object comes close to a detection surface, the device including a variation detection unit configured to detect variations in the electrostatic capacitances, a determination unit configured to determine whether the object coming close to the detection surface is the fingertip or the palm on the basis of the variations detected by the variation detection unit, and a control unit configured to inhibit reception of an input operation on the detection surface for a predetermined period of time in a case where the determination unit determines that the object coming close to the detection surface is the palm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Oshita, Naoyuki Hatano
  • Publication number: 20180356965
    Abstract: A controller identifies, when a contact position of a finger is detected by a detector, an object on a screen of a display device designated by the contact made on an input surface, on the basis of the contact position detected by the detector. When the object on the screen is identified, the control unit selects the object as an object to be moved, according to pressing force detected by the detector. When the contact position detected by the detector moves, with the object on the screen kept selected as the object to be moved, the controller moves such object to be moved on the screen, according to the movement of the contact position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Yasuji Hagiwara, Daisuke Takai, Yoshiyuki Kikuchi, Kazuhito Oshita, Mitsuo Makino, Hiroshi Shigetaka
  • Publication number: 20180329498
    Abstract: Included are an operating surface, a touch sensor configured to detect touch operations of an operating member as to the operating surface, a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressing operation on the operating surface by the operating member, a tactile feedback presenting element configured to present tactile feedback, and a tactile feedback controller configured to control tactile feedback that the tactile feedback presenting element presents. When the touch sensor detects that a position indicated on a display screen by an operation as to the operating surface is an object on the display screen or a specified region of the display screen, and further the pressure sensor detects that a predetermined pressing operation has been performed as to an object region, the tactile feedback controller causes the tactile feedback presenting element to present tactile feedback corresponding to a double-clicking operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Daisuke Takai, Hiroshi Shigetaka, Kazuhito Oshita, Jo Ri