Patents by Inventor Kuniaki Tanaka

Kuniaki Tanaka 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: 10300916
    Abstract: Autonomous driving assistance systems, methods, and programs obtain road information that specifies line types of lane markings and connection types of lanes and specify, when a vehicle travels with autonomous driving assistance, a planned route to be taken by the vehicle based on the road information. The systems, methods, and programs execute the autonomous driving assistance for the vehicle according to the specified planned route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirohiko Goto, Yuji Sato, Kuniaki Tanaka, Masaki Takano
  • Publication number: 20190064827
    Abstract: Self-driving assistance devices and programs detect a location of a vehicle and identify a planned travel route on which the vehicle travels from now on, based on the detected location of the vehicle. The devices and programs provide self-driving assistance of the vehicle according to the identified planned travel route. When a plurality of candidates for the location of the vehicle are detected after the vehicle passes through a divergence point, the devices and programs provide self-driving assistance of the vehicle according to a determined planned travel route, which is identified by the processor before the vehicle passes through the divergence point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirohiko GOTO, Masaki TAKANO, Kuniaki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180375489
    Abstract: An aluminum nitride film contains a Group IV element and a Group II or Group XII element, and an atomic composition ratio of the Group II or Group XII element to the Group IV element is less than 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kuniaki TANAKA, Tokihiro NISHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20180237018
    Abstract: Autonomous driving assistance systems, methods, and programs obtain road information that specifies line types of lane markings and connection types of lanes and specify, when a vehicle travels with autonomous driving assistance, a planned route to be taken by the vehicle based on the road information. The systems, methods, and programs execute the autonomous driving assistance for the vehicle according to the specified planned route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirohiko GOTO, Yuji SATO, Kuniaki TANAKA, Masaki TAKANO
  • Publication number: 20180237019
    Abstract: Autonomous driving assistance systems, methods, and programs obtain road information that specifies classification of lanes located ahead in a direction in which a vehicle is traveling and road connection for each lane. The systems, methods, and programs specify, based on the road information, a planned route that is to be taken by the vehicle on a presumption that the vehicle travels without changing lanes, when the vehicle travels with autonomous driving assistance, and execute the autonomous driving assistance for the vehicle according to the specified planned route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirohiko GOTO, Yuji SATO, Kuniaki TANAKA, Masaki TAKANO
  • Patent number: 10030983
    Abstract: Support point management systems, methods, and programs acquire a support point registered as a subject of deceleration support and exclude the support point as the subject of deceleration support in a case a vehicle travels on a new road after having traveled through the support point without deceleration at the support point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Niwa, Tomoki Kodan, Kuniaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20180120844
    Abstract: Autonomous driving assistance systems, methods, and programs determine if an execution restricted section is located ahead in a vehicle travel direction during autonomous driving assistance. If so, the systems, methods, and programs obtain required preliminary operation time that is based on a type of the execution restricted section. The systems, methods, and programs determine based on a vehicle speed and the required preliminary operation time, if time required to reach a start point of the execution restricted section is equal to or less than the required preliminary operation time. If so, the systems, methods, and programs determine if a vehicle state satisfies an executable condition under which autonomous driving assistance can be continued in the execution restricted section. If not, the systems, methods, and programs control the vehicle or prompt a user to shift the state of the vehicle to a state that satisfies the executable condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro OKAMOTO, Saijiro TANAKA, Kuniaki TANAKA, Masaki TAKANO
  • Publication number: 20180099676
    Abstract: Autonomous driving assistance systems, methods, and programs obtain lane information of a road on which a vehicle is traveling, and set a planned target section for which a lane change plan of the vehicle is to be created. The systems, methods, and programs obtain, for each lane, an obstructive factor present on the road on which the vehicle is traveling and that obstructs continuation of autonomous driving assistance executed on the vehicle, and set, for each obtained obstructive factor, an avoidance route that passes through a lane avoiding the obstructive factor. The systems, methods, and programs create a lane change route that defines the lane change plan of the vehicle in the planned target section and that is set so as to preferentially pass through the avoidance route set for each obtained obstructive factor, and execute the autonomous driving assistance of the vehicle based on the lane change route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: April 12, 2018
