Patents by Inventor Masao Kawai
Masao Kawai 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).
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Patent number: 7739029Abstract: A navigation apparatus and method store traffic information and searches for a guidance route to a specified destination. The apparatus and method calculate congestion degrees for the guidance route based on a factor by time period and the stored traffic information and display the guidance route and the congestion degrees by time period.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2005Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroki Ishikawa, Tomoyuki Zaitsu, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 7421335Abstract: A navigation system collects life information associated with a user and extracts a life pattern from the collected life information. The navigation system registers the extracted life pattern as life pattern information. The navigation system determines a predicted start time and a predicted destination based on the life pattern information and generates predicted traffic information associated with a geographical area including the destination and associated with a time range including the predicted start time.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2004Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazutaka Yoshikawa, Kenji Nagase, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 7337049Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an attribute information collection unit for collecting attribute information relevant to a plurality of units in a vehicle, an environmental information collection unit for collecting environmental information, a required performance detection unit for detecting a required performance necessary for the vehicle based on the collected environmental information, a controlled target determination unit for determining a unit to be controlled based on the collected attribute information and required performance, and a control unit for controlling the unit by calculating a control variable for the unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2005Date of Patent: February 26, 2008Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Seiji Sakakibara, Fumiharu Ogawa, Toshihiro Shiimado, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 7261532Abstract: In an in-mold decoration apparatus, with decorating sheets pinched between a fixed mold half and a movable mold half, molten resin is injected into the mold so that the decorating sheets are respectively bonded to surfaces of a resin molded article. The in-mold decoration apparatus includes a vertical direction decorating sheet feeding machine for performing the feed and take-up of the decorating sheet in the vertical direction, and a horizontal direction decorating sheet feeding machine for performing the feed and take-up of the decorating sheet in the horizontal direction, so that the in-mold decoration apparatus can be set up even with a narrow installation space.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2004Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Nissha Printing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tadahiro Itoh, Masao Kawai
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Publication number: 20060106531Abstract: Information gathering systems, methods, and programs transmit a request for other-vehicle drive information to an information center; and as a result of the transmitted request, only receive other-vehicle drive information of vehicles that are within a predetermined area, the predetermined area set based on the present location. Information gathering systems, methods, and programs determine whether a link corresponding to a present location is subject for gathering drive information and, if the link corresponding to the present location is subject for gathering the drive information, gather the drive information for that link.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2005Publication date: May 18, 2006Applicant: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Nagase, Kazutaka Yoshikawa, Toshiaki Minami, Hiroshi Tomita, Masao Kawai
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Publication number: 20060064235Abstract: A navigation apparatus and method store traffic information and searches for a guidance route to a specified destination. The apparatus and method calculate congestion degrees for the guidance route based on a factor by time period and the stored traffic information and display the guidance route and the congestion degrees by time period.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2005Publication date: March 23, 2006Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroki Ishikawa, Tomoyuki Zaitsu, Masao Kawai
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Publication number: 20050271760Abstract: In an in-mold decoration apparatus, with decorating sheets pinched between a fixed mold half and a movable mold half, molten resin is injected into the mold so that the decorating sheets are respectively bonded to surfaces of a resin molded article. The in-mold decoration apparatus includes a vertical direction decorating sheet feeding machine for performing the feed and take-up of the decorating sheet in the vertical direction, and a horizontal direction decorating sheet feeding machine for performing the feed and take-up of the decorating sheet in the horizontal direction, so that the in-mold decoration apparatus can be set up even with a narrow installation space.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2004Publication date: December 8, 2005Inventors: Tadahiro Itoh, Masao Kawai
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Publication number: 20050209742Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an attribute information collection unit for collecting attribute information relevant to a plurality of units in a vehicle, an environmental information collection unit for collecting environmental information, a required performance detection unit for detecting a required performance necessary for the vehicle based on the collected environmental information, a controlled target determination unit for determining a unit to be controlled based on the collected attribute information and required performance, and a control unit for controlling the unit by calculating a control variable for the unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2005Publication date: September 22, 2005Inventors: Seiji Sakakibara, Fumiharu Ogawa, Toshihiro Shiimado, Masao Kawai
