Patents by Inventor Hiromitsu Urano

Hiromitsu Urano 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: 20230129168
    Abstract: A controller for a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The controller executes detecting an emergency vehicle traveling around the vehicle based on surrounding environment information, and determining how to deal with the emergency vehicle in response to a detection of the emergency vehicle. In the determining how to deal with the emergency vehicle, the controller executes, at least, determining to cause the vehicle to take an avoidance action for the emergency vehicle, and determining to cause the vehicle to take a preliminary action for the avoidance action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hojung JUNG, Hiromitsu Urano
  • Patent number: 11636762
    Abstract: An image display device includes: an external sensor data acquisition unit acquired external sensor data detected at a first time point; an internal sensor data acquisition unit acquired internal sensor data detected at the first time point; a determination unit determined a position of the vehicle at a second time point that is a future time point after a predetermined time has elapsed from the first time point, based on the internal sensor data at the first time point; and a display control unit displayed a monitoring image indicating surroundings of the vehicle on the display unit based on the external sensor data at the first time point, wherein, the display control unit superimposes an object indicating the position of the vehicle at the second time point at the position on the monitoring image corresponding to the position of the vehicle at the second time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hojung Jung, Hiromitsu Urano, Sho Otaki
  • Publication number: 20230106666
    Abstract: A processor performs a mediation process of mediating remote support of at least one vehicle when receiving a request for remote support from the at least one vehicle. In the mediation process, at least two vehicles are organized into at least one group based on map information and position and traveling direction information of the at least two vehicles when requests for remote support from the at least two vehicles have been received in the same time period. The support order of the vehicles in the at least one group is determined for each group based on the map information and the position and traveling direction information of the at least two vehicles. The surrounding image information of the corresponding vehicle is transmitted to at least one support device that performs remote support of the vehicles organized into the at least one group in the support order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Sho Otaki
  • Publication number: 20230104712
    Abstract: A system includes an acquisition unit that acquires an operation amount or a duration count, and a switching unit that switches a driving state. The switching unit switches the driving state to the cooperative driving state when the operation amount is equal to or greater than an intervention threshold and less than a start threshold or the duration count is equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold during the autonomous driving state, switches the driving state to the autonomous driving state when the operation amount is less than the intervention threshold or the duration count is less than the first threshold during the cooperative driving state, and switches the driving state to the manual driving state when the operation amount is equal to or greater than the start threshold or the duration count is equal to or greater than the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Taisuke Sugaiwa, Toshiki Kindo
  • Patent number: 11605306
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a training system to train a driver about occurrences of anomalous driving events of automated vehicle systems. In one embodiment, a method includes determining, upon receiving a selection of a vehicle behavior from one or more anomalous driving events and a detected state change signal, whether the vehicle behavior affects one or more entities. The method includes assessing a state of the one or more entities to simulate the vehicle behavior according to a safety standard. The method includes triggering simulation of the vehicle behavior if the state satisfies a threshold. The method includes simulating the vehicle behavior by at least controlling the vehicle to simulate the vehicle behavior during automated driving of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Patent number: 11577743
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving automated driving by testing for inputs during driving. In one embodiment, a method includes testing an input from a driver in a manual driving mode of a vehicle. The method also includes adapting a fixed time interval on a condition that a test result of the input satisfies criteria used to validate driver inputs. The method also includes monitoring, via an input system of the vehicle, for driver feedback according to the fixed time interval in an automated driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Patent number: 11568746
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicular environment estimation device capable of accurately estimating a travel environment around own vehicle on the basis of a predicted route of a mobile object or the like, which is moving in a blind area. A vehicular environment estimation device that is mounted in the own vehicle detects a behavior of another vehicle in the vicinity of the own vehicle, and estimates a travel environment, which affects the traveling of another vehicle, on the basis of the behavior of another vehicle. For example, the presence of another vehicle, which is traveling in a blind area, is estimated on the basis of the behavior of another vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to estimate a vehicle travel environment that cannot be recognized by the own vehicle but can be recognized by another vehicle in the vicinity of the own vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Hiromitsu Urano, Toshiki Kindo
  • Publication number: 20230022104
    Abstract: An object detection device that determines whether or not an object is present in a blind spot of a sensor mounted on a moving object includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire an entry/exit status of the object into/from a closed blind spot of the sensor on the basis of a detection result from the sensor, and a determination unit configured to determine the presence or absence of the object in the closed blind spot on the basis of the entry/exit status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220397895
    Abstract: A vehicle remote control device includes an operator state determination unit that determines whether or not a remote operator is in a proper control state suitable for performing remote control, based on a gaze state of the remote operator for a gaze target area of sensor information presented by an information presentation unit, a proper control determination unit that determines whether or not the remote control accepted by an input accepting unit is proper based on a result of the determination of the operator state determination unit, and a transmission unit that transmits remote control information indicating the remote control determined to be proper to an autonomous driving vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Sho OTAKI, Masahiro HARADA
  • Publication number: 20220397898
    Abstract: A remote control request method has requesting, by a computer, a remote operator to perform remote control on an autonomous driving vehicle when the autonomous driving vehicle currently has or is expected to have difficulty in continuing autonomous driving, requesting remote assistance in which the remote operator makes at least a part of determination for the autonomous driving inside an autonomous driving domain, and requesting, outside the autonomous driving domain, remote driving in which the remote operator performs at least one of a steering operation and an acceleration or deceleration operation of the autonomous driving vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Sho Otaki, Takashi Suzuki, Toru Takashima, Hojung Jung, Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Satoru Niwa, Kosuke Akatsuka
