Patents by Inventor Harunobu Horiguchi

Harunobu Horiguchi 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: 20240326788
    Abstract: A driver assistance apparatus includes an environment information obtainer, a visibility value measurer, and a control processor. The environment information obtainer acquires information on a traveling environment around a vehicle. The visibility value measurer measures a visibility value of the vehicle in the traveling environment based on the information on the traveling environment. The control processor determines whether visibility obstruction has occurred based on the visibility value and, when determining that the visibility obstruction has occurred, executes a driver assistance mode against the visibility obstruction. When determining that the visibility obstruction has occurred, the control processor executes one or both of a first process adapted to notify surrounding objects present around the vehicle of the presence of the vehicle depending on the visibility value, and a second process adapted to assist a traveling state of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20240326801
    Abstract: A driver assistance apparatus for a vehicle includes a determiner, an estimator, a detector, and a deceleration rate setter. The determiner determines whether the vehicle is slipping in vehicle speed control involving acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle. The estimator estimates a road surface frictional coefficient at a location where the vehicle starts slipping as a first road surface frictional coefficient. The detector detects a high frictional coefficient area that has a second road surface frictional coefficient higher than the first road surface frictional coefficient and is located in front of the vehicle. The deceleration rate setter sets, in the vehicle speed control involving the deceleration, a target deceleration rate to be used when the vehicle travels in the high frictional coefficient area to a higher value than the target deceleration rate set for the first road surface frictional coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 12071152
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus includes a drive source, a brake detector, a vehicle velocity detector, a wheel velocity detector, and a driving force controller. The drive source is configured to give driving force to each of drive wheels capable of being independently driven. The brake detector is configured to detect depression of a brake pedal. The vehicle velocity detector is configured to detect vehicle velocity of a vehicle. The wheel velocity detector is configured to detect wheel velocity of each of the drive wheels. The driving force controller is configured to control the driving force for each of the drive wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harunobu Horiguchi, Satoru Kuwahara, Makoto Sonoki, Yohei Kawashima, Hideo Yagata
  • Publication number: 20230398980
    Abstract: A vehicle driving support apparatus for a vehicle includes: a driving environment information acquirer; a vehicle state detector; a storage; and a driving support controller configured to set an indicated target steering angle at which the vehicle is caused to run along a target running path to perform steering control. When a steering-wheel operation by a driver is steering override, the driving support controller acquired status data including curvature data about a corner and stores the status data in the storage. When the vehicle is to enter a corner or during cornering, the driving support controller determines whether the curvature data coinciding with the curvature of the corner exists in the status data previously acquired. When the coinciding curvature data exists, the driving support controller corrects the indicated target steering angle is with the status data including the coinciding curvature data to set a corrected target steering angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230311747
    Abstract: A drive assist apparatus for a vehicle includes a turn signal drive unit, an environment information obtainer, and a controller. The controller includes a blinking cycle adjuster configured to cause the turn signal drive unit to drive with drive signals indicating blinking cycles different from each other. The blinking cycles include a first blinking cycle and a second blinking cycle shorter than the first blinking cycle. The blinking cycle adjuster is configured to set the first blinking cycle for the vehicle that travels at a first position, and set the second blinking cycle for the vehicle that travels at a second position closer to the intersection than the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230202479
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assistance apparatus includes a traveling environment recognizer and an adaptive cruise controller. The traveling environment recognizer recognizes traveling environment information regarding an outside of a vehicle. Based on the traveling environment information, the adaptive cruise controller performs a follow-up traveling control of causing the vehicle to travel to follow a preceding vehicle, if recognized, and performs a constant-speed traveling control of causing the vehicle to travel at constant speed. If the vehicle starts a lane change to a traveling lane during traveling based on the follow-up traveling control, the adaptive cruise controller keeps a target vehicle speed at a start of the lane change at least until the lane change ends, and thereafter accelerates the vehicle, by setting a set vehicle speed as a new target vehicle speed, and setting a target acceleration rate based on the new target vehicle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230182736
    Abstract: A vehicle traveling control apparatus is configured to be applied to a vehicle and includes a traveling environment data acquiring unit and a traveling controller. The traveling controller includes a preceding vehicle recognizing unit, a curve curvature detecting unit, and a vehicle speed keep controlling unit. The preceding vehicle recognizing unit is configured to recognize a preceding vehicle, based on traveling environment data acquired by the traveling environment data acquiring unit. The curve curvature detecting unit is configured to detect a curvature of a curved road, based on the traveling environment data or road map data. The vehicle speed keep controlling unit is configured such that, in a case where the preceding vehicle recognizing unit loses track of the preceding vehicle, the vehicle speed keep controlling unit cause the vehicle to travel on the basis of a preceding-vehicle-following vehicle speed that is before losing track of the preceding vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230159096
    Abstract: A behavior control apparatus for a vehicle includes a vehicle speed detector, a curvature setting unit, a steering angle detector, a yaw rate detector, a deceleration rate detection unit, a target yaw rate setting unit, a vehicle behavior determination unit, and a vehicle behavior controller. The vehicle behavior controller includes a grip restored vehicle speed estimation unit, an estimated yaw rate setting unit, a grip restored target yaw rate setting unit, and a steering control unit. The steering control unit makes a steering control including allowing a yaw rate of the vehicle to settle at a grip restored target yaw rate at which tire grip is restored, on the basis of a difference between an estimated yaw rate and the grip restored target yaw rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventor: Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11618436
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a steering device, a steering controller, a steering input member, a front-rear driving force distribution unit, and a behavior controller. The steering device steers front wheels of a vehicle. The steering controller controls and causes the steering device to perform steering automatically. The steering input member receives a steering operation inputted by a driver. The front-rear driving force distribution unit changes a front-rear driving force distribution ratio. The behavior controller predicts, if a steering operation is performed via the steering input member during the automatic steering, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and causes, if an oversteer behavior is predicted to occur, the front-rear driving force distribution unit to change the driving force distribution ratio to a front-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the oversteer behavior is not predicted to occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harunobu Horiguchi, Ryoichi Mizutani, Akihisa Osada, Yohei Kawashima, Yuki Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20230013377
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus includes a drive source, a brake detector, a vehicle velocity detector, a wheel velocity detector, and a driving force controller. The drive source is configured to give driving force to each of drive wheels capable of being independently driven. The brake detector is configured to detect depression of a brake pedal. The vehicle velocity detector is configured to detect vehicle velocity of a vehicle. The wheel velocity detector is configured to detect wheel velocity of each of the drive wheels. The driving force controller is configured to control the driving force for each of the drive wheels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Satoru KUWAHARA, Makoto SONOKI, Yohei KAWASHIMA, Hideo YAGATA
  • Patent number: 11491959
    Abstract: A braking control device includes a target vehicle speed setting unit, a braking power control unit, and a low friction coefficient region recognition unit. The low friction coefficient region recognition unit recognizes a low friction coefficient region of a road surface between a current position of an own vehicle and a target position. The braking power control unit estimates a maximum deceleration rate assuming braking to be started after passage through the low friction coefficient region to cause deceleration to a target vehicle speed at the target position. On the condition that the maximum deceleration rate is smaller than a predetermined upper limit on a deceleration rate, the braking power control unit causes a start of generation of braking power after the passage through the low friction coefficient region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harunobu Horiguchi, Ryoichi Mizutani, Akihisa Osada, Yohei Kawashima, Yuki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11400918
    Abstract: A vehicle control device to be installed in a vehicle includes a self-driving controller and a calculator. The self-driving controller is configured to set a target vehicle speed and a target steering angle to allow the vehicle to trace a predetermined target travel locus. The self-driving controller is configured to control the vehicle based on the target vehicle speed and the target steering angle. The calculator is configured to calculate a deviation between an index of an actual vehicle behavior and an index of a reference vehicle behavior. The self-driving controller corrects one or both of the target vehicle speed and the target steering angle in accordance with an increase of the deviation, so as to stabilize the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harunobu Horiguchi, Yuta Ishizuka, Makoto Nakauchi, Ryoichi Mizutani, Masaki Sunagawa
  • Patent number: 11285951
    Abstract: A vehicle brake control apparatus includes a vibration detector configured to detect a predetermined vibration state in a frictional brake device, a power regeneration execution determination unit configured to determine, in a case where the predetermined vibration state is detected by the vibration detector, whether to permit execution of power regeneration by a power generating device or to limit the execution, a pressing force controller configured to change, in a case where the execution of the power regeneration is limited by the power regeneration execution determination unit, a pressing force of a friction material in the frictional brake device, and a driving force cooperative controller configured to adjust a driving force of a vehicle to suppress fluctuation in forward acceleration or backward acceleration of the vehicle associated with a change in the pressing force by the pressing force controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harunobu Horiguchi, Yuta Ishizuka, Makoto Nakauchi, Ryoichi Mizutani, Masaki Sunagawa
  • Publication number: 20210213919