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Publication number: 20050143905Abstract: A navigation system collects life information associated with a user and extracts a life pattern from the collected life information. The navigation system registers the extracted life pattern as life pattern information. The navigation system determines a predicted start time and a predicted destination based on the life pattern information and generates predicted traffic information associated with a geographical area including the destination and associated with a time range including the predicted start time.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2004Publication date: June 30, 2005Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazutaka Yoshikawa, Kenji Nagase, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 6834224Abstract: A vehicular automatic shift control unit for executing a cooperative shift control (an upshift inhibition and a downshift) of an automatic transmission based on an information associated with a road condition around a vehicle or a road condition in front of the vehicle, is provided with judging means for judging whether a vehicle exists in a predetermined area including a branch point of the road during execution of the cooperative shift control, and gear ratio maintaining control means for maintaining a gear ratio of the automatic transmission if it is judged that the vehicle exists in the predetermined area.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2001Date of Patent: December 21, 2004Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tomokazu Inagawa, Yoji Takanami, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Hideo Tomomatsu, Yoshio Ito, Teru Konishi, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 6634982Abstract: An automatic transmission control apparatus includes a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which, in turn, includes a primary pulley, a secondary pulley, a belt stretched between the primary pulley and the secondary pulley. The control apparatus further includes a pinching pressure generator for generating a pinching pressure on the belt, a travel environment all detector for detecting the travel environment of a vehicle, a torque variation estimator for estimating the transmission torque variation during travel, and a pinching pressure changer for changing the pinching pressure based on the estimation. The pinching pressure is prevented from constantly increasing because the transmission torque variation during travel is estimated, and the pinching pressure for the belt is changed based on the estimation. Accordingly, the torque transmission efficiency can be increased, and the fuel efficiency can thus be improved.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2001Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Nobuaki Miki, Shigeo Tsuzuki, Hiroshi Ishigaki, Seiji Sakakibara, Masashi Hattori, Kazuo Takemoto, Masao Kawai, Toshihiro Shiimado
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Patent number: 6626797Abstract: In the case where a cooperative gear change control of an automatic transmission is executed on the basis of information with respect to a condition around a vehicle or in front of a vehicle, in a cooperative gear change control means, a gear change of the automatic transmission is directly determined on the basis of actual curve information and road surface inclination information in accordance with a previously stored downshift map, and a gear stage is switched such that a determined gear change is executed. Therefore, it is possible to directly obtain the gear stage or the gear ratio corresponding to the curve of the road and the inclination of the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2001Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tomokazu Inagawa, Yoji Takanami, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Hideo Tomomatsu, Yoshio Ito, Teru Konishi, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 6577334Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a road data memory, current position sensor that detects a current position of a vehicle and a camera that takes a picture of the road ahead of the current position. At least one indicator line such as a lane dividing line on the road is shown in the picture. The picture changes as the vehicle moves forward along the road, during which increase in width of the indicator line or increase of distance between two indicator lines may be detected. By such detection, the vehicle position with respect to the indicator line is determined, the result of which is incorporated into control operation of an automatic transmission, for example.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 1999Date of Patent: June 10, 2003Assignees: KabushikiKaisha Equos Research, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masao Kawai, Keiichi Kimura, Hideki Aruga
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Publication number: 20020165064Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic transmission control apparatus in which the durability of a continuously variable transmission (10) can be improved and the torque transmission efficiency can be increased, an automatic transmission control method and a recording medium with its program recorded. The invention comprises a primary pulley (126), a secondary pulley (131), a belt (132) stretched between the primary pulley (126) and the secondary pulley (131), pinching pressure generation means for generating a pinching pressure for the belt (132), travel environment detection means (91) for detecting the travel environment of a vehicle, torque variation estimation processing means (92) for estimating the transmission torque variation during travel, and pinching pressure change processing means (93) for changing the pinching pressure based on the estimated results.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2001Publication date: November 7, 2002Inventors: Nobuaki Miki, Shigeo Tsuzuki, Hiroshi Ishigaki, Seiji Sakakibara, Masashi Hattori, Kazuo Takemoto, Masao Kawai, Toshihiro Shiimado
