Patents by Inventor Koji Kurata

Koji Kurata 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: 11954896
    Abstract: A driving support device include an imaging device for capturing an image of at least a front of the vehicle, and a control device for, detecting that the vehicle is approaching a merging section where a first road on which the vehicle is traveling and a second road having a height difference with respect to the first road merge with each other, identifying an image of a road surface of the merging section from the image when it is detected that the vehicle is approaching the merging section, for detecting that the road surface is irradiated with light emitted from another vehicle traveling on the second road based on luminance in the image, and performing a processing of avoiding contact between the vehicle and the other vehicle when it is detected that the road surface is irradiated with the light emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 11535327
    Abstract: An accident determination system that determines an occurrence of an accident in a straddle-type vehicle, includes a stop detection unit, an end operation unit and a weight detection unit, a control unit. The stop detection unit detects a vehicle stop of the straddle-type vehicle. The end operation unit receives a driving end operation performed by an occupant. The weight detection unit detects a weight value according to a posture of the occupant. The control unit determines whether the vehicle stop is caused by dismounting based on a detection result of the stop detection unit and an operation result of the end operation unit, and determines an occurrence of an accident based on a detection result of the weight detection unit during the vehicle stop caused by a reason other than dismounting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Publication number: 20220067409
    Abstract: A driving support device include an imaging device for capturing an image of at least a front of the vehicle, and a control device for, detecting that the vehicle is approaching a merging section where a first road on which the vehicle is traveling and a second road having a height difference with respect to the first road merge with each other, identifying an image of a road surface of the merging section from the image when it is detected that the vehicle is approaching the merging section, for detecting that the road surface is irradiated with light emitted from another vehicle traveling on the second road based on luminance in the image, and performing a processing of avoiding contact between the vehicle and the other vehicle when it is detected that the road surface is irradiated with the light emitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji KURATA
  • Patent number: 10943459
    Abstract: There is provided a fall-into-water accident determination system including: a weight detector configured to be attached to an occupant of a vessel and configured to detect a weight applied to a foot of the occupant; a water detector configured to be attached to the occupant and configured to detect water; and a fall-into-water accident determinator configured to determine whether a fall-into-water accident in which the occupant falls into water from the vessel occurs. The fall-into-water accident determinator determines whether the weight changes based on a detection result of the weight detector. The fall-into-water accident determinator determines whether the occupant is immersed in water based on a detection result of the water detector. And the fall-into-water accident determinator determines that the fall-into-water accident occurs when the weight changes and the occupant is immersed in water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Publication number: 20200388136
    Abstract: There is provided a fall-into-water accident determination system including: a weight detector configured to be attached to an occupant of a vessel and configured to detect a weight applied to a foot of the occupant; a water detector configured to be attached to the occupant and configured to detect water; and a fall-into-water accident determinator configured to determine whether a fall-into-water accident in which the occupant falls into water from the vessel occurs. The fall-into-water accident determinator determines whether the weight changes based on a detection result of the weight detector. The fall-into-water accident determinator determines whether the occupant is immersed in water based on a detection result of the water detector. And the fall-into-water accident determinator determines that the fall-into-water accident occurs when the weight changes and the occupant is immersed in water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji KURATA
  • Publication number: 20200331553
    Abstract: An accident determination system that determines an occurrence of an accident in a straddle-type vehicle, includes a stop detection unit, an end operation unit and a weight detection unit, a control unit. The stop detection unit detects a vehicle stop of the straddle-type vehicle. The end operation unit receives a driving end operation performed by an occupant. The weight detection unit detects a weight value according to a posture of the occupant. The control unit determines whether the vehicle stop is caused by dismounting based on a detection result of the stop detection unit and an operation result of the end operation unit, and determines an occurrence of an accident based on a detection result of the weight detection unit during the vehicle stop caused by a reason other than dismounting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji KURATA
  • Patent number: 10787975
