Patents by Inventor Ayako KOTANI

Ayako KOTANI 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: 20230166638
    Abstract: A seat reclining position control device includes: a seat on which an occupant of a vehicle sits; an adjustment part configured to adjust an angle of a backrest of the seat; a sleep state detection unit configured to detect a sleep state of the occupant; a control unit that operates the adjustment unit to control the angle; and a vehicle interior detection unit configured to detect a vehicle interior state of the vehicle. The control unit implements a seat angle control to adjust the angle of the backrest for the occupant in the sleep state based on the vehicle interior state to a suitable sleeping angle suitable for sleeping when the sleep state detection unit detects the sleep state of the occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Ayako KOTANI, Yukari ITOU, Akihiro HAYASHI, Makiko SUGIURA, Kunihiko CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20220292948
    Abstract: A driver is awakened by measuring a drowsiness level of the driver; detecting a behavior of the driver indicating that the drive is aware of drowsiness; setting an intensity of an awakening stimulus based on the drowsiness level and a detection result of the behavior; and generating the awakening stimulus according to the intensity. The intensity is set to be higher when the behavior of the driver is detected under a same drowsiness level than when the behavior of the driver is not detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Ayako KOTANI, Michiru MATSUWAKI, Makiko SUGIURA
  • Patent number: 11267480
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus is provided. The travel control apparatus acquires driver abnormality information indicative of an abnormality of a driver of a vehicle, makes a determination that the driver is in a driving difficulty state based at least on the driver abnormality information, and activates a lane departure prevention function and a cruise control function of the vehicle at substantially the same time during a time period between when the driver abnormality information is acquired and when the driving difficulty state is determined. Together with activating the lane departure prevention function and the cruise control function, the travel control apparatus outputs notification request information to a human machine interface controller controlling a notification device which issues a notification to a passenger of the vehicle. The notification request information causes the notification indicative of activation of the lane departure prevention function and the cruise control function to be issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuo Tamagaki, Hiroaki Tanaka, Ifushi Shimonomoto, Akira Kamiya, Takuya Mori, Yuki Fujisawa, Ayako Kotani
  • Publication number: 20200148214
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus is provided. The travel control apparatus acquires driver abnormality information indicative of an abnormality of a driver of a vehicle, makes a determination that the driver is in a driving difficulty state based at least on the driver abnormality information, and activates a lane departure prevention function and a cruise control function of the vehicle at substantially the same time during a time period between when the driver abnormality information is acquired and when the driving difficulty state is determined. Together with activating the lane departure prevention function and the cruise control function, the travel control apparatus outputs notification request information to a human machine interface controller controlling a notification device which issues a notification to a passenger of the vehicle. The notification request information causes the notification indicative of activation of the lane departure prevention function and the cruise control function to be issued.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Mitsuo TAMAGAKI, Hiroaki TANAKA, Ifushi SHIMONOMOTO, Akira KAMIYA, Takuya MORI, Yuki FUJISAWA, Ayako KOTANI
  • Patent number: 10583843
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus includes: an abnormality information acquisition section that acquires information indicating that an abnormality of a driver of a vehicle is detected; a status determination section that makes a determination that the driver is in a driving difficulty state, when the abnormality of the driver is detected continuously; and an evacuation control section that initiates an automatic evacuation control stopping automatically the vehicle when the status determination section makes a determination that the driver is in the driving difficulty state. The travel control apparatus further includes an assistance control section that initiates a driving assistance control during an interval from when the abnormality is detected to when the driving difficulty state is determined; the driving assistance control includes at least activating a lane departure prevention function of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuo Tamagaki, Hiroaki Tanaka, Ifushi Shimonomoto, Akira Kamiya, Takuya Mori, Yuki Fujisawa, Ayako Kotani
  • Publication number: 20180111628
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus includes: an abnormality information acquisition section that acquires information indicating that an abnormality of a driver of a vehicle is detected; a status determination section that makes a determination that the driver is in a driving difficulty state, when the abnormality of the driver is detected continuously; and an evacuation control section that initiates an automatic evacuation control stopping automatically the vehicle when the status determination section makes a determination that the driver is in the driving difficulty state. The travel control apparatus further includes an assistance control section that initiates a driving assistance control during an interval from when the abnormality is detected to when the driving difficulty state is determined; the driving assistance control includes at least activating a lane departure prevention function of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Mitsuo TAMAGAKI, Hiroaki TANAKA, Ifushi SHIMONOMOTO, Akira KAMIYA, Takuya MORI, Yuki FUJISAWA, Ayako KOTANI
  • Publication number: 20180024354
    Abstract: A vehicle display control device that controls to display a virtual image in a subject vehicle equipped with a head-up display that displays the virtual image in association with one front obstacle in outside scenery by projecting a display image on a projection member includes: an image storage device that stores, as the display image, a highlighting image for highlighting the front obstacle by a linear portion surrounding the front obstacle with a margin spaced apart from the front obstacle at a virtual image display position corresponding to an entire range less than an entire circumference other than a lower side of a periphery of the front obstacle; and a virtual image display control device that is provided by at least one processor and controls the virtual image display position and the virtual image display size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Inventors: Shingo SHIBATA, Ayako KOTANI