Patents by Inventor Yohei Nakakura

Yohei Nakakura 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: 11427159
    Abstract: An antenna driving apparatus drives an antenna by applying to the antenna a drive voltage having a rectangular waveform switching between a high voltage value and a low voltage value in a predetermined cycle. The antenna driving apparatus includes a high-voltage side switch, a low-voltage side switch, a duty ratio acquisition unit, a drive voltage application unit and a duty ratio switching unit. The duty ratio acquisition unit acquires a set value of a duty ratio as a time ratio at which the drive voltage is at the high voltage value in the rectangular waveform. The drive voltage application unit applies to the antenna the drive voltage by repeating execution of turning the high-voltage side switch into the nonconductive state. The duty ratio switching unit alternately executes switching of the duty ratio between a first duty ratio and a second duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichiro Nakano, Yohei Nakakura
  • Patent number: 11316516
    Abstract: A circuit fault detection apparatus includes an AD conversion circuit, a corrector, first and second determination devices, and a fault detector. The AD conversion circuit detects a voltage corresponding to a current or a voltage applied to the circuit fault detection element, and converts the voltage to a digital value. The corrector corrects a measurement value to a corrected measurement value. The first determination device determines whether or not the electric circuit has the fault, based on a comparison between an uncorrected measurement value and an uncorrected threshold value. The second determination device determines whether the electric circuit has the fault, based on a comparison between the corrected measurement value and a corrected threshold value. The fault detector detects the fault in the electric circuit, based on a condition that at least one of the first or second determination devices determines that the electric circuit has the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuichiro Nakano, Yohei Nakakura
  • Publication number: 20210208195
    Abstract: A circuit fault detection apparatus includes an AD conversion circuit, a corrector, a threshold value setting device and a fault detector. The AD conversion circuit detects a voltage corresponding to a current flowing through a circuit fault detection element connected to the electric circuit or a voltage applied to the circuit fault detection element, and converts the voltage to a digital value. The corrector corrects the digital value or a measurement value as a voltage value representative of the digital value to a corrected measurement value. The threshold value setting device sets a threshold value closer to a normal value side than a limit value of the corrected measurement value determined based on a convertible range of the AD conversion circuit. The fault detector detects whether the fault occurs in the electric circuit, based on comparison between the threshold value and the corrected measurement value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Yuichiro NAKANO, Yohei NAKAKURA
  • Publication number: 20210203321
    Abstract: A circuit fault detection apparatus includes an AD conversion circuit, a corrector, first and second determination devices, and a fault detector. The AD conversion circuit detects a voltage corresponding to a current or a voltage applied to the circuit fault detection element, and converts the voltage to a digital value. The corrector corrects a measurement value to a corrected measurement value. The first determination device determines whether or not the electric circuit has the fault, based on a comparison between an uncorrected measurement value and an uncorrected threshold value. The second determination device determines whether the electric circuit has the fault, based on a comparison between the corrected measurement value and a corrected threshold value. The fault detector detects the fault in the electric circuit, based on a condition that at least one of the first or second determination devices determines that the electric circuit has the fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Yuichiro NAKANO, Yohei NAKAKURA
  • Publication number: 20200282954
    Abstract: An antenna driving apparatus drives an antenna by applying to the antenna a drive voltage having a rectangular waveform switching between a high voltage value and a low voltage value in a predetermined cycle. The antenna driving apparatus includes a high-voltage side switch, a low-voltage side switch, a duty ratio acquisition unit, a drive voltage application unit and a duty ratio switching unit. The duty ratio acquisition unit acquires a set value of a duty ratio as a time ratio at which the drive voltage is at the high voltage value in the rectangular waveform. The drive voltage application unit applies to the antenna the drive voltage by repeating execution of turning the high-voltage side switch into the nonconductive state. The duty ratio switching unit alternately executes switching of the duty ratio between a first duty ratio and a second duty ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Yuichiro NAKANO, Yohei NAKAKURA
  • Patent number: 8938337
    Abstract: A laser sensor is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable. A determination section determines whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor. An opening regulating section regulates an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination section that the obstacle exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yohei Nakakura, Toshiyuki Konishi, Hideki Hioki, Yoshihisa Okada, Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Toshiki Isogai
  • Patent number: 8370021
    Abstract: A distance measuring sensor is arranged to a vehicle door, and measures a distance to an object in a direction corresponding to a scanning angle. A memory stores a standard angle and a comparison distance corresponding to the scanning angle. A distance-shortest scanning angle is defined by the shortest value of the measured distance. When the distance-shortest scanning angle is different from the standard angle, the scanning angle is corrected. The object is determined to be an obstacle having a possibility to contact with the door, when the measured distance is equal to or shorter than a corrected comparison distance corresponding to the corrected scanning angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Okada, Toshiyuki Konishi, Hideki Hioki, Yohei Nakakura
  • Patent number: 8280593
    Abstract: A laser sensor projects laser light in the downward direction. If the laser sensor does not receive any laser light reflected by an obstacle or the ground, it is determined that the obstacle is present in the direction of projection of the laser light. It is thus possible to detect the presence of the obstacle, which will at least affect the opening of the vehicle door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yohei Nakakura, Toshiyuki Konishi, Hideki Hioki, Yoshihisa Okada
  • Publication number: 20100228448
    Abstract: A laser sensor projects laser light in the downward direction. If the laser sensor does not receive any laser light reflected by an obstacle or the ground, it is determined that the obstacle is present in the direction of projection of the laser light. It is thus possible to detect the presence of the obstacle, which will at least affect the opening of the vehicle door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei Nakakura, Toshiyuki Konishi, Hideki Hioki, Yoshihisa Okada
  • Publication number: 20100145617
    Abstract: A distance measuring sensor is arranged to a vehicle door, and measures a distance to an object in a direction corresponding to a scanning angle. A memory stores a standard angle and a comparison distance corresponding to the scanning angle. A distance-shortest scanning angle is defined by the shortest value of the measured distance. When the distance-shortest scanning angle is different from the standard angle, the scanning angle is corrected. The object is determined to be an obstacle having a possibility to contact with the door, when the measured distance is equal to or shorter than a corrected comparison distance corresponding to the corrected scanning angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Okada, Toshiyuki Konishi, Hideki Hioki, Yohei Nakakura
  • Publication number: 20100076651
    Abstract: A laser sensor is located close to a rotation axis of a vehicle door and configured to emit a laser beam to a surface of the vehicle door and accept reflected light reflected from an obstacle for scanning a scanning plane shifted in a door-opening direction, in which the vehicle door is openable. A determination section determines whether an obstacle, which is possible to make contact with the vehicle door, exists in the door-opening direction of the vehicle door, based on a result of emission and acceptance of the laser beam of the laser sensor. An opening regulating section regulates an opening of the vehicle door in response to determination of the determination section that the obstacle exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicants: DENSO CORPORATION, NIPPON SOKEN, INC.
    Inventors: Yohei NAKAKURA, Toshiyuki Konishi, Hideki Hioki, Yoshihisa Okada, Mitsuyasu Matsuura, Toshiki Isogai