Patents by Inventor Akira Kito

Akira Kito 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: 11279354
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus of a self-driving vehicle including an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the microprocessor is configured to function as: a proximity degree calculation unit configured to calculate a degree of proximity of a rearward vehicle at a rear of the self-driving vehicle to the self-driving vehicle; a proximity degree determination unit configured to determine whether the degree of proximity calculated by the proximity degree calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree; and an actuator control unit configured to control the actuator so as to increase a maximum vehicle speed when it is determined by the proximity degree determination unit that the degree of proximity is equal to or greater than the predetermined degree than when it is determined that the degree of proximity is less than the predetermined degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11110920
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control an actuator for driving a vehicle with a self-driving capability so that the vehicle follows a forward vehicle in front of the vehicle, and including an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform: recognizing a travel pattern of the forward vehicle; setting a travel mode with an acceleration performance in accordance with the travel pattern recognized in the recognizing; and controlling the actuator so that the vehicle follows the forward vehicle in the travel mode set in the setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi
  • Publication number: 20210163002
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus of a self-driving vehicle having a drive power source and a transmission installed in a power transmission path from the drive power source to drive wheels. The travel control apparatus includes a vehicle class detection part detecting a size class of a forward vehicle and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to perform controlling the drive power source and the transmission so as to follow the forward vehicle, recognizing a vehicle type of the forward vehicle in accordance with the size class detected by the vehicle class detection part, and the controlling including controlling a speed ratio of the transmission in accordance with the vehicle type recognized in the recognizing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno, Takayuki Kishi
  • Patent number: 11009885
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control a vehicle with a self-driving capability, including a travel state detector configured to detect a traveling state of a forward vehicle in front of the vehicle, and an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform recognizing a drive-mode of the forward vehicle based on the traveling state detected by the travel state detector. The recognizing includes calculating a degree of variance of a vehicle speed or an acceleration of the forward vehicle based on the traveling state detected by the travel state detector, and determining whether the forward vehicle is traveling in a manual drive mode or a self-drive mode based on the degree of variance calculated in the calculating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi
  • Patent number: 11008005
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control an actuator for driving a vehicle with a self-driving capability so that the vehicle follows a forward vehicle in front of the vehicle. The vehicle travel control apparatus includes a travel state detector configured to detect a traveling state of the forward vehicle, and an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform determining whether the forward vehicle is cruising based on the traveling condition detected by the travel state detector, and controlling the actuator so that the vehicle travels in a normal mode, when it is determined that the forward vehicle is not cruising, and the vehicle follows the forward vehicle in a cruise mode with a fuel economy performance or quietness higher than in the normal mode, when the forward vehicle is cruising.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Takayuki Kishi, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi
  • Patent number: 10990098
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including a surrounding circumstances detector detecting surrounding circumstances of a self-driving vehicle and a microprocessor generating an action plan including a target path of the self-driving vehicle based on the surrounding circumstances detected and controlling a driving component so that the self-driving vehicle travels by self-driving in accordance with the action plan. The microprocessor is configured to perform calculating a hindrance time a first action plan is hindered when a second action plan is generated, determining whether the hindrance time is shorter than a predetermined time period, and controlling the driving component to keep a first state according to the first action plan when the hindrance time is shorter than the predetermined time period, while to change to a second state according to the second action plan when the hindrance time is longer than or equal to the predetermined time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kishi, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10871773
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus including a road surface condition detector, a drive mode instruction switch instructing a manual drive mode or a self-drive mode and, an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The memory stores a driving characteristic of a driver during traveling in the self-drive mode, and the microprocessor performs generating an action plan including a target path of the vehicle, controlling an actuator so that the vehicle travels in self-driving in accordance with the action plan, and the generating including restricting a target value of a physical quantity for traveling of the vehicle included in the action plan, based on the detected road surface condition and the driving characteristic stored in the memory, when a switching from the manual drive mode to the self-drive mode is instructed by the drive mode instruction switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi
  • Patent number: 10859151
    Abstract: A differential apparatus including a rotating body configured to rotate around a rotation axis to transmit power to a differential mechanism, and a groove formed on the rotating body and configured to guide an oil scooped up by rotation of the rotating body inward in a rotation radial direction of the rotating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Kito, Noriyasu Hakuta, Koji Ono, Atsushi Saito
  • Patent number: 10845801
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus including a drive mode instruction switch instructing a manual drive mode or a self-drive mode and a processor configured to perform determining whether a deviation between a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed detector and a target vehicle speed included in an action plan is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and controlling an actuator in the self-drive mode in accordance with the action plan. The microprocessor is further configured to perform switching to the self-drive mode when switching to the self-drive mode is instructed during an acceleration running in the manual drive mode, and controlling the actuator so as to maintain an acceleration in the manual drive mode at least until it is determined that the deviation is equal to or less than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi, Akira Kito, Toshiyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10824157
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including an electric control unit including a microprocessor and a memory connected to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to generate an action plan of the self-driving vehicle and control a drive power source and a transmission so that a self-driving vehicle travels by self-driving in accordance with the action plan. The action plan includes a target vehicle speed after continuously increasing or decreasing beyond a unit time and a target time from a present time to a time when the target vehicle speed is achieved, and the microprocessor is configured to control the drive power source and the transmission so that the self-driving vehicle travels at a target vehicle acceleration set based on the target time and a vehicle speed change amount from the vehicle speed at the present time to the target vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno, Yoshiaki Konishi, Akira Kito
