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).

  • Patent number: 10867515
    Abstract: A drive assist device includes a display that displays an image around a vehicle imaged by an imaging device installed on the vehicle, a setting unit that sets a target designated by a user on the image as a recognition target, a detection unit that detects a state change of the recognition target on the image in a case where the recognition target is set, and a notification control unit that controls a notification device to notify the user of the detection result in a case where the state change of the set recognition target is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Toshiki Kindo, Katsuhiro Sakai, Masahiro Harada, Hiromitsu Urano
  • Patent number: 10852726
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to transitioning a vehicle from an autonomous to a manual driving mode. One embodiment analyzes data from one or more vehicle sensors to detect, at a current vehicle position, features in a first detection region and a second detection region ahead of the vehicle; determines, for each of one or more hypothetical vehicle positions, which features detected at the current position, if any, lie within the first detection region at that hypothetical position; identifies, among the one or more hypothetical positions, at least one localization-failure position at which localization of the vehicle will fail due to insufficient features being detected within the first detection region at the at least one localization-failure position; and initiates a transition from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode based, at least in part, on the at least one localization-failure position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Taisuke Sugaiwa
  • Patent number: 10839678
    Abstract: A vehicle identifying device is configured to identify a target vehicle around a vehicle. The vehicle identifying device includes circuitry configured to: acquire a behavior of the target vehicle based on a detection result of an external sensor; estimate a behavior of the target vehicle in a case where the target vehicle is an automatically driven vehicle based on map information; and identify whether the target vehicle is the automatically driven vehicle based on a result of comparison between the acquired behavior of the target vehicle and the estimated behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromitsu Urano
  • Publication number: 20200353944
    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: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Junya UENO
  • Patent number: 10809721
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system performing autonomous driving of a vehicle, includes a vehicle position acquisition device acquiring a position of the vehicle on a map, a vehicle state acquisition device acquiring a vehicle state of the vehicle, an occupant state acquisition device acquiring an occupant state of the vehicle, a destination candidate database storing destination candidate data including a destination candidate and the occupant state correlated with the destination candidate; and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit determines whether or not the vehicle is in a boarding completion state based on the vehicle state and the occupant state, and sets a destination of the vehicle in autonomous driving based on the position of the vehicle on the map, the occupant state, and the destination candidate data in a case where electronic control unit determines that the vehicle is in the boarding completion state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromitsu Urano
  • Publication number: 20200319636
    Abstract: A method for controlling a driving condition component of an autonomous vehicle is presented. The method includes determining whether current conditions would limit a driver's visibility. The method also includes predicting whether the driver will enable a manual mode during the current conditions. The method further includes controlling the driving condition component to mitigate the current conditions prior to the driver enabling the manual mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Junya UENO
  • Patent number: 10766460
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and storage media for controlling wiper devices of a vehicle are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: remove, by one or more wiper devices, fluid or debris from viewing portals; generate output signals conveying passenger sensor information related to passenger actions; generate output signals conveying vehicle sensor information related to vehicle operations; determine, based on the output signal, the passenger sensor information; determine, based on the output signal, the vehicle sensor information; assess, based on the passenger sensor information or the vehicle sensor information, readiness of a passenger to depart the vehicle via an exit; and control, based on the readiness of the passenger to depart the vehicle via the exit, the one or more wiper devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Patent number: 10759425
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system includes at least one electronic control unit configured to set parameter among parameters, in response to an input by an occupant of a vehicle. The parameters are relevant to a traveling when the vehicle travels by an autonomous driving control. The at least one electronic control unit is configured to execute the autonomous driving control in accordance with the parameter. An autonomous driving system includes a canceling operation input unit to which the occupant inputs a canceling operation for the parameter. The at least one electronic control unit is configured to change the parameter to a regular value, when the occupant inputs the canceling operation to the canceling operation input unit after the parameter is set in response to the input by the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Bunyo Okumura
  • Publication number: 20200269663
    Abstract: A method for controlling a sunshade of an autonomous vehicle is presented. The method includes determining that current conditions satisfy an activation condition. The method also includes predicting whether a driver will enable a manual mode during the current conditions. The method further includes activating a first sunshade in response to the satisfied activation condition regardless of whether the driver will enable the manual mode. The method still further includes activating a second sunshade in response to the satisfied activation condition when the driver will not enable the manual mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Junya UENO
  • Publication number: 20200272832
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for collecting lane data is disclosed. The method includes collecting lane data for a lane of a plurality of lanes of a road from one or more sensors of a vehicle traveling in the lane. The method includes receiving an identifier of a lane of the plurality of lanes. The identified lane is a lane-of-interest and is different than the lane that the vehicle is traveling in. The method includes determining that the vehicle is not occupied. The method includes, in response to determining that the vehicle is not occupied, causing the vehicle to travel in the lane-of-interest. The method includes collecting lane data for the lane-of-interest from the one or more sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Publication number: 20200273341