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirohiko GOTO, Yuji SATO, Kuniaki TANAKA, Masaki TAKANO
  • Patent number: 9889828
    Abstract: There are provided a deceleration end location storage system that can appropriately store a deceleration end location at which a vehicle ends deceleration in decelerating action even for a road on which the content of the decelerating action tends to vary because of a disturbance such as a road with a large amount of traffic, and a drive assist system, a drive assist method, and a computer program that can provide appropriate drive assistance for a vehicle on the basis of stored deceleration end locations. In the case where a vehicle performs decelerating action, a deceleration end location at which the vehicle ends deceleration in the decelerating action is specified. A variation range that matches the road type of a road on which the deceleration end location is provided is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Niwa, Takashi Fukukawa, Tomoki Kodan, Kuniaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20180037223
    Abstract: Autonomous driving assistance systems, methods, and programs acquire a present location of a vehicle, acquire a road shape of a road where the vehicle travels, and set, on the basis of the present location of the vehicle and the road shape of the road where the vehicle travels, control content of first autonomous driving control that causes the vehicle to travel without deviating from a lane and second autonomous driving control that controls a speed of the vehicle in accordance with the road shape. The systems, methods, and programs perform the first autonomous driving control or the second autonomous driving control in compliance with the set control content, detect a steering operation by a driver of the vehicle, and continue or stop the first autonomous driving control or the second autonomous driving control on the basis of the detected steering operation, the present location, and the road shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirohiko GOTO, Yuji SATO, Kuniaki TANAKA, Masaki TAKANO
  • Publication number: 20180013862
    Abstract: A vehicle information transmission system that carries out communication with a management server that manages a vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to acquire vehicle information in accordance with a third sampling pattern that is a combination of a first sampling pattern and a second sampling pattern. The vehicle information is transferred within an in-vehicle network installed in the vehicle. The first sampling pattern is a sampling pattern in which the vehicle information is sampled at a change point at which a predetermined change has occurred. The second sampling pattern is a sampling pattern in which the vehicle information is sampled at intervals of a predetermined period. The electronic control unit is configured to transmit the acquired vehicle information to the management server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashige HORI, Kuniaki TANAKA, Eiji MURATA, Masatoshi TAKAHARA, Kouji MAENO, Toshio KATO, Shoji KAMIYA
  • Patent number: 9846044
    Abstract: A travel information recording system for associating travel information on a vehicle obtained immediately after travel through a branch location with an appropriate road segment includes: travel segment specifying unit for specifying a travel segment that is a road segment in which a vehicle is traveling; and travel information recorder for recording travel information on the vehicle obtained during travel in the travel segment in association with the travel segment in a storage medium. In the case where there occurs a segment variation in which the travel segment is varied from one of several road segments branched off from a branch location, the travel information recorder acquires the travel information to be recorded in association with a post-variation segment, which is the travel segment after the segment variation, on the basis of the travel information obtained before the segment variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenta Sanami, Satoshi Hirano, Takayuki Miyajima, Tomoki Kodan, Kuniaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9834197
    Abstract: Section acquisition systems, methods, and programs acquire a scheduled travel route of a vehicle driven by at least one of an internal combustion engine or a motor. The systems, methods, and programs divide the scheduled travel route that is in a range of a predetermined distance from a current location into a plurality of sections such that a difference in traffic congestion degree is distinguished, and divide the scheduled travel route that is not in the range of the predetermined distance from the current location into a plurality of sections such that a difference in travel load is distinguished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Hirano, Takayuki Miyajima, Tomoki Kodan, Kuniaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20170324313
