Patents by Inventor Shunichi Suto
Shunichi Suto 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).
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Patent number: 11868577Abstract: An input check device includes a coordinate detection part configured to detect coordinates of a touch operation a user performs on an operating surface when operating an operating part through the operating surface; a pressing force detection part configured to detect a pressing force of the touch operation; and an identifying part configured to determine whether the operating part is ON or OFF based on the pressing force detected in the pressing force detection part, and, after determining that the operating part is switched from ON mode to OFF mode, the identifying part detects a minimum value of the pressing force; and the identifying part determines that the operating part is switched from OFF to ON when, following the detection of the minimum value, the pressing force surpasses a predetermined threshold that is set based on the minimum value and that is greater than the minimum value.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Publication number: 20220334681Abstract: An input check device includes a coordinate detection part configured to detect coordinates of a touch operation a user performs on an operating surface when operating an operating part through the operating surface; a pressing force detection part configured to detect a pressing force of the touch operation; and an identifying part configured to determine whether the operating part is ON or OFF based on the pressing force detected in the pressing force detection part, and, after determining that the operating part is switched from ON mode to OFF mode, the identifying part detects a minimum value of the pressing force; and the identifying part determines that the operating part is switched from OFF to ON when, following the detection of the minimum value, the pressing force surpasses a predetermined threshold that is set based on the minimum value and that is greater than the minimum value.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventor: Shunichi SUTO
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Patent number: 11340726Abstract: In a first state before a first event is detected, a determination unit of a press detection apparatus prevents a definitive value from increasing steeply when the pressing force has increased steeply, and decreases the definitive value steeply when the pressing force has decreased steeply. In a second state after the first event is detected and before a second event is detected, the determination unit prevents the definitive value from increasing steeply when the pressing force has increased steeply, and prevents the definitive value from decreasing steeply when the pressing force has decreased steeply. This reduces the possibility that the definitive value increases steeply in the first state and increases and decreases steeply in the second state even under vibration.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2020Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Patent number: 11294487Abstract: The present invention includes a touch time detection unit detecting a touch time on an operation unit and a determination controller changing content of a determination process to be performed by a pressing operation determination unit based on the touch time. Content of the determination process to be performed by the pressing operation determination unit based on a pressing amount is changed such that the ease of detection of a pressing operation when a pressing amount is instantaneously changed in a short period of time is changed based on a touch time so that false detection of a pressing operation caused by an instantaneous change of a pressing amount due to noise in a pressing operation of gradually increasing pressure is avoided and a case where a pressing operation of performing a strong press in a short period of time is not detected is avoided.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Patent number: 11137852Abstract: A pressing operation detection device includes a pressing operation determination unit determining whether a pressing operation has been performed based on a touch on an operation unit and a pressing amount, an increase-and-decrease frequency detection unit detecting occurrence frequency of increase and decrease of a pressing amount every predetermined period of time, and a determination controller changing content of the determination process of the pressing operation determination unit based on the occurrence frequency detected while a touch on the operation unit is not detected. When a pressing amount is detected although the operation unit is not touched, assuming that increase and decrease of the pressing amount is caused by vibration, content of the determination process is changed such that influence of the vibration is reduced so that detection of a pressing operation which brings a feeling of strangeness to the user which is caused by the vibration may be avoided.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Patent number: 11073931Abstract: In determining a definitive value, if a measured value detected at one timing changes by an amount less than a reference amount from a definitive value generated at a timing one cycle before the one timing, a definitive-value determination unit of a press detection apparatus determines the measured value detected at the one timing as a definitive value at the one timing, and if the measured value detected at the one timing has changed by an amount equal to or more than the reference amount from the definitive value at the preceding timing, the definitive-value determination unit determines a value obtained by adding the reference amount to the definitive value at the preceding timing as a definitive value at the one timing. This allows a value in which the influence of vibration is limited to be used in a determination of a pressing operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2020Date of Patent: July 27, 2021Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Publication number: 20210173508Abstract: In determining a definitive value, if a measured value detected at one timing changes by an amount less than a reference amount from a definitive value generated at a timing one cycle before the one timing, a definitive-value determination unit of a press detection apparatus determines the measured value detected at the one timing as a definitive value at the one timing, and if the measured value detected at the one timing has changed by an amount equal to or more than the reference amount from the definitive value at the preceding timing, the definitive-value determination unit determines a value obtained by adding the reference amount to the definitive value at the preceding timing as a definitive value at the one timing. This allows a value in which the influence of vibration is limited to be used in a determination of a pressing operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2020Publication date: June 10, 2021Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Publication number: 20210173541Abstract: In a first state before a first event is detected, a determination unit of a press detection apparatus prevents a definitive value from increasing steeply when the pressing force has increased steeply, and decreases the definitive value steeply when the pressing force has decreased steeply. In a second state after the first event is detected and before a second event is detected, the determination unit prevents the definitive value from increasing steeply when the pressing force has increased steeply, and prevents the definitive value from decreasing steeply when the pressing force has decreased steeply. This reduces the possibility that the definitive value increases steeply in the first state and increases and decreases steeply in the second state even under vibration.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2020Publication date: June 10, 2021Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Patent number: 10963101Abstract: An input detection device performs a transition to a special mode in a case where application of a pressing force to a pressing detectable area is detected before a contact on a contact detectable area is detected, monitors whether or not a predetermined condition set in the special mode is satisfied in a case where a contact is detected after the transition to the special mode, and validates the detected contact when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, the input detection device does not validate the contact unless an intentional operation in which the contact is continuously made until the predetermined condition is satisfied is performed in a case where the contact is detected in a state in which application of a pressing force is detected.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2020Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Shunichi Suto, Ken Ono
