Patents by Inventor Satoru Minowa

Satoru Minowa 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: 11605141
    Abstract: A highly reliable facility evaluation information (rating information) that is free of arbitrary ratings. A server system includes a facility rating information creation and updating unit that grants a rating with regard to a facility to be rated on the basis of parking information. The parking information is obtained by assessing whether the present position of a mobile body, which is being carried together with a vehicle, has been parked in the area of the facility to be rated whereat parking is possible. A facility rating provision unit that outputs the rating regarding to the facility to be rated, which has been granted by the facility rating information creation and updating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tadashi Kurihara, Hiroshi Inoue, Yoshiaki Sugimoto, Satoru Minowa, Minoru Fukumori
  • Patent number: 10883837
    Abstract: A map generating server capable of bidirectional communication with multiple vehicles having a database configured to store vehicle type identifiers assigned to the vehicles and map data regarding roads usable by the vehicles and cultivated land area near the roads. In the server, a vehicle position data tagged with vehicle type identifier is successively written to location concerned of the map data when each vehicle transmits the position data tagged with the vehicle type identifier. The vehicle position data writing number is incremented if the written vehicle position data is that of a vehicle assigned a specified vehicle type identifier, and the location concerned of the cultivated land area is determined to be cultivated land area road and to update the map data stored in the database when the writing number is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Minowa, Shigenori Hiruta, Kimiyoshi Kusaka, Shiro Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20200065917
    Abstract: A highly reliable facility evaluation information (rating information) that is free of arbitrary ratings. A server system includes a facility rating information creation and updating unit that grants a rating with regard to a facility to be rated on the basis of parking information. The parking information is obtained by assessing whether the present position of a mobile body, which is being carried together with a vehicle, has been parked in the area of the facility to be rated whereat parking is possible. A facility rating provision unit that outputs the rating regarding to the facility to be rated, which has been granted by the facility rating information creation and updating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Tadashi Kurihara, Hiroshi Inoue, Yoshiaki Sugimoto, Satoru Minowa, Minoru Fukumori
  • Publication number: 20190137282
    Abstract: A map generating server capable of bidirectional communication with multiple vehicles having a database configured to store vehicle type identifiers assigned to the vehicles and map data regarding roads usable by the vehicles and cultivated land area near the roads. In the server, a vehicle position data tagged with vehicle type identifier is successively written to location concerned of the map data when each vehicle transmits the position data tagged with the vehicle type identifier. The vehicle position data writing number is incremented if the written vehicle position data is that of a vehicle assigned a specified vehicle type identifier, and the location concerned of the cultivated land area is determined to be cultivated land area road and to update the map data stored in the database when the writing number is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Satoru Minowa, Shigenori Hiruta, Kimiyoshi Kusaka, Shiro Kitamura
  • Patent number: 8160266
    Abstract: An active vibratory noise control apparatus has a speaker for canceling vibratory noise in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, the speaker being used as a speaker of one of different audio devices that can be installed on the vehicle. Each of the audio devices has a command key switch assembly. When the command key switch assembly is operated to turn off the transistor, a control signal is applied to a switching control circuit in an active vibratory noise control unit, which identifies the audio device installed on the vehicle. The active vibratory noise control unit generates a canceling signal matching characteristics of the speaker of the identified audio device for canceling vibratory noise in the passenger compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co. Ltd., Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Akira Takahashi, Satoru Minowa, Yoshio Nakamura, Masahide Onishi
  • Patent number: 7620188
    Abstract: An active vibratory noise control apparatus reduces vibratory noise which is produced in the passenger compartment of a vehicle based on vibratory noise generated by a variable-cylinder internal combustion engine that can selectively be operated in a full-cylinder operation mode in which all of the cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operation mode in which some of the cylinders are out of operation. The active vibratory noise control apparatus has a partial-cylinder operation mode determining circuit for determining whether the variable-cylinder internal combustion engine is in the partial-cylinder operation mode or not. Depending on a determined result from the partial-cylinder operation mode determining circuit, a transistor is turned on or off to switch an amplifying circuit which drives a speaker into and out of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Satoru Minowa, Akira Takahashi, Yoshio Nakamura, Masahide Onishi
  • Publication number: 20050018548
    Abstract: A recording/reproducing device using a magneto-optical disc as a recording medium having a holder for holding a magneto-optical disc and moving the magneto-optical disc between a disc unloading position and a disc loading position, a turntable for rotating the magneto-optical disc, an optical pickup for casting a light beam onto a signal recording surface of the magneto-optical disc, a magnetic head arranged to face the optical pickup on the opposite sides side of the magneto-optical disc and moving toward and away from the magneto-optical disc, and a rotating ejection lever positioned on a base for ejecting the magneto-optical disc held by the holder. Since the ejection lever is arranged on the side of the base where the optical pickup is arranged, the space within the device body is effectively used, thus realizing miniaturization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Publication date: January 27, 2005
    Inventors: Kenichi Tamura, Tadami Nakamura, Tomohiro Yamada, Kazuhito Kurita, Satoru Minowa, Takashi Takamatsu
  • Publication number: 20040258252
    Abstract: An active vibratory noise control apparatus has a speaker for canceling vibratory noise in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, the speaker being used as a speaker of one of different audio devices that can be installed on the vehicle. Each of the audio devices has a command key switch assembly. When the command key switch assembly is operated to turn off the transistor, a control signal is applied to a switching control circuit in an active vibratory noise control unit, which identifies the audio device installed on the vehicle. The active vibratory noise control unit generates a canceling signal matching characteristics of the speaker of the identified audio device for canceling vibratory noise in the passenger compartment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicants: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Akira Takahashi, Satoru Minowa, Yoshio Nakamura, Masahide Onishi
  • Publication number: 20040258251
    Abstract: An active vibratory noise control apparatus reduces vibratory noise which is produced in the passenger compartment of a vehicle based on vibratory noise generated by a variable-cylinder internal combustion engine that can selectively be operated in a full-cylinder operation mode in which all of the cylinders are operated and a partial-cylinder operation mode in which some of the cylinders are out of operation. The active vibratory noise control apparatus has a partial-cylinder operation mode determining circuit for determining whether the variable-cylinder internal combustion engine is in the partial-cylinder operation mode or not. Depending on a determined result from the partial-cylinder operation mode determining circuit, a transistor is turned on or off to switch an amplifying circuit which drives a speaker into and out of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicants: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Satoru Minowa, Akira Takahashi, Yoshio Nakamura, Masahide Onishi
  • Patent number: 6820274
    Abstract: A recording/reproducing device using a magneto-optical disc as a recording medium having a holder for holding a magneto-optical disc and moving the magneto-optical disc between a disc unloading position and a disc loading position, a turntable for rotating the magneto-optical disc, an optical pickup for casting a light beam onto a signal recording surface of the magneto-optical disc, a magnetic head arranged to face the optical pickup on the opposite side of the magneto-optical disc and moving toward and away from the magneto-optical disc, and a rotating ejection lever positioned on a base for ejecting the magneto-optical disc held by the holder. Since the ejection lever is arranged on the side of the base where the optical pickup is arranged, the space within the device body is effectively used, thus realizing miniaturization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Tamura, Tadami Nakamura, Tomohiro Yamada, Kazuhito Kurita, Satoru Minowa, Takashi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 6758521
    Abstract: In an in-vehicle monitor support structure of the present invention, a rotation support section 16 which rotates about a vertical axis is provided on one of seats 11 and 12 positioned on the left and right of a vehicle with space provided therebetween, and a monitor 60 is supported by the rotation support section 16 in a state in which one side of the monitor is adjacent to the aforementioned axis and the other side is positioned laterally from the axis. Consequently, movement between the front and rear seats is easily achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Imamura, Takeo Mizukoshi, Satoru Minowa, Toshiyuki Yasuhara
  • Publication number: 20030042378
    Abstract: In an in-vehicle monitor support structure of the present invention, a rotation support section 16 which rotates about a vertical axis is provided on one of seats 11 and 12 positioned on the left and right of a vehicle with space provided therebetween, and a monitor 60 is supported by the rotation support section 16 in a state in which one side of the monitor is adjacent to the aforementioned axis and the other side is positioned laterally from the axis. Consequently, movement between the front and rear seats is easily achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Imamura, Takeo Mizukoshi, Satoru Minowa, Toshiyuki Yasuhara