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: 9575179
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus is installed in a movable body and detects an object. The apparatus includes a first detection section which transmits search waves in a moving direction of the moving object, and receives reflected waves as detection information to detect the object, a second detection section which transmits search waves in the moving direction, and receives reflected waves as detection information, an obstacle determination section which determines that an obstacle is present in the moving direction, based on detection results of the first and second detection sections, and a crossing determination section which determines that the obstacle has crossed, in a state where the obstacle determination section determines that the obstacle is present, if the determination that the obstacle is present is made by continuous detection, and if a state where the object is continuously detected changes to a state where the object is not detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 9435275
    Abstract: A brake override system (BOS) (1) prioritizes braking when both an accelerator and a brake are operated simultaneously by reducing the required accelerator operation amount value that is used to control drive force so that it is lower than the actual accelerator operation amount. The BOS (1) thus achieves a balance between hill-start performance after operation by the BOS (1) is cancelled and stopping performance during operation of the BOS (1) by increasing the required accelerator operation amount value at the time at which the return of the required accelerator operation amount value to the actual accelerator operation amount is initiated when the simultaneous operation of the accelerator and the brake ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Takagi, Shinya Kodama, Akihiro Kida, Motonari Obayashi, Hiroshi Shimada, Akito Oonishi, Takamasa Kitamura, Michihito Shimada
  • Patent number: 9428053
    Abstract: An electronic control unit performs a reduction control for reducing vehicle drive force when the accelerator and the brake are operated simultaneously. The electronic control unit also varies the amount of decrease in the vehicle drive force during the reduction control and conditions under which the reduction control is implemented depending on the order of the accelerator operation and brake operation resulting in the above-noted simultaneous operation. For example, the amount of decrease in the vehicle drive force is less when the brake is operated first in comparison with when the accelerator is operated first. Thus, it is possible to operate the vehicle drive force in accordance with the intention of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Takagi, Hiroshi Shimada, Michihito Shimada, Motonari Obayashi, Shinya Kodama, Akihiro Kida, Akito Oonishi, Takamasa Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20160214604
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus includes: an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle outside a host vehicle and acquire obstacle information including a distance to the obstacle; a collision avoidance control unit configured to execute driving force suppression control for intervening to suppress driving force on the basis of the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle detecting unit; and a driving force return control unit configured to execute driving force return control for returning the driving force suppressed by the driving force suppression control, have a plurality of return modes in which the driving force is returned by the driving force return control, and return the driving force in one return mode selected from among the plurality of return modes on the basis of a possibility that there is an obstacle around the host vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro KIDA, Motonari OHBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20160207531
    Abstract: A vehicle (100) includes a support control unit (111) that supports avoidance of a. collision with an object and a support suppressing unit (112) that suppresses the support of the support control unit (111) when a steering angle of the vehicle (100) is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle. The vehicle (100) further includes an intervention limiting unit (113) that determines whether the support suppression of the support suppressing unit (112) is necessary when the steering angle is equal to or greater than the predetermined angle on the basis of vehicle information acquired from the vehicle (100) or a running environment of the vehicle (100) and that limits intervention of the support suppression of the support suppressing unit (112) depending on the determination result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro KIDA, Yoichi IWATA
  • Publication number: 20160207532
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus to be mounted on a vehicle includes: an object detecting unit configured to detect an object outside the vehicle and acquire object information including a distance to the object; a vehicle speed detecting unit configured to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle; and a processing unit configured to carry out driving assistance associated with an object on the basis of the object information when the object has been detected by the object detecting unit, and suppress the driving assistance when a predetermined condition that is changed on the basis of the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiro KIDA
  • Publication number: 20160207509
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus includes an obstacle detecting unit configured to detect an obstacle and acquire obstacle information including a distance to the obstacle; and a control unit configured to intervene to control at least one of braking force and driving force on the basis of the distance to the obstacle, based on the obstacle information, and a running resistance that occurs in response to steering operated by a driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Akihiro KIDA
  • Publication number: 20160116590
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus for detecting an object around a moving object by transmitting a probe wave and receiving reflections of the probe wave from the object via the plurality of ranging sensors. In the apparatus, an interaction determiner is configured to, if an object position calculated by a position calculator is within a range of a moving-object's course, determine whether or not the detected object is likely to interact with the moving object based on a lateral position of the detected object and a degree of confidence of the object position calculated by the position calculator. The lateral position of the detected object is the object position calculated by the position calculator in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the moving object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116441
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus for detecting objects around the apparatus by transmitting a probe wave and receiving reflections from the objects. If it is determined that both first and second object positions can be calculated using a combination of first direct and indirect waves and a combination of second direct and indirect waves, respectively, and at least one of third and fourth object positions can be calculated using a combination of the second direct wave and the first indirect wave and a combination of the first direct wave and the second indirect wave, only the first object position is calculated. The second direct wave is received at a first location after receipt of the first direct wave at the first location. The second indirect wave is received at a second location away from the first location after receipt of the first indirect wave at the second location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160117841
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus for detecting an object around a moving object carrying the apparatus by transmitting a probe wave and receiving reflections of the probe wave from the object via a plurality of ranging sensors attached to the moving object. In the apparatus, a tentative same-object determiner is configured to, if it is determined by a same-object determiner that the objects detected in the current and previous cycles are not the same, determine whether or not the objects detected in the current and previous cycles are likely to be the same. A determination suspender is configured to, if it is determined that the objects detected in the current and previous cycles are likely to be the same, suspend determining that the objects detected in the current and previous cycles are not the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116583
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus for detecting an object around a moving object carrying the apparatus by transmitting a probe wave and receiving reflections of the probe wave from the object via a plurality of ranging sensors attached to the moving object. In the apparatus, a position determiner determines whether or not a position of the object calculated by a position calculator based on the reflections received by a pair of adjacent ranging sensors, from one of which is the probe wave is transmitted, is out of an overlapping range of ranges of object detection for the respective adjacent ranging sensors. A position invalidator is configured to, based on the determination made by the position determiner, determine that the object position calculated by the position calculator is invalid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116584
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus is installed in a movable body and detects an object. The apparatus includes a first detection section which transmits search waves in a moving direction of the moving object, and receives reflected waves as detection information to detect the object, a second detection section which transmits search waves in the moving direction, and receives reflected waves as detection information, an obstacle determination section which determines that an obstacle is present in the moving direction, based on detection results of the first and second detection sections, and a crossing determination section which determines that the obstacle has crossed, in a state where the obstacle determination section determines that the obstacle is present, if the determination that the obstacle is present is made by continuous detection, and if a state where the object is continuously detected changes to a state where the object is not detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116591
    Abstract: An object detecting apparatus includes a distance calculator that calculates a distance to the object, a wave height acquirer that acquires a respective peak value of the plurality of reflected waves, and multiple reflection determiner. When a reflected wave for which a first distance to the object is calculated to be the smallest in the reflected waves is defined as a first wave, and another reflected wave to which a second distance is calculated as twice or more integer times the first distance calculated for the first wave and a difference of the peak value relative to the first wave which is larger than a predetermined value is present in the reflected waves, the multiple reflection determiner determines that multiple reflection is occurring in a second wave or thereafter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116589
    Abstract: An object detecting apparatus that detects an object using a distance measuring sensor and is mounted in a moving body includes a position calculator that calculates a position of the object relative to the moving body, a speed detector that detects a speed of the moving body, a displacement calculator that calculates an distance moved by the moving body, a relative speed calculator that calculates a relative speed between the moving body and the object, a first determiner that determines whether a position calculation in the position calculator is possible, a second determiner that determines whether the moved distance calculation by the displacement calculator is possible, and an estimator that estimate the position of the object based on a last known position of the object, a last known distance moved by the moving body, or a last known relative speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116588
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus is applied to a movable body including an object detection sensor which transmits a search wave and receives a reflected wave of the search wave as detection information of an object, and detects the object present around the movable body based on the detection information. The apparatus includes a frequency detection section which detects an occurrence frequency of a disturbance signal at the same time within a predetermined transmission time period determined with reference to a transmission period of the search wave, and a disturbance determination section which determines presence or absence of occurrence of disturbance based on the occurrence frequency detected by the frequency detection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116586
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects an object based on a reflected version of probing waves transmitted by a first distance sensor and received as direct waves by the first distance sensor, a second detection unit that detects the object based on a reflected version of the probing waves received as indirect waves by a second distance sensor, a position calculation unit that calculates position data of the object using a triangulation method, a counter update unit that updates a counter value of a reliability level determination counter by an update amount, and an update amount setting unit that variably sets the value of the update amount depending on which position within detection areas of the first and second distance sensors the position data calculated in the current detection cycle shows the object to be in.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Publication number: 20160116585
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus includes a first acquisition unit that acquires, as a first direct wave group, reflected versions of first probing waves transmitted from and received at a first position, and acquires, as a first indirect wave group reflected versions of the first probing waves received at a second position, a second acquisition unit that acquires, as a second indirect wave group, reflected versions of second probing waves transmitted from the second position and received at the first position, and acquires, as a second direct wave group, reflected versions of the second probing wave received at the second position, and a determination unit that determines whether the object is a real object or a ghost in accordance with the receptions times of the first and second direct wave groups and the first and second indirect wave groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Masumi Fukuman, Motonari Ohbayashi, Akihiro Kida
  • Patent number: 9222421
    Abstract: An electronic control unit (1) stops output suppression control for an engine (6) at the time of simultaneous depression of an accelerator pedal (2) and a brake pedal (4) when the depression of the brake pedal (4) is erroneously detected due to an ON-failure of a stop lamp switch (5) even if the brake pedal is not depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Kodama, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Akihiro Kida, Motonari Obayashi, Hiroshi Shimada, Akito Oonishi, Takamasa Kitamura
  • Patent number: 9108626
    Abstract: When simultaneous depression of an accelerator pedal (2) and a brake pedal (4) is detected, an electronic control unit (1) inhibits a downshift of an automatic transmission (11) and performs output suppression control for an engine (6), thereby making it possible to suppress the increase of vehicle drive force caused by the downshift and maintain a constant vehicle deceleration rate by an easier operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kida, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Shinya Kodama, Motonari Obayashi, Hiroshi Shimada, Takamasa Kitamura, Akito Oonishi
  • Patent number: 9008936
    Abstract: A brake override system detects a brake operation based on master cylinder pressure when the brake operation followed by an accelerator operation results in simultaneous performance of the accelerator operation and the brake operation. The brake override system detects the brake operation by a brake switch when the accelerator operation followed by the brake operation results in the simultaneous performance of the accelerator operation and the brake operation. Thus, the system may accurately detect the brake operation regardless of the order of the accelerator operation and the brake operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shimada, Masashi Takagi, Akihiro Kida, Michihito Shimada