Patents by Inventor Koji Nakatani

Koji Nakatani 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: 20240075789
    Abstract: A control device includes a controller that executes determining a connection between a first unit that has a boarding space which allows a user to board and is provided with a predetermined facility and that is provided with a first path through which a fluid used in the predetermined facility passes and a second unit that is configured to be separated from and connected to the first unit and that has a drive device of a vehicle that is formed by being connected to the first unit, and supplying the fluid in the first path to a second unit side to absorb heat generated from the drive device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshinari OGAWA, Kohta TARAO, Shinya KIJIMA, Osamu FUKAWATASE, Koji YASUI, Toshiyuki KOBAYASHI, Hitomi NAKATANI, Kuniaki JINNAI, Nobuki HAYASHI, Masahiro NAGANO, Akihiro ITO
  • Patent number: 11761106
    Abstract: A method for producing a black plated resin part includes the steps of electroplating a resin substrate provided with an underlying plating layer in a trivalent chromium plating bath containing thiocyanic acid, to thereby form, on the underlying plating layer, a black chromium plating layer composed of trivalent chromium and having a thickness of 0.15 ?m or more; and immersing the resin substrate provided with the black chromium plating layer in warm water at 30° C. or higher for a predetermined time. In the method, the amount of thiocyanic acid contained in the trivalent chromium plating bath, the temperature of the warm water, and the time of immersion of the resin substrate in the warm water are adjusted so that the black chromium plating layer exhibits a b* value of ?1.7 or less based on the L*a*b* color system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Hotta, Koji Nakatani, Hiroaki Ono, Shiho Fujii, Noritake Isomura
  • Publication number: 20230147938
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a system and method for optimizing coverage path planning of robots. Data is received from sensors associated with robots in a region. The data is captured in a plurality of poses from a plurality of viewpoints in the region. A priority cost is assigned for each viewpoint based on: objects detected in the data and region of interest in the objects captured by the sensors in the viewpoint. Further, a set of optimal viewpoints are determined from the plurality of viewpoints using objective functions. The objective functions is based on the priority cost associated with each viewpoint and a coverage value for each corresponding viewpoint. The coverage value for a viewpoint indicates an area of the region captured by the sensors from the corresponding viewpoint. Thereafter, a coverage path is generated for the robots based at least on the set of optimal viewpoints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Ayush Kumar Gaud, SHIGEKAZU MATSUZAKI, KOJI NAKATANI, TAKAFUMI KASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230147624
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to a method and a system for heterogeneous autonomous mobile robots for coverage path planning. The method may include receiving sensor data from one or more sensor devices. The sensor data includes information corresponding to one or more robots in a predefined region. The method may further include generating a map for the one or more robots based on the received sensor data. The map includes a probable occupancy of each of the plurality of cells by the one or more robots in the predefined region. The method further includes determining a set of poses of the one or more robots based on the generated map and an optimal set of poses from the set of poses based on the visibility matrix. The method may further include generating a coverage path plan for each of the one or more robots based on the determined optimal set of poses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Ayush Kumar Gaud, SHIGEKAZU MATSUZAKI, KOJI NAKATANI, TAKAFUMI KASHIMOTO
  • Patent number: 11198944
    Abstract: A black plated resin part includes a resin substrate, an underlying plating layer formed on the resin substrate, and a black chromium plating layer formed of trivalent chromium and having a thickness of 0.15 ?m or more. The black chromium plating layer is formed on the underlying plating layer. The chromium in the black chromium plating layer is present in the form of metallic chromium, chromium oxide, and chromium hydroxide, and the black chromium plating layer exhibits a b* value of 3.0 or less based on the L*a*b* color system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Hotta, Koji Nakatani, Hiroaki Ono, Shiho Fujii, Noritake Isomura
  • Publication number: 20210347150
    Abstract: A method for producing a black plated resin part includes the steps of electroplating a resin substrate provided with an underlying plating layer in a trivalent chromium plating bath containing thiocyanic acid, to thereby form, on the underlying plating layer, a black chromium plating layer composed of trivalent chromium and having a thickness of 0.15 ?m or more; and immersing the resin substrate provided with the black chromium plating layer in warm water at 30° C. or higher for a predetermined time. In the method, the amount of thiocyanic acid contained in the trivalent chromium plating bath, the temperature of the warm water, and the time of immersion of the resin substrate in the warm water are adjusted so that the black chromium plating layer exhibits a b* value of ?1.7 or less based on the L*a*b* color system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Yuji HOTTA, Koji NAKATANI, Hiroaki ONO, Shiho FUJII, Noritake ISOMURA
