Patents by Inventor Masao Sakata
Masao Sakata 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: 9953227Abstract: An in-vehicle image processing device processes camera images to determine a parkable area and includes an overhead image generation section generating an overhead image relative to a road surface by converting the view point of an image of a nearby vehicle and the road surface taken by a vehicle-mounted camera; a tire recognition section recognizing the tires of the nearby vehicle; a three-dimensional object recognition section recognizing three-dimensional objects including the nearby vehicle; an area-under-vehicle recognition section calculating the ground contact position of the tire and the above-ground height from the ground contact position to the vehicle body and recognizing an area under the vehicle body on the road surface from the overhead image; and a parkable area recognition section for recognizing the area occupied by the vehicle body and the area under the vehicle body as a non-parking area and recognizing a parkable area on the road surface.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2015Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: CLARION CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira Utagawa, Takeshi Shima, Shoji Muramatsu, Masao Sakata, Yoshitaka Uchida
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Patent number: 9862416Abstract: An automatic parking control device performs steering control and speed control so that a subject vehicle moves along a target path toward a recognized parking space; when an obstacle that is approaching the subject vehicle has been detected, calculates a collision position at which the subject vehicle will collide with the obstacle; on the basis of a margin distance that is set according to the driving behavior of the subject vehicle and the collision position, calculates a stop position upon the target path that is set before the collision position by the margin distance; and performs speed control so that the subject vehicle stops at the stop position that has been calculated.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2014Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masato Imai, Takashi Okada, Masao Sakata
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Patent number: 9811742Abstract: Provided is a vehicle surroundings recognition apparatus capable of enhancing a calculation accuracy of a relative position and a relative speed with respect to an object such as a pedestrian even in a case where the object cannot be detected accurately in some of the images obtained by performing image-capturing around a vehicle, for example.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2014Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takehito Ogata, Masahiro Kiyohara, Kota Irie, Masao Sakata, Yoshitaka Uchida
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Patent number: 9773177Abstract: A surrounding environment recognition device includes: an image acquisition unit that obtains a photographic image from a camera for capturing, via a camera lens, an image of a surrounding environment around a mobile object; an image recognition unit that recognizes an object image of an object present in the surrounding environment based upon the photographic image obtained by the image acquisition unit; an accumulation detection unit that detects accumulation settled on the camera lens based upon the photographic image obtained by the image acquisition unit; a suspension decision-making unit that makes a decision, based upon detection results provided by the accumulation detection unit, whether or not to suspend operation of the image recognition unit; a tracking unit that detects a characteristic quantity in a tracking target image from a specific area in an image captured by the image acquisition unit for a reference frame, determines through calculation an estimated area where the characteristic quantityType: GrantFiled: October 15, 2014Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Masahiro Kiyohara, Kota Irie, Masao Sakata, Yoshitaka Uchida
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Publication number: 20170270370Abstract: An in-vehicle image processing device processes camera images to determine a parkable area and includes an overhead image generation section generating an overhead image relative to a road surface by converting the view point of an image of a nearby vehicle and the road surface taken by a vehicle-mounted camera; a tire recognition section recognizing the tires of the nearby vehicle; a three-dimensional object recognition section recognizing three-dimensional objects including the nearby vehicle; an area-under-vehicle recognition section calculating the ground contact position of the tire and the above-ground height from the ground contact position to the vehicle body and recognizing an area under the vehicle body on the road surface from the overhead image; and a parkable area recognition section for recognizing the area occupied by the vehicle body and the area under the vehicle body as a non-parking area and recognizing a parkable area on the road surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2015Publication date: September 21, 2017Applicant: CLARION CO., LTD.Inventors: Akira UTAGAWA, Takeshi SHIMA, Shoji MURAMATSU, Masao SAKATA, Yoshitaka UCHIDA
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Publication number: 20170140227Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a surrounding environment recognition device that presents to a user a sensing-enabled range that varies depending on a contamination state of a lens. The present invention is characterized by comprising: an image-capturing unit that acquires an image; an application execution unit that executes an application for recognizing an object to be recognized from the image; a lens state diagnosis unit that diagnoses the lens state of a camera on the basis of the image; a sensing range determination unit that determines a sensing-enabled range allowing the sensing of the object to be recognized with the lens state diagnosed by the lens state diagnosis unit when the application is executed, and a sensing-disabled range not enabling the sensing of the object to be recognized; and a notification control unit that notifies the sensing-enabled range of the sensing range determination unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2015Publication date: May 18, 2017Applicant: CLARION CO., LTD.Inventors: Masayuki TAKEMURA, Masahiro KIYOHARA, Kota IRIE, Masao SAKATA, Yoshitaka UCHIDA
