Patents by Inventor Muneatsu Minato

Muneatsu Minato 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: 10889224
    Abstract: A vehicle seat control system (1) includes an angle detection unit (308a) that detects an angle of a connection unit (308) that rotatably connects a seat surface portion to a backrest portion (302), a frame body (311) that includes a pair of vertical frames (311a, 311b) and a horizontal frame (311c) connecting the pair of vertical frames to each other and is provided to be stored in the seat surface portion, a leg support portion (312) including a first rotation shaft (Lb) parallel to an extending direction of the horizontal frame and is provided inside the frame body to be rotatable with respect to the frame body, a driving unit (315) that is provided at a proximal end (B1) of at least one of the pair of vertical frames and rotates the frame body taken out from the seat surface portion around a second rotation shaft (La) parallel to the extending direction of the horizontal frame, and a control unit (160) that controls the driving unit on the basis of a detection result of the angle detection unit at least a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Kenta Hirayama, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10793163
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a seat on which an occupant of a vehicle is seated, a first operation reception unit and a second operation reception unit configured to be operated by the occupant, and a seat drive unit configured to change a position of the seat on the basis of an operation received by the first operation reception unit, and return the position of the seat to a position before being changed by the first operation reception unit when an operation is received by the second operation reception unit, and the second operation reception unit is provided at a rearward position relative to a place corresponding to a central portion in a travel direction of a seating portion of the seat in a side member provided in a side portion of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Matsumoto, Hajime Ishihara, Kenta Hirayama, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10562415
    Abstract: A seat apparatus includes: a seat on which a passenger of a vehicle sits; an inputter which is operated by the passenger; a fixer which fixes a position of the seat until the inputter is operated by the passenger and allows the position of the seat to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the inputter is operated by the passenger; and a restrictor which restricts the movement of the seat when a predetermined condition related to a traveling state of the vehicle or an external environment of the vehicle is satisfied in comparison with a case in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Kenta Hirayama, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10486553
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a seat state acquisition unit (160) that acquires an orientation about a vertical axis of a seat on which an occupant of a vehicle sits, a vehicle state acquisition unit (170) that acquires a current or future acceleration relating to the vehicle, and a seat control unit (180) that deforms at least a part of the seat on the basis of the orientation of the seat acquired by the seat state acquisition unit and the acceleration acquired by the vehicle state acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Hirayama, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10479229
    Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes: a seat main body configured to seat an occupant; a first gear that is joined to the seat main body; a second gear that is capable of being engaged with the first gear; a rotation mechanism that rotates the second gear in a state of being engaged with the first gear and that rotates the seat main body in a yaw direction from a reference direction; a biasing part that applies, when the seat main body is rotated by the rotation mechanism, a biasing force in a direction that is opposite to a rotation direction; and a release control part that releases an engagement between the first gear and the second gear, that rotates the seat main body by a biasing force which is preliminarily biased by the biasing part, and that allows the seat main body to return to the reference direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara
  • Patent number: 10479233
    Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a conversion mechanism that converts a disposition of a seatback between a normal position to a converted position, the normal position being a position at which the seatback is disposed at a rear section of the seat cushion and a sitting direction of an occupant is facing forward, the converted position being a position at which the seatback is disposed at a front section of the seat cushion and a sitting direction of an occupant is facing rearward, and a reclining mechanism that biases the seatback toward a neutral position at which the seatback stands upward and that reclines the seatback forward and rearward from the neutral position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10434900
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a seat (41) on which an occupant of a vehicle sits, a first protruding mechanism (45) configured to move a pushing member (45A) provided inside the seat to adjust a protruding position and a displacement of the seat, a second protruding mechanism (46) configured to inject a gas or liquid into a bag-like member (46B) provided inside the seat to adjust the protruding position and the displacement of the seat, and a seat control unit configured to control the first protruding mechanism to cause at least a part of a contact portion between the occupant and the seat to protrude in a case that the vehicle performs a first driving mode having a degree of automated driving less than a predetermined reference and to control the second protruding mechanism to cause at least a part of the contact portion between the occupant and the seat to protrude in a case that the vehicle performs a second driving mode having a degree of automated driving equal to or higher than the predetermined re
