Patents by Inventor Makoto Hirai

Makoto Hirai 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: 9014900
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an engine; a motor; a battery; a navigation system; and a controller configured to carry out navigation coordination traveling, the controller being configured to stop the navigation coordination traveling when a state of charge of the battery becomes lower than or equal to a first switching threshold, the controller being configured to resume the navigation coordination traveling when the state of charge of the battery becomes higher than or equal to a second switching threshold higher than the first switching threshold, the controller being configured to set a first predetermined state of charge for the first switching threshold when there is no regenerative travel section, and the controller being configured to set a second predetermined state of charge lower than the first predetermined state of charge when there is the regenerative travel section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Makoto Hirai
  • Patent number: 9010692
    Abstract: A high-lift device suppresses the occurrence of aerodynamic noise while minimizing an increase in airframe weight. The device includes a slat main body disposed to be able to extend from and retract into a main wing, and a concave part formed on the slat main body at a location facing the main wing and able to accommodate at least a part of a leading edge of the main wing. The device also includes an airflow control part disposed at an area in the concave part facing an upper surface of the main wing, that is accommodated between the main wing and the concave part when the slat main body is retracted into the main wing, and that suppresses turbulence colliding against the area in the concave part facing the upper surface of the main wing when the slat main body is extended from the main wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirai, Ichiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 9004285
    Abstract: A classifying apparatus including: a rotor with a plurality of annularly disposed blades, which rotates; and a louver with a plurality of blades which are disposed at an outer circumferential portion of the rotor so as to supply from the outer circumferential portion a fluid for dispersing and classifying a powder material, wherein the powder material is supplied to a gap between the rotor and the louver and centrifugally classified into fine powder and coarse powder, and wherein at least one of the following relationships is satisfied: Relationship (1): ??50° Relationship (2): D2/D1?1.17 where ? denotes an angle formed between imaginary lines connecting the center of the rotor with both ends of each blade of the louver, D1 denotes a diameter of the rotor, and D2 denotes an inner diameter of the louver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Tanaka, Hiroki Morioka, Kaoru Aoki, Makoto Hirai, Shinya Hanatani
  • Publication number: 20140288742
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an engine; a motor; a battery; a navigation system; and a controller configured to carry out navigation coordination traveling, the controller being configured to stop the navigation coordination traveling when a state of charge of the battery becomes lower than or equal to a first switching threshold, the controller being configured to resume the navigation coordination traveling when the state of charge of the battery becomes higher than or equal to a second switching threshold higher than the first switching threshold, the controller being configured to set a first predetermined state of charge for the first switching threshold when there is no regenerative travel section, and the controller being configured to set a second predetermined state of charge lower than the first predetermined state of charge when there is the regenerative travel section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hokoi, Makoto Hirai
  • Publication number: 20140288743
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine including a purification device, a motor, a battery, a navigation system, and a controller. The controller is configured to set a predetermined section, which is an initial section of a hybrid traveling priority section in a travel plan, for a warm-up section for warming up the purification device. The controller is configured to reset the travel plan by changing any one of an electric traveling priority sections before the predetermined section to the hybrid traveling priority section when a traveling load of the predetermined section is higher than a predetermined load corresponding to an output limit of the battery. The controller is configured to reset the section changed to the hybrid traveling priority section for the warm-up section for warming up the purification device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji HOKOI, Makoto HIRAI
  • Patent number: 8836758
    Abstract: A 3D image processing apparatus includes: L and R graphic decoders which decode coded stream data to generate left-eye and right-eye image data; an image output control unit which outputs the generated image data; and a control unit which, when a decoding error occurs in generating one of the image data, and a successful decode occurs in generating the other of the image data, (i) shifts, by a preset offset, a pixel position of the other of the image data, to generate pseudo image data as the one of the image data, and (ii) outputs the pseudo image data to an image output control unit, wherein the image output control unit outputs the other of the image data and the pseudo image data, when the decoding error occurs in generating the one of the image data and the successful decode occurs in generating the other of the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Nobutaka Kitajima, Akifumi Yamana, Atsushi Nishiyama, Tsutomu Hashimoto, Makoto Hirai
  • Publication number: 20130226379