    Abstract: Provided is a motor having a rotary unit includes a shaft extending along the center axis, an armature core attached to the shaft and having six teeth radially extending toward a radial direction, a coil group of 6·n (however, n is 1 or 2) concentrated winding coils installed at the six teeth, using a coil by concentratedly winding a lead wire around one teeth as a concentrated winding coil, and a commutator electrically connected to the coil group. The stationary unit includes a pair of field magnets having same polarity facing each other, having the armature core disposed therebetween and a housing having a cylindrical yoke accommodating the pair of field magnets, wherein in the yoke, a pair of portions facing each other between the pair of magnets in a circumferential direction is a pair of magnetic poles directly facing the teeth of the armature core while having an opposite polarity to that of the magnetic poles, and a brush group contacting the commutator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Naohiro HASHIZUME, Shunsuke TAKAHASHI, Kuniaki TANAKA, Keisuke SAITO
  • Patent number: 9658075
    Abstract: A travel assist system, a travel assist method, and a computer program that prevent frequent corrections of a travel plan due to variations in congestion information are provided. Congestion information is acquired from a VICS center. The current state of a vehicle is acquired. It is determined whether or not the congestion status of an expected travel route for the vehicle has been varied from the congestion information using a criterion based on the state of the vehicle. In the case where it is determined that the congestion status of the expected travel route has been varied, the travel plan 48 is corrected using the congestion status after the variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenta Sanami, Takayuki Miyajima, Satoshi Hirano, Akira Matsuda, Tomoki Kodan, Kuniaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20170020423
    Abstract: An information measuring device includes a detection film placed on the surface of a first needle section, an electrically conductive second needle section, and an electric current detection circuit which detects an electric current between the detection film and the second needle section. The major axis of the first needle section is 0.1 mm or more and 0.3 mm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Tetsuji FUJITA, Kuniaki TANAKA, Makoto KATASE, Yoshihiko MOMOSE
  • Patent number: 9482991
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image holding body, a developing device, a transfer device, a collection device, a container, and a transport member. The image holding body includes a surface on which a latent image is formed. The developing device develops the latent image into a visual image with developer. The transfer device transfers the visual image onto a transfer medium. The collection device collects the developer remaining on the surface of the image holding body after the visual image has been transferred. The container contains new developer supplied to the developing device. The image forming apparatus has a channel that has a first sub-channel and a second sub-channel. The developer flows into the first sub-channel from one of the collection device and the container and the second sub-channel from the other of the collection device and the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Kubo, Kiyotoshi Kaneyama, Kuniaki Tanaka, Yoshinobu Kariya, Hideaki Ozawa, Yasutomo Ishii, Yuki Sekura, Tatsuya Soga, Shintaro Hattori
  • Patent number: 9469299
    Abstract: Deceleration control systems, methods, and programs acquire from learning information a target deceleration point in front of a traveling vehicle and an associated deceleration end point. The deceleration end point is a point representative of one or more locations at which deceleration of the vehicle or another vehicle was actually completed in the past as the vehicle or the other vehicle approached the associated deceleration end point. The systems, methods, and programs determine a distance between the acquired target deceleration point and the acquired deceleration end point as a predicted distance over which traffic is present. The systems, methods, and programs communicate with a vehicle ECU to perform a deceleration control of the vehicle so that (i) the longer the determined distance, the greater the deceleration rate applied during the deceleration control, and (ii) the deceleration is complete by the time the vehicle reaches the acquired deceleration end point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignees: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Niwa, Tomoki Kodan, Kuniaki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20160245658
    Abstract: Support point management systems, methods, and programs acquire a support point registered as a subject of deceleration support and exclude the support point as the subject of deceleration support in a case a vehicle travels on a new road after having traveled through the support point without deceleration at the support point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki NIWA, Tomoki KODAN, Kuniaki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20160229389
    Abstract: Section acquisition systems, methods, and programs acquire a scheduled travel route of a vehicle driven by at least one of an internal combustion engine or a motor. The systems, methods, and programs divide the scheduled travel route that is in a range of a predetermined distance from a current location into a plurality of sections such that a difference in traffic congestion degree is distinguished, and divide the scheduled travel route that is not in the range of the predetermined distance from the current location into a plurality of sections such that a difference in travel load is distinguished.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 11, 2016
    Applicants: AISIN AW CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi HIRANO, Takayuki MIYAJIMA, Tomoki KODAN, Kuniaki TANAKA