Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Inou

Hiroshi Inou 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: 20240083429
    Abstract: By a traveling position determination device, a traveling position determination method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a traveling position determination program, or by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a map data structure including a traveling position of a vehicle capable of performing automated driving, an offset of the traveling position in a lateral direction of the vehicle with respect to a reference position is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: SHUN SHIMIZU, MINORU OKADA, HIROSHI INOU
  • Patent number: 11351996
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a surrounding vehicle about a subject vehicle, obtaining a state characteristic for the surrounding vehicle, and selecting at least one potential route for the surrounding vehicle. The potential route is selected from among a plurality of routes that are predefined. The method further includes recurrently performing a prediction analysis to acquire at least one future trajectory for the at least one potential route and a mathematical state analysis to calculate a future state characteristic for the surrounding vehicle based on the future trajectory. The prediction analysis is based on a neural network and the future trajectory is determined based on the state characteristic of the surrounding vehicle and a subsequent future travel trajectory is predicted based on the calculated future state characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO INTERNATIONAL AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Trong-Duy Nguyen, Hiroshi Inou
  • Patent number: 11238607
    Abstract: A system for measuring accuracy of an electronic map or a localization of a vehicle may include one or more processors and a memory in communication with the one or more processors having an image capture module, a ground truth generating module, a curve function generating module, and an accuracy determining module. These modules contain instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the processors to obtain sensor data that includes images of one or more road lane markings of a road or trajectory data regarding the trajectory of the vehicle, determine ground truth curvature values, perform a curve fitting of map lane marking points or map trajectory points, and compare curvature values of a curve function generated by the curve fitting to the ground truth curvature values to determine the accuracy the electronic map or the localization of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Denso International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Minglei Huang, Hiroshi Inou
  • Publication number: 20210304433
    Abstract: A system for measuring accuracy of an electronic map or a localization of a vehicle may include one or more processors and a memory in communication with the one or more processors having an image capture module, a ground truth generating module, a curve function generating module, and an accuracy determining module. These modules contain instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the processors to obtain sensor data that includes images of one or more road lane markings of a road or trajectory data regarding the trajectory of the vehicle, determine ground truth curvature values, perform a curve fitting of map lane marking points or map trajectory points, and compare curvature values of a curve function generated by the curve fitting to the ground truth curvature values to determine the accuracy the electronic map or the localization of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Minglei Huang, Hiroshi Inou
  • Patent number: 11117576
    Abstract: A lane trace control system for maintaining a vehicle in its intended lane of travel. The system includes a lane trace control module configured to: compare the road information obtained by a lane recognition camera with map data obtained from a map module; determine a confidence level of the lane recognition camera based on a magnitude of any differences identified between the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera and the obtained map data; generate a target wheel angle for keeping the vehicle in its intended lane based entirely on the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera when the confidence level is above a predetermined threshold; and generate the target wheel angle based on a combination of the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera and the obtained map data of the road when the confidence level is below the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minglei Huang, Yu Yan, Hiroshi Inou
  • Publication number: 20210129836
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a surrounding vehicle about a subject vehicle, obtaining a state characteristic for the surrounding vehicle, and selecting at least one potential route for the surrounding vehicle. The potential route is selected from among a plurality of routes that are predefined. The method further includes recurrently performing a prediction analysis to acquire at least one future trajectory for the at least one potential route and a mathematical state analysis to calculate a future state characteristic for the surrounding vehicle based on the future trajectory. The prediction analysis is based on a neural network and the future trajectory is determined based on the state characteristic of the surrounding vehicle and a subsequent future travel trajectory is predicted based on the calculated future state characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Trong-Duy NGUYEN, Hiroshi INOU
  • Publication number: 20210101596
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a controller that is to be provided in a subject vehicle. The controller is configured to acquire data regarding an identified object ahead of the subject vehicle, determine whether the identified object is a stop-go object based on the acquired data, and output a stop-go control in response to the identified object being the stop-go object. The data includes information indicative of a classification of the identified object, and the stop-go control generates a dynamic profile that defines a deceleration and an acceleration of the subject vehicle for automatically performing a stop-go operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu YAN, Hiroshi INOU, Brandon BURNETT, Minglei HUANG
  • Patent number: 10838421
    Abstract: An autonomous drive system for a vehicle. The system has an autonomous drive module configured to pilot the vehicle. A control module monitors operating performance of the autonomous drive system. A location module identifies the vehicle's location. A transmitter/receiver communicates with a high risk location monitoring module at a location remote to the vehicle. When the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is below a predetermined performance threshold, the control module retrieves the vehicle's location from the location module and transmits the vehicle's location to the high risk location monitoring module, which records the vehicle's current location to notify other vehicles that autonomous drive issues may occur at the vehicle's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minglei Huang, Yu Yan, Hiroshi Inou
  • Publication number: 20200247407
    Abstract: A lane trace control system for maintaining a vehicle in its intended lane of travel. The system includes a lane trace control module configured to: compare the road information obtained by a lane recognition camera with map data obtained from a map module; determine a confidence level of the lane recognition camera based on a magnitude of any differences identified between the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera and the obtained map data; generate a target wheel angle for keeping the vehicle in its intended lane based entirely on the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera when the confidence level is above a predetermined threshold; and generate the target wheel angle based on a combination of the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera and the obtained map data of the road when the confidence level is below the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Minglei HUANG, Yu YAN, Hiroshi INOU
  • Patent number: 10632997
    Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a target motion estimation unit estimates a motion for a target area representing an area where no other vehicle is traveling on a lane in the future based on motions of other vehicles traveling on the lane to which a course is to be changed. A control amount setting unit sets a control amount of an own vehicle required in order to make the motion of the target area and a motion of the own vehicle match. A motion control unit controls the motion of the own vehicle according to the set control amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inou, Minoru Okada
  • Publication number: 20190308621
    Abstract: A traveling path generation apparatus includes an information acquisition section, a road determination section, and a path generation section. In response to the road determination section determining that there are curved paths, the path generation section generates an expected traveling path by correcting a lane traveling path such that a radius of curvature of each cornering line exceeds a radius of curvature of the corresponding curved path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Toshiki MATSUMOTO, Teppei MIYAKE, Tomoyuki HORI
  • Publication number: 20190250620
    Abstract: An autonomous drive system for a vehicle. The system has an autonomous drive module configured to pilot the vehicle. A control module monitors operating performance of the autonomous drive system. A location module identifies the vehicle's location. A transmitter/receiver communicates with a high risk location monitoring module at a location remote to the vehicle. When the control