Patents by Inventor Takahiro Kojo

Takahiro Kojo 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: 10875575
    Abstract: A steering assistance device includes a steering wheel to which a driver of a vehicle inputs steering torque, a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, a steering mechanism configured to convert a rotation of the steering shaft into a steering angle for steering target wheels, a steering actuator configured to drive the steering mechanism such that a steering angle corresponding to a command value is generated, a steering torque sensor configured to detect torque acting on the steering shaft, an information providing unit configured to provide road information of a scheduled passage area extending in a traveling direction of the vehicle, and an electronic control unit configured to control the steering actuator, based on an output of the steering torque sensor and the road information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Yoshio Kudo, Takahiro Kojo, Yutaka Aoki, Ryo Irie, Satoshi Takahashi, Masateru Amano
  • Publication number: 20200324792
    Abstract: An override conciliating portion executes processing to conciliate an override request during an execution of automated driving control (i.e., override conciliation processing). In the override conciliation processing, it is determined whether or not there is the override request (step S20). If the determination result of the step S20 is positive, it is determined whether or not a second automated driving mode is selected as an operation mode (step S21). If the determination result of the step S21 is negative, acceptance processing of the override request is executed (step S22). If the determination result of the step S21 is positive, invalidation processing of the override request is executed (step S23).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Takahiro Kojo, Shun Mizoo, Takahiro Yokota, Shunsuke Tanimori, Hisaya Akatsuka, Masaki Shiota, Hirotaka Tokoro
  • Publication number: 20200172159
    Abstract: A steering determination device determines a steering state in which a driver of a vehicle is steering a steering wheel of the vehicle. The device includes a torque recognition unit configured to recognize a steering torque based on a measurement result of a torque sensor provided on a steering shaft, an acceleration recognition unit configured to recognize longitudinal acceleration or lateral acceleration, a threshold value setting unit configured to set a threshold value for the determination of the steering state, based on the longitudinal acceleration or the lateral acceleration, and a steering determination unit configured to determine that the driver is in the steering state if the steering torque is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The threshold value setting unit is configured to set the threshold value such that the threshold value decreases as an absolute value of the longitudinal acceleration or the lateral acceleration decreases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Takahiko KUWABARA, Naoki NISHIMURA, Yoji KUNIHIRO, Takahiro KOJO, Hisaya AKATSUKA, Maxime MOREILLON, Tsutomu TAMURA, Robert FUCHS
  • Patent number: 10649454
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having a control unit that is configured to perform autonomous driving in which a steered angle of steered wheels is changed by a steering device so that a steering angle becomes a target steering angle for making the vehicle travel along a target trajectory, and to control the steering device so that a lane change is performed in a standard manner when the lane change is necessary. In a situation where the lane change is necessary and a steering operation is being performed by a driver, when a magnitude of an index value based on a parameter that changes according to the steering operation is smaller than a termination reference value, the control device does not terminate the autonomous driving and changes a target trajectory of the lane change according to the magnitude of the index value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Yoshio Kudo, Takahiro Kojo, Masateru Amano
  • Patent number: 10597076
    Abstract: Provided is a steering control device (10) for a vehicle (12), including a front wheel steering device (14) and a rear wheel steering device (42). When a magnitude of a steering angle (MA) is large in a state in which rear wheels are steered by the rear wheel steering device in the same phase with respect to front wheels, the steering control device carries out calculation so as to increase a rear wheel target correction steering angle ??bt for a correction steering for the rear wheels (18RL and 18RR) toward an opposite phase direction with respect to the front wheels (18FL and 18FR) compared with when the magnitude of the steering angle is small, and controls the rear wheel steering device based on the target correction steering angle ??bt, thereby increasing a slip angle toward the inside of a turn of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toru Takashima, Takahiro Kojo
  • Publication number: 20200010113
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle travel support apparatus including: a normal control module configured to execute travel support control; a correction control module configured to execute correction control in addition to the travel support control when a state of the vehicle is brought into an abnormal state during the execution of the travel support control; and a compensation control module configured to, when a finish condition is satisfied during the execution of the correction control, stop both the travel support control and the correction control and execute compensation control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Watari, Takafumi Tashiro, Yoji Kunihiro, Takahiro Kojo, Ryo Irie, Yuichiro Ido, Masaya Sato, Hisaya Akatsuka
  • Patent number: 10486737
    Abstract: A steering control device has a steering actuator as an operation target, the steering actuator includes a motor and a steering mechanism mechanically connected to a rotary shaft of the motor. The steering control device includes a controller configured to perform i) a low-temperature process of changing a torque of the motor when an estimated value estimated from a temperature of a lubrication target part of the steering mechanism is equal to or lower than a predetermined value with respect to when the estimated value is higher than the predetermined value and ii) an estimation process of calculating the estimated value which is set be lower than a detected value of a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of a predetermined member attached to the steering mechanism based on a heat emission parameter of the steering actuator associated with a current flow with the detected value as an input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Toko, Hiromasa Tamaki, Akira Nambu, Takahiro Kojo, Nobuyori Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20190331544