    Abstract: A braking control device includes a target vehicle speed setting unit, a braking power control unit, and a low friction coefficient region recognition unit. The low friction coefficient region recognition unit recognizes a low friction coefficient region of a road surface between a current position of an own vehicle and a target position. The braking power control unit estimates a maximum deceleration rate assuming braking to be started after passage through the low friction coefficient region to cause deceleration to a target vehicle speed at the target position. On the condition that the maximum deceleration rate is smaller than a predetermined upper limit on a deceleration rate, the braking power control unit causes a start of generation of braking power after the passage through the low friction coefficient region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Ryoichi MIZUTANI, Akihisa OSADA, Yohei KAWASHIMA, Yuki SUGIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20210139016
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a steering device, a steering controller, a steering input member, a front-rear driving force distribution unit, and a behavior controller. The steering device steers front wheels of a vehicle. The steering controller controls and causes the steering device to perform steering automatically. The steering input member receives a steering operation inputted by a driver. The front-rear driving force distribution unit changes a front-rear driving force distribution ratio. The behavior controller predicts, if a steering operation is performed via the steering input member during the automatic steering, a behavior of the vehicle to be exhibited after steering corresponding to the steering operation, and causes, if an oversteer behavior is predicted to occur, the front-rear driving force distribution unit to change the driving force distribution ratio to a front-wheel biased distribution ratio as compared with a case where the oversteer behavior is not predicted to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Ryoichi MIZUTANI, Akihisa OSADA, Yohei KAWASHIMA, Yuki SUGIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200398846
    Abstract: A vehicle brake control apparatus includes a vibration detector configured to detect a predetermined vibration state in a frictional brake device, a power regeneration execution determination unit configured to determine, in a case where the predetermined vibration state is detected by the vibration detector, whether to permit execution of power regeneration by a power generating device or to limit the execution, a pressing force controller configured to change, in a case where the execution of the power regeneration is limited by the power regeneration execution determination unit, a pressing force of a friction material in the frictional brake device, and a driving force cooperative controller configured to adjust a driving force of a vehicle to suppress fluctuation in forward acceleration or backward acceleration of the vehicle associated with a change in the pressing force by the pressing force controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Yuta ISHIZUKA, Makoto NAKAUCHI, Ryoichi MIZUTANI, Masaki SUNAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20200307551
    Abstract: A vehicle control device to be installed in a vehicle includes a self-driving controller and a calculator. The self-driving controller is configured to set a target vehicle speed and a target steering angle to allow the vehicle to trace a predetermined target travel locus. The self-driving controller is configured to control the vehicle based on the target vehicle speed and the target steering angle. The calculator is configured to calculate a deviation between an index of an actual vehicle behavior and an index of a reference vehicle behavior. The self-driving controller corrects one or both of the target vehicle speed and the target steering angle in accordance with an increase of the deviation, so as to stabilize the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Yuta ISHIZUKA, Makoto NAKAUCHI, Ryoichi MIZUTANI, Masaki SUNAGAWA
  • Patent number: 10632993
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle includes a travel environment information acquisition unit, a travel information detection unit, and a control unit. The acquisition unit acquires travel environment information of the vehicle, which is on a traveling environment of the vehicle. The detection unit detects travel information of the vehicle. The control unit performs self-driving control, on the basis the information. The control unit detects a relative distance between an oncoming vehicle and the vehicle, and performs turn control to cause the vehicle to make a turn while crossing ahead of the oncoming vehicle, in a case where the relative distance is not smaller than a preset threshold value. When the vehicle makes the turn, in a case where a traction control for preventing tire slippage by decreasing a drive torque is operated, the control unit increasingly corrects the preset threshold value in accordance with at least a tire grip state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Harunobu Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 9889884
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle detects a vehicle to be passed that is a target of passing and is in front of the vehicle equipped with the apparatus in the traveling lane thereof, detects a parallel traveling vehicle that is traveling in a lane that is adjacent to a lane to which the vehicle performs lane changing to pass the vehicle to be passed and is located on the opposite side of the lane which the vehicle to be passed is traveling, monitors the vehicle to be passed and the parallel traveling vehicle, and variably controls a passing maneuver with respect to the vehicle to be passed on the basis of a monitoring result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Harunobu Horiguchi, Shiro Ezoe, Takayuki Nagase, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 9873376
    Abstract: A control unit of an assist controller for a vehicle estimates the visibility of a driver, calculates a visibility degradation ratio as a temporal change amount of the visibility, compares the visibility degradation ratio with a warning threshold that has been set in advance according to a vehicle speed, determines whether to warn the driver with a warning device, compares the visibility degradation ratio with a control characteristic change threshold that has been set in advance according to a vehicle speed, determines changes in control characteristics of the ABS function, skid preventing control function, and brake assist control function, compares the visibility degradation ratio with a deceleration control actuation threshold that has been set in advance according to a vehicle speed, and determines whether to execute automatic braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Harunobu Horiguchi