Patents by Inventor Akihiro Kida

Akihiro Kida 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: 11952008
    Abstract: An obstacle in a periphery of the vehicle is detected using a peripheral monitoring sensor for monitoring the periphery of the vehicle. It is sequentially determined whether an avoidance of the obstacle is necessary, according to a route of the vehicle. A warning device is controlled to issue a warning when determining that the avoidance of the obstacle is necessary. In a case where determining that the avoidance of the obstacle is unnecessary after starting the warning, the warning device is controlled to continue issuing the warning when an obstacle distance is less than a predetermined threshold value set in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yousuke Miyamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11704911
    Abstract: In an apparatus for identifying an obstacle around a vehicle, an acquirer is configured to acquire an image captured by a camera mounted to the vehicle. An extractor is configured to extract feature points of the image. A generator is configured to generate an optical flow that is a movement vector from each of the feature points of the image acquired before the current time to a corresponding feature point of the image acquired at the current time. A classifier configured to classify the optical flows into groups each corresponding to an object in the image based on pixel positions of the feature points. An identifier is configured to, for each of the groups that the optical flows are classified by the classifier into, identify whether an object corresponding to the group in the image is a stationary object or a moving object based on a degree of variability in lengths of the optical flows of the group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Miwa, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11465615
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is mounted in a vehicle and includes: an object detecting unit that detects an object in a travelling direction of the vehicle; and a suppressing unit that suppresses driving force of the vehicle when the object detecting unit detects the object. The suppressing unit performs a first process to gradually increase the driving force when a command to move in the travelling direction is issued and the vehicle is stopped in a state in which the driving force of the vehicle is suppressed, and after the vehicle starts to move from the stopped state, performs a second process to gradually increase the driving force with an amount of increase per time in the driving force that is less than that in the first process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11460574
    Abstract: A collision determination apparatus includes an acquisition section, a filtering section, a target object information detection section, a target object path prediction section, an own vehicle path prediction section, a collision determination section, and a vehicle control section. The acquisition section (21) acquires detection information based on a reflected wave from a search device. The filtering section filters the detection information. The target object information detection section detects a position of a target object using the filtered detection information. The target object path prediction section predicts a path of the target object based on changes in the detected position of the target object. The own vehicle path prediction section predicts a path of an own vehicle. The collision determination section determines a risk of collision between the own vehicle and the target object. The vehicle control section executes a vehicle control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Hiromitsu, Shinji Kitaura, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11417115
    Abstract: An obstacle recognition device of a vehicle provided with a camera capturing an image around the vehicle, includes an acquiring unit sequentially acquiring the image captured by the camera; a feature point extracting unit extracting a plurality of feature points of an object included in the image; a calculation unit calculating each motion distance of the plurality of feature points between the image previously acquired and the image currently acquired by the acquiring unit; a first determination unit determining whether each motion distance of the feature points is larger than or equal to a first threshold; a second determination unit determining whether each motion distance of the feature points is larger than or equal to a second threshold; and an obstacle recognition unit recognizing an obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koki Osada, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Tomoyuki Fujimoto, Takuya Miwa, Yutaka Hamamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Publication number: 20220237923
    Abstract: An object detection device is configured to be mounted to an own vehicle to detect an object present around the own vehicle. The object detection device includes a coordinate acquisition section and an object recognition section. The coordinate acquisition section acquires position coordinates of a detection point corresponding to the object on the basis of a plurality of images captured at different positions along with movement of the own vehicle by one imaging section mounted to the own vehicle. The object recognition section recognizes the object without using position coordinates of a movement point that is a detection point corresponding to a moving object but using position coordinates of a stop point that is a detection point different from the movement point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Youhei SUZUKI, Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Hidenori TANAKA, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA, Yutaka HAMAMOTO, Masumi FUKUMAN
  • Publication number: 20220234573
    Abstract: A moving object determination device applied to a vehicle, the device includes at least a predicted time calculation unit, a time difference calculation unit, and a moving/stationary determination unit. The predicted time calculation unit calculates a predicted time from when an obstacle starts to be detected by the first sensor to when the obstacle will no longer be detected by the second sensor based on a traveling speed of the obstacle and a length of the obstacle. The time difference calculation unit calculates a real time from when the obstacle has been detected by the first sensor to when the obstacle has no longer been detected by the second sensor, and calculates a time difference between the real time and the predicted time. The moving/stationary determination unit determines that the obstacle is a stationary object in response to the time difference being equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220230446
    Abstract: A vehicle periphery monitoring device is configured to: specify positions of detection points of an obstacle with respect to a vehicle based on detection results of multiple periphery monitoring sensors equipped to the vehicle; update the positions of the detected detection points corresponding to a position change of the vehicle; storing the updated positions of the detection points in a memory that maintains stored information during a parked state of the vehicle; and estimate, at a start time of the vehicle from the parked state, a position of a detection point, which is located in a blind spot and is not detected by all of the multiple periphery monitoring sensors at the start time of the vehicle, using the positions of the detection points stored in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: YOUSUKE MIYAMOTO, AKIHIRO KIDA, MOTONARI OHBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20220227363
    Abstract: A control device to be applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device and a safety device is configured to, based on moving-object detection information detected from images captured by the imaging device, actuate the safety device for a moving object. In the control device, a control unit is configured to, in response to any of certain information that it is certain that the object is a moving object and uncertain information indicating that it is not certain whether the object is a moving object being acquired as moving-object detection information, actuate the safety device based on a position of the object subjected to detection with the certain information or the uncertain information. An actuation region setting unit is configured to, when the moving-object detection information is the uncertain information, narrow an actuation region as compared to when the moving-object detection information is the certain information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi KOBAYASHI, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220227362
    Abstract: A control device to be applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device, a ranging device, and a safety device is configured to, based on moving-object detection information around the vehicle acquired from images captured by the imaging device, perform a first actuation process directed to moving objects to actuate the safety device, and based on stationary-object detection information around the vehicle acquired from measurements made by the ranging device, perform a second actuation process directed to stationary objects to actuate the safety device. In the control device, a mask region setting unit is configured to set at least either neighborhood-of-stationary-object regions or far-side regions as a mask region. An actuation restriction unit is configured to, in response to the moving object determined to be present around the vehicle being present in the mask area, restrict performance of the first actuation process on the moving object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi KOBAYASHI, Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220227385
    Abstract: An obstacle in a periphery of the vehicle is detected using a peripheral monitoring sensor for monitoring the periphery of the vehicle. It is sequentially determined whether an avoidance of the obstacle is necessary, according to a route of the vehicle. A warning device is controlled to issue a warning when determining that the avoidance of the obstacle is necessary. In a case where determining that the avoidance of the obstacle is unnecessary after starting the warning, the warning device is controlled to continue issuing the warning when an obstacle distance is less than a predetermined threshold value set in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Yousuke MIYAMOTO, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA
  • Patent number: 11393220
    Abstract: An obstacle identification apparatus acquires an image that is captured by a camera that is mounted to a vehicle. The obstacle identification apparatus calculates a first gradient that is a gradient in a first direction of a luminance value of pixels in the image and a second gradient that is a gradient of the luminance value in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the first gradient. Based on the first gradient and the second gradient, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates a shadow boundary that is a boundary between an own-vehicle shadow that is a shadow of the own vehicle and an object outside the vehicle. Based on the estimated shadow boundary, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates the own-vehicle shadow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Miwa, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Yutaka Hamamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11340348
    Abstract: A collision determination apparatus includes an acquisition section, a setting section, a target object information detection section, a target object path prediction section, an own vehicle path prediction section, and a collision determination section. The acquisition section acquires detection information based on a reflected wave from a search device. The setting section sets filter characteristics of a filtering process used when the detection information is filtered. The target object information detection section detects a position of a target object using the filtered detection information. The target object path prediction section predicts a path of the target object based on changes in the position of the target object detected by the target object information detection section. The own vehicle path prediction section predicts a path of an own vehicle. The collision determination section makes a determination of a collision between the own vehicle and the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Hiromitsu, Shinji Kitaura, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11194324
    Abstract: A monitor ECU 10 performs a support control based on a camera image photographed through a protection window by a camera 21. The ECU determines that a protection window state is an entire dirt state, when a first area index value calculated based on edge strength of pixels in a first area including a center of the camera image is smaller than a threshold dirt value. The ECU determines that the entire dirt state ends, when at least one of a first condition or a second condition is established. The first condition is established when the first area index value is equal to or greater than a first threshold end value. The second condition is established when a second area index value calculated based on the edge strength in a second area except the first area is equal to or greater than a second threshold end value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kida, Tomoyuki Tsurube, Nobuyuki Hirose
  • Patent number: 11136013
    Abstract: In a vehicle control apparatus, an acquiring unit acquires detection information from a probe apparatus based on reflected waves thereof. A target object information detecting unit detects a position of a target object. A target object route estimating unit estimates a route of the target object. An own vehicle route estimating unit estimates a route of an own vehicle. A collision determining unit determines whether the own vehicle and the target object will collide. A vehicle control unit performs vehicle control of the own vehicle when the own vehicle and the target object are determined to collide. An area setting unit sets a non-operating area for vehicle control. The area setting unit sets, as the non-operating area, a predetermined area with reference to a position in which the target object is detected, in a lateral direction that is orthogonal to an advancing direction of the own vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Hiromitsu, Shinji Kitaura, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11100800
    Abstract: A collision determination apparatus includes: an own vehicle route estimating unit that estimates a route of an own vehicle; a target object route estimating unit that estimates a route of a target object; and a collision determining unit that performs a collision determination regarding the own vehicle and the target object. When the own vehicle route estimating unit estimates the route of the own vehicle to be circular arc-shaped, the collision determining unit divides a circular arc indicating the route of the own vehicle into a plurality of circular arcs, approximates each of the divided circular arcs as a straight line by connecting an end point and an end point of each of the divided circular arcs, and performs the collision determination based on whether any of the approximated straight lines and the route of the target object intersect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Kitaura, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 11001255
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus operates a collision avoidance apparatus that is mounted in a vehicle based on a distance to an object that is positioned ahead of the vehicle in a travelling direction. The driving assistance apparatus includes: a resistance determining unit that determines whether or not running resistance that suppresses rolling of wheels forward in the travelling direction of the vehicle is present; an operation determining unit that determines whether or not an accelerator operation by a driver of the vehicle is being performed; and a distance setting unit that sets an operation distance that is a distance at which the collision avoidance apparatus is operated. When the resistance determining unit determines that the running resistance is present and when the operation determining unit determines that the accelerator operation is being performed, the distance setting unit sets the operation distance to a value that is less than that when the running resistance is not present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20210110175
    Abstract: In an apparatus for identifying an obstacle around a vehicle, an acquirer is configured to acquire an image captured by a camera mounted to the vehicle. An extractor is configured to extract feature points of the image. A generator is configured to generate an optical flow that is a movement vector from each of the feature points of the image acquired before the current time to a corresponding feature point of the image acquired at the current time. A classifier configured to classify the optical flows into groups each corresponding to an object in the image based on pixel positions of the feature points. An identifier is configured to, for each of the groups that the optical flows are classified by the classifier into, identify whether an object corresponding to the group in the image is a stationary object or a moving object based on a degree of variability in lengths of the optical flows of the group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Takuya MIWA, Takayuki HIROMITSU, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA
  • Publication number: 20210109543
    Abstract: An obstacle identification apparatus acquires an image that is captured by a camera mounted to a vehicle. The obstacle identification apparatus calculates a first gradient that is a gradient in a first direction of a luminance value of pixels in the image and a second gradient that is a gradient of the luminance value in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the first gradient. Based on the first gradient and the second gradient, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates an own-vehicle shadow boundary. Based on the estimated own-vehicle shadow boundary, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates an own-vehicle shadow. Based on a luminance value of the estimated own-vehicle shadow, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates an object shadow that is a shadow of an object differing from the own-vehicle shadow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Takayuki HIROMITSU, Tomoyuki FUJIMOTO, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA
  • Publication number: 20210110176
    Abstract: An obstacle identification apparatus acquires an image that is captured by a camera that is mounted to a vehicle. The obstacle identification apparatus calculates a first gradient that is a gradient in a first direction of a luminance value of pixels in the image and a second gradient that is a gradient of the luminance value in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the first gradient. Based on the first gradient and the second gradient, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates a shadow boundary that is a boundary between an own-vehicle shadow that is a shadow of the own vehicle and an object outside the vehicle. Based on the estimated shadow boundary, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates the own-vehicle shadow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Takuya Miwa, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Yutaka Hamamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida, Kunihiro Sugihara