    Abstract: A turning mechanism of a vehicle turns a wheel and is coupled to a steering wheel through a steering shaft. A torque sensor detects a torque applied to a first position of the steering shaft, as a sensor-detected torque. An upper friction torque is an absolute value of the sensor-detected torque that is caused by a friction force acting on the steering shaft between the first position and the steering wheel when the steering shaft is rotated. A vehicle control system repeatedly estimates the upper friction torque and variably sets a determination threshold to the estimated upper friction torque or more. The vehicle control system determines whether a driver state is a hands-on state or a hands-off state based on a comparison between the absolute value of the sensor-detected torque and the determination threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro KOJO, Yoji KUNIHIRO, Ryo IRIE, Hisaya AKATSUKA
  • Patent number: 10336366
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus for a vehicle comprising a steering device that steers steerable wheels, and a control unit configured to execute a running control in which a steered angle of the steerable wheels is changed by controlling the steering device, the control unit being configured to calculate a deviation between an index value of a target running state of the vehicle and an index value of an actual running state, to calculate a target change amount of the steered angle based on the index value deviation, to control the steering device so that a change amount of the steered angle conforms to the target change amount, and to limit a magnitude of a time change rate of the steered angle changed by the running control when one of a magnitude of the index value deviation and a magnitude of the target change amount exceeds a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Yoshio Kudo, Takahiro Kojo, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Masao Ueyama, Takeshi Goto, Yukihide Kimura, Masateru Amano
  • Patent number: 10246128
    Abstract: A travel control device for vehicle (10) includes a steering transmission ratio variable device (14), a steering transmission ratio control device (16) configured to carry out such control that an actual relative rotational angle (?re) of the steering transmission ratio variable device reaches a target value (?ret), a power steering device (18), a steering assist torque control device (20) configured to control the power steering device, and a driving support device (22) configured to correct a target steering assist torque so that an actual steering angle of steered wheels (19FL, 19FR) reaches a target steering angle for driving support. When the driving support device is in operation (Step 140), the magnitude of a change in a relative rotational angle generated by the control of the steering transmission ratio variable device is decreased (Step 150 to 200) compared to a case in which the driving support device is not in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro Kojo
  • Publication number: 20190071125
    Abstract: A steering assistance device includes a steering wheel to which a driver of a vehicle inputs steering torque, a steering shaft connected to the steering wheel, a steering mechanism configured to convert a rotation of the steering shaft into a steering angle for steering target wheels, a steering actuator configured to drive the steering mechanism such that a steering angle corresponding to a command value is generated, a steering torque sensor configured to detect torque acting on the steering shaft, an information providing unit configured to provide road information of a scheduled passage area extending in a traveling direction of the vehicle, and an electronic control unit configured to control the steering actuator, based on an output of the steering torque sensor and the road information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji KUNIHIRO, Yoshio KUDO, Takahiro KOJO, Yutaka AOKI, Ryo IRIE, Satoshi TAKAHASHI, Masateru AMANO
  • Patent number: 10167013
    Abstract: A driving support device may be configured to calculate a target steering angle for allowing a vehicle to travel along a target course; set, as a reference steering angle, a steering angle when a difference between the steering angle and the target steering angle is small; calculate an indication value indicating intention of a driver's steering operation as a sum of a first product of a corrected steering angle and a steering torque, a second product of a derivative of the corrected steering angle and the steering torque, and a third product of the corrected steering angle and a derivative of the steering torque; and correct the target steering angle based on the indication value so that a target driving support torque is corrected in accordance with the intention of the driver's steering operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Yoshio Kudo, Takahiro Kojo, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Masao Ueyama, Takeshi Goto, Yukihide Kimura
  • Publication number: 20180181132
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having a control unit that is configured to perform autonomous driving in which a steered angle of steered wheels is changed by a steering device so that a steering angle becomes a target steering angle for making the vehicle travel along a target trajectory, and to control the steering device so that a lane change is performed in a standard manner when the lane change is necessary. In a situation where the lane change is necessary and a steering operation is being performed by a driver, when a magnitude of an index value based on a parameter that changes according to the steering operation is smaller than a termination reference value, the control device does not terminate the autonomous driving and changes a target trajectory of the lane change according to the magnitude of the index value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji KUNIHIRO, Yoshio KUDO, Takahiro KOJO, Masateru AMANO
  • Publication number: 20180118254
    Abstract: A steering control device has a steering actuator as an operation target, the steering actuator includes a motor and a steering mechanism mechanically connected to a rotary shaft of the motor. The steering control device includes a controller configured to perform i) a low-temperature process of changing a torque of the motor when an estimated value estimated from a temperature of a lubrication target part of the steering mechanism is equal to or lower than a predetermined value with respect to when the estimated value is higher than the predetermined value and ii) an estimation process of calculating the estimated value which is set be lower than a detected value of a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of a predetermined member attached to the steering mechanism based on a heat emission parameter of the steering actuator associated with a current flow with the detected value as an input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2017
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Applicants: JTEKT CORPORATION, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro TOKO, Hiromasa TAMAKI, Akira NAMBU, Takahiro KOJO, Nobuyori NAKAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20180022383
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus for a vehicle comprising a steering device that steers steerable wheels, and a control unit configured to execute a running control in which a steered angle of the steerable wheels is changed by controlling the steering device, the control unit being configured to calculate a deviation between an index value of a target running state of the vehicle and an index value of an actual running state, to calculate a target change amount of the steered angle based on the index value deviation, to control the steering device so that a change amount of the steered angle conforms to the target change amount, and to limit a magnitude of a time change rate of the steered angle changed by the running control when one of a magnitude of the index value deviation and a magnitude of the target change amount exceeds a reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji KUNIHIRO, Yoshio KUDO, Takahiro KOJO, Yoshiaki SUZUKI, Masao UEYAMA, Takeshi GOTO, Yukihide KIMURA, Masateru AMANO
  • Patent number: 9738308
    Abstract: A control device (50) for an electric power steering device (10) is configured to: store a basic target return speed (Vrb), which increases in magnitude as the magnitude of a steering angle (?) increases; calculate, when a steering wheel (14) is being returned to a neutral position, the basic target return speed (Vrb) based on an actual steering angle (Step 10); calculate a transitional target return speed (Vtrt), which gradually increases in magnitude and gradually approaches the basic target return speed as the magnitude of the actual steering wheel decreases; and control, when the magnitude of a difference between the basic target return speed and the transitional target return speed is more than a reference value, a steering assist torque so that a return speed reaches the transitional target return speed (Step 20 to Step 160).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Ueyama, Yoji Kunihiro, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Takahiro Kojo
  • Patent number: 9707996
    Abstract: A vehicle drive-control device which executes trajectory control in which steered wheels are controlled so as to make the vehicle travel along a target trajectory. When the possibility exists that the travel direction of the vehicle may be changed by the trajectory control, at least one of an operation position of a steering input unit operated by a driver; a yaw angle of the vehicle; and a lateral position of the vehicle with respect to a lane is changed before a change in the travel direction is made, thereby giving occupants in the vehicle advance notice of the possibility of a change in vehicle travel direction caused by the trajectory control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masao Ueyama, Yoji Kunihiro, Theerawat Limpibunterng, Takahiro Kojo
  • Patent number: 9669866
    Abstract: A steering intention determination device includes a calculation unit that calculates a value based on the product of a steering angular velocity and a steering torque and the product of a steering angle and the time differential value of the steering torque, and a determination unit that determines that the driver has a turn-and-steer steering intention in a case where the value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, determine that the driver has a steering holding intention in a case where the value is less than the predetermined value and the absolute value of the steering angular velocity is less than a predetermined angular velocity, and determine that the driver has a switchback steering intention in a case where the value is less than the predetermined value and the absolute value of the steering angular velocity is equal to or greater than the predetermined angular velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Takahiro Kojo, Yoshiaki Suzuki, Yoshio Kudo, Masao Ueyama, Takeshi Goto, Yukihide Kimura
  • Publication number: 20170088166
    Abstract: A driving support device may be configured to calculate a target steering angle for allowing a vehicle to travel along a target course; set, as a reference steering angle, a steering angle when a difference between the steering angle and the target steering angle is small; calculate an indication value indicating intention of a driver's steering operation as a sum of a first product of a corrected steering angle and a steering torque, a second product of a derivative of the corrected steering angle and the steering torque, and a third product of the corrected steering angle and a derivative of the steering torque; and correct the target steering angle based on the indication value so that a target driving support torque is corrected in accordance with the intention of the driver's steering operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji KUNIHIRO, Yoshio KUDO, Takahiro KOJO, Yoshiaki SUZUKI, Masao UEYAMA, Takeshi GOTO, Yukihide KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20170036692
    Abstract: A travel control device for vehicle (10) includes a steering transmission ratio variable device (14), a steering transmission ratio control device (16) configured to carry out such control that an actual relative rotational angle (?re) of the steering transmission ratio variable device reaches a target value (?ret), a power steering device (18), a steering assist torque control device (20) configured to control the power steering device, and a driving support device (22) configured to correct a target steering assist torque so that an actual steering angle of steered wheels (19FL, 19FR) reaches a target steering angle for driving support. When the driving support device is in operation (Step 140), the magnitude of a change in a relative rotational angle generated by the control of the steering transmission ratio variable device is decreased (Step 150 to 200) compared to a case in which the driving support device is not in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro KOJO