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: an on-vehicle object recognizing portion that recognizes whether an on-vehicle object that is a person other than a driver or a luggage is present on a saddle-ridden type vehicle; a stop position recognizing portion that recognizes whether the saddle-ridden type vehicle has stopped in middle of or immediately before an uphill slope; and an engine control portion that controls an engine output in the saddle-ridden type vehicle, and, when the on-vehicle object is present on the saddle-ridden type vehicle and the saddle-ridden type vehicle has stopped in middle of or immediately before the uphill slope based on recognition results of the on-vehicle object recognizing portion and the stop position recognizing portion, the engine control portion performs engine output increase control as defined herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 10741082
    Abstract: There is provided a driving assistance device. An imaging unit is configured to acquire an image of another vehicle running behind one vehicle which is equipped with the driving assistance device. A tailgating determining unit is configured to determine whether the another vehicle is tailgating the one vehicle on the basis of the image acquired by the imaging unit. A continuity determining unit is configured to determine whether tailgating determined by the tailgating determining unit has been performed continuously. An information providing unit configured to provide a driver of the one vehicle with information on the another vehicle, if the continuity determining unit determines that the tailgating has been performed continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 10694118
    Abstract: In a signal processing apparatus including a mixing region detecting unit, and an image capturing condition updating unit, the mixing region detecting unit detects a region where a non-visible light image signal is to be mixed with a visible light image signal, the non-visible light image signal and the visible light image signal being generated by repeatedly performing imaging on a basis of a predetermined image capturing condition. The image capturing condition updating unit newly generates an image capturing condition in the non-visible light image signal on a basis of the non-visible light image signal in the detected region to update the predetermined image capturing condition. A region including fog, or the like is detected, a visible light image signal is mixed with a non-visible light image signal in the region, and image capturing conditions of the non-visible light image signal in the region are updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Kurata, Naoki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10594996
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a separation unit, a Bayer image signal supply unit, and a signal processing unit. The separation unit separates and removes, in input image signals in which pixel signals each including an invisible light component are arranged in an array different from a Bayer array, the invisible light components from the pixel signals. The Bayer image signal supply unit arranges the pixel signals from which the invisible light components have been removed in the Bayer array and supplies the pixel signals as Bayer image signals. The signal processing unit subjects the Bayer image signals to predetermined signal processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Sato, Koji Kurata, Yuta Okano, Shin Yoshimura, Tamaki Eyama, Ryuhei Hata, Masatsugu Fukunaga, Masahiro Ito
  • Patent number: 10574910
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program that allow control of an invisible light component of a captured image without a mechanism that inserts and removes a filter that shields the invisible light component. A luminance composition unit combines a luminance signal of a visible light component of a pixel signal of a captured image including an invisible light component and the visible light component with the pixel signal. A chroma gain amplifier attenuates a chrominance signal of the visible light component. The present disclosure can be applied to an imaging apparatus and the like that include, for example, an optical filter that transmits visible light and infrared light, have pixels in an RGBW array, and perform a Bayer conversion process on a captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kurata, Yasushi Sato, Seiji Kayashima, Naoki Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20190248368
    Abstract: There is provided a driving assistance device for assisting in driving a saddle-type vehicle. A first gate passage recognizing unit is configured to recognize that a subject vehicle which is the saddle-type vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device has passed through a gate built on a road. A lateral-vehicle recognizing unit is configured to recognize a lateral vehicle traveling side by side with the subject vehicle. An acceleration assistance unit is configured to perform assistance in accelerating the subject vehicle, if the lateral vehicle is recognized at a time when the vehicle has passed through the gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji KURATA
  • Patent number: 10220901
    Abstract: A position lighting device is configured to be installed on a vehicle and configured to radiate a beam such that people outside the vehicle can recognize the vehicle. A lighting unit is configured to radiate a beam to a ceiling part or a side wall part of a tunnel-like structure which has at least a floor part, the ceiling part, and the side wall part. A position recognizing unit is configured to recognize that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure. A radiation control unit is configured to control the lighting unit to radiate the beam if the position recognizing unit recognizes that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 10207707
