Patents by Inventor Nobuya Watabe

Nobuya Watabe 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: 11597238
    Abstract: A tire system includes a tire side device that is arranged corresponding to a tire provided in a vehicle and transmits data related to the tire, and a wear estimation unit that estimates a tire wear state based on the data related to the tire. The tire side device holds data related to an elapsed time since the tire was manufactured as data related to the tire, transmits data related to the elapsed time to the wear estimation unit. The wear estimation unit estimates the tire wear state based on the mileage from the start of use of the tire and a tire deterioration degree indicated by the data related to the elapsed time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kanbayashi, Nobuya Watabe, Masashi Mori
  • Patent number: 11549808
    Abstract: In a road surface condition determining device, when determining a road surface condition, a vibration detection unit, a waveform processing unit and a data transmission unit for implementing a sensing function and a data transmission function are not set continuously to an active state for all tire side device, but at least only one tire side device is set to an active state. Remaining one or more is set to a sleep state. A reduction in power consumption of the tire side devices set to the sleep state can thus be achieved. Further, with regard to the at least one tire side device, since the sensing function and the data transmission function remain in the active state, the road surface condition can be reliably determined based on the road surface data of the tire side device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoichiro Suzuki, Takatoshi Sekizawa, Nobuya Watabe
  • Patent number: 11338814
    Abstract: A road surface condition assessing device includes: a tire-mounted device; and a vehicle body system. The tire-mounted device includes: a vibration detector that outputs a detection signal of a vibration on a tire; a waveform processor that generates the road surface data; and a first data communication unit. The vehicle body system includes: a second data communication unit; and a road surface evaluation unit that evaluates the road surface condition. The tire-mounted device transmits an advertise signal including the road surface data indicative of a result of a waveform process on the detection signal and a waveform processing value corresponding to the road surface condition. The vehicle body system evaluates the road surface condition based on the waveform processing value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kanbayashi, Nobuya Watabe
  • Patent number: 11198336
    Abstract: A tire air pressure detection device includes a plurality of transceivers and a receiver. The plurality of transceivers are correspondingly provided in a plurality of wheels of a vehicle. Each wheel has a tire. The receiver is attached to a vehicle body. Each of the plurality of transceivers outputs a detection signal indicative of an air pressure of the tire of the corresponding wheel. Each of the plurality of transceivers processes the detection signal, and generates a frame storing the processed detection signal as data related to the air pressure of the tire. The receiver receives the frame. The receiver detects the air pressure of the tire based on the data stored in the received frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Sekizawa, Nobuya Watabe
  • Patent number: 11091163
    Abstract: A road surface condition assessing device includes a tire-side device disposed in a tire and a vehicle-body-side system disposed on a vehicle body side. The tire-side device generates a detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of vibration of the tire, produces road surface data based on the detection signal, and performs data communication with the vehicle-body-side system. The vehicle-body-side system performs the data communication with the tire-side device and assesses a road surface condition based on the road surface data received from the tire-side device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Mori, Nobuya Watabe
  • Publication number: 20210146731
    Abstract: A tire system includes a tire side device that is arranged corresponding to a tire provided in a vehicle and transmits data related to the tire, and a wear estimation unit that estimates a tire wear state based on the data related to the tire. The tire side device holds data related to an elapsed time since the tire was manufactured as data related to the tire, transmits data related to the elapsed time to the wear estimation unit. The wear estimation unit estimates the tire wear state based on the mileage from the start of use of the tire and a tire deterioration degree indicated by the data related to the elapsed time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Ryosuke KANBAYASHI, Nobuya WATABE, Masashi MORI
  • Patent number: 10946861
    Abstract: A hydroplaning determination device that determines occurrence of a hydroplaning phenomenon in a vehicle includes a tire mount sensor including a vibration detection unit, a signal process unit and a transmission unit, and a vehicle body system including a receiver, a condition determination unit and a hydroplaning determination unit. The vibration detection unit is attached to a rear surface of a tire provided in a vehicle and outputs a detection signal according to a magnitude of vibration of the tire. The signal process unit generates a vibration data based on the detection signal. The hydroplaning determination unit determines, based on the vibration data, whether a hydroplaning phenomenon has occurred when the condition determination unit determines that a road surface condition is a wet condition in which a water film exists between the tire and a road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Sekizawa, Masashi Mori, Nobuya Watabe, Hideyuki Ikemoto, Yoichiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20200346655