  • Publication number: 20200295627
    Abstract: A rotating electric machine includes: a cylindrical stator core which includes a plurality of slots; a coil which includes a first coil end inserted into the slot and protruding toward one side of the stator core in an axial direction and a second coil end protruding toward the other side in the axial direction; a rotor which is disposed coaxially with the stator core; a shaft which is disposed coaxially with the rotor; and an end wall which is provided at an end side of the shaft and faces the first coil end in the axial direction. The end wall includes a refrigerant outlet which opens in the axial direction so that a refrigerant supplied from the outside is ejected toward the first coil end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Manabu Yazaki, Atsushi Nishida, Teruhito Niimi, Takuji Yano, Akira Kito, Sachio Kawada, Yasuyuki Saito, Hiroshi Hamano, Yuji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10760674
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus including: a case having a first oil storage configured to store oil at a bottom thereof; a rotating body rotatably housed in the case and having a second oil storage configured as an approximately cylindrical rotating body for transmitting power and configured to store oil therein; and an introducing portion configured to introduce oil from the first oil storage into the second oil storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Ono, Akira Kito
  • Patent number: 10753462
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission control apparatus including a manual shift instructing portion outputting a manual shift instruction for upshifting or downshifting a transmission, and an electric control unit including a microprocessor and a memory to control a shift operation. The microprocessor controls the shift operation in accordance with a first shift chart stored in the memory based on vehicle information before the manual shift instruction is output, controls the shift operation in accordance with the manual shift instruction when the manual shift instruction is output, and controls the shift operation in accordance with a second shift chart stored in the memory based on the vehicle information when a predetermined mode switch condition is established after the manual shift instruction is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kishi, Yoshiaki Konishi, Akira Kito, Toshiyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10654487
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus including a driving level switching portion switching to a first driving automation level involving a driver responsibility to monitor surroundings or a second driving automation level not involving the driver responsibility to monitor the surroundings, a distance measurement device measuring an inter-vehicle distance to a forward vehicle, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor performs controlling an equipment according to the inter-vehicle distance so as to follow the forward vehicle, controlling the equipment so that the self-driving vehicle starts when the inter-vehicle distance increases up to a predetermined value, and determining a first predetermined value as the predetermined value when the driving automation level is switched to the first driving automation level and a second predetermined value larger than the first predetermined value as the predetermined value when the driving automation level is switched to the second driving automation level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi
  • Patent number: 10501078
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including a surrounding circumstances detector detecting surrounding circumstances of a self-driving vehicle and an electric control unit including a microprocessor configured to perform generating an action plan of the self-driving vehicle based on the surrounding circumstances and controlling the engine and the transmission so that the self-driving vehicle travels by self-driving in accordance with the action plan. The generating includes generating a first action plan and a second action plan, the first action plan including target position data of the self-driving vehicle, the second action plan including an acceleration instruction to a target vehicle speed not including the target position data, and the controlling includes controlling the engine and the transmission, so that the self-driving vehicle accelerates to the target vehicle speed at a target torque minimizing a fuel consumption quantity per unit travel distance when the second action plan is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kishi, Yoshiaki Konishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito
  • Publication number: 20190271387
    Abstract: A differential apparatus including a rotating body configured to rotate around a rotation axis to transmit power to a differential mechanism, and a groove formed on the rotating body and configured to guide an oil scooped up by rotation of the rotating body inward in a rotation radial direction of the rotating body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Akira Kito, Noriyasu Hakuta, Koji Ono, Atsushi Saito
  • Publication number: 20190250629
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control a vehicle with a self-driving capability, including a travel state detector configured to detect a traveling state of a forward vehicle in front of the vehicle, and an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform recognizing a drive-mode of the forward vehicle based on the traveling state detected by the travel state detector. The recognizing includes calculating a degree of variance of a vehicle speed or an acceleration of the forward vehicle based on the traveling state detected by the travel state detector, and determining whether the forward vehicle is traveling in a manual drive mode or a self-drive mode based on the degree of variance calculated in the calculating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi
  • Publication number: 20190248366
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control an actuator for driving a vehicle with a self-driving capability so that the vehicle follows a forward vehicle in front of the vehicle. The vehicle travel control apparatus includes a travel state detector configured to detect a traveling state of the forward vehicle, and an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform determining whether the forward vehicle is cruising based on the traveling condition detected by the travel state detector, and controlling the actuator so that the vehicle travels in a normal mode, when it is determined that the forward vehicle is not cruising, and the vehicle follows the forward vehicle in a cruise mode with a fuel economy performance or quietness higher than in the normal mode, when the forward vehicle is cruising.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Takayuki Kishi, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi
  • Publication number: 20190249764
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus including: a case having a first oil storage configured to store oil at a bottom thereof; a rotating body rotatably housed in the case and having a second oil storage configured as an approximately cylindrical rotating body for transmitting power and configured to store oil therein; and an introducing portion configured to introduce oil from the first oil storage into the second oil storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Koji Ono, Akira Kito
  • Publication number: 20190248369
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control an actuator for driving a vehicle with a self-driving capability so that the vehicle follows a forward vehicle in front of the vehicle, and including an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform: recognizing a travel pattern of the forward vehicle; setting a travel mode with an acceleration performance in accordance with the travel pattern recognized in the recognizing; and controlling the actuator so that the vehicle follows the forward vehicle in the travel mode set in the setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Mizuno, Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi