Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Kataoka

Hiroaki Kataoka 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: 11639171
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to at least an object in an area; an environment obtainer that obtains a relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the object information obtained by the object-information obtainer; and a support inhibitor that inhibits driving support when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the inhibition threshold value to a smaller value when the relative positional relationship is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object is to be performed, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11476939
    Abstract: An optical repeater is a C+L-band repeater inserted between a first transmission path fiber and a second transmission path fiber. The optical repeater includes: a first optical fiber amplifier inserted in a first line, for amplifying a C-band signal; a second optical fiber amplifier inserted in a second line, for amplifying an L-band signal; a third optical fiber amplifier inserted in a third line, for amplifying a C-band signal; a fourth optical fiber amplifier inserted in a fourth line, for amplifying an L-band signal; and a first loopback means provided between an input to the first optical fiber amplifier or an output from the first optical fiber amplifier and an input to the third optical fiber amplifier or an output from the third optical fiber amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20210380167
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes a support inhibitor that inhibits support of driving when a steering-operation value is greater than a threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the threshold value to a value greater when a first object and a second object are present than when the first object is present, and the second object is absent. The first object has a relationship in which a relative positional relationship between the object and an own vehicle is a relationship in which a steering operation is estimated to be performed in a first direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object. The second object has a relationship in which the relative positional relationship is a relationship in which the steering operation is estimated to be performed in a second direction reverse to the first direction such that the own vehicle avoids the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki KATAOKA, Taisuke HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 11130523
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes a support inhibitor that inhibits support of driving when a steering-operation value is greater than a threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the threshold value to a value greater when a first object and a second object are present than when the first object is present, and the second object is absent. The first object has a relationship in which a relative positional relationship between the object and an own vehicle is a relationship in which a steering operation is estimated to be performed in a first direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object. The second object has a relationship in which the relative positional relationship is a relationship in which the steering operation is estimated to be performed in a second direction reverse to the first direction such that the own vehicle avoids the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Taisuke Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20210221366
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to at least an object in an area; an environment obtainer that obtains a relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the object information obtained by the object-information obtainer; and a support inhibitor that inhibits driving support when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the inhibition threshold value to a smaller value when the relative positional relationship is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object is to be performed, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki KATAOKA
  • Publication number: 20210111801
    Abstract: An optical repeater is a C+L-band repeater inserted between a first transmission path fiber and a second transmission path fiber. The optical repeater includes: a first optical fiber amplifier inserted in a first line, for amplifying a C-band signal; a second optical fiber amplifier inserted in a second line, for amplifying an L-band signal; a third optical fiber amplifier inserted in a third line, for amplifying a C-band signal; a fourth optical fiber amplifier inserted in a fourth line, for amplifying an L-band signal; and a first loopback means provided between an input to the first optical fiber amplifier or an output from the first optical fiber amplifier and an input to the third optical fiber amplifier or an output from the third optical fiber amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroaki KATAOKA
  • Patent number: 10967854
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to at least an object in an area; an environment obtainer that obtains a relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the object information obtained by the object-information obtainer; and a support inhibitor that inhibits driving support when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the inhibition threshold value to a smaller value when the relative positional relationship is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object is to be performed, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10843730
    Abstract: A lane keeping traveling support apparatus includes a driving support ECU. The driving support ECU is configured to inform a driver that the LDA control is being performed by causing the driver to have uncomfortable feeling by a movement of a steering wheel and a vehicle behavior when the LDA control is performed. This function is achieved by enhancing responsiveness of the LDA control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10661789
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes an environment obtainer and a support controller configured to control a supporting device to perform driving support such that an own vehicle travels along a target traveling line. The environment obtainer includes a relative-positional-relationship obtainer configured to obtain a relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and an object detected based on object information obtained by an object-information obtainer. The support controller includes an offset-target-traveling-line setter configured to set, when the relative positional relationship is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object is to be performed, the target traveling line to an offset position that is shifted in a direction identical to a direction of a steering operation from the target traveling line located when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10625781
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist apparatus of the invention does not execute a road end line departure prevention control when a next lane vehicle traveling in a next lane is acquired as a road end line and an amount of an operation input to a steering wheel of an own vehicle to cause the own vehicle to move into the next lane, is larger than or equal to a predetermined operation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10479358
    Abstract: When switching from lane departure suppression control (LDA control) to lane keep assist control (LKA control), a self-vehicle is suppressed from deviating out of a traveling lane. A driving assist preferentially carries out the LKA control, but carries out the LDA control instead of the LKA control when there is a possibility that the self-vehicle may deviate out of the traveling lane under the LKA control. When the LDA control is returned to the LKA control after the lane departure avoidance operation of the self-vehicle is completed, the LDA control is continued while an angle between an orientation of the self-vehicle and the traveling lane is not a predetermined angle or less, and it is switched to the LKA control after the angle becomes the predetermined angle or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Kazuma Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10407063
    Abstract: A driving supporter is configured to perform support of driving such that an own vehicle drives within a lane. The driving supporter includes: a support inhibitor configured to inhibit the support of the driving when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation performed by a driver is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes: a road-surface-unevenness obtainer configured to obtain a degree of unevenness of a road surface on which the own vehicle is running; and a road-surface-unevenness-dependent threshold-value determiner configured to determine the inhibition threshold value to a larger value when the degree of the unevenness of the road surface which is obtained by the road-surface-unevenness obtainer is large than when the degree of the unevenness of the road surface which is obtained by the road-surface-unevenness obtainer is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10392051
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist apparatus of the invention executes an interpolation estimation process for estimating a road end line when the road end line becomes unable to be acquired and executes a road end line departure prevention control to prevent a vehicle from departing from the estimated road end line. The apparatus stops the interpolation estimation process and the road end line departure prevention control when a predetermined time elapses. When a last road end line extends toward an own vehicle traveling lane, the apparatus sets the predetermined time such that the predetermined time set when a road end line angle defined between extending directions of the last road end line and the own vehicle traveling lane is large, is smaller than the predetermined time set when the road end line angle is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 10262478
    Abstract: A vehicle-data recorder records vehicle data into a storage when a recording condition is satisfied. The recording condition includes a condition that a steering-related value representing a state of a steering operation performed by a driver or a vehicle behavior caused by the steering operation is greater than or equal to a threshold value. The vehicle-data recorder includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to an object in an area; and a threshold-value changer that changes the threshold value to a smaller value when a relative positional relationship between an own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the obtained object information is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation is to be performed in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Shintaro Iwa-Asa, Hiroshi Nakada, Tomoki Nagao, Takashi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20180229770
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes a support inhibitor that inhibits support of driving when a steering-operation value is greater than a threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the threshold value to a value greater when a first object and a second object are present than when the first object is present, and the second object is absent. The first object has a relationship in which a relative positional relationship between the object and an own vehicle is a relationship in which a steering operation is estimated to be performed in a first direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object. The second object has a relationship in which the relative positional relationship is a relationship in which the steering operation is estimated to be performed in a second direction reverse to the first direction such that the own vehicle avoids the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki KATAOKA, Taisuke HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 10040480
    Abstract: A lane keeping traveling support apparatus includes a driving support ECU. The driving support ECU is configured to to determine a lane departure prevention torque in such a manner that a magnitude of the lane departure prevention torque becomes smaller or to stop performing a lane departure prevention control, when the lane departure prevention control is performed in place of a lane keeping assist control and a specific operation of a steering wheel is performed by a driver so as to have a direction of an own vehicle head to a lane departure direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Kazuma Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20180201318
    Abstract: A lane keeping traveling support apparatus includes a driving support ECU. The driving support ECU is configured to determine a lane departure prevention torque in such a manner that a magnitude of the lane departure prevention torque becomes smaller or to stop performing a lane departure prevention control, when the lane departure prevention control is performed in place of a lane keeping assist control and a specific operation of a steering wheel is performed by a driver so as to have a direction of an own vehicle head to a lane departure direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki KATAOKA, Kazuma HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20180174380
    Abstract: A vehicle-data recorder records vehicle data into a storage when a recording condition is satisfied. The recording condition includes a condition that a steering-related value representing a state of a steering operation performed by a driver or a vehicle behavior caused by the steering operation is greater than or equal to a threshold value. The vehicle-data recorder includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to an object in an area; and a threshold-value changer that changes the threshold value to a smaller value when a relative positional relationship between an own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the obtained object information is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation is to be performed in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Shintaro Iwa-Asa, Hiroshi Nakada, Tomoki Nagao, Takashi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20180170371
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes: an object-information obtainer that obtains object information relating to at least an object in an area; an environment obtainer that obtains a relative positional relationship between the own vehicle and the object located in the area and identified based on the object information obtained by the object-information obtainer; and a support inhibitor that inhibits driving support when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the inhibition threshold value to a smaller value when the relative positional relationship is a specific relationship in which it is estimated that a steering operation in a direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object is to be performed, than when the relative positional relationship is not the specific relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20180170379
    Abstract: A driving supporter is configured to perform support of driving such that an own vehicle drives within a lane. The driving supporter includes: a support inhibitor configured to inhibit the support of the driving when an absolute value of a steering operation value representing a magnitude of a steering operation performed by a driver is greater than an inhibition threshold value. The support inhibitor includes: a road-surface-unevenness obtainer configured to obtain a degree of unevenness of a road surface on which the own vehicle is running; and a road-surface-unevenness-dependent threshold-value determiner configured to determine the inhibition threshold value to a larger value when the degree of the unevenness of the road surface which is obtained by the road-surface-unevenness obtainer is large than when the degree of the unevenness of the road surface which is obtained by the road-surface-unevenness obtainer is small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kataoka