Patents by Inventor Atsushi Katou

Atsushi Katou 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: 11048493
    Abstract: Provided is a computer system which, by transmitting software to a terminal for updating a control system of the terminal, enables the terminal to properly function based on the software. A computer system configured so as to be able to remotely update software of a terminal, wherein a processor generates an update file for updating the software of the terminal and stores the generated update file in a memory, identifies a specific terminal to which the update file should be transmitted, reads the update file from the memory and transmits the update file from a transmission module to the specific terminal, receives operational information of the update file from the specific terminal via a reception module, and determines whether it is necessary to distribute the update file to a terminal other than the specific terminal based on the operational information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Mine, Soki Sakurai, Noboru Kiyama, Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 10956147
    Abstract: Software is prevented from being distributed due to a human-caused error. A software distribution system includes a software distribution server that uses a campaign to manage an update of a function for an in-vehicle device of a vehicle and remotely distributes software based on the campaign, a terminal that executes input and output, and a software update device that is attached to the vehicle and configured to download the distributed software and install the software in the in-vehicle device. In the software distribution system, when the creation of the campaign is requested, statistical information of updated amounts of the software updated based on the most recent multiple campaigns in the target in-vehicle device for the requested campaign is compared with an updated amount of the software updated based on the requested campaign. When a predetermined requirement is satisfied, the requested campaign is not created and a predetermined alert is notified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Kiyama, Atsushi Katou, Naomi Izumi, Haruki Oishi
  • Patent number: 10891123
    Abstract: Control for the flexible distribution of update software is realized. An in-vehicle software distribution system 1 is configured comprising an in-vehicle software distribution server (telematics center 10) which manages updates to an identical function by means of a campaign for an in-vehicle system (an engine ECU 241, for example) of a plurality of vehicles 20 and distributes software of the campaign remotely to target vehicles, a terminal 30, and a software update apparatus 210 which is mounted in each of the plurality of vehicles 20. Furthermore, in the telematics center 10, a campaign management unit 112 categorizes the campaign target vehicles into groups based on a predetermined criterion and creates a plurality of sub-campaigns which are subordinate to the campaign for each of the categorized groups, and a software distribution unit (an update software distribution unit 113) distributes software remotely to the target vehicles for each of the sub-campaigns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru Kiyama, Atsushi Katou, Haruki Oishi
  • Patent number: 10713866
    Abstract: A vehicle operation data collection apparatus includes a vehicle operation history DB which accumulates vehicle operation data acquired from a vehicle; and a processor programmed to evaluate excess or deficiency of vehicle operation data accumulated in the vehicle operation history DB for each of abnormality types, on the basis of accuracy information of classification obtained when classifying the abnormality types occurring in the vehicle by machine learning, using vehicle operation data accumulated in the vehicle operation history DB, extract a vehicle suitable for acquiring data of an abnormality type evaluated as data deficiency from a vehicle maintenance history DB as a collection target vehicle, and distribute a collection command instructing collection of operation data to the extracted collection target vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Ishikawa, Mariko Okude, Takehisa Nishida, Kazuo Muto, Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 10679434
    Abstract: A device diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: a diagnosis model selecting unit that selects a diagnosis model for diagnosing a moving device in accordance with a driving environment of the device; and a diagnosis unit that inputs operation data of the device to the selected diagnosis model, receives an output of a diagnosis result for the device from the diagnosis model, and diagnoses the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mariko Okude, Takehisa Nishida, Masayoshi Ishikawa, Kazuo Muto, Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 10599418
    Abstract: A telematics center includes an update software distribution unit that distributes update software for updating software of an ECU to a software updating device. The software updating device includes a storage device that stores update software distributed from the telematics center and stores update information regarding influence on the operation of a vehicle in a case where the updating of the software of the ECU is not successful and an ECU software updating unit that updates the software of the ECU by using the update software stored in the storage device, and controls the operation of the ECU software updating unit on the basis of the update information stored in the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Kiyama, Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 10558451
    Abstract: A telematics center includes an update software distribution unit that distributes update software for updating software of an ECU to a software updating device. The software updating device includes a storage device that stores update software distributed from the telematics center and stores update information regarding influence on the operation of a vehicle in a case where the updating of the software of the ECU is not successful and an ECU software updating unit that updates the software of the ECU by using the update software stored in the storage device, and controls the operation of the ECU software updating unit on the basis of the update information stored in the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Kiyama, Atsushi Katou