    Abstract: There is provided a driving assistance device configured to be equipped in a subject vehicle. An imaging unit is configured to acquire an image of a preceding vehicle running in front of the subject vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device. A cargo-falling predicting unit is configured to predict whether a cargo loaded on a loading platform of the preceding vehicle will fall off, from change with time in an image of the cargo or an image of an accompanying object of the cargo on the basis of the image acquired by the imaging unit. An information providing unit is configured to provide information on falling of the cargo if the cargo-falling predicting unit predicts that the cargo will fall off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Publication number: 20190045139
    Abstract: To improve image quality of an image including fog. In a signal processing apparatus including a mixing region detecting unit, and an image capturing condition updating unit, the mixing region detecting unit detects a region where a non-visible light image signal is to be mixed with a visible light image signal, the non-visible light image signal and the visible light image signal being generated by repeatedly performing imaging on a basis of a predetermined image capturing condition. The image capturing condition updating unit newly generates an image capturing condition in the non-visible light image signal on a basis of the non-visible light image signal in the detected region to update the predetermined image capturing condition. By this means, a region including fog, or the like is detected, a visible light image signal is mixed with a non-visible light image signal in the region, and image capturing conditions of the non-visible light image signal in the region are updated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: KOJI KURATA, NAOKI OKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10192447
    Abstract: Motorcycles in a group action share group information to which each of motorcycles belongs and the motorcycles share information with a surrounding four-wheeled vehicle via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The information to be shared is the group information. Information from the motorcycle to the four-wheeled vehicle is transmitted when the four-wheeled vehicle is detected by an imaging unit included in the motorcycle or transmitted when a detection unit irradiated from the four-wheeled vehicle is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 10137827
    Abstract: There is provided a position lighting device configured to emit at least one road irradiation beam from a vehicle onto a road, thereby making the other moving object which is positioned behind the vehicle or at a side of the vehicle recognize an existence of the vehicle. A lighting unit is configured to emit the at least one road irradiation beam onto at least a portion of areas on the road behind and at the side of the vehicle. A distance detecting unit is configured to detect a distance between the vehicle and the other moving object. A lighting control unit is configured to control the lighting unit on the basis of the distance between the vehicle and the other moving object detected by the distance detecting unit, thereby changing a state of the at least one road irradiation beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 10109199
    Abstract: A prevention safety device in course change of small-sized vehicle includes a rear vehicle detector, a detection state determining unit, and a vehicle's own information transmitting unit. The rear vehicle detector is configured to detect a rear vehicle travelling at a rear of one's own vehicle. The detection state determining unit is configured to determine whether the rear vehicle detects one's own vehicle or not when the rear vehicle detected by the rear vehicle detector is an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle's own information transmitting unit is configured to transmit vehicle's own information to the rear vehicle immediately before one's own vehicle changes a course when the detection state determining unit determines that the rear vehicle does not detect one's own vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Suzuki Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Shimizu, Koji Kurata
  • Patent number: 10110825
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus, an imaging method, and a program that enable exposure control on a captured image in a non-Bayer pattern by an exposure control method designed for captured images in Bayer patterns. When a Bayering process is performed on a captured image in an RGBW pixel array, a level correction unit corrects the signal level of the captured image so that an earlier level that is the signal level of each white pixel with the highest sensitivity in the captured image prior to the Bayering process becomes equal to a later level that is the signal level of each green pixel to be used in exposure control on an image in a Bayer pattern that is the RGB image after the Bayering process. The present disclosure can be applied to imaging apparatuses, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kurata, Yasushi Sato, Seiji Kayashima
  • Publication number: 20180216545
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: an on-vehicle object recognizing portion that recognizes whether an on-vehicle object that is a person other than a driver or a luggage is present on a saddle-ridden type vehicle; a stop position recognizing portion that recognizes whether the saddle-ridden type vehicle has stopped in middle of or immediately before an uphill slope; and an engine control portion that controls an engine output in the saddle-ridden type vehicle, and, when the on-vehicle object is present on the saddle-ridden type vehicle and the saddle-ridden type vehicle has stopped in middle of or immediately before the uphill slope based on recognition results of the on-vehicle object recognizing portion and the stop position recognizing portion, the engine control portion performs engine output increase control as defined herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji KURATA