    Abstract: A road surface state determination device includes a tire-side device and a vehicle-body-side system. The tire-side device is attached to each of a plurality of tires included in a vehicle. The vehicle-body-side system is included in a body of the vehicle. The tire-side device may output a detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of vibration of the tire. The tire-side device may sense the detection signal and generate road surface data indicative of a road surface state appearing in a waveform of the detection signal. The tire-side device may transmit the road surface data. The vehicle-body-side system may perform bidirectional communication with the tire-side device and receive the road surface data. The vehicle-body-side system may determine the road surface state of a road surface on which the vehicle is traveling based on the road surface data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Yoichiro SUZUKI, Nobuya WATABE, Masashi MORI, Takatoshi SEKIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20200317204
    Abstract: A road surface condition assessing device includes: a tire-mounted device; and a vehicle body system. The tire-mounted device includes: a vibration detector that outputs a detection signal of a vibration on a tire; a waveform processor that generates the road surface data; and a first data communication unit. The vehicle body system includes: a second data communication unit; and a road surface evaluation unit that evaluates the road surface condition. The tire-mounted device transmits an advertise signal including the road surface data indicative of a result of a waveform process on the detection signal and a waveform processing value corresponding to the road surface condition. The vehicle body system evaluates the road surface condition based on the waveform processing value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Ryosuke KANBAYASHI, Nobuya WATABE
  • Publication number: 20200254830
    Abstract: A tire air pressure detection device includes a plurality of transceivers and a receiver. The plurality of transceivers are correspondingly provided in a plurality of wheels of a vehicle. Each wheel has a tire. The receiver is attached to a vehicle body. Each of the plurality of transceivers outputs a detection signal indicative of an air pressure of the tire of the corresponding wheel. Each of the plurality of transceivers processes the detection signal, and generates a frame storing the processed detection signal as data related to the air pressure of the tire. The receiver receives the frame. The receiver detects the air pressure of the tire based on the data stored in the received frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Takatoshi SEKIZAWA, Nobuya WATABE
  • Publication number: 20200231162
    Abstract: A road surface condition assessing device includes a tire-side device disposed in a tire and a vehicle-body-side system disposed on a vehicle body side. The tire-side device generates a detection signal corresponding to a magnitude of vibration of the tire, produces road surface data based on the detection signal, and performs data communication with the vehicle-body-side system. The vehicle-body-side system performs the data communication with the tire-side device and assesses a road surface condition based on the road surface data received from the tire-side device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Masashi MORI, Nobuya WATABE
  • Publication number: 20200208969
    Abstract: In a road surface condition determining device, when determining a road surface condition, a vibration detection unit, a waveform processing unit and a data transmission unit for implementing a sensing function and a data transmission function are not set continuously to an active state for all tire side device, but at least only one tire side device is set to an active state. Remaining one or more is set to a sleep state. A reduction in power consumption of the tire side devices set to the sleep state can thus be achieved. Further, with regard to the at least one tire side device, since the sensing function and the data transmission function remain in the active state, the road surface condition can be reliably determined based on the road surface data of the tire side device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Yoichiro SUZUKI, Takatoshi SEKIZAWA, Nobuya WATABE
  • Patent number: 10576797
    Abstract: A tire pressure detection apparatus includes: a transmitter at each of a plurality of wheels with a tire; and a receiver at a vehicle body. The transmitter has: a sensing device having a pressure sensor outputting a detection signal related to a tire pressure of each of the plurality of wheels and an acceleration sensor detecting an acceleration including a centrifugal acceleration caused by rotation of the wheel and a gravitational acceleration; a first controller performing signal processing on the detection signal of the pressure sensor and creating a frame storing data related to the tire pressure; and a radio wave transmitter transmitting the frame. The receiver has: a radio wave receiver receiving the frame; and a second controller detecting a tire pressure based on the data related to the tire pressure stored in the received frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryoichi Ijima, Nobuya Watabe
  • Patent number: 10239366
    Abstract: A wheel position detecting device can suppress an erroneous detection of a wheel position even if a moving direction of a vehicle cannot be determined by wheel speed sensors whether in a forward direction or in a rearward direction. When an edge number (or a tooth number) is incremented based on detection signals of the wheel speed sensors of one, two or three wheels while the vehicle is at a halt, the edge number (or the tooth number) is not used as learning data. Thus, it is less likely that the wheel position is erroneously detected based on erroneous learning data. Therefore, even if the moving direction of the vehicle cannot be determined whether in the forward direction or the rearward direction by the wheel speed sensors, the wheel position detecting device can suppress the erroneous wheel position detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takatoshi Sekizawa, Masashi Mori, Nobuya Watabe
