Patents by Inventor Seiya Sato

Seiya Sato 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).

  • Publication number: 20240092400
    Abstract: A vehicle front recognition apparatus includes an imager that captures an image of an environment ahead of a vehicle on the road, an image analyzer that analyzes the image of the environment with artificial intelligence to segment the image areas of the image by classes to which objects captured in the image belong, and a road information acquirer that acquires high-precision map information ahead of the vehicle. The vehicle front recognition apparatus acquires dynamic information that is not included in the high-precision map information from the classes. The image analyzer includes a feeling-of-strangeness area extractor extracting a feeling-of-strangeness area using the classes from the image areas. The vehicle front recognition apparatus further includes a feeling-of-strangeness area verifier that verifies whether the vehicle can pass through the feeling-of-strangeness area and a notifier that notifies a driver when the vehicle cannot pass through the feeling-of-strangeness area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki MANIWA, Reo HARADA, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Seiya SATO, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI, Wataru MUNEMURA
  • Patent number: 11932019
    Abstract: A wiping module includes a wiping portion and a cleaning portion. The wiping portion includes a wiping member wiping a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle provided on a nozzle surface, a storage support portion supporting the wiping member and configured to store the liquid by the wiping, and a movement support portion mounting the storage support portion and configured to reciprocate along a wiping direction, which is a direction in which the wiping is performed. The cleaning portion cleans the wiping member. The cleaning portion includes a cleaning member and a guide portion guiding the cleaning member. The cleaning member is configured to follow a movement of the wiping portion in the wiping direction and to scrape off the liquid adhering to the wiping member while being guided by the guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiya Sato, Eiji Miyashita, Masaki Shimomura
  • Publication number: 20240083422
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assist apparatus is to be applied to a vehicle. The vehicle drive assist apparatus includes an object recognizer, a risk area setter, and a risk level setter. The object recognizer is configured to recognize an object in front of the vehicle. The risk area setter is configured to, when small objects are around the object, set a risk area including the small objects. The risk level setter is configured to set a risk level for the risk area with respect to the vehicle based on distribution of height information items within the risk area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiya SATO, Reo HARADA, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Hiroki MANIWA, Wataru MUNEMURA, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI, Shigeki MUKAI
  • Publication number: 20240083416
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assist apparatus is to be applied to a vehicle. The apparatus includes an object recognizer, a risk area setter, a risk level setter, a route candidate setter, a route evaluation value calculator, and a vehicle travel route setter. The object recognizer recognizes an object in front of the vehicle. The risk area setter sets, when small objects are around the object, a risk area including the small objects. The risk level setter sets a risk level for the risk area based on a distribution state of the small objects within the risk area. The route candidate setter sets patterns of route candidates for avoiding a risk resulting from the risk area. The route evaluation value calculator calculates a route evaluation value for each of the route candidates. The vehicle travel route setter sets, as a vehicle travel route, the route candidate having an optimum route evaluation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reo HARADA, Seiya SATO, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Hiroki MANIWA, Wataru MUNEMURA, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20240083423
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assist apparatus is to be applied to a vehicle. The vehicle drive assist apparatus includes an object recognizer, a dispersion area extractor, and a risk area setter. The object recognizer is configured to recognize an object in front of the vehicle. The dispersion area extractor is configured to extract a dispersion area where luminance values are dispersed around the recognized object. The risk area setter is configured to set, as a risk area where small objects are distributed, an area including the dispersion area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reo HARADA, Seiya SATO, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Hiroki MANIWA, Wataru MUNEMURA, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20240034315
    Abstract: A surrounding environment around a vehicle is recognized and surrounding environment information is acquired. Traveling control is performed on the vehicle based on the acquired surrounding environment information. When an obstacle expected to hinder traveling of the vehicle is recognized ahead of the vehicle and other vehicles traveling ahead of the vehicle are recognized in an adjacent lane adjacent to a traveling lane where the vehicle is traveling, a movement amount of the obstacle moved due to an effect of a first other vehicle among the other vehicles that travels at a position near the obstacle is detected. An estimated movement amount of the obstacle moved due to an effect of a second other vehicle among the other vehicles that follows the first other vehicle is calculated based on the detected movement amount. The traveling control is performed on the vehicle based on the estimated movement amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reo HARADA, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Seiya SATO, Hiroki MANIWA, Wataru MUNEMURA, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11878531