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Publication number: 20160364619Abstract: Provided is a vehicle surroundings recognition apparatus capable of enhancing a calculation accuracy of a relative position and a relative speed with respect to an object such as a pedestrian even in a case where the object cannot be detected accurately in some of the images obtained by performing image-capturing around a vehicle, for example.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2014Publication date: December 15, 2016Applicant: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takehito OGATA, Masahiro KIYOHARA, Kota lRIE, Masao SAKATA, Yoshitaka UCHIDA
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Publication number: 20160307054Abstract: A surrounding environment recognition device includes: an image acquisition unit that obtains a photographic image from a camera for capturing, via a camera lens, an image of a surrounding environment around a mobile object; an image recognition unit that recognizes an object image of an object present in the surrounding environment based upon the photographic image obtained by the image acquisition unit; an accumulation detection unit that detects accumulation settled on the camera lens based upon the photographic image obtained by the image acquisition unit; a suspension decision-making unit that makes a decision, based upon detection results provided by the accumulation detection unit, whether or not to suspend operation of the image recognition unit; a tracking unit that detects a characteristic quantity in a tracking target image from a specific area in an image captured by the image acquisition unit for a reference frame, determines through calculation an estimated area where the characteristic quantityType: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2014Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: Clarion Co., LtdInventors: Masayuki TAKEMURA, Masahiro KIYOHARA, Kota IRIE, Masao SAKATA, Yoshitaka UCHIDA
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Publication number: 20160272244Abstract: An automatic parking control device performs steering control and speed control so that a subject vehicle moves along a target path toward a recognized parking space; when an obstacle that is approaching the subject vehicle has been detected, calculates a collision position at which the subject vehicle will collide with the obstacle; on the basis of a margin distance that is set according to the driving behavior of the subject vehicle and the collision position, calculates a stop position upon the target path that is set before the collision position by the margin distance; and performs speed control so that the subject vehicle stops at the stop position that has been calculated.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2014Publication date: September 22, 2016Applicant: CLARION CO., LTD.Inventors: Masato IMAI, Takashi OKADA, Masao SAKATA
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Patent number: 9393966Abstract: A vehicle attitude angle calculating device finds a yaw angle of a vehicle with reference to a lane stably without using information on a road vanishing point even in the state where a vehicle pitch angle varies. The vehicle attitude angle calculating device includes: a dividing line detection unit that detects a dividing line from image information received from a vehicle-mounted imaging device, the image information being a captured image of an outside of a vehicle; a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device every predetermined processing period; and a vehicle angle calculation unit that calculates a dividing line angle based on the calculated distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device and a vehicle proceeding distance where the vehicle proceeds during a predetermined processing period.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2015Date of Patent: July 19, 2016Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masato Imai, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masao Sakata
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Publication number: 20150375755Abstract: A vehicle attitude angle calculating device finds a yaw angle of a vehicle with reference to a lane stably without using information on a road vanishing point even in the state where a vehicle pitch angle varies. The vehicle attitude angle calculating device includes: a dividing line detection unit that detects a dividing line from image information received from a vehicle-mounted imaging device, the image information being a captured image of an outside of a vehicle; a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device every predetermined processing period; and a vehicle angle calculation unit that calculates a dividing line angle based on the calculated distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device and a vehicle proceeding distance where the vehicle proceeds during a predetermined processing period.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Inventors: Masato IMAI, Hiroshi SAKAMOTO, Masao SAKATA
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Patent number: 9123110Abstract: A vehicle attitude angle calculating device finds a yaw angle of a vehicle with reference to a lane stably without using information on a road vanishing point even in the state where a vehicle pitch angle varies. The vehicle attitude angle calculating device includes: a dividing line detection unit that detects a dividing line from image information received from a vehicle-mounted imaging device, the image information being a captured image of an outside of a vehicle; a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device every predetermined processing period; and a vehicle angle calculation unit that calculates a dividing line angle based on the calculated distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device and a vehicle proceeding distance where the vehicle proceeds during a predetermined processing period.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2011Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masato Imai, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masao Sakata
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Publication number: 20140330498Abstract: A vehicle operation support system includes a navigation device, and a drive control device. The navigation device includes: part for storing road information including branch point information; and part for acquiring road curvature information with reference to the road information, and providing the drive control device with the road curvature information, before a vehicle reaches the branch point. The road curvature information includes information about curvature of first and second road sections extending forward from a branch point. The drive control device estimates entrance of the vehicle into one of the first and second road sections as a selected road section, and controls a driving state of the vehicle by operating an actuator with reference to information about curvature of the selected road section, in response to estimation of entrance of the vehicle into the selected road section.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2014Publication date: November 6, 2014Inventors: Norikazu NARA, Mikio UEYAMA, Masao SAKATA, Satoshi ITO, Junya NAKAMURA
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Publication number: 20140300731Abstract: Disclosed is an onboard environment-recognition device 100, capable of finding a recognition result with high precision in a state where alarm and vehicle-control are ready for actuation, and realizing recognition of the ambient environment of a vehicle with higher accuracy, that is, for recognizing the ambient environment of the driver's own vehicle on the basis of an image taken by an imaging unit 110. The onboard environment-recognition device includes respective detection units 211 through 213 for detecting plural preset detection elements from the image, and a process-load adjust unit 320 for adjusting detection accuracy of at least one of the plural detection elements according to the state of the driver's own vehicle. Thereby, correction of control timing according to the state of the vehicle by an alarm and vehicle-control unit 400, enhancement in stability, and higher precision of estimated accuracy and calculation accuracy are achieved.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2012Publication date: October 9, 2014Inventors: Masayuki Takemura, Shoji Muramatsu, Takeshi Shima, Masao Sakata
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Patent number: 8825248Abstract: Disclosed is an information terminal for electric-powered vehicles or a cruise controller therefor to provide a driver with a traveling method that can shorten a total required time to a destination including a charging time. An information terminal for electric-powered vehicle configured to calculate a required time for the vehicle to travel a route from a current position to a destination in accordance with map information, includes: route setting means that searches for a route to the destination; recharging place setting means that sets a charging place on a way of the route to the destination set by the route setting means; and charging facility information acquisition means that acquires information on the charging place set by the recharging place setting means. A recommended vehicle speed or a vehicle speed range including the recommended vehicle speed at a section to the charging place is calculated.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2012Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kentaro Maki, Takashi Okada, Masao Sakata
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Patent number: 8594890Abstract: It is an object to provide a lane departure warning device capable of generating almost no false warning if a driver performs an avoiding operation of a lane departure.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2012Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masato Imai, Takashi Okada, Masao Sakata
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Publication number: 20130027511Abstract: To provide an onboard environment recognition system capable of preventing, with a reduced processing load, erroneous recognition caused by light from a headlight of a vehicle in the surroundings.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2012Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki TAKEMURA, Shoji Muramatsu, Takeshi Shima, Masao Sakata
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Patent number: 8363104Abstract: Provided is a lane determining device that is capable of quickly and accurately determining the lane traveled by a host vehicle traveling on a road with a plurality of lanes in each direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2009Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masato Imai, Masatoshi Hoshino, Masao Sakata
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Publication number: 20130013139Abstract: Disclosed is an information terminal for electric-powered vehicles or a cruise controller therefor to provide a driver with a traveling method that can shorten a total required time to a destination including a charging time. An information terminal for electric-powered vehicle configured to calculate a required time for the vehicle to travel a route from a current position to a destination in accordance with map information, includes: route setting means that searches for a route to the destination; recharging place setting means that sets a charging place on a way of the route to the destination set by the route setting means; and charging facility information acquisition means that acquires information on the charging place set by the recharging place setting means. A recommended vehicle speed or a vehicle speed range including the recommended vehicle speed at a section to the charging place is calculated.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2012Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: Clarion Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kentaro Maki, Takashi Okada, Masao Sakata
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Publication number: 20120327233Abstract: Provided is a vehicle attitude angle calculating device capable of finding a yaw angle of a vehicle with reference to a lane stably without using information on a road vanishing point even in the state where a vehicle pitch angle varies. The vehicle attitude angle calculating device includes: a dividing line detection unit that detects a dividing line from image information received from a vehicle-mounted imaging device having an optical axis, the image information being a captured image of an outside of a vehicle; a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device every predetermined processing period; and a vehicle angle calculation unit that calculates a dividing line angle on the basis of the calculated distance between the dividing line and the optical axis of the vehicle-mounted imaging device and a vehicle proceeding distance where the vehicle proceeds during a predetermined processing period.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2011Publication date: December 27, 2012Inventors: Masato Imai, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Masao Sakata