  • Publication number: 20220381883
    Abstract: A vehicle sensor mounting structure includes a vehicle; and a long-range light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device mounted on a peripheral edge portion of a roof of the vehicle, the long-range LiDAR device having a detection range expanding diagonally downward as viewed from the roof, the detection range including a part of an outer peripheral face of the vehicle, the long-range LiDAR device being configured to detect an object within the detection range, and the long-range LiDAR device having a lower limit of detection distance that is not less than 10 cm and not more than 1 m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoichi Hayasaka, Keisuke Hokai, Hiromitsu Urano
  • Patent number: 11507110
    Abstract: A vehicle remote assistance system including: a remote assistance example database in which a past assistance request situation and a remote assistance content made by a remote operator are stored in association with each other, and a server. The server is configured to, upon receipt of a remote assistance request from an autonomous vehicle, determine whether or not a remote assistance request situation of the autonomous vehicle is similar to the past assistance request situation stored in the remote assistance example database, based on a position of the autonomous vehicle transmitting the remote assistance request and an external environment around the autonomous vehicle; and the server is configured to, when the server determines that the remote assistance request situation is similar to the past assistance request situation, transmit the remote assistance content corresponding to the past assistance request situation to the autonomous vehicle in substitution for the remote operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Hiromitsu Urano, Sho Otaki
  • Patent number: 11491999
    Abstract: A method for controlling an operating mode of a vehicle is presented. The method includes determining a current range of the vehicle while the vehicle is operating in a first operating mode. The method also includes determining a distance to a destination. The method further includes controlling the vehicle to operate in a second operating mode instead of the first operating mode when the range is less than the distance to the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Patent number: 11492835
    Abstract: A vehicle cargo area door control system for a vehicle including at least one cargo area and at least one cargo area door. The control system includes one or more processors and a memory communicably coupled to the processors for storing a cargo area door control module. The door control module operates to, responsive to the generation or receipt of an instruction which will cause the vehicle to start moving, determine if all vehicle cargo area doors are closed. If at least one cargo area door is not closed, command(s) are generated to close the at least one cargo area door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Kazunori Nimura
  • Publication number: 20220342417
    Abstract: A remote function selection device selects a remote function in an automated drive vehicle configured to execute automated drive and remote travel and provided with a plurality of remote functions. The remote function selection device is configured to determine whether executing the automated drive at a predetermined timing is impossible; determines the remote function that is executable at the predetermined timing when it is determined that executing the automated drive is impossible; predict an action of a target around the automated drive vehicle based on a detection result from an external sensor configured to detect the target; calculate an action prediction confidence degree for the predicted action of the target; and selects the remote function. The remote function selection device configured to select the remote function based on the calculated action prediction confidence degree when it is determined that a plurality of remote functions is executable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Hiromitsu Urano, Sho Otaki, Hojung Jung, Toru Takashima, Satoru Niwa, Takashi Suzuki, Kosuke Akatsuka
  • Publication number: 20220335828
    Abstract: A position information acquisition system according to the present disclosure includes: a server that receives request data from a terminal and transmits information corresponding to a content of the received request data to the terminal; and a plurality of markers each representing a code that allows acquisition of the request data by a predetermined identification method. A vehicle identifies an image marker, acquires the request data, and transmits the request data to the server. When a transmission source of the received request data is the vehicle, the server transmits position information at a specific location where the image marker is installed to the vehicle regardless of the content of the request data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Hideyuki Matsui, Hiromitsu Urano
  • Publication number: 20220315045
    Abstract: An autonomous driving device includes a plurality of driving function ECUs having a function to drive a vehicle in place of an occupant, and a driving function switch ECU is configured to individually change operating states of the driving function ECUs according to a route to a destination and remaining power. The driving function ECUs include an autonomous driving ECU configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, and a remote control ECU configured to operate the vehicle according to remote control from outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Sho Otaki, Takashi Suzuki, Toru Takashima, Hojung Jung, Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Satoru Niwa, Kosuke Akatsuka
  • Publication number: 20220306046
    Abstract: A sensor cleaning system cleans a sensor surface of an external sensor mounted on a vehicle. Specifically, the sensor cleaning system estimates a water droplet amount of a water droplet adhering to the sensor surface of the external sensor. The sensor cleaning system determines whether a cleaning start condition is satisfied based on the water droplet amount. The sensor cleaning system executes a cleaning process of cleaning the sensor surface when the cleaning start condition based on the water droplet amount is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Shoichi Hayasaka, Hiromitsu Urano, Shuichi Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20220306136
    Abstract: A vehicle is operated in accordance with a second operation amount corresponding to a first operation amount of a remote operation member by an operator. A first maximum operation range is a maximum operation range of the remote operation member. A second maximum operation range is a maximum operation range of an operation member of the vehicle. When the first maximum operation range is smaller than the second maximum operation range, a correspondence relationship between the first and second operation amounts is adjusted such that the second operation amount becomes larger than the first operation amount. When the first maximum operation range is larger than the second maximum operation range, an operable range of the remote operation member is restricted or the correspondence relationship is adjusted such that the second operation amount becomes smaller than the first operation amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Toru TAKASHIMA, Sho Otaki, Hiromitsu Urano, Hojung Jung, Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Satoru Niwa, Kosuke Akatsuka
  • Publication number: 20220297722
    Abstract: An autonomous driving device to be mounted on a vehicle includes a first ECU configured to autonomously drive the vehicle, and a second ECU configured to operate the vehicle under remote control from an outside. The first ECU is configured to keep an activated state while the second ECU is operating the vehicle. The second ECU is configured to keep a power saving state while the first ECU is autonomously driving the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Sho Otaki, Takashi Suzuki, Toru Takashima, Hojung Jung, Hiromitsu Kobayashi, Satoru Niwa, Kosuke Akatsuka