    Abstract: A wiping device includes a wiper unit, a carriage, and a fixing member. The wiper unit includes a wiper that wipes a liquid discharge surface of a liquid discharge head from which liquid is to be discharged. The carriage moves along the liquid discharge surface in a first direction and a second direction, both of which are opposite to each other. The fixing member fixes the wiper unit to the carriage. When the carriage is disposed on a side in the first direction with respect to a middle point in a moving range of the carriage, the fixing member is removable in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Seiya Sato, Toshihiro Imae
  • Patent number: 11862017
    Abstract: A communication system (1) includes multiple transmission apparatuses (200) that transmit beacon signals to a moving body (10), and a terminal apparatus (100) that is mounted in the moving body (10) and, upon receiving a beacon signal of a predetermined intensity or more from a transmission apparatus (200), presents information to a user based on the beacon signal of the predetermined intensity or more and a past reception record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisatoshi Kasahara, Norihiro Fujimoto, Hitoshi Mizuno, Seiya Sato
  • Patent number: 11837080
    Abstract: An object is to estimate the course of a movable terminal device. An information processing system (S) includes a plurality of transmission devices (1a, 1b) capable of transmitting predetermined radio waves, a terminal device (2) capable of receiving the predetermined radio waves, and a management device (3) communicably connected to the terminal device. The terminal device (2) measures intensities of radio waves received from the transmission devices (1a, 1b) at predetermined times, and transmits measurement results to the management device (3). The management device (3) calculates distances between the terminal device (2) and each of the transmission devices (1a, 1b) at the predetermined times from the measurement results, and calculates positions of the terminal device (2) at the predetermined times from the calculated distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisatoshi Kasahara, Norihiro Fujimoto, Hitoshi Mizuno, Seiya Sato, Kazuhiko Goto
  • Publication number: 20230339233
    Abstract: A supply unit in which a liquid container including a coupling portion is detachably mounted includes a liquid introducing portion to which the coupling portion of the liquid container is coupled, a pressing member configured to press the liquid container in an uncoupling direction, which is a direction opposite to a coupling direction, when a direction in which the liquid container is coupled to the liquid introducing portion is defined as the coupling direction, an engaging portion configured to engage with the liquid container when the liquid container is coupled to the liquid introducing portion, and a speed reduction portion configured to reduce, when engagement of the engaging portion with the liquid container is released, a moving speed of the liquid container moving in the uncoupling direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Seiya SATO, Seiji TOJO, Akihiko MARUYAMA
  • Patent number: 11787186
    Abstract: A printer includes a line head and a wiper unit. The line head is provided to be movable between a recording position and a retreat position and performs recording on a medium by ejecting ink from an ejection surface at the recording position. The wiper unit is provided to be movable, in the Y direction, between a maintenance position at which a maintenance operation is able to be performed and a non-maintenance position away from the maintenance position. A permitting section is formed in the wiper unit. The permitting section permits a portion of the line head to move in a direction intersecting the Y direction in a state in which the wiper unit is at the non-maintenance position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Shimomura, Seiya Sato
  • Patent number: 11762332
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a drum cartridge removably attached to the main body, and a belt unit removably attached to the main body. The main body includes a drum power supply, a belt power supply, and a controller configured to start supplying power from the drum power supply to a drum memory of the drum cartridge, start supplying power from the belt power supply to a belt memory of the belt unit, stop supplying the power from the drum power supply to the drum memory after starting supplying the power from the drum power supply to the drum memory, and stop supplying the power from the belt power supply to the belt memory after starting supplying the power from the belt power supply to the belt memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshinori Araki, Tatsuro Yokoi, Seiya Sato, Shinta Sugiura, Koji Akagi, Masaaki Wakizaka, Keita Inoue, Osamu Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20230234571
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assist apparatus to be applied to a vehicle executes at least emergency braking control for avoiding collision of the vehicle with a recognized object. The vehicle drive assist apparatus includes a surrounding environment recognition device and a traveling control unit. The surrounding environment recognition device includes a recognizer that recognizes a surrounding environment around the vehicle, and a feature information acquirer that acquires feature information of a target object in the recognized surrounding environment. The traveling control unit centrally controls the entire vehicle. The traveling control unit includes a determiner that determines, based on the acquired feature information, whether the target object has a possibility of hindering traveling of the vehicle. The traveling control unit continues normal traveling control for the vehicle when the target object is determined to have no possibility of hindering the traveling of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Seiya SATO, Shota YASUDA, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI, Wataru MUNEMURA, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Hiroki MANIWA
  • Publication number: 20230227025