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Publication number: 20210011576Abstract: An input detection device performs a transition to a special mode in a case where application of a pressing force to a pressing detectable area is detected before a contact on a contact detectable area is detected, monitors whether or not a predetermined condition set in the special mode is satisfied in a case where a contact is detected after the transition to the special mode, and validates the detected contact when the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, the input detection device does not validate the contact unless an intentional operation in which the contact is continuously made until the predetermined condition is satisfied is performed in a case where the contact is detected in a state in which application of a pressing force is detected.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2020Publication date: January 14, 2021Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventors: Shunichi Suto, Ken Ono
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Publication number: 20200387252Abstract: The present invention includes a touch time detection unit detecting a touch time on an operation unit and a determination controller changing content of a determination process to be performed by a pressing operation determination unit based on the touch time. Content of the determination process to be performed by the pressing operation determination unit based on a pressing amount is changed such that the ease of detection of a pressing operation when a pressing amount is instantaneously changed in a short period of time is changed based on a touch time so that false detection of a pressing operation caused by an instantaneous change of a pressing amount due to noise in a pressing operation of gradually increasing pressure is avoided and a case where a pressing operation of performing a strong press in a short period of time is not detected is avoided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Publication number: 20200387255Abstract: A pressing operation detection device includes a pressing operation determination unit determining whether a pressing operation has been performed based on a touch on an operation unit and a pressing amount, an increase-and-decrease frequency detection unit detecting occurrence frequency of increase and decrease of a pressing amount every predetermined period of time, and a determination controller changing content of the determination process of the pressing operation determination unit based on the occurrence frequency detected while a touch on the operation unit is not detected. When a pressing amount is detected although the operation unit is not touched, assuming that increase and decrease of the pressing amount is caused by vibration, content of the determination process is changed such that influence of the vibration is reduced so that detection of a pressing operation which brings a feeling of strangeness to the user which is caused by the vibration may be avoided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Applicant: ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Patent number: 10250478Abstract: There are provided a first communication time ascertaining unit that ascertains with a ping command communication delay time in communication with a smartphone, a communication state determining unit that determines whether a communication state is satisfactory in the communication with the smartphone based on the ascertained communication delay time, and a communication switching unit that switches a communication channel used for the communication with the smartphone, from one communication channel to another communication channel when the communication state in the communication with the smartphone is determined to be unsatisfactory. Therefore, the switching of the communication channel is performed only when it is ascertained that the communication state with the smartphone is unsatisfactory.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Alpine Electronics Inc.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Publication number: 20170257302Abstract: There are provided a first communication time ascertaining unit that ascertains with a ping command communication delay time in communication with a smartphone, a communication state determining unit that determines whether a communication state is satisfactory in the communication with the smartphone based on the ascertained communication delay time, and a communication switching unit that switches a communication channel used for the communication with the smartphone, from one communication channel to another communication channel when the communication state in the communication with the smartphone is determined to be unsatisfactory. Therefore, the switching of the communication channel is performed only when it is ascertained that the communication state with the smartphone is unsatisfactory.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2016Publication date: September 7, 2017Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Patent number: 7308235Abstract: While a plurality of seek object frequencies decided in advance is being set as a receiving frequency in order, seek object frequencies meeting at least the following conditions are selected. The electric field strength of a seek object frequency being currently received must exceed a predetermined threshold value ThE. The second intermediate-frequency signal of the seek object frequency being received must be in a prescribed frequency band. When the electric field strength of a neighboring seek object frequency meets the first and second conditions, the absolute value of the difference between the electric field strength of the neighboring seek object frequency whose electric field strength exceeds ThE and the electric field strength of the seek object frequency being received must not exceed a predetermined threshold value h. The modulation factor of the seek object frequency being received must not exceed a threshold value ThM.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2004Date of Patent: December 11, 2007Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Shunichi Suto
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Publication number: 20050101273Abstract: While a plurality of seek object frequencies decided in advance is being set as a receiving frequency in order, seek object frequencies meeting at least the following conditions are selected. The electric field strength of a seek object frequency being currently received must exceed a predetermined threshold value ThE. The second intermediate-frequency signal of the seek object frequency being received must be in a prescribed frequency band. When the electric field strength of a neighboring seek object frequency meets the first and second conditions, the absolute value of the difference between the electric field strength of the neighboring seek object frequency whose electric field strength exceeds ThE and the electric field strength of the seek object frequency being received must not exceed a predetermined threshold value h. The modulation factor of the seek object frequency being received must not exceed a threshold value ThM.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2004Publication date: May 12, 2005Inventor: Shunichi Suto