  • Publication number: 20200042306
    Abstract: Software is prevented from being distributed due to a human-caused error. A software distribution system includes a software distribution server that uses a campaign to manage an update of a function for an in-vehicle device of a vehicle and remotely distributes software based on the campaign, a terminal that executes input and output, and a software update device that is attached to the vehicle and configured to download the distributed software and install the software in the in-vehicle device. In the software distribution system, when the creation of the campaign is requested, statistical information of updated amounts of the software updated based on the most recent multiple campaigns in the target in-vehicle device for the requested campaign is compared with an updated amount of the software updated based on the requested campaign. When a predetermined requirement is satisfied, the requested campaign is not created and a predetermined alert is notified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Noboru KIYAMA, Atsushi KATOU, Naomi IZUMI, Haruki OISHI
  • Patent number: 10423841
    Abstract: An abnormality detection device includes a space recognition success determination unit which determines whether an outside space recognition device is successful in space recognition from information which contains space recognition information and environment information, an environment dependence recognition failure classifying unit which determines and classifies whether a failure of the space recognition corresponds to any one of a failure type previously stored in an environment dependence recognition failure type storage unit with respect to the space recognition information determined as failing in the space recognition, and an abnormality detection unit which uses the space recognition information determined as not corresponding to any failure type by the environment dependence recognition failure classifying unit to detect an abnormality of the outside space recognition device in the space recognition information determined as failing in the space recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takehisa Nishida, Mariko Okude, Masayoshi Ishikawa, Kazuo Muto, Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 10310840
    Abstract: Provided is a computer system capable of managing the performance of processing upon transmitting software to terminals. The present invention is a computer system comprising a plurality of modules which sequentially execute processing up to transmitting the software to the terminal, a controller which collects an operation log of each of the plurality of modules, and a memory which stores the operation logs collected by the controller, wherein the controller generates an operating performance of a prescribed module among the plurality of modules based on the operation logs stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Soki Sakurai, Atsushi Katou, Noboru Kiyama, Hiroshi Mine
  • Publication number: 20190163466
    Abstract: Control for the flexible distribution of update software is realized. An in-vehicle software distribution system 1 is configured comprising an in-vehicle software distribution server (telematics center 10) which manages updates to an identical function by means of a campaign for an in-vehicle system (an engine ECU 241, for example) of a plurality of vehicles 20 and distributes software of the campaign remotely to target vehicles, a terminal 30, and a software update apparatus 210 which is mounted in each of the plurality of vehicles 20. Furthermore, in the telematics center 10, a campaign management unit 112 categorizes the campaign target vehicles into groups based on a predetermined criterion and creates a plurality of sub-campaigns which are subordinate to the campaign for each of the categorized groups, and a software distribution unit (an update software distribution unit 113) distributes software remotely to the target vehicles for each of the sub-campaigns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Noboru KIYAMA, Atsushi KATOU, Haruki OISHI
  • Patent number: 10249112
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to grasp information regarding the state of a vehicle (for example, an automobile) that cannot be obtained from an OBD, and to monitor the state of the vehicle. An aspect of the present invention includes: a state estimation unit that estimates the state quantities of a monitoring-target vehicle based on sensor data obtained from sensors mounted on a mobile information terminal in the monitoring-target vehicle using a state estimation device that has learned the relationship between sensor data obtained from sensors mounted on a mobile information terminal in an arbitrary vehicle and state quantities of the arbitrary vehicle in advance; a state evaluation unit that executes evaluation regarding a state of the monitoring-target vehicle on the basis of the estimated state quantities of the monitoring-target vehicle; and an evaluation result output unit that outputs a result of the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Muto, Mariko Okude, Takehisa Nishida, Masayoshi Ishikawa, Atsushi Katou
  • Patent number: 10241519
    Abstract: An auto valet parking system operates a car in a parking lot and including: a parking lot map database which manages route information to each parking space; a vacant space information database which manages full and vacant information for each parking space; a facility migration information database which accumulates facility migration information indicative of behaviors of a parking lot user; a first unit which detects the full and vacant information for each parking space, searches for a route to the parking space and automatically parks the car in the parking space based on the route information; a second unit notifies the parking lot user of information on a parking position through a mobile terminal; and a third unit which searches for the vacant space as close as possible to conditions based on the facility migration information, and reflects the vacant space on the first unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Toru Nagai, Atsushi Katou, Yoshitaka Atarashi, Mariko Okude
  • Publication number: 20180286153
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to grasp information regarding the state of a vehicle (for example, an automobile) that cannot be obtained from an OBD, and to monitor the state of the vehicle. An aspect of the present invention includes: a state estimation unit that estimates the state quantities of a monitoring-target vehicle based on sensor data obtained from sensors mounted on a mobile information terminal in the monitoring-target vehicle using a state estimation device that has learned the relationship between sensor data obtained from sensors mounted on a mobile information terminal in an arbitrary vehicle and state quantities of the arbitrary vehicle in advance; a state evaluation unit that executes evaluation regarding a state of the monitoring-target vehicle on the basis of the estimated state quantities of the monitoring-target vehicle; and an evaluation result output unit that outputs a result of the evaluation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Kazuo MUTO, Mariko OKUDE, Takehisa NISHIDA, Masayoshi ISHIKAWA, Atsushi KATOU
  • Patent number: 10032375
    Abstract: The invention is to specify a poor visibility portion by using only a sensor standardly mounted on a connected car without any special measurement device or equipment and provide information thereon to a driver or an automatic driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Muto, Ichiro Kataoka, Takashi Okada, Toshiharu Sugawara, Atsushi Katou, Katsuhiro Samizo
  • Publication number: 20180158257
    Abstract: A device diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention includes: a diagnosis model selecting unit that selects a diagnosis model for diagnosing a moving device in accordance with a driving environment of the device; and a diagnosis unit that inputs operation data of the device to the selected diagnosis model, receives an output of a diagnosis result for the device from the diagnosis model, and diagnoses the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mariko OKUDE, Takehisa NISHIDA, Masayoshi ISHIKAWA, Kazuo MUTO, Atsushi KATOU
  • Publication number: 20180137377
    Abstract: An abnormality detection device includes a space recognition success determination unit which determines whether an outside space recognition device is successful in space recognition from information which contains space recognition information and environment information, an environment dependence recognition failure classifying unit which determines and classifies whether a failure of the space recognition corresponds to any one of a failure type previously stored in an environment dependence recognition failure type storage unit with respect to the space recognition information determined as failing in the space recognition, and an abnormality detection unit which uses the space recognition information determined as not corresponding to any failure type by the environment dependence recognition failure classifying unit to detect an abnormality of the outside space recognition device in the space recognition information determined as failing in the space recognition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takehisa NISHIDA, Mariko OKUDE, Masayoshi ISHIKAWA, Kazuo MUTO, Atsushi KATOU
  • Publication number: 20180130271
    Abstract: A vehicle operation data collection apparatus includes a vehicle operation history DB which accumulates vehicle operation data acquired from a vehicle; a data excess and deficiency evaluation unit which evaluates excess or deficiency of vehicle operation data accumulated in the vehicle operation history DB for each of abnormality types, on the basis of accuracy information of classification obtained when classifying the abnormality types occurring in the vehicle by machine learning, using vehicle operation data accumulated in the vehicle operation history DB; a collection target vehicle extraction unit which extracts a vehicle suitable for acquiring data of an abnormality type evaluated as data deficiency by the data excess and deficiency evaluation unit from a vehicle maintenance history DB as a collection target vehicle; and a collection command distribution unit which distributes a collection command instructing collection of operation data to the extracted collection target vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Masayoshi ISHIKAWA, Mariko OKUDE, Takehisa NISHIDA, Kazuo MUTO, Atsushi KATOU
  • Publication number: 20180095745
    Abstract: Provided is a computer system which, by transmitting software to a terminal for updating a control system of the terminal, enables the terminal to properly function based on the software. A computer system configured so as to be able to remotely update software of a terminal, wherein a processor generates an update file for updating the software of the terminal and stores the generated update file in a memory, identifies a specific terminal to which the update file should be transmitted, reads the update file from the memory and transmits the update file from a transmission module to the specific terminal, receives operational information of the update file from the specific terminal via a reception module, and determines whether it is necessary to distribute the update file to a terminal other than the specific terminal based on the operational information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi MINE, Soki SAKURAI, Noboru KIYAMA, Atsushi KATOU
  • Publication number: 20180095744
    Abstract: Provided is a computer system capable of managing the performance of processing upon transmitting software to terminals. The present invention is a computer system comprising a plurality of modules which sequentially execute processing up to transmitting the software to the terminal, a controller which collects an operation log of each of the plurality of modules, and a memory which stores the operation logs collected by the controller, wherein the controller generates an operating performance of a prescribed module among the plurality of modules based on the operation logs stored in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Soki SAKURAI, Atsushi KATOU, Noboru KIYAMA, Hiroshi MINE