  • Publication number: 20190077408
    Abstract: A hydroplaning determination device that determines occurrence of a hydroplaning phenomenon in a vehicle includes a tire mount sensor including a vibration detection unit, a signal process unit and a transmission unit, and a vehicle body system including a receiver, a condition determination unit and a hydroplaning determination unit. The vibration detection unit is attached to a rear surface of a tire provided in a vehicle and outputs a detection signal according to a magnitude of vibration of the tire. The signal process unit generates a vibration data based on the detection signal. The hydroplaning determination unit determines, based on the vibration data, whether a hydroplaning phenomenon has occurred when the condition determination unit determines that a road surface condition is a wet condition in which a water film exists between the tire and a road surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Takatoshi SEKIZAWA, Masashi MORI, Nobuya WATABE, Hideyuki IKEMOTO, Yoichiro SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10099699
    Abstract: A road surface condition estimation device includes a tire side device and a vehicle side device. The tire side device includes a vibration detection unit attached to a back surface of a tire tread and outputting a detection signal indicating a tire vibration magnitude, a signal processing unit, and a transmitter. The signal processing unit extracts a ground contact duration during which a portion of the tread corresponding to an arrangement position of the vibration detection unit is in contact with a ground, and calculates a high frequency component level of the detection signal detected during the ground contact duration as road surface condition data. When the ground contact duration is ended, a transmission trigger is transmitted to the transmitter and the transmitter transmits the road surface condition data. The vehicle side device estimates a road surface condition of the travelling road based on the road surface condition data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youichirou Suzuki, Akira Takaoka, Takashi Saitou, Nobuya Watabe, Masashi Mori, Takatoshi Sekizawa
  • Patent number: 10086842
    Abstract: A road surface condition estimation device includes a tire side device and a vehicle side device. The tire side device includes a vibration detection unit outputting a detection signal indicating a tire vibration magnitude, a signal processing unit, and a transmitter. The signal processing unit extracts a ground contact duration during which a portion of the tread corresponding to an arrangement position of the vibration detection unit is in contact with a ground, calculates a high frequency component level of the detection signal detected during the ground contact duration, counts cumulative rotation number of the tire, and corrects the level of the high frequency component based on the cumulative rotation number of the tire. The transmitter transmits corrected level of the high frequency component as road surface condition data. The vehicle side device estimates a road surface condition of the travelling road based on the received road surface condition data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youichirou Suzuki, Akira Takaoka, Takashi Saitou, Nobuya Watabe, Masashi Mori, Takatoshi Sekizawa
  • Patent number: 10029681
    Abstract: An erroneous start is controlled based on vibrations of a tire, irrespective of a poor visibility or an algorithm of an image processing. A tire-side unit detects a vibration of a tire when the tire has collided with a wheel stop or the like, and outputs collision data to a vehicle-side unit. The vehicle-side unit determines an erroneous start of the vehicle. Therefore, the erroneous start of the vehicle can be controlled without being affected by the poor visibility or the algorithm of the image processing as in a case of utilizing a camera or a radar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youichirou Suzuki, Akira Takaoka, Takashi Saitou, Nobuya Watabe, Masashi Mori, Takatoshi Sekizawa
  • Patent number: 9827815
    Abstract: A tire device includes a vibration power generating element, a signal processing unit, and a transmitter. The vibration power generating element is arranged inside a tire and outputs a voltage corresponding to a time variation of a vibration generated in a tread of the tire. The signal processing unit is disposed inside the tire and performs signal processing on the voltage outputted from the vibration power generating element. The transmitter is arranged inside the tire and sends data subjected to the signal processing in the signal processing unit to a device provided outside the tire. The signal processing unit and the transmitter are driven by power generated in the vibration power generating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Youichirou Suzuki, Takashi Saitou, Akira Takaoka, Nobuya Watabe, Takatoshi Sekizawa, Masashi Mori
  • Patent number: 9783013
    Abstract: A wheel position detector for a vehicle includes: a transmitter at each wheel having a first control portion for generating and transmitting a frame with specific identification information; and a receiver at a vehicle body receiving the frame from one wheel and having a second control portion for performing wheel position detection; and a wheel speed sensor for detecting a tooth of a gear. The second control portion: acquires gear information indicating a tooth position; corrects the tooth position based on a time difference between acquiring of the gear information and receiving time of the frame; and specifies the one wheel based on the tooth position at reception time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noriaki Okada, Nobuya Watabe, Masashi Mori, Takatoshi Sekizawa