Patents by Inventor Kihiro Kato

Kihiro Kato 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: 11338706
    Abstract: A vehicle cabin control device includes: a plurality of seating surface changing devices; a determination unit; and an output unit. The seating surface changing devices is configured to change orientations of seating surfaces of a plurality of vehicle seats. When the determination unit determines that the sharing state is desirable, the output unit operates the seating surface changing devices so as to change orientations of bodies of the occupants to such orientations that the occupants easily communicate with each other. When the determination unit determines that the sharing state is not desirable, the output unit operates the seating surface changing device so as to change an orientation of the body of the occupant to such an orientation that the occupant does not easily communicates with the other occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki Kobayashi, Mikihiro Amano, Kihiro Kato, Hiroshi Mizobata, Kazuhiro Matsui
  • Patent number: 11040658
    Abstract: A vehicle obstacle informing device includes: an obstacle detection section configured to detect an obstacle in surroundings of a vehicle; a gaze detection section configured to detect a gaze direction of an occupant seated in a driving seat; and an informing section configured to make the occupant aware of the obstacle using at least one of display or audio in cases in which the gaze of the occupant as detected by the gaze detection section is directed toward the obstacle during self-driving of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Yasue, Kihiro Kato, Satoshi Yamamichi, Hiroshi Hiraiwa
  • Patent number: 10988081
    Abstract: A vehicle notification system performs audio notification regarding a driving status of a vehicle that is capable of self-driving, for an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined timing during self-driving. The vehicle notification system includes a position identification section that is configured to identify a current position of the vehicle. Based on a destination and the current position, notification that the driving status is conforming to a plan is performed at regular intervals, and notification that the driving status is not conforming to the plan is performed if the driving status is no longer conforming to the plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Ito, Kihiro Kato, Michio Ikeda, Shotaro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10757315
    Abstract: A vehicle imaging support device includes: an identification unit that is configured to identify an imaging device that is able to image a vehicle in a driving state from outside, based on a position of the vehicle; a instruction unit that is configured to instructs the imaging device identified by the identification unit, to capture an image of the vehicle in the driving state; and an acquisition unit that obtains the image captured by the imaging device in response to the instruction from the instruction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daichi Kusanagi, Masaki Ito, Kenta Miyahara, Kihiro Kato, Yuka Shidochi, Yohei Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20200223328
    Abstract: A vehicle cabin control device includes a plurality of seating surface changing devices a determination unit and an output unit. The seating surface changing devices is configured to change orientations of seating surfaces of a plurality of vehicle seats. When the determination unit determines that the sharing state is desirable, the output unit operates the seating surface changing devices so as to change orientations of bodies of the occupants to such orientations that the occupants easily communicate with each other. When the determination unit determines that the sharing state is not desirable, the output unit operates the seating surface changing device so as to change an orientation of the body of the occupant to such a orientation that the occupant does not easily communicates with the other occupants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kobayashi, Mikihiro Amano, Kihiro Kato, Hiroshi Mizobata, Kazuhiro Matsui
  • Publication number: 20200130580
    Abstract: A vehicle obstacle informing device includes: an obstacle detection section configured to detect an obstacle in surroundings of a vehicle; a gaze detection section configured to detect a gaze direction of an occupant seated in a driving seat; and an informing section configured to make the occupant aware of the obstacle using at least one of display or audio in cases in which the gaze of the occupant as detected by the gaze detection section is directed toward the obstacle during self-driving of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Satoshi Yasue, Kihiro Kato, Satoshi Yamamichi, Hiroshi Hiraiwa
  • Publication number: 20200122639
    Abstract: A vehicle notification system performs audio notification regarding a driving status of a vehicle that is capable of self-driving, for an occupant of the vehicle at a predetermined timing during self-driving. The vehicle notification system includes a position identification section that is configured to identify a current position of the vehicle. Based on a destination and the current position, notification that the driving status is conforming to a plan is performed at regular intervals, and notification that the driving status is not conforming to the plan is performed if the driving status is no longer conforming to the plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Masaki Ito, Kihiro Kato, Michio Ikeda, Shotaro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10582339
    Abstract: There is provided a destination information retrieval device including: a first memory; and a first processor connected to the first memory, wherein the first processor acquires posted information from a management server that manages a social networking service (SNS), determines, based on the acquired posted information and current positional information regarding a vehicle, a destination of the vehicle, and outputs the determined destination as destination information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Daichi Kusanagi, Masaki Ito, Kenta Miyahara, Kihiro Kato, Yuka Shidochi, Yohei Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20190215437
    Abstract: A vehicle imaging support device includes: an identification unit that is configured to identify an imaging device that is able to image a vehicle in a driving state from outside, based on a position of the vehicle; a instruction unit that is configured to instructs the imaging device identified by the identification unit, to capture an image of the vehicle in the driving state; and an acquisition unit that obtains the image captured by the imaging device in response to the instruction from the instruction unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Daichi Kusanagi, Masaki Ito, Kenta Miyahara, Kihiro Kato, Yuka Shidochi, Yohei Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20190215659
    Abstract: There is provided a destination information retrieval device including: a first memory; and a first processor connected to the first memory, wherein the first processor acquires posted information from a management server that manages a social networking service (SNS), determines, based on the acquired posted information and current positional information regarding a vehicle, a destination of the vehicle, and outputs the determined destination as destination information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Daichi Kusanagi, Masaki Ito, Kenta Miyahara, Kihiro Kato, Yuka Shidochi, Yohei Tanigawa
  • Publication number: 20190193712
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle interior environment adjustment device including: a first memory; and a first processor connected to the first memory, wherein the first processor: acquires posted information, posted by a specific user, from a management server configured to manage a social networking service (SNS), determines a mode of a vehicle interior environment of a vehicle in which the specific user rides, from a characteristic of the specific user based on the acquired posted information, and outputs a control signal according to the determined mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Daichi Kusanagi, Masaki Ito, Kenta Miyahara, Kihiro Kato, Yuka Shidochi, Yohei Tanigawa