    Abstract: A surrounding environment recognition device recognizes a surrounding environment around a vehicle. A traveling control unit centrally controls a whole of the entire vehicle. An obstacle presumer presumes presence of an obstacle ahead of the vehicle based on a behavior distribution of preceding vehicles recognized by the surrounding environment recognition device, and estimates a position and an area where the obstacle is present when the presence of the obstacle is presumed. A traveling path calculator calculates candidates for traveling path areas along which the vehicle is expected to travel while avoiding collision with the presumed obstacle. A traveling path selector selects a traveling path area from among the calculated traveling path areas and sets the selected traveling path area. The traveling control unit controls the vehicle to travel along the set traveling path area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Shota YASUDA, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI, Wataru MUNEMURA, Seiya SATO, Hiroki MANIWA
  • Publication number: 20230227024
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assist apparatus for avoiding collision of a vehicle with a recognized object recognizes a surrounding environment around the vehicle; acquires feature information of a three-dimensional object in the surrounding environment; sets a traveling path of the vehicle based on the surrounding environment; recognizes an aerial object based on the feature information; identify a type of the aerial object based on the feature information; determines whether the aerial object has a possibility of hindering traveling of the vehicle; performs steering control based on a control signal; continues normal traveling control when the aerial object does not have the hindrance possibility; estimates a falling point of the aerial object when the aerial object has the hindrance possibility; when the falling point is on the traveling path of the vehicle, sets a new traveling path to steer around the falling point and executes traveling control along the new traveling path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Wataru MUNEMURA, Shota YASUDA, Shigeki MUKAI, Kazuyuki TAKAHASHI, Hiroaki KURAMOCHI, Seiya SATO, Hiroki MANIWA
  • Patent number: 11690314
    Abstract: There are included a passage portion provided at an upper surface portion of a mower deck, front and back slope portions and provided at front and back portions of the passage portion, front and back supporting portions supporting the slope portions in such a manner that the slope portions are movable in the front-back direction and swingable in the up-down direction, and front and back linking portions that are supported in such a manner as to be swingable in the front-back direction about axes extending in the left-right direction and that are connected with the slope portions. Operating the front and back linking portions in the front-back direction causes the front and back slope portions to be operated to the storage and use positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Terumasa Kobayashi, Seiya Sato, Ryusuke Kawamoto
  • Publication number: 20230150286
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: a head that ejects a liquid; a supply unit that supplies a liquid to the head; a maintenance unit for maintaining the head; a selector unit that selects a unit to be opened to an atmosphere from the supply unit and the maintenance unit; and a housing that accommodates the supply unit, the maintenance unit, and the selector unit, in which the housing has an opening surface to which an exposure opening is open and a cover that closes the exposure opening, the exposure opening exposes the supply unit, the maintenance unit, and the selector unit, and when the exposure opening is viewed from a position facing the opening surface, the supply unit, the maintenance unit, and the selector unit are positioned not to overlap each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Seiji TOJO, Eiji MIYASHITA, Seiya SATO
  • Publication number: 20230027157
    Abstract: A scanning device includes a casing holding a original document table. A facing area is provided to the casing, and a rectangular hole is formed on the facing area. The rectangular hole has edges extending along a main scanning direction and edges extending along a sub-scanning direction. The edges extending along the sub-scanning direction are located in a central area of a photoelectric conversion element row of a sensor assembly in the main scanning direction. The sensor assembly scans the rectangular hole and detects a edge extending along the main scanning direction and a edge extending along the sub-scanning direction, thereby determines a scanning start position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Kentaro AOYAMA, Kunihiro AMANO, Seiya SATO, Kazushi SHUMIYA, Jie ZHENG
  • Publication number: 20220288936
    Abstract: A wiping module includes a wiping portion and a cleaning portion. The wiping portion includes a wiping member wiping a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle provided on a nozzle surface, a storage support portion supporting the wiping member and configured to store the liquid by the wiping, and a movement support portion mounting the storage support portion and configured to reciprocate along a wiping direction, which is a direction in which the wiping is performed. The cleaning portion cleans the wiping member. The cleaning portion includes a cleaning member and a guide portion guiding the cleaning member. The cleaning member is configured to follow a movement of the wiping portion in the wiping direction and to scrape off the liquid adhering to the wiping member while being guided by the guide portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Seiya SATO, Eiji MIYASHITA, Masaki SHIMOMURA
  • Patent number: 11392084
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a controller, a main body frame, a cartridge and a display. The cartridge includes a memory, a cartridge data terminal and a cartridge detection terminal. The controller includes a main body data terminal and a main body detection terminal. The main body data terminal is electrically connected to the cartridge data terminal. The main body detection terminal is electrically connected to the cartridge detection terminal in the case where the cartridge is attached to the main body frame. The controller is configured to perform determining whether the main body detection terminal and the cartridge detection terminal are electrically connected with each other. The controller is configured to perform displaying a determination result of the determining whether the main body detection terminal and the cartridge detection terminal are electrically connected with each other on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinta Sugiura, Keita Inoue, Tatsuro Yokoi, Seiya Sato, Osamu Takahashi, Toshinori Araki, Masaaki Wakizaka, Koji Akagi