Patents by Inventor Naohiko Tsuru

Naohiko Tsuru 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).

  • Publication number: 20100023232
    Abstract: A vehicle speed control method calculates a present value KdB_c(a)_p of a corrected evaluation index of approach/separation condition by the following equation, and starts deceleration control when the determined present value KdB_c(a)_p exceeds a threshold value determined by a braking determining equation. In the deceleration control, a corrected target relative speed is determined based on an evaluation index KdB: KdB_c ? ( a ) = 10 × log 10 ? ( ? - 2 × VrGy - a × VrGy_offset Ds 3 × 1 5 × 10 - 8 ? ) wherein VrGy_offset, VrGy, a, Ds indicate a curve-time target speed, a difference between the curve-time target speed and a speed of a subject vehicle, a constant and a curve entrance arrival distance, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20090265071
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive control system, a control unit calculates an evaluation index indicating an approach/separation condition of a subject vehicle during a travel and stores this evaluation index together with an inter-vehicle distance with respect to each driver in a memory device. The control unit further calculates a maximum value of the stored evaluation index for each distance, and calculates a relational equation between the distance and the calculated maximum evaluation index. The control unit determines, by correcting the relational equation, a speed control start determination equation, which determines the start timing of the automatic acceleration and/or deceleration control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20090093938
    Abstract: In a vehicle speed control system, a preset offset distance is taken as a zero value of an inter-vehicle distance in a brake discriminant. When the current value of a corrected distance condition evaluation index is higher than the brake discriminant, a value on the brake discriminant is set as a target value of the corrected distance condition evaluation index. Deceleration control is started to decelerate the subject vehicle so that the deceleration of the subject vehicle becomes equal to the target deceleration of the subject vehicle computed based on the target relative speed corresponding to the set target value and the actual relative speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20080288152
    Abstract: An inter-vehicle distance control apparatus is provided to provide comfortable acceleration feeling to a driver of a vehicle in various situations. The inter-vehicle distance control apparatus is configured to perform an acceleration control operation when a correction distance condition evaluation index at a present time, which takes into account a velocity of a forward object, is smaller than a threshold given by a judgment equation. The inter-vehicle distance control apparatus is configured to perform the acceleration control operation to accelerate the vehicle at a target acceleration, which is calculated from an actual relative velocity and a target relative velocity corresponding to the threshold given by the judgment equation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7450016
    Abstract: A driver fatigue assessment device may include; a look information generator to generate look information regarding at least one of a driver's direction of a look and a locus at which a driver is looking; a visual stimulator to provide a visual stimulus within a driver's field of view at a first position and then move the location thereof to a second position; a change determination unit to determine whether the look information has changed in response to the movement of the visual stimulus; and a fatigue decision unit to assess driver fatigue based upon an output of the change determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, National University Corporation Kagawa University
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru, Takahiro Wada, Hiroshi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7440830
    Abstract: In a driving support system, a necessary information amount determining section determines the amount of visual information necessary for safe driving. An information acquisition capacity setting section sets an information acquisition capacity of a driver. A comparing section compares the necessary information amount with the information acquisition capacity and determines a difference between the two. If a possibility of collision between an object and a vehicle is determined by a collision possibility determining section, a driving support level setting section sets a level of driving support based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7433772
    Abstract: When a vehicle travels along a curve of a road, a target vehicle acceleration/deceleration that is used for accelerating/decelerating the vehicle to a target vehicle speed, which is set for the curve, is calculated. Based on a comparison between a present vehicle speed of the vehicle and the target vehicle speed, the vehicle is controlled such that an acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle coincides with the target vehicle acceleration/deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7395144
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a brake control system for a vehicle, according to which a comfortable feeling for a vehicle deceleration is obtained. An index of evaluating a vehicle distance change is calculated based on a relative vehicle speed, wherein the index has a characteristic feature according to which the index value is increased as the relative vehicle speed becomes higher and a vehicle distance becomes shorter. A brake assisting operation is carried out such that the index is controlled at a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7394356
    Abstract: An information presenting method and apparatus for a vehicle which may process display information based on a predicted direction of movement of the vehicle, detect an object near the vehicle, determine whether the object is a dangerous object, and control a presentation direction so that the display information is a direction of movement of the vehicle during operation, and if the object is a dangerous object, the information presenting method or apparatus moves the presentation direction from the direction of movement of the vehicle to a direction of the object and presents the display information of areas outside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Kumabe, Naohiko Tsuru, Takao Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20080074246
    Abstract: A collision determination apparatus detects a current value of a lateral acceleration of a subject vehicle for calculating a collision risk index, and the collision risk index is used to determine the risk of collision of the subject vehicle with a front object. As the collision risk index takes the lateral acceleration of the subject vehicle into account, the collision risk index correctly represents a risk of collision of the subject vehicle with the front object when the subject vehicle is traveling in a condition that is under an influence of the lateral acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20080059037
    Abstract: A vehicle control system controls the speed of a vehicle according to actual road conditions and state of the vehicle. The control system acquires a present value of lateral acceleration occurring in a direction lateral to a controlled vehicle when the controlled vehicle avoids a collision with an obstacle or passes the obstacle. A target relative speed between the obstacle and the controlled vehicle is calculated from the present value of lateral acceleration and a turning radius of the controlled vehicle required for the controlled vehicle to avoid a collision with the obstacle or to pass the obstacle. Then, deceleration control is executed based on target relative deceleration rate at which the controlled vehicle is to be decelerated to reach the target relative speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20070276574
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a brake control system for a vehicle, according to which a comfortable feeling for a vehicle deceleration is obtained. An index of evaluating a vehicle distance change is calculated based on a relative vehicle speed, wherein the index has a characteristic feature according to which the index value is increased as the relative vehicle speed becomes higher and a vehicle distance becomes shorter. A brake assisting operation is carried out such that the index is controlled at a target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20070191997
    Abstract: When a vehicle travels along a curve of a road, a target vehicle acceleration/deceleration that is used for accelerating/decelerating the vehicle to a target vehicle speed, which is set for the curve, is calculated. Based on a comparison between a present vehicle speed of the vehicle and the target vehicle speed, the vehicle is controlled such that an acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle coincides with the target vehicle acceleration/deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7222690
    Abstract: When a variation amount of a driving operation falls outside of a determining reference, a determining system determines that an awakening degree of a driver is decreased. The determining system changes the determining reference by whether or not a preceding vehicle is existing within a given distance. Therefore, in consideration of peripheral traffic environments such as existence and absence of the preceding vehicle, the awakening degree of the driver is determined, so that determining accuracy of the awakening degree is enhanced more than that of a conventional method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7209833
    Abstract: A computer of a collision possibility determination device has a pixel position setting section, a travel vector calculating section, a vector direction determining section, and a collision possibility determining section. The pixel position setting section sets a travel direction pixel position in an image of view ahead of a vehicle and a circle with a specific radius from the set travel direction pixel position. The travel vector calculating section calculates a travel vector of an object that exists in the travel direction of the vehicle. The vector direction determining section determines whether an orientation of the travel vector matches a direction toward the inside of the circle. The collision possibility determining section determines a possible collision between the vehicle and the object when the orientation of the travel vector matches the direction toward the inside of the circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7205888
    Abstract: A driving assisting apparatus for preventing a vehicular collision including a camera, a target detector and a processor. The camera takes an image of a predetermined range in front of a vehicle. The target detector detects in the image a target notifying to stop the vehicle to prevent a vehicular collision. In a case that the target detector detects a plurality of the targets, the processor automatically stops the vehicle at a safe position required to prevent the vehicle from colliding with another vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Patent number: 7184889
    Abstract: A collision-prediction unit for a vehicle including a road condition detector, a maximum deceleration estimator, a forward vehicle detector, a forward vehicle deceleration calculator, and a collision examiner is provided. The road surface detector detects a condition of a road surface on which the vehicle travels. The maximum deceleration estimator calculates a maximum vehicle deceleration for the vehicle on the road surface having the detected condition. The forward vehicle detector detects a moving condition of a forward vehicle located ahead of the vehicle. The forward vehicle deceleration calculator calculates a forward vehicle deceleration based on the moving condition of the forward vehicle. The collision examiner determines whether a collision between the vehicle and the forward vehicle is imminent by comparing the forward vehicle deceleration to the maximum vehicle deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20070021876
    Abstract: When there is a preceding vehicle in a traveling direction of a subject vehicle, an ECU computes a driver condition coefficient that represents degree of change in the size of an image of the preceding vehicle as viewed from the driver is computed. The driving condition of the driver is detected from this driver condition coefficient and used to provide an alarm indicative of the driving condition and to control vehicle travel condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru
  • Publication number: 20060132319
    Abstract: A driver fatigue assessment device may include; a look information generator to generate look information regarding at least one of a driver's direction of a look and a locus at which a driver is looking; a visual stimulator to provide a visual stimulus within a driver's field of view at a first position and then move the location thereof to a second position; a change determination unit to determine whether the look information has changed in response to the movement of the visual stimulus; and a fatigue decision unit to assess driver fatigue based upon an output of the change determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Applicants: DENSO Corporation, National University Corporation Kagawa University
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru, Takahiro Wada, Hiroshi Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20060103539
    Abstract: The vision recognition support device includes an obscuring device configured to obscure a view of an operator operating an apparatus, and may further include a control device controlling operation of the obscuring device to temporarily obscure the view of the operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Isaji, Naohiko Tsuru