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for collecting lane data is disclosed. The method includes collecting lane data for a first lane of a plurality of lanes of a road from one or more sensors of a vehicle traveling in the first lane. The method includes receiving an identifier of a lane-of-interest from the plurality of lanes. The method includes determining a probability that the vehicle will receive a ride request while traveling in the first lane. The method includes determining that the probability satisfies a threshold. The method includes, in response to determining that the probability satisfies the threshold, causing the vehicle to travel in the lane-of-interest. The method includes collecting lane data for the lane-of-interest from the one or more sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Patent number: 10754335
    Abstract: An automated driving system includes at least one electronic control unit configured to: recognize at least one obstacles around a vehicle, based on ambient surroundings of the vehicle; create a traveling plan of the vehicle, based on the ambient surroundings and a result of recognition of the at least one obstacles; control the vehicle using an actuator installed on the vehicle, based on the traveling plan; and perform, according to input from a user of the vehicle, overwriting operation to change the result of recognition of the at least one obstacles used for creation of the traveling plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taisuke Sugaiwa, Kentaro Ichikawa, Hiromitsu Urano, Kunihito Sato, Maiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 10745004
    Abstract: An object recognizing device includes: an other-vehicle recognizing unit configured to recognize another vehicle traveling near the vehicle based on the detection point information of the LIDAR and to recognize a size and a traveling condition of the other vehicle; an other-vehicle tracking unit configured to track the other vehicle based on the detection point information of the LIDAR; and an enlargement determining unit configured to determine whether the size of the other vehicle which is tracked by the other vehicle tracking unit is enlarged, wherein, when the enlargement determining unit determines that the size of the other vehicle has been enlarged, detection points located near the other vehicle before being enlarged are recognized as an object other than the other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Hiromitsu Urano, Yusuke Hayashi, Bunyo Okumura
  • Publication number: 20200238993
    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: April 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro Ichikawa, Taisuke Sugaiwa, Toshiki Kindo
  • Publication number: 20200231174
    Abstract: An autonomous driving device is configured to switch a driving mode, and includes a destination setting type autonomous driving mode in which a vehicle is made to travel to a destination and a following road autonomous driving mode in which, when a destination is not set, the vehicle is made to travel along a road. The autonomous driving device includes a display unit and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, when the display unit is made to display a traveling route along a following road traveling route, make the display unit display a traveling route from a current position of the vehicle to a nearest branch road in front in a moving direction along the following road traveling route and a moving direction on the nearest branch road along the following road traveling route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Bunyo Okumura
  • Publication number: 20200189350
    Abstract: A method for selecting an autonomous mobility-as-a-service (MAAS) vehicle is presented. The method includes transmitting, to a customer, location information of an autonomous MAAS vehicle within the customer's vicinity. The method also includes transmitting, to the customer, a compartment climate value corresponding to the autonomous MAAS vehicle. The method further includes selecting the autonomous MAAS vehicle based on the compartment climate value, such that the selected autonomous MAAS vehicle navigates to a location of the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Junya UENO
  • Publication number: 20200189420
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a seat in a vehicle is presented. The method includes receiving a user input from a passenger to adjust the seat from a default position to a passenger adjusted position. The method also includes predicting, in response to the passenger exiting the vehicle, a likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle. The method still further includes maintaining the passenger adjusted position when the likelihood of the passenger returning to the vehicle is greater than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Junya UENO
  • Publication number: 20200191582
    Abstract: A method for route planning for an autonomous vehicle includes determining whether a route to a destination includes a stall factor and determining whether the autonomous vehicle will be occupied during the route. The method also includes determining an alternate route based on the determined stall factor when the autonomous vehicle will be unoccupied. The method still further includes controlling the autonomous vehicle to drive on the alternate route when the alternate route does not include a stall factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Junya UENO
  • Publication number: 20200164877
    Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting among different driving modes for autonomous driving of a vehicle may: generate output signals; determine the vehicle proximity information that indicates whether one or more vehicles are within the particular proximity of the vehicle; determine the internal passenger presence information that indicates whether one or more passengers are present in the vehicle; select a first driving mode or a second driving mode based on one or more determinations; and control the vehicle autonomously in accordance with the selection of either the first driving mode or the second driving mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Publication number: 20200166939
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining routes to destinations for a vehicle may: generate output signals; obtain road information for a set of roads; determine presence information that indicates whether one or more passengers are present in the vehicle; determine the location information of the vehicle; obtain a target destination that represents a location the vehicle is intended to reach; determine a first route including a first subset of the set of roads; determine a second route including a second subset of the set of roads; and control the vehicle autonomously to traverse the vehicle along either the first route or the second route in accordance with whether one or more passengers are present in the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno