Patents by Inventor Minao Yanase

Minao Yanase 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: 9970839
    Abstract: A tire pressure decrease detection apparatus comprising a rotation speed information detection unit for detecting rotation speed information of wheels of a vehicle, a resonance frequency estimate unit for time-series estimating a torsional resonance frequency of the rotation speed information from the rotation speed information obtained by the rotation speed information detection unit, and a judgment unit for judging a decrease in pressure of tires installed in the wheels based on the estimated torsional resonance frequency. The resonance frequency estimate unit includes a noise removal unit for removing a noise superimposed on a wheel speed signal serving as the rotation speed information for each of the wheels with using an active noise control technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 9387736
    Abstract: A system for detecting deflated tires by making a relative comparison among rotation speeds of tires attached to a vehicle. The system includes a rotation speed information detection means for detecting rotation speed information of the tires; a rotation speed calculation means for calculating rotation speeds of the tires; and a determination means for determining deflated tires by comparing a decreased pressure determination value using the calculated rotation speeds with a predetermined threshold value. The determination means determines that the vehicle is going straight when it is found, with regard to factors composed of a lateral G, a yaw rate, and a steering angle of the vehicle, at least two of the factors including the yaw rate show that a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value at a predetermined time is lower than a predetermined value, thereby detecting deflated tires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignees: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Minao Yanase, Seigou Sakagami, Yuji Oshiro, Tomonori Sakai, Shinya Notomi, Kazutaka Saito, Kazunari Okada, Ichiro Ueno
  • Publication number: 20160131547
    Abstract: A tire pressure decrease detection apparatus comprising a rotation speed information detection unit for detecting rotation speed information of wheels of a vehicle, a resonance frequency estimate unit for time-series estimating a torsional resonance frequency of the rotation speed information from the rotation speed information obtained by the rotation speed information detection unit, and a judgment unit for judging a decrease in pressure of tires installed in the wheels based on the estimated torsional resonance frequency. The resonance frequency estimate unit includes a noise removal unit for removing a noise superimposed on a wheel speed signal serving as the rotation speed information for each of the wheels with using an active noise control technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Minao YANASE
  • Patent number: 8656768
    Abstract: A method for detecting a tire having decreased air pressure based on wheel rotation information obtained from the tire attached to a vehicle in which there is a predetermined difference between front and rear wheel loads. The method includes the steps of acquiring wheel rotation information obtained from the tire, storing the wheel rotation information, acquiring a load sensitivity of a tire dynamic loaded radius due to load shift during turning, acquiring speed dependency of the load sensitivity, comparing load sensitivity of the tire dynamic loaded radius at a speed acquired based on the speed dependency with preliminarily stored load sensitivities of dynamic loaded radiuses of various tires, estimating decreased pressure sensitivity of the tire dynamic loaded radius based on a result of the comparison, and determining that the tire has a decreased air pressure based on a result of the estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Publication number: 20130098149
    Abstract: A method for detecting a tire having decreased air pressure based on wheel rotation information obtained from the tire attached to a vehicle in which there is a predetermined difference between front and rear wheel loads. The method includes the steps of acquiring wheel rotation information obtained from the tire, storing the wheel rotation information, acquiring a load sensitivity of a tire dynamic loaded radius due to load shift during turning, acquiring speed dependency of the load sensitivity, comparing load sensitivity of the tire dynamic loaded radius at a speed acquired based on the speed dependency with preliminarily stored load sensitivities of dynamic loaded radiuses of various tires, estimating decreased pressure sensitivity of the tire dynamic loaded radius based on a result of the comparison, and determining that the tire has a decreased air pressure based on a result of the estimation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Inventor: Minao YANASE
  • Publication number: 20120310590
    Abstract: A system for detecting deflated tires by making a relative comparison among rotation speeds of tires attached to a vehicle. The system includes a rotation speed information detection means for detecting rotation speed information of the tires; a rotation speed calculation means for calculating rotation speeds of the tires; and a determination means for determining deflated tires by comparing a decreased pressure determination value using the calculated rotation speeds with a predetermined threshold value. The determination means determines that the vehicle is going straight when it is found, with regard to factors composed of a lateral G, a yaw rate, and a steering angle of the vehicle, at least two of the factors including the yaw rate show that a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value at a predetermined time is lower than a predetermined value, thereby detecting deflated tires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Minao YANASE, Seigou Sakagami, Yuji Oshiro, Tomonori Sakai, Shinya Notomi, Kazutaka Saito, Kazunari Okada, Ichiro Ueno
  • Publication number: 20110098882
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle-speed estimation device capable of obtaining vehicle speed with high accuracy, thereby simultaneously detecting decrease of air pressure in all wheels by using the vehicle speed. The vehicle-speed estimation device includes means for detecting lateral acceleration of a vehicle, means for detecting a yaw rate of the vehicle, means for detecting a roll angle of the vehicle, and speed estimation and calculation means for estimating vehicle speed from the lateral acceleration, yaw rate and roll angle. Alternatively, the device includes means for detecting lateral acceleration of a vehicle, means for detecting a yaw rate of the vehicle, and speed estimation and calculation means for estimating vehicle speed from the lateral acceleration and the yaw rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshifumi Sugisawa, Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7868749
    Abstract: The method includes: a step of calculating wheel rotation information; a judgment step of judging a decrease in a tire air pressure by comparing a predetermined reference value with a decreased pressure judgment value showing a wheel speed ratio of the front and rear axes; an initialization step of storing the wheel speed ratio between the front and rear axes at the regular internal pressure; and a step of determining whether the distribution of the front and rear driving torque is equidistribution or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Miyamoto, Minao Yanase
  • Publication number: 20090256696
    Abstract: The method includes: a step of calculating wheel rotation information; a judgment step of judging a decrease in a tire air pressure by comparing a predetermined reference value with a decreased pressure judgment value showing a wheel speed ratio of the front and rear axes; an initialization step of storing the wheel speed ratio between the front and rear axes at the regular internal pressure; and a step of determining whether the distribution of the front and rear driving torque is equidistribution or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi MIYAMOTO, Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7579943
    Abstract: To provide an apparatus, method and program for alarming decrease in tire air-pressure which enable to detect decrease in air-pressure of all of four-wheels tires at reduced costs. The apparatus for alarming decrease in tire air-pressure includes means of (1) detecting decrease in tire air-pressure by measuring change of parameter in relation to resonance condition in the tire, and (2) detecting decrease in tire air-pressure by making relative comparison of dynamic loaded radii of tires, wherein the means (1) is included in one to three-wheel tires on a four-wheel vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7395145
    Abstract: An apparatus for calculating an initial correction coefficient for correcting rotational angular velocities obtained from outputs of rotational angular velocity detecting means. The apparatus includes a judged value calculating means which calculates a judged value on the basis of the rotational angular velocities; an identifying means which identifies whether the vehicle is performing turning movements at high velocity, straight-ahead running or turning movements at mid/low velocity; and an initial correction coefficient calculating means which obtains an initial correction coefficient when it has been identified by the identifying means that the vehicle is performing straight-ahead running or turning movements at mid/low velocity. It is possible to obtain accurate correction coefficients so that it is possible to accurately detect, for instance, a decrease in tire air-pressure and thus to maintain safe running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Oshiro, Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7363189
    Abstract: A detection method of reducing the air pressure of tires based on the rotational speed of wheels mounted on a vehicle. The method includes steps of: determining the rotational speed of each wheel, memorizing the rotational speed of each wheel, determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radius of tires caused by movement of a load during turning, comparing said loading sensitivity with the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires at initialization which are preliminarily memorized, and judging decompression of tires based on the result of the comparison. Further, a loading sensitivity-calculating method of determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires includes steps of: determining a lateral acceleration during turning of a vehicle, determining the shift rate of a judgment value which is the relative comparison of rotational speed of wheels on a pair of diagonals of a vehicle, and determining the loading sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7333008
    Abstract: A tire deflation warning system having a means for detecting the rotational speeds of wheels on a vehicle and a means for judging tires with reduced air pressure from the rotational speed information of the wheels including a means for judging whether driving force works to respective wheels or not a means for calculating a vehicle speed when driving force works to respective wheels, a means for comparing the average of the rotational speeds of the driving wheels against the average of the rotational speeds of the following wheels, with the average of the rotational speeds of the driving wheels against the average of the rotational speeds of the following wheels at normal air pressure in running state in which the vehicle has driving force and a means for judging that the air pressures of the all wheels which are mounted on the vehicle are simultaneously reduced, or that the air pressures of the driving wheels are reduced by the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7305288
    Abstract: A method for detecting decrease in tire air-pressure on the basis of wheel rotational information obtained from tires attached to a four-wheeled vehicle. The method includes the steps of: obtaining wheel rotational information obtainable from the respective tires, storing the wheel rotational information, and judging decrease in air-pressure of a tire. The step of judging decrease in air-pressure includes the step of adjusting a sensitivity of judgment upon multiplying a specified sensitivity coefficient to the wheel rotational information of the respective wheels of a front axis or those of the respective wheels of a rear axis of the vehicle and of judging a running condition of the vehicle. When it is determined that the vehicle is performing straight-ahead running, the judgment of decrease in tire air-pressure is performed only on the basis of wheel rotational information when performing straight-ahead running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Sri Sports Limited
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Publication number: 20070139179
    Abstract: To provide an apparatus, method and program for alarming decrease in tire air-pressure which enable to detect decrease in air-pressure of all of four-wheels tires at reduced costs. The apparatus for alarming decrease in tire air-pressure includes means of (1) detecting decrease in tire air-pressure by measuring change of parameter in relation to resonance condition in the tire, and (2) detecting decrease in tire air-pressure by making relative comparison of dynamic loaded radii of tires, wherein the means (1) is included in one to three-wheel tires on a four-wheel vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7233238
    Abstract: A tire air-pressure alarming device includes wheel speed sensors for detecting wheel speeds of wheels of a motor vehicle and also includes a microcomputer-base control device and an alarming unit. The control device is programmed to execute function steps of: deriving a decision value based on the wheel speeds detected by the wheel speed sensors; judging the occurrence of air-pressure drop of the tires constituting wheels, based on the decision value; and outputting a command when the occurrence of the air-pressure drop of the tires is judged. The alarming unit is responsive to the command from the control device thereby to raise an alarm indicating the occurrence of the air-pressure drop of the tire. The tires are monitored by the tire air-pressure alarming device, wherein the control device is also programmed to execute a function step of standardizing the speed dependency of a rolling radius of the tires thereby to standardize the performance in judging the air-pressure drop of the tires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoshi Suzuki, Hidenori Kajino, Minao Yanase
  • Publication number: 20070032980
    Abstract: A detection method of reducing the air pressure of tires based on the rotational speed of wheels mounted on a vehicle. The method includes steps of: determining the rotational speed of each wheel, memorizing the rotational speed of each wheel, determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radius of tires caused by movement of a load during turning, comparing said loading sensitivity with the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires at initialization which are preliminarily memorized, and judging decompression of tires based on the result of the comparison. Further, a loading sensitivity-calculating method of determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires includes steps of: determining a lateral acceleration during turning of a vehicle, determining the shift rate of a judgment value which is the relative comparison of rotational speed of wheels on a pair of diagonals of a vehicle, and determining the loading sensitivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7136775
    Abstract: A detection method of reduced air pressure of tires based on the rotational speed of wheels mounted on a vehicle. The method includes steps of: determining the rotational speed of each wheel, memorizing the rotational speed of each wheel, determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radius of tires caused by movement of a load during turning, comparing the loading sensitivity with the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires at initialization which are preliminarily memorized, and judging decompression of tires based on the result of the comparison. Further, a loading sensitivity-calculating method of determining the loading sensitivity of the dynamic load radii of tires includes steps of: determining a lateral acceleration during turning of a vehicle, determining the shift rate of a judgment value which is the relative comparison of rotational speed of wheels on a pair of diagonals of a vehicle, and determining the loading sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7057526
    Abstract: A method for detecting decrease in tire air-pressure in which decrease in internal pressure of a tire is detected on the basis of wheel speed information obtained from wheels attached to a vehicle. The method includes the steps of: detecting wheel speed information of the respective tires; storing the wheel speed information of the respective tires; obtaining a vehicle body velocity of the vehicle; obtaining vehicle information of the vehicle during running such as driving force, wheel torque or slip rate; calculating a judged value of decompression; and detecting decrease in air-pressure of a tire upon calculating a multiple correlation coefficient for the judged value between the vehicle body velocity and the vehicle information and comparing the multiple correlation coefficient with a specified threshold. It is possible to accurately detect decompression of a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase
  • Patent number: 7032442
    Abstract: A method for detecting decrease in tire air-pressure includes the steps of: detecting rotational angular velocities of respective tires; calculating an initial correction coefficient for a ratio of right and left wheels; terminating initialization of a first stage at a point of time when the initial correction coefficient has been calculated for performing a provisional judgment of decompression; calculating an initial correction coefficient for a ratio of front and rear wheels; and terminating initialization of a second stage at a point of time when the initial correction coefficient has been calculated for performing normal judgement of decompression. Detection of decompression when performing running including mostly straight-ahead running such as driving in an urban area might be made at an early stage and at high accuracy to thereby improve the performance of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Minao Yanase