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an electricity storage device configured to output electric power to and receives electric power from a vehicle-driving electric motor and to be charged with electricity generated by using output of an engine; an external charging portion that charges the electricity storage device with electric power supplied from outside the vehicle; and a control device that controls switching between the traveling of the vehicle which does not use the engine but uses the electric motor and the traveling which uses the engine. The control device restrains the traveling that uses the engine, during a period until charging is newly executed by the external charging portion, if degree of execution of the traveling that uses the engine following previous execution of the external charging is greater than a predetermined degree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventor: Makoto Hirai
  • Patent number: 8485823
    Abstract: An obstacle device for vehicle driving experience is provided which includes a support arm (3) disposed outside a path (P) of a vehicle (V), a support rod (4) supported on the support part (3) and capable of swinging back and forth along the path (P), and an obstacle (5) attached to a tip of the support rod (4) and positioned within the path (P) of the vehicle (V), swing control means (30) being provided between the support part (3) and the support rod (4), the swing control means (30) making resistance to a return swing of the support rod (4) from a forward swing position to a rear larger than resistance to swinging of the support rod (4) to a front due to collision of the vehicle (V) with the obstacle (5). Thus, during vehicle driving experience, even if the vehicle collides with the obstacle, it is possible to mitigate the collision impact effectively and to place the obstacle at a fixed position easily and quickly after the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Hirai
  • Patent number: 8469316
    Abstract: A high-lift device suppresses the occurrence of aerodynamic noise while minimizing an increase in airframe weight. The device includes a slat main body disposed to be able to extend from and retract into a main wing, and a concave part formed on the slat main body at a location facing the main wing and able to accommodate at least a part of a leading edge of the main wing. The device also includes an airflow control part disposed at an area in the concave part facing an upper surface of the main wing, that is accommodated between the main wing and the concave part when the slat main body is refracted into the main wing, and that suppresses turbulence colliding against the area in the concave part facing the upper surface of the main wing when the slat main body is extended from the main wing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirai, Ichiro Maeda
  • Publication number: 20120286101
    Abstract: A high-lift device suppresses the occurrence of aerodynamic noise while minimizing an increase in airframe weight. The device includes a slat main body disposed to be able to extend from and retract into a main wing, and a concave part formed on the slat main body at a location facing the main wing and able to accommodate at least a part of a leading edge of the main wing. The device also includes an airflow control part disposed at an area in the concave part facing an upper surface of the main wing, that is accommodated between the main wing and the concave part when the slat main body is retracted into the main wing, and that suppresses turbulence colliding against the area in the concave part facing the upper surface of the main wing when the slat main body is extended from the main wing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Makoto HIRAI, Ichiro MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20120145826
    Abstract: In a high-lift-device, a wing, and noise reduction device for a high-lift-device that are capable of reducing noise generated when a flap is extended, preventing deterioration of aerodynamics characteristic when retracting the flap, and preventing an increase in weight, a flap main body (5) disposed so as to be extendable/retractable relative to a main wing and a protruding portion (6A-1) that smoothly protrudes at least at the vicinity of one end portion of a positive-pressure surface (PS) of the flap main body (5) in a direction away from the flap main body (5) are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Inventors: Makoto Hirai, Takenaka Keizo, Imamura Taro, Yamamoto Kazuomi, Yokokawa Yuzuru
  • Patent number: 8122984
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an engine driven with gasoline; a lid member opening/closing an opening of an accommodation room that accommodates a nozzle receiving unit when gasoline is supplied; a rotating electric machine driven on electric power; a charging/power feeding unit receiving electric power; a lid member opening/closing an opening of an accommodation room accommodating a charging/power feeding unit; and an open/close control mechanism setting the other of the lid member and the lid member in the closed position when one of the lid member and the lid member is set in the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Miwa, Shigeki Kinomura, Makoto Hirai, Yoshiaki Atsumi
  • Publication number: 20110315607
    Abstract: A classifying apparatus including: a rotor with a plurality of annularly disposed blades, which rotates; and a louver with a plurality of blades which are disposed at an outer circumferential portion of the rotor so as to supply from the outer circumferential portion a fluid for dispersing and classifying a powder material, wherein the powder material is supplied to a gap between the rotor and the louver and centrifugally classified into fine powder and coarse powder, and wherein at least one of the following relationships is satisfied: Relationship (1): ??50° Relationship (2): D2/D1?1.17 where a denotes an angle formed between imaginary lines connecting the center of the rotor with both ends of each blade of the louver, D1 denotes a diameter of the rotor, and D2 denotes an inner diameter of the louver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Inventors: Tetsuya Tanaka, Hiroki Morioka, Kaoru Aoki, Makoto Hirai, Shinya Hanatani
  • Publication number: 20110310225
