Patents by Inventor Takamasa HIGUCHI

Takamasa HIGUCHI 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: 20240035847
    Abstract: A system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory has instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate, based on an image of a roof of a multi-level parking structure, a roof map having at least one road segment and at least one parking space of the roof. The instructions further cause the processor to predict, based on the roof map, a lower level map having at least one road segment and at least one parking space of a lower level of the parking structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Publication number: 20240027213
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving locating favorable entrances. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring sensor data about a parking facility entrance from at least one vehicle sensor, processing the sensor data into characteristics about the parking facility entrance, storing the characteristics about the parking facility entrance in a map that includes a location of the parking facility entrance, and providing a recommendation for a parking facility based, at least in part, on the map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11881107
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the identification of available parking spaces by inferring when a vehicle is likely to depart. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to acquiring sensor data about a surrounding environment including at least one parked vehicle, extracting a feature from the sensor data about a context of the parked vehicle. The method includes analyzing the feature to determine a status of the vehicle in relation to whether the vehicle is remaining parked. The method includes providing the status to inform additional vehicles about an availability of a parking spot of the parked vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Chang-Heng Wang, Onur Altintas
  • Patent number: 11877217
    Abstract: The disclosure includes embodiments for processing a set of wireless messages by an ego vehicle. A method includes determining a location of an object of interest in a roadway environment that includes the ego vehicle and a set of remote connected vehicles. The method includes segmenting the roadway environment into a plurality of segments. The method includes assigning priority scores to each of the segments based on (1) whether the forward-facing sensors of the remote connected vehicles present in the segment are capable of measuring the object of interest and (2) proximity of the remote connected vehicles in the segment to the object of interest, wherein segments have higher priority scores if the remote connected vehicles present in the segment have forward-facing sensors that are capable of measuring the object of interest and the remote connected vehicles present in the segment are closer to the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Sergei Avedisov, Takamasa Higuchi, Onur Altintas, Takayuki Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20240010205
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and vehicles for correcting driving behavior of a driver of a vehicle are provided. The systems include a controller programmed to identify a repetitive movement pattern of a driver of a vehicle at a predetermined location based on accumulated driving data of the vehicle, implement digital twin simulation of the vehicle using the repetitive movement pattern and the digital twin simulation of another object to identify a potential conflict between the vehicle and the another object, and inform the driver of the vehicle about predetermined driving behavior in response to identifying the potential conflict.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Sergei Avedisov, Onur Altintas
  • Patent number: 11856453
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method includes obtaining, with a sensor of a vehicle, a data set representing an external object, the data set having a first set of features, obtaining, with a receiver of the vehicle, a channel load about a radio frequency through which the data set may be transmitted, obtaining, with an environment sensor of the vehicle, context information about a road on which the vehicle is located, and processing the data set representing the external object based on the channel load and the context information to generate a reduced data set representing the external object, the reduced data set having a second set of features fewer than the first set of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergei S. Avedisov, Onur Altintas, Takamasa Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11835355
    Abstract: A method for optimizing a parking spot database is provided including determining a utility score of a candidate route to a candidate parking spot of a plurality of parking spots of a parking spot database based on an availability status of a non-candidate parking spot along the candidate route, and selecting the candidate route from a plurality of candidate routes based on the utility score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11792687
    Abstract: The disclosure includes embodiments for message management by an ego vehicle for a Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) channel used in V2X messages for providing a cooperative driving service. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a first V2X message including remote sensor data recorded by a remote vehicle. The method includes causing an onboard sensor set of the ego vehicle to record ego sensor data. The method includes determining a channel busy ratio of the V2X channel. The method includes determining a set of factors affecting a state of a recipient vehicle that receives a second V2X message. The method includes selecting a cooperation message species class and an aggregation message species class of the second V2X message based on the set of factors and the state of the recipient vehicle. The method includes selecting, from a set of available classes, a specific class of the second V2X message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Inventors: Sergei S. Avedisov, Ahmed H. Sakr, Takamasa Higuchi, Seyhan Ucar, Onur Altintas, Akihiko Yamamuro
  • Patent number: 11762648
    Abstract: A method may include determining whether a plurality of vehicles, each having an application installed are expected to be present within a predetermined distance of a location of an event. The method may further include comparing versions of the applications among the plurality of vehicles and, in response to determining that the plurality of vehicles are expected to be present within the predetermined distance of the location and determining that the versions of the applications among the plurality of vehicles are different, adjusting a version of the application installed in one or more of the plurality of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Chang-Heng Wang, Onur Altintas
  • Patent number: 11741836
    Abstract: A method for performing correlation-based parking availability estimation is provided. The method includes retrieving a plurality of parking availability correlation models, wherein each of the parking availability correlation models estimates parking availability for a target parking block based on parking availability for one or more other parking blocks; selecting a subset of the parking availability correlation models, wherein the subset comprises parking availability correlation models that estimate parking availability of the target parking block based on parking availability for one or more other parking blocks for which current parking availability is known; selecting a parking availability correlation model from the subset based on a model quality indicator associated with each parking availability correlation model; and estimating parking availability for the target parking block based on the selected parking availability correlation model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11727806