  • Publication number: 20200094526
    Abstract: A black plated resin part includes a resin substrate, an underlying plating layer formed on the resin substrate, and a black chromium plating layer formed of trivalent chromium and having a thickness of 0.15 ?m or more. The black chromium plating layer is formed on the underlying plating layer. The chromium in the black chromium plating layer is present in the form of metallic chromium, chromium oxide, and chromium hydroxide, and the black chromium plating layer exhibits a b* value of 3.0 or less based on the L*a*b* color system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Yuji HOTTA, Koji NAKATANI, Hiroaki ONO, Shiho FUJII, Noritake ISOMURA
  • Patent number: 10583700
    Abstract: A tire state monitoring system includes: tire state acquisition devices installed on tires of a host vehicle, each of the tire state acquisition devices being configured to acquire a tire state quantity; a monitoring device configured to receive an output signal from each of the tire state acquisition devices and perform predetermined processing; and an alerting device configured to issue an alert to a following vehicle. In addition, the monitoring device causes the alerting device to operate when a predetermined abnormality has arisen in the tire state quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10504369
    Abstract: A turn signal device comprising: a right-turn signal and a left-turn signal provided in a host vehicle; an operation device for generating operation signals; an acquisition unit that acquires determination signals indicating determination results regarding the risk of a collision between the host vehicle and a following vehicle; a normal situation control unit that, based on the operation signals, outputs normal situation control signals such that light-emitting units for either or both the left-turn signal and the right-turn signal light up sequentially from an inner side to an outer side in the vehicle width direction; and a dangerous situation control unit that outputs dangerous situation control signals such that, when a determination signal indicates a determination result that there is a risk of collision, the light-emitting units for both the left-turn signal and the right-turn signal light up sequentially from the outer side to the inner side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Publication number: 20190301038
    Abstract: An electroplating bath is configured to precipitate a black trivalent chromium layer onto an object to be plated. The electroplating bath includes a nanodiamond and a thiocyanate ion as color enhancers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Koji NAKATANI, Yuji HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20190032235
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a plated component includes: a molding step of molding a substrate including a plurality of plateable portions, which are spaced apart from each other, and coupling portions, which couple the plateable portions to each other, the substrate being a nonconductive plastic molding; an electroless plating step of forming a conductive coating on the plateable portions; and an electrolytic plating step of conducting different electrolytic plating processes on the plateable portions on which different metallic coatings are to be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Moriyuki HASHIMOTO, Koji NAKATANI
  • Patent number: 10192443
    Abstract: A host vehicle is provided with a detection device that detects the behavior of an object in the surroundings of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner. The host vehicle is also provided with the following: a warning device that performs a warning operation pertaining to a warning directed at a following vehicle that is traveling behind the host vehicle; and a control device that controls the warning device on the basis of the result of detection by the detection device. The control device controls the warning device so as to perform the warning operation in a case where the result of detection by the detection device indicates that the behavior of an object in the surroundings of the host vehicle corresponds to an unnatural behavioral pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani, Hiroshi Saegusa
  • Patent number: 10144349
    Abstract: A driver state detection unit is configured to detect a state of a driver of a host vehicle. An environment detection unit is configured to detect an environment in which the host vehicle is traveling. A time setting unit is configured to set a predetermined time period on the basis of the detected environment. An external warning device is configured to perform an external warning operation that warns another vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the host vehicle. When a time determination unit determines that the predetermined time period has elapsed, an internal warning device is configured to perform an internal warning operation that warns the driver of the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10140867