    Abstract: A 3D image processing apparatus includes: L and R graphic decoders which decode coded stream data to generate left-eye and right-eye image data; an image output control unit which outputs the generated image data; and a control unit which, when a decoding error occurs in generating one of the image data, and a successful decode occurs in generating the other of the image data, (i) shifts, by a preset offset, a pixel position of the other of the image data, to generate pseudo image data as the one of the image data, and (ii) outputs the pseudo image data to an image output control unit, wherein the image output control unit outputs the other of the image data and the pseudo image data, when the decoding error occurs in generating the one of the image data and the successful decode occurs in generating the other of the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobutaka KITAJIMA, Akifumi YAMANA, Atsushi NISHIYAMA, Tsutomu HASHIMOTO, Makoto HIRAI
  • Publication number: 20110190970
    Abstract: A structure for controlling an engine is simplified in a power generation device equipped on a vehicle which generates power by a driving force of an engine. An operation unit (32) outputs to a controller (12) drive operation information based on an operation of a user. The controller (12) controls a vehicle driving circuit (28) and determines an engine output power target value based on the drive operation information and a running state of the vehicle. An engine output power/control voltage table stored in a storage unit (34) is referred to, and a value of a control voltage (Va) correlated to the engine output power target value is determined. The controller (12) controls a voltage adjusting circuit (24) such that the control voltage (Va) is set to the value determined based on the engine output power/control voltage table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazunari MORIYA, Hideo NAKAI, Yuichi OHTERU, Eiji YAMADA, Makoto HIRAI, Toru ANDO, Ryoji MIZUTANI, Kenji KIMURA, Mitsumasa FUKUMURA, Hidehiro OBA
  • Publication number: 20100192464
    Abstract: An obstacle device for vehicle driving experience is provided which includes a support arm (3) disposed outside a path (P) of a vehicle (V), a support rod (4) supported on the support part (3) and capable of swinging back and forth along the path (P), and an obstacle (5) attached to a tip of the support rod (4) and positioned within the path (P) of the vehicle (V), swing control means (30) being provided between the support part (3) and the support rod (4), the swing control means (30) making resistance to a return swing of the support rod (4) from a forward swing position to a rear larger than resistance to swinging of the support rod (4) to a front due to collision of the vehicle (V) with the obstacle (5). Thus, during vehicle driving experience, even if the vehicle collides with the obstacle, it is possible to mitigate the collision impact effectively and to place the obstacle at a fixed position easily and quickly after the collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Hirai
  • Publication number: 20100133024
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an engine driven with gasoline; a lid member opening/closing an opening of an accommodation room that accommodates a nozzle receiving unit when gasoline is supplied; a rotating electric machine driven on electric power; a charging/power feeding unit receiving electric power; a lid member opening/closing an opening of an accommodation room accommodating a charging/power feeding unit; and an open/close control mechanism setting the other of the lid member and the lid member in the closed position when one of the lid member and the lid member is set in the open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Miwa, Shigeki Kinomura, Makoto Hirai, Yoshiaki Atsumi
  • Publication number: 20100084508
    Abstract: The present invention provides high-lift devices, wings, and noise reduction structures for the high-lift devices capable of suppressing the occurrence of aerodynamic noise while restricting an increase in airframe weight. A high-lift device includes: a slat main body (4) that is disposed so as to be able to extend from and retract into a main wing; a concave part (5) that is formed on the slat main body (4) at a location that faces the main wing, so as to be able to accommodate at least a part of a leading edge of the main wing; and an airflow control part (6) that is disposed at an area in the concave part (5) facing an upper surface of the main wing, that is accommodated between the main wing and the concave part when the slat main body (4) is retracted into the main wing, and that suppresses turbulence colliding against the area in the concave part (5) facing the upper surface of the main wing when the slat main body (4) is extended from the main wing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES,LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirai, Ichiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 7627986
    Abstract: A driving apparatus for driving an assisting mechanism serving as an assistant for opening operation or closing operation of a door includes a plurality of driving sources, a plurality of driving gears that is individually provided at the driving sources, and a driven gear that is engaged with each of the driving gears. The assisting mechanism is activated through rotation of the driven gear by driving of the driving sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirai, Tsuguo Hoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7228064
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image decoding apparatus that realizes speed-up processing of taking out an MR (macroblock remainder) from a fixed length unit that consists of a first DCT block and the MR, without increasing cost. A Setup processor 3 outputs one out of a plurality of fixed length units that constitute an SB (synchronized block). First, calculation is performed for a length from a beginning of the fixed length unit to a EOB (end of block) that is included in the fixed length unit. The calculated length is then used as an offset in taking out the MR. Then an end portion of a second DCT block that is included in the MR is combined with a corresponding beginning portion of the second DCT block, in order to obtain the complete second DCT block. The complete second DCT block is outputted to a variable length code decoder 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Wada, Makoto Hirai, Tokuzo Kiyohara, Kosuke Yoshioka, Hideshi Nishida, Yukiharu Ieda