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Publication number: 20020049116Abstract: In the case where a cooperative gear change control of an automatic transmission is executed on the basis of information with respect to a condition around a vehicle or in front of a vehicle, in a cooperative gear change control means, a gear change of the automatic transmission is directly determined on the basis of actual curve information and road surface inclination information in accordance with a previously stored downshift map, and a gear stage is switched such that a determined gear change is executed. Therefore, it is possible to directly obtain the gear stage or the gear ratio corresponding to the curve of the road and the inclination of the road surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2001Publication date: April 25, 2002Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tomokazu Inagawa, Yoji Takanami, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Hideo Tomomatsu, Yoshio Ito, Teru Konishi, Masao Kawai
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Publication number: 20020042672Abstract: A vehicular automatic shift control unit for executing a cooperative shift control (an upshift inhibition and a downshift) of an automatic transmission based on an information associated with a road condition around a vehicle or a road condition in front of the vehicle, is provided with judging means for judging whether a vehicle exists in a predetermined area including a branch point of the road during execution of the cooperative shift control, and gear ratio maintaining control means for maintaining a gear ratio of the automatic transmission if it is judged that the vehicle exists in the predetermined area.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2001Publication date: April 11, 2002Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tomokazu Inagawa, Yoji Takanami, Yoshikazu Tanaka, Hideo Tomomatsu, Yoshio Ito, Teru Konishi, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 6278928Abstract: A vehicle control device controls an automatic transmission by utilizing road information stored in a navigation system unit. In response to the road information stored in a data memory, the upper-limit of a shiftable transmission speed range is determined, thereby allowing shift-change only within the restricted transmission range. The actual down-shift is carried out after confirming a decelerating operation by the driver, such as release of the accelerator pedal, thereby providing favorable transmission control in conformity with the driver's intention.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1997Date of Patent: August 21, 2001Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Equos ResearchInventors: Hideki Aruga, Masao Kawai, Mitsugi Yamashita, Takahiro Iwami, Hideki Nakashima, Shuzo Moroto, Hisanori Shirai
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Patent number: 6223118Abstract: A vehicle control unit controls a vehicle having a device capable of controlling deceleration, such as a continuously variable transmission. An information detection device is capable of determining a relationship between the instant vehicle and a preceding vehicle running in front of the instant vehicle, for example, a headway distance and a relative speed therebetween. Based on the information derived from the detection device, the vehicle correlation is determined and compared with a predetermined target correlation. Then, deceleration of the instant vehicle is set by a deceleration setting device such that the determined correlation reaches the predetermined target correlation. The device for performing deceleration is controlled based on the deceleration that has been set.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 1999Date of Patent: April 24, 2001Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Equos Research, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kouji Kobayashi, Kenji Itou, Nobuaki Miki, Shigeo Tsuzuki, Seiji Sakakibara, Kiyoshi Kurita, Yoshinori Matsushita, Masao Kawai, Toshihiro Shimado
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Patent number: 6150040Abstract: A pure steam-related apparatus, which is one of apparatus in the group of pure steam generators generating pure steam from purified water, pipelines for pure steam and sterilizers using pure steam, is protected from discoloration, so-called "fouling", to red or black caused by contact with the pure steam. The apparatus is manufactured by using an austenitic stainless steel sheet as the material, by taking the blanks from the material which received no mechanical surface polishing, by deforming and welding, without electrolytic polishing customarily done, and by passivating the surface to contact pure water to increase Cr-content in the passivation film to such extent as 45 atomic % or higher, preferably 55 atomic % or higher. Better results will be obtained by ensuring Cr/Fe ratio in the passivation film at the level of 1.45 or higher, preferably, 1.70 or higher.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: JGC CorporationInventors: Osamu Suzuki, Mikio Inoue, Toshio Sagara, Kenichi Osakabe, Masao Kawai
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Patent number: 6098005Abstract: There is provided control over transmission stages which suppresses unnecessary shifts to a higher speed based on road information stored in a navigation system to allow smooth acceleration. An intersection ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction is detected based on the road information stored in the navigation system and, when the vehicle is decelerated as it approaches the intersection, an optimum transmission stage for acceleration is selected in advance in accordance with the speed of the vehicle by predicting the acceleration to be performed when exiting the intersection. This eliminates the need for a shift to a lower speed before effecting acceleration by pressing the accelerator and thereby ensures smooth acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1997Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Kabushiki Kaisha Equos ResearchInventors: Kazumasa Tsukamoto, Masao Kawai, Hideki Aruga