Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro TOMOSUE
Kazuhiro TOMOSUE 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: 11834073Abstract: The autonomous driving system includes an internal vehicle camera, a vehicle detection device, and a processor configured to detect an angle of a facial direction or a line of sight of the driver, judge whether the driver has checked safety of the surroundings of the vehicle based on the angle, and control autonomous driving of the vehicle. The processor is configured to start a lane change of the vehicle when it is judged that the driver has checked the safety of the surroundings of the vehicle. The processor is configured to judge that the driver has checked the safety when a first condition has been satisfied if another vehicle has not been detected in a destination lane, and judge that the driver has checked the safety when a second condition more severe than the first condition has been satisfied if another vehicle has been detected in the destination lane.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2021Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yutaro Tsugawa, Kenichiroh Hara, Kazuhiro Tomosue
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Patent number: 11807277Abstract: Provided is a driving assistance apparatus (a control unit (100)) for a vehicle capable of hands-off driving that lets a driver take his or her hands off the steering wheel. The driving assistance apparatus includes a processor (10) configured to determine, on the basis of sensor information indicating a state of the driver, whether or not the driver is in a state unsuitable for the surrounding monitoring of the vehicle during the hands-off driving, warn the driver through a notification device when it is determined that the driver is in a state unsuitable for the surrounding monitoring, and notify the driver, through the notification device, of a request for holding the steering wheel.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2020Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenichiroh Hara, Naruhisa Yoshida, Kazuhiro Tomosue, Shunichiroh Sawai, Naoki Nishimura, Takanori Kusakabe, Tomoyuki Yoshida, Shogo Konishi, Hirofumi Mori
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Patent number: 11738780Abstract: Provided is a driving assistance apparatus (a control unit (100)) for a vehicle capable of hands-off driving that lets a driver take his or her hands off the steering wheel. The driving assistance apparatus includes a processor (10) configured to determine, on the basis of sensor information indicating a state of the driver, whether or not the driver is in a state unsuitable for the surrounding monitoring of the vehicle during the hands-off driving, warn the driver through a notification device when it is determined that the driver is in a state unsuitable for the surrounding monitoring, and notify the driver, through the notification device, of a request for holding the steering wheel.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenichiroh Hara, Naruhisa Yoshida, Kazuhiro Tomosue, Shunichiroh Sawai, Naoki Nishimura, Takanori Kusakabe, Tomoyuki Yoshida, Shogo Konishi, Hirofumi Mori
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Patent number: 11694449Abstract: A driver monitor includes a processor configured to detect the orientation and the position of the face of a driver of a vehicle from each of face images obtained by a camera for capturing the driver, update a reference direction of orientations or a reference position of the driver's face, based on orientations or positions of the driver's face detected from face images obtained in a preceding predetermined period, and detect putting a wearable object on or taking a wearable object off the driver's face in each face image. Upon detection of putting on or taking off the wearable object, the processor updates the reference direction or the reference position, based on only orientations or positions of the driver's face detected from face images obtained after the detection.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuhiro Tomosue, Kenichiroh Hara
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Patent number: 11651600Abstract: A driver monitor includes a processor configured to detect the orientation and the position of the face of a driver of a vehicle from each of face images obtained by a camera for capturing the driver, update a reference direction of orientations or a reference position of the driver's face, based on orientations or positions of the driver's face detected from face images obtained in a preceding predetermined period, and detect putting a wearable object on or taking a wearable object off the driver's face in each face image. Upon detection of putting on or taking off the wearable object, the processor updates the reference direction or the reference position, based on only orientations or positions of the driver's face detected from face images obtained after the detection.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuhiro Tomosue, Kenichiroh Hara
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Publication number: 20220089188Abstract: The autonomous driving system includes an internal vehicle camera, a vehicle detection device, and a processor configured to detect an angle of a facial direction or a line of sight of the driver, judge whether the driver has checked safety of the surroundings of the vehicle based on the angle, and control autonomous driving of the vehicle. The processor is configured to start a lane change of the vehicle when it is judged that the driver has checked the safety of the surroundings of the vehicle. The processor is configured to judge that the driver has checked the safety when a first condition has been satisfied if another vehicle has not been detected in a destination lane, and judge that the driver has checked the safety when a second condition more severe than the first condition has been satisfied if another vehicle has been detected in the destination lane.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2021Publication date: March 24, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yutaro TSUGAWA, Kenichiroh HARA, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE
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Publication number: 20220004790Abstract: A driver monitor includes a processor configured to detect the orientation and the position of the face of a driver of a vehicle from each of face images obtained by a camera for capturing the driver, update a reference direction of orientations or a reference position of the driver's face, based on orientations or positions of the driver's face detected from face images obtained in a preceding predetermined period, and detect putting a wearable object on or taking a wearable object off the driver's face in each face image. Upon detection of putting on or taking off the wearable object, the processor updates the reference direction or the reference position, based on only orientations or positions of the driver's face detected from face images obtained after the detection.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kazuhiro TOMOSUE, Kenichiroh HARA
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Publication number: 20210016804Abstract: Provided is a driving assistance apparatus (a control unit (100)) for a vehicle capable of hands-off driving that lets a driver take his or her hands off the steering wheel. The driving assistance apparatus includes a processor (10) configured to determine, on the basis of sensor information indicating a state of the driver, whether or not the driver is in a state unsuitable for the surrounding monitoring of the vehicle during the hands-off driving, warn the driver through a notification device when it is determined that the driver is in a state unsuitable for the surrounding monitoring, and notify the driver, through the notification device, of a request for holding the steering wheel.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2020Publication date: January 21, 2021Inventors: Kenichiro HARA, Naruhisa YOSHIDA, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE, Shunichiro SAWAI, Naoki NISHIMURA, Takanori KUSAKABE, Tomoyuki YOSHIDA, Shogo KONISHI, Hirofumi MORI
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Patent number: 10896338Abstract: A control system comprising a reference image setting part setting a reference image of the face of the driver based on the image captured by the driver monitor camera, a monitoring part monitoring a condition of the driver based on the image captured by the driver monitor camera and the reference image, a first judging part judging if the face of the driver can no longer be recognized when monitoring the condition of the driver, a second judging part judging if the driver has been changed when the face of the driver can no longer be recognized, and a reference image resetting part resetting the reference image of the face of the driver based on the image captured by the driver monitor camera when it is judged that the driver has been changed.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi Matsumura, Jun Sato, Kenichiroh Hara, Junya Kasugai, Koichiro Yamauchi, Kazuhiro Tomosue
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Patent number: 10803294Abstract: A driver monitoring system 1 includes: an image capturing device 11 which captures a face image of the driver; and a control device 50 to which the face image captured by the image capturing device is transmitted. The control device includes: a facial orientation recognition unit which recognizes the facial orientation angle of the driver based on the face image captured by the image capturing device; a zero-point setting unit which sets a zero-point of a pitch angle, yaw angle, and roll angle of the face of the driver based on the facial orientation angle recognized by the facial orientation recognition unit, when zero-point setting conditions, including that the velocity of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined velocity, are satisfied; and a state diagnosis unit that diagnoses a state of the driver based on the current facial orientation angle with respect to the zero-point set by the zero-point setting unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2018Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi Matsumura, Jun Sato, Kenichiroh Hara, Junya Kasugai, Koichiro Yamauchi, Kazuhiro Tomosue
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Patent number: 10800424Abstract: A driver condition detection system 1, 1? comprises a driver monitor camera 10 capturing an image of a face of a driver to generate a facial image of the driver, a facial information detecting part 21 detecting a facial orientation or a line of sight of the driver based on the facial image, a threshold value range setting part 22 setting a threshold value range allowed as the facial orientation or the line of sight, a driver condition judging part 23 judging that the driver is driving while distracted if the facial orientation or the line of sight is maintained outside of the threshold value range for a predetermined time period or more, and a road discriminating part 24 discriminating a shape of a road ahead of the vehicle 80. The threshold value range setting part expands the threshold value range according to the shape of the road.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2018Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jun Sato, Kenichiroh Hara, Junya Kasugai, Koichiro Yamauchi, Kazuhiro Tomosue
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Patent number: 10706303Abstract: A driver information determination apparatus includes a road shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a front section shape ahead of a vehicle; a condition determination unit configured to determine whether the front section shape is a determination target shape; a face direction acquisition unit configured to acquire a face direction of a driver; and a reference face direction determination unit configured to determine a reference face direction based on the face direction of the driver. When it is determined that the front section shape is the determination target shape, the reference face direction determination unit determines the reference face direction based on the face direction of the driver. The determination target shape is a shape of a road having a road curvature less than or equal to a preset upper curvature limit or a shape of the road having a road incline within a preset level range.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenichiroh Hara, Naruhisa Yoshida, Kazuhiro Tomosue, Hiroki Iida
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Publication number: 20200050875Abstract: A driver information determination apparatus includes a road shape acquisition unit configured to acquire a front section shape ahead of a vehicle; a condition determination unit configured to determine whether the front section shape is a determination target shape; a face direction acquisition unit configured to acquire a face direction of a driver; and a reference thee direction determination unit configured to determine a reference face direction based on the face direction of the driver. When it is determined that the front section shape is the determination target shape, the reference face direction determination unit determines the reference face direction based on the face direction of the driver. The determination target shape is a shape of a road having a road curvature less than or equal to a preset upper curvature limit or a shape of the road having a road incline within a preset level range.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenichiroh HARA, Naruhisa YOSHIDA, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE, Hiroki IIDA
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Patent number: 10427690Abstract: A control system comprises a driver condition monitoring part configured to monitor the condition of the driver based on the captured image of the driver monitor camera. The driver condition monitoring part is configured to judge if the face of the driver fits in the angle of view of the driver monitor camera based on captured image of the driver monitor camera and to provide the driver through the information providing system with movement information relating to movement necessary for fitting the face of the driver in the angle of view when it is judged that the face of the driver does not fit in the angle of view of the driver monitor camera.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2018Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jun Sato, Kenichiroh Hara, Junya Kasugai, Koichiro Yamauchi, Kazuhiro Tomosue
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Publication number: 20190163997Abstract: A control system comprising a reference image setting part setting a reference image of the face of the driver based on the image captured by the driver monitor camera, a monitoring part monitoring a condition of the driver based on the image captured by the driver monitor camera and the reference image, a first judging part judging if the face of the driver can no longer be recognized when monitoring the condition of the driver, a second judging part judging if the driver has been changed when the face of the driver can no longer be recognized, and a reference image resetting part resetting the reference image of the face of the driver based on the image captured by the driver monitor camera when it is judged that the driver has been changed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2018Publication date: May 30, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi MATSUMURA, Jun SATO, Kenichiroh HARA, Junya KASUGAI, Koichiro YAMAUCHI, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE
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Publication number: 20190138790Abstract: A driver monitoring system 1 includes: an image capturing device 11 which captures a face image of the driver; and a control device 50 to which the face image captured by the image capturing device is transmitted. The control device includes: a facial orientation recognition unit which recognizes the facial orientation angle of the driver based on the face image captured by the image capturing device; a zero-point setting unit which sets a zero-point of a pitch angle, yaw angle, and roll angle of the face of the driver based on the facial orientation angle recognized by the facial orientation recognition unit, when zero-point setting conditions, including that the velocity of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined velocity, are satisfied; and a state diagnosis unit that diagnoses a state of the driver based on the current facial orientation angle with respect to the zero-point set by the zero-point setting unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takeshi MATSUMURA, Jun SATO, Kenichiroh HARA, Junya KASUGAI, Koichiro YAMAUCHI, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE
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Publication number: 20190135295Abstract: A driver condition detection system 1, 1? comprises a driver monitor camera 10 capturing an image of a face of a driver to generate a facial image of the driver, a facial information detecting part 21 detecting a facial orientation or a line of sight of the driver based on the facial image, a threshold value range setting part 22 setting a threshold value range allowed as the facial orientation or the line of sight, a driver condition judging part 23 judging that the driver is driving while distracted if the facial orientation or the line of sight is maintained outside of the threshold value range for a predetermined time period or more, and a road discriminating part 24 discriminating a shape of a road ahead of the vehicle 80. The threshold value range setting part expands the threshold value range according to the shape of the road.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jun SATO, Kenichiroh HARA, Junya KASUGAI, Koichiro YAMAUCHI, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE
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Publication number: 20190135294Abstract: A control system comprises a driver condition monitoring part configured to monitor the condition of the driver based on the captured image of the driver monitor camera. The driver condition monitoring part is configured to judge if the face of the driver fits in the angle of view of the driver monitor camera based on captured image of the driver monitor camera and to provide the driver through the information providing system with movement information relating to movement necessary for fitting the face of the driver in the angle of view when it is judged that the face of the driver does not fit in the angle of view of the driver monitor camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2018Publication date: May 9, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Jun SATO, Kenichiroh HARA, Junya KASUGAI, Koichiro YAMAUCHI, Kazuhiro TOMOSUE