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Hirayama, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 10391890
    Abstract: A vehicle seat control system (1) includes a first backrest portion (302) rotatably connected to a seating portion (301) by a first connection unit (308), a second backrest portion (302) rotatably connected to the first backrest portion by a second connection unit (309), a folding adjustment unit (304) that adjusts an angle of the second connection unit, a seat surface adjustment unit (304) that adjusts a height of the seating portion, a first angle detection unit (308a) that detects a first angle that is formed between the first backrest portion and a floor surface, a second angle detection unit (309a) that detects a second angle that is formed between the second backrest portion and the first backrest portion, and a control unit (160) that controls the folding adjustment unit on the basis of the first angle at the time of automatic driving of the vehicle to adjust the second angle, and controls the seat surface adjustment unit to maintain a height of a reference position in the second backrest portion to be
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Hirayama, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180290563
    Abstract: A seat apparatus includes: a seat on which a passenger of a vehicle sits; an inputter which is operated by the passenger; a fixer which fixes a position of the seat until the inputter is operated by the passenger and allows the position of the seat to be movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the inputter is operated by the passenger; and a restrictor which restricts the movement of the seat when a predetermined condition related to a traveling state of the vehicle or an external environment of the vehicle is satisfied in comparison with a case in which the predetermined condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Kenta Hirayama, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180292821
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a seat (310) in which an occupant sits; a first slide mechanism (320) configured to enable movement of the seat in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; a second slide mechanism (322) configured to enable movement of the seat in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the first slide mechanism; an automated driving control unit configured to execute automated driving of automatically controlling at least one of acceleration/deceleration and steering of the vehicle; and a seat control unit configured to enable movement of the seat using the first slide mechanism and the second slide mechanism in a case that the automated driving is being executed by the automated driving control unit and to enable movement of the seat using the first slide mechanism in a case that the automated driving is not being executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Kenta Hirayama, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180281623
    Abstract: A vehicle seat apparatus includes: a seat main body configured to seat an occupant; a first gear that is joined to the seat main body; a second gear that is capable of being engaged with the first gear; a rotation mechanism that rotates the second gear in a state of being engaged with the first gear and that rotates the seat main body in a yaw direction from a reference direction; a biasing part that applies, when the seat main body is rotated by the rotation mechanism, a biasing force in a direction that is opposite to a rotation direction; and a release control part that releases an engagement between the first gear and the second gear, that rotates the seat main body by a biasing force which is preliminarily biased by the biasing part, and that allows the seat main body to return to the reference direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara
  • Publication number: 20180229636
    Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a seatback that supports a back of a person sitting on the seat apparatus and that includes a first support body and a second support body, the first support body being one side of the seatback in a seatback width direction and the second support body being the other side of the seatback in the seatback width direction, one of the first support body and the second support body being a movable support body, and a moving mechanism that displaces the movable support body from a back support position, where the movable support body is placed in order to support the back of the person sitting on the seat, to a retracted position where the movable support body is placed in order to create an open space where the movable support body was placed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180229628
    Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a conversion mechanism that converts a disposition of a seatback between a normal position to a converted position, the normal position being a position at which the seatback is disposed at a rear section of the seat cushion and a sitting direction of an occupant is facing forward, the converted position being a position at which the seatback is disposed at a front section of the seat cushion and a sitting direction of an occupant is facing rearward, and a reclining mechanism that biases the seatback toward a neutral position at which the seatback stands upward and that reclines the seatback forward and rearward from the neutral position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180229638
    Abstract: A vehicle seat control system (1) includes an angle detection unit (308a) that detects an angle of a connection unit (308) that rotatably connects a seat surface portion to a backrest portion (302), a frame body (311) that includes a pair of vertical frames (311a, 311b) and a horizontal frame (311c) connecting the pair of vertical frames to each other and is provided to be stored in the seat surface portion, a leg support portion (312) including a first rotation shaft (Lb) parallel to an extending direction of the horizontal frame and is provided inside the frame body to be rotatable with respect to the frame body, a driving unit (315) that is provided at a proximal end (B1) of at least one of the pair of vertical frames and rotates the frame body taken out from the seat surface portion around a second rotation shaft (La) parallel to the extending direction of the horizontal frame, and a control unit (160) that controls the driving unit on the basis of a detection result of the angle detection unit at least a