    Abstract: A collision avoidance system comprises: a following vehicle data acquiring unit that acquires following vehicle data indicating the relative position and relative speed of a following vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle; a travel data acquiring unit that obtains travel data indicating travel conditions for the host vehicle; a specific state extraction unit that extracts specific travel data indicating specific travel conditions for the host vehicle under which the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is high; a database unit storing a plurality of pieces of specific travel data; a determination unit that determines whether or not there is the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the following vehicle; and a warning data output unit that outputs warning data to the following vehicle if the determination unit determines that there is the possibility of a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10134281
    Abstract: Route information indicating a preset route is acquired. Host vehicle position information indicating the position of a host vehicle is acquired. It is detected whether a direction indicator providing advance notice of a traveling direction of the host vehicle is on or off. If the position of the host vehicle agrees with a position on the route, the position of the host vehicle approaches a position to turn on the route, and it is detected that the direction indicator is off, a warning operation pertaining to a warning directed at another vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the host vehicle is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10121378
    Abstract: A collision avoidance system includes: an onboard acquisition unit provided in a vehicle traveling on a road that acquires state quantity data indicating a state quantity of a pneumatic tire of the vehicle; an onboard transmission unit provided in the vehicle that transmits the state quantity data acquired by the onboard acquisition unit to a data acquisition roadside device installed on the road; an abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not the state quantity data is abnormal; and a management device including a data acquisition unit that acquires the state quantity data from the data acquisition roadside device, a data storage unit that stores the state quantity data acquired by the data acquisition unit, and a data distribution unit that distributes the state quantity data determined as abnormal by the abnormality determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10081312
    Abstract: A black plated resin part includes a resin base material, an underlying plating layer including a copper plating layer and a nickel plating layer formed in this order on the resin base material, a black chromium plating layer formed on the nickel plating layer, formed of trivalent chromium, and having a film thickness of not less than 0.15 ?m, and a corrosion resistant film formed on the black chromium plating layer, formed of chromic phosphate or molybdenum phosphate, and having a film thickness of not less than 7 nm. A brightness of the black chromium plating layer seen through the corrosion resistant film is expressed by an L* value of not more than 54 based on the L*a*b* color system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Hotta, Koji Nakatani
  • Publication number: 20180257563
    Abstract: A driver state detection unit is configured to detect a state of a driver of a host vehicle. An environment detection unit is configured to detect an environment in which the host vehicle is traveling. A time setting unit is configured to set a predetermined time period on the basis of the detected environment. An external warning device is configured to perform an external warning operation that warns another vehicle traveling in the vicinity of the host vehicle. When a time determination unit determines that the predetermined time period has elapsed, an internal warning device is configured to perform an internal warning operation that warns the driver of the host vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Yuji Kodama, Koji Nakatani
  • Patent number: 10049576
    Abstract: A collision avoidance system is provided with: a rear detection device arranged in a host vehicle and capable of detecting an object directly behind the host vehicle, an object to the rear-right of the host vehicle, and an object to the rear-left of the host vehicle in a non-contact manner. A computation processing unit outputs, on the basis of a detection result from the rear detection device, the presence/absence of the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and: a first following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from directly behind, a second following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-right, and a third following vehicle approaching the host vehicle from the rear-left. A warning device generates warnings when there is the possibility of a collision with the first, second or third following vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Nakatani, Hiroshi Saegusa
  • Patent number: 10024520
    Abstract: Provided is an illumination device containing a light source configured to emit an excitation light, a phosphor layer containing a phosphor and configured to allow the excitation light of the light source to be transmitted and emitted therethrough, and a coating film formed by applying a paint containing a pigment and mica and configured to allow the emitted light of the phosphor layer to be transmitted and emitted therethrough, in which the coating film has a light transmission spectrum having a peak wavelength located between a peak wavelength of an emission spectrum of the light source and a peak wavelength of an emission spectrum of the phosphor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignees: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD., ORIGIN ELECTRIC COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Koji Nakatani, Yuichi Nishimura, Ryuji Nakanishi