    Abstract: The disclosure describes a method for an ego vehicle. The method includes determining that a vehicle needs to park. The method further includes identifying a parking facility within proximity to the vehicle and a corresponding congestion level of the parking facility. The method further includes selecting a first parking model from two or more parking models based on the corresponding congestion level being closer to a first congestion range than a second congestion range. The method further includes identifying a parking spot for the vehicle within the parking facility based on the first parking model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11722705
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a view, provided by a vehicular micro cloud associated with a remotely supported vehicle, can include communicating with a plurality of vehicles in a vicinity of the remotely supported vehicle to collectively form a vehicular micro cloud. Each of the plurality of vehicles being equipped with at least one camera can track respective positions of the plurality of vehicles relative to the remotely supported vehicle. A set of vehicles can be selected from among the plurality of vehicles. A live video stream can be received from each of the set of vehicles. The live video stream can be transmitted to an external controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Onur Altintas
  • Publication number: 20230230421
    Abstract: Systems and methods of unsafe driving detection are provided which share partial unsafe driving behavior analyses with others in order to ensure that unsafe driving behavior is detected as early as possible. For example, in response to an event which interrupts a first detecting vehicle from collecting additional driving behavior data associated with a subject vehicle, the first detecting vehicle may transfer driving behavior data it has already collected and processed, to another detecting entity (e.g., a second detecting vehicle) in observable range of the subject vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: SEYHAN UCAR, TAKAMASA HIGUCHI, KENTARO OGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230196917
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the identification of available parking spaces by inferring when a vehicle is likely to depart. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to acquiring sensor data about a surrounding environment including at least one parked vehicle, extracting a feature from the sensor data about a context of the parked vehicle. The method includes analyzing the feature to determine a status of the vehicle in relation to whether the vehicle is remaining parked. The method includes providing the status to inform additional vehicles about an availability of a parking spot of the parked vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Chang-Heng Wang, Onur Altintas
  • Publication number: 20230192117
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle includes a controller programmed to perform operations including collecting information about an unconnected vehicle, receiving messages from another connected vehicle, identifying a scenario of the another connected vehicle being in conflict with the vehicle or the unconnected vehicle at a future time based on the messages from the another connected vehicle and the information about the unconnected vehicle, and, in response to identifying the scenario of the another connected vehicle being in conflict with the vehicle or the unconnected vehicle at the future time, transmitting a first message including the information about the unconnected vehicle to the another connected vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergei S. Avedisov, Onur Altintas, Takamasa Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20230177958
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving identification of available parking spaces in congested zones. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to receiving trajectory information about movement of a searching vehicle, estimating a search time spent by the vehicle seeking parking in a location. The method includes aggregating, when the search time satisfies a time threshold, the search time with observed times associated with additional entities parking in the location. The method includes updating a parking map according to the observed times when the observed times satisfy a parking threshold indicating a lack of available parking in the location. The parking map identifies active regions where parking is presently lacking. The method includes providing the parking map with the active regions to identified vehicles proximate to locations associated with the active regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi, Derek S. Caveney
  • Publication number: 20230160709
    Abstract: A system for providing information to navigate to a parking space preferred by an operator of a vehicle can include a processor and a memory. The memory can store a preliminary operations module and a communications module. The preliminary operations module can include instructions that cause the processor to obtain, for the operator: (1) a first model for a first duration between a commencement of a parking space identification process and a first threshold and (2) a second model for a second duration between the first threshold and a second threshold. The communications module can include instructions that cause the processor to communicate, to a component of the vehicle for an action, information to navigate to the parking space. The parking space can be identified, in response to a current time being within: (1) the first duration, by the first model and (2) the second duration, by the second model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 11659360
    Abstract: Describe are systems and methods for implementing a peer-to-peer (P2P) wireless group acting as a vehicular micro cloud. In one example, a system includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor having a group coordination service module. The group coordination service module has instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select a vehicle out of a plurality of vehicles to act as a group owner of a P2P wireless group operating as a vehicular micro cloud based on vehicle status information from the plurality of vehicles and transmit group configurations of the first P2P wireless group to the plurality of vehicles to allow the plurality of vehicles to join the first P2P wireless group. The selection of the vehicle may be based on how long the vehicle is predicted to be a member of the vehicular micro cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Takamasa Higuchi, Seyhan Ucar, Onur Altintas
  • Publication number: 20230137808
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle system includes a controller. The controller may be programmed to perform operations including identifying a subject in a conflict zone in a parking area by a sensor, determining a trajectory of a vehicle and a trajectory of the subject, determining a suggested trajectory for the vehicle based on a comparison of the trajectory of the vehicle and the trajectory of the subject, and transmitting the suggested trajectory to the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergei S. Avedisov, Onur Altintas, Takamasa Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11638131
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to dynamically updating an existing vehicular micro cloud. In one embodiment, a method includes determining one or more parameters of an environment around a plurality of vehicles, and identifying an impact of the one or more parameters of the environment on one or more of the plurality of vehicles associated with the existing vehicular micro cloud. The method includes identifying one or more properties of the existing vehicular micro cloud. The method includes determining which adjustment to the one or more properties of the existing vehicular micro cloud can address the impact, and updating the one or more properties based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyhan Ucar, Takamasa Higuchi, Onur Altintas