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Muneatsu Minato, Hajime Ishihara, Kenta Hirayama, Manabu Matsumoto, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180229740
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a seat on which an occupant of a vehicle is seated, a first operation reception unit and a second operation reception unit configured to be operated by the occupant, and a seat drive unit configured to change a position of the seat on the basis of an operation received by the first operation reception unit, and return the position of the seat to a position before being changed by the first operation reception unit when an operation is received by the second operation reception unit, and the second operation reception unit is provided at a rearward position relative to a place corresponding to a central portion in a travel direction of a seating portion of the seat in a side member provided in a side portion of the seat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Manabu Matsumoto, Hajime Ishihara, Kenta Hirayama, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180222350
    Abstract: A vehicle seat control system (1) includes a first backrest portion (302) rotatably connected to a seating portion (301) by a first connection unit (308), a second backrest portion (302) rotatably connected to the first backrest portion by a second connection unit (309), a folding adjustment unit (304) that adjusts an angle of the second connection unit, a seat surface adjustment unit (304) that adjusts a height of the seating portion, a first angle detection unit (308a) that detects a first angle that is formed between the first backrest portion and a floor surface, a second angle detection unit (309a) that detects a second angle that is formed between the second backrest portion and the first backrest portion, and a control unit (160) that controls the folding adjustment unit on the basis of the first angle at the time of automatic driving of the vehicle to adjust the second angle, and controls the seat surface adjustment unit to maintain a height of a reference position in the second backrest portion to be
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Kenta Hirayama, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180222347
    Abstract: A vehicle system includes a seat state acquisition unit (160) that acquires an orientation about a vertical axis of a seat on which an occupant of a vehicle sits, a vehicle state acquisition unit (170) that acquires a current or future acceleration relating to the vehicle, and a seat control unit (180) that deforms at least a part of the seat on the basis of the orientation of the seat acquired by the seat state acquisition unit and the acceleration acquired by the vehicle state acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Kenta Hirayama, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20180208080
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a seat (41) on which an occupant of a vehicle sits, a first protruding mechanism (45) configured to move a pushing member (45A) provided inside the seat to adjust a protruding position and a displacement of the seat, a second protruding mechanism (46) configured to inject a gas or liquid into a bag-like member (46B) provided inside the seat to adjust the protruding position and the displacement of the seat, and a seat control unit configured to control the first protruding mechanism to cause at least a part of a contact portion between the occupant and the seat to protrude in a case that the vehicle performs a first driving mode having a degree of automated driving less than a predetermined reference and to control the second protruding mechanism to cause at least a part of the contact portion between the occupant and the seat to protrude in a case that the vehicle performs a second driving mode having a degree of automated driving equal to or higher than the predetermined re
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Kenta Hirayama, Hajime Ishihara, Manabu Matsumoto, Muneatsu Minato, Yosuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9809138
    Abstract: A seat device includes a seat part on which an occupant is seated, a support part for supporting the seat part, and a front cover made of soft material, which is fitted between front parts of the seat part and the support part. The front cover includes a seat connection end part joined with the front part of the seat part, a detachable first fixture attached to an end of the front cover opposite to the seat connection end part for attachment to the support part, an elastic member having one end disposed between the seat connection end part and the first fixture, and a detachable second fixture attached to the other end of the elastic member for attachment to a seat lower surface as a lower surface of the seat part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignees: TACHI-S CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fuwa, Yusuke Ogata, Sugiaki Yamazato, Muneatsu Minato, Masakazu Koganei, Toshinari Mitsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170113585
    Abstract: A seat device includes a seat part on which an occupant is seated, a support part for supporting the seat part, and a front cover made of soft material, which is fitted between front parts of the seat part and the support part. The front cover includes a seat connection end part joined with the front part of the seat part, a detachable first fixture attached to an end of the front cover opposite to the seat connection end part for attachment to the support part, an elastic member having one end disposed between the seat connection end part and the first fixture, and a detachable second fixture attached to the other end of the elastic member for attachment to a seat lower surface as a lower surface of the seat part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Hirofumi FUWA, Yusuke OGATA, Sugiaki YAMAZATO, Muneatsu MINATO, Masakazu KOGANEI, Toshinari MITSUMOTO