Patents by Inventor Akira Nagae

Akira Nagae 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: 10661768
    Abstract: A lane departure prevention apparatus (17) has: a controlling device (172) configured to control a braking device (122) so that prevention yaw moment for preventing a vehicle from departing from a driving lane; and determining device (173) configured to determine whether or not slip ratio of a front wheel is larger than a first threshold value (KSfr) and whether or not slip ratio of a rear wheel is larger than a second threshold value (KSrr), the controlling device is configured to control the braking device so that the braking force applied from the braking device becomes smaller than the braking force for applying the prevention yaw moment, if it is determined that the slip ratio of the front wheel is larger than the first threshold value and/or the slip ratio of the rear wheel is larger than the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Akira Nagae, Kumiko Kondo, Hironori Ito, Tomoyuki Doi, Ryo Inomata, Masayuki Ikeda, Toshifumi Sugisawa
  • Patent number: 10654456
    Abstract: A deflection control apparatus is configured to perform a deflection control in which a subject vehicle is deflected by a braking force difference between left and right wheels. The deflection control apparatus is provided with a releaser configured to release the deflection control if a steering operation, which is an operation of deflecting the subject vehicle in a direction opposite to a direction in which the subject vehicle is deflected by the deflection control, is detected during the deflection control. When releasing the deflection control, the releaser is configured to reduce a controlled variable over a predetermined time, which is shorter than a fall time of the controlled variable when the deflection control is ended without being released, and which becomes longer, as the controlled variable increases when the steering operation is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Ito, Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10597019
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a controller (i) configured to set first brake fluid pressure associated with wheels on one of left and right sides out of a plurality of wheels to be higher than second brake fluid pressure associated with wheels on the other side in order to turn a vehicle in one direction, and configured (ii) to then increase the second brake fluid pressure by using a fluid pressure difference between the first brake fluid pressure and the second brake fluid pressure, and (iii) to set the first brake fluid pressure to be lower than the second brake fluid pressure while holding the second brake fluid pressure in order to turn the vehicle in another direction, which is different from the one direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Ito, Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10597011
    Abstract: A deflection control apparatus is configured to perform a deflection control in which a subject vehicle is deflected by a braking force difference between left and right wheels. The vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a calculator configured, in the deflection control, (i) to calculate a target yaw rate so that the subject vehicle drives on a target track by the deflection control, and (ii) to calculate a target yaw moment by dividing the calculated target yaw rate by a coefficient based on a velocity of the subject vehicle; and a controller configured to control a braking force of each wheel so that the target yaw moment is applied to the subject vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Ito, Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10486677
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an electronic control device that controls an internal combustion engine such that a response delay of the internal combustion engine at the time of acceleration is restrained for a predetermined time period from the time point at which an acceleration demand of a driver of a vehicle is estimated when the acceleration demand is estimated while the vehicle is travelling using a driving force from the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Ito, Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10322709
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, which includes an engine and a motor configured to start the engine. The vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a first controller programmed to perform a departure prevention control, which is to prevent the vehicle from departing from a driving lane, when the vehicle is about to depart from the driving lane; and a second controller programmed to perform an automatic stop control, which is to automatically stop the engine on condition that a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and which is to operate the motor and to restart the engine on condition that a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is automatically stopped. The first controller is programmed to prohibit a start of an automatic stop of the engine by the automatic stop control, when the vehicle is about to depart from the driving lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Ito, Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10279805
    Abstract: A vehicle movement state determination device includes: a yaw rate determination unit configured to determine a yaw rate based on at least one of a detection yaw rate detected by a yaw rate sensor and a calculation yaw rate calculated by a yaw rate calculation unit; and a yaw rate reliability determination unit configured to determine whether a reliability of the detection yaw rate is low. The yaw rate determination unit determines the detection yaw rate as the yaw rate at the time the yaw rate reliability determination unit does not determine that the reliability of the detection yaw rate is low, and determines the yaw rate based on the calculation yaw rate at the time the yaw rate reliability determination unit determines that the reliability of the detection yaw rate is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hattori, Hiroshi Onuma, Akira Nagae
  • Publication number: 20180326848
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus is provided with: a first controller programmed to perform a first control, which is to make a speed of a vehicle not to exceed a predetermined speed; a second controller programmed to perform a second control, which is a driving support control that is different from the first control; a preventer configured to prevent the second control on the basis of an operation of an accelerator by an occupant of the vehicle; and a prevention reducer configured to control the preventer to hardly prevent the second control if the first control is performed, in comparison with when the first control is not performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo INOMATA, Akira NAGAE, Masayuki IKEDA, Hironori ITO
  • Publication number: 20180312155
    Abstract: A deflection control apparatus is provided with: a controller programmed to: a determine whether or not a vehicle is about depart from a driving lane, perform a deflection control of supplying a brake fluid pressure to at least one of brake mechanisms provided for corresponding wheels so that a yaw moment in a direction of avoiding departure of the vehicle is applied to the vehicle, if it is determined that the vehicle is about to depart, arithmetically operate a departure angle of the vehicle, and arithmetically operate a boost trajectory for boosting the brake fluid pressure to a target brake fluid pressure on condition that the departure angle is greater than a predetermined angle. The controller is programed to perform the deflection control after boosting in advance the brake fluid pressure associated with the at least one of the plurality of brake mechanism, on the basis of the boost trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori ITO, Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Masayuki IKEDA
  • Patent number: 10099669
    Abstract: A brake control device includes: a liquid pressure line provided for each vehicle wheel and supplied with a brake liquid pressure; a pressurization unit configured to supply a pressurization brake liquid pressure to the liquid pressure line; an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the liquid pressure line at a time the brake liquid pressure of the liquid pressure line is not greater than a threshold value; and a pressurization adjustment unit configured to continuously supply the pressurization brake liquid pressure to the liquid pressure line of the normal vehicle wheel having a low abnormality occurrence risk and suppress the supply pressure of the pressurization brake liquid pressure to the liquid pressure line of the vehicle wheel having a high abnormality occurrence risk until the abnormality of the liquid pressure line is detected by the abnormality detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hattori, Akira Nagae, Hiroshi Onuma
  • Publication number: 20180281762
    Abstract: A deflection control apparatus is provided with: a determinator configured to determine whether or not a vehicle is about to depart from a driving lane; and a controller programmed to perform a deflection control for controlling a braking apparatus to supply a fluid pressure to at least one of brake mechanisms corresponding to a front wheel and a rear wheel on a side opposite to a departure direction of the vehicle. The controller is programmed to control the braking apparatus to supply the fluid pressure to the brake mechanism that is close to a fluid pressure source, out of the brake mechanisms corresponding to the front wheel and the rear wheel on the opposite side, on condition that a motion state corresponds to a regular-use area of the braking apparatus, if it is determined that the vehicle is about to depart from the driving lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki IKEDA, Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Hironori ITO
  • Publication number: 20180281771
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is mounted on a vehicle, which includes an engine and a motor configured to start the engine. The vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a first controller programmed to perform a departure prevention control, which is to prevent the vehicle from departing from a driving lane, when the vehicle is about to depart from the driving lane; and a second controller programmed to perform an automatic stop control, which is to automatically stop the engine on condition that a predetermined stop condition is satisfied, and which is to operate the motor and to restart the engine on condition that a predetermined start condition is satisfied after the engine is automatically stopped. The first controller is programmed to prohibit a start of an automatic stop of the engine by the automatic stop control, when the vehicle is about to depart from the driving lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori ITO, Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Masayuki IKEDA
  • Patent number: 10077048
    Abstract: A lane departure prevention apparatus (17) has: a departure preventing device (172) for control a braking apparatus (122) to perform a departure prevention operation by applying yaw moment (Mtgt) to a vehicle (1), wherein the yaw moment is generated by a difference of the braking forces between right wheels (121FR, 121RR) and left wheels (121FL, 121RL)1; and a controlling device (173) for controlling the departure prevention device so that the braking force applied to driving wheels (121RL, 121RR) becomes smaller and the braking force applied to non-driving wheels (121FL, 121FR) becomes larger when the departure prevention operation is performed and a differential apparatus (132) limits a differential rotation, compared to a case where the departure prevention operation is performed and the differential apparatus does not limit the differential rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Hironori Ito, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20180251107
    Abstract: A deflection control apparatus is configured to perform a deflection control in which a subject vehicle is deflected by a braking force difference between left and right wheels. The deflection control apparatus is provided with a releaser configured to release the deflection control if a steering operation, which is an operation of deflecting the subject vehicle in a direction opposite to a direction in which the subject vehicle is deflected by the deflection control, is detected during the deflection control. When releasing the deflection control, the releaser is configured to reduce a controlled variable over a predetermined time, which is shorter than a fall time of the controlled variable when the deflection control is ended without being released, and which becomes longer, as the controlled variable increases when the steering operation is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori ITO, Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Masayuki IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20180229726
    Abstract: A lane departure prevention apparatus (17) has: a departure preventing device (172) for preventing a vehicle (1) from departing from a driving lane by controlling at least one of a steering apparatus (142) and a braking apparatus (13) selected on the basis of a state of the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle may depart from the driving lane; and a determining device for determining whether or not an abnormality condition that it is difficult for a person to normally drive the vehicle is satisfied, the departure preventing device prevents the vehicle from departing from the driving lane by controlling the braking apparatus even if the state of the vehicle is not a predetermined state in which the departure preventing device should prevent the vehicle from departing from the driving lane by controlling the braking apparatus, when it is determined that the abnormality condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki IKEDA, Ryo INOMATA, Akira NAGAE, Hironori ITO
  • Publication number: 20180229700
    Abstract: A deflection control apparatus is configured to perform a deflection control in which a subject vehicle is deflected by a braking force difference between left and right wheels. The vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a calculator configured, in the deflection control, (i) to calculate a target yaw rate so that the subject vehicle drives on a target track by the deflection control, and (ii) to calculate a target yaw moment by dividing the calculated target yaw rate by a coefficient based on a velocity of the subject vehicle; and a controller configured to control a braking force of each wheel so that the target yaw moment is applied to the subject vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori ITO, Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Masayuki IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20180215379
    Abstract: A lane departure prevention apparatus (17) has: a departure preventing device (172) for control a braking apparatus (122) to perform a departure prevention operation by applying yaw moment (Mtgt) to a vehicle (1), wherein the yaw moment is generated by a difference of the braking forces between right wheels (121FR, 121RR) and left wheels (121FL, 121RL)1; and a controlling device (173) for controlling the departure prevention device so that the braking force applied to driving wheels (121RL, 121RR) becomes smaller and the braking force applied to non-driving wheels (121FL, 121FR) becomes larger when the departure prevention operation is performed and a differential apparatus (132) limits a differential rotation, compared to a case where the departure prevention operation is performed and the differential apparatus does not limit the differential rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Nagae, Ryo Inomata, Hironori Ito, Masayuki Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20180111614
    Abstract: A lane departure preventing device includes at least one electronic control unit. The at least one electronic control unit is configured to: when there is a likelihood that a vehicle will depart from a traveling lane, calculate a prevention yaw moment, and control a brake actuator such that the prevention yaw moment is applied to the vehicle; acquire a lateral acceleration; determine whether the lateral acceleration is greater than an ideal value by a predetermined value; control the brake actuator such that the braking force matches a target braking force required to apply the prevention yaw moment to the vehicle, when the lateral acceleration is not greater than the ideal value by the predetermined value; and control the brake actuator such that the braking force is less than the target braking force, when the lateral acceleration is greater than the ideal value by the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Hironori ITO, Masayuki IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20180105152
    Abstract: A lane departure suppressing apparatus is provided with: a supporter configured to perform departure suppression support for suppressing departure of a vehicle from a driving lane on which the vehicle is currently traveling; a detector configured to detect an adjacent area adjacent to the driving lane; a calculator configured to calculate an adjacent margin width, which is width of an area in which the vehicle can perform an avoidance action, out of the adjacent area; and a controller configured to control the supporter to increase intensity of the departure suppression support as the avoidance margin width becomes smaller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Hironori ITO, Masayuki IKEDA
  • Publication number: 20180105170
    Abstract: A lane keep assist device is configured to perform lane keep assist control for making a host vehicle travel along a lane, and preventing the host vehicle from departing from the lane. The lane keep assist device includes an electronic control device configured to detect presence or absence of another vehicle, present in a vicinity of the host vehicle, which have a gradual decrease in a distance from the host vehicle, and when the other vehicle is detected, the electronic control device configured to set virtual line extending along front-rear direction of the detected other vehicle at position away by first predetermined distance in right-left direction of the other vehicle from lateral side of the detected other vehicle, and to specify the lane based on the set virtual line to perform the lane keep assist control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira NAGAE, Ryo INOMATA, Hironori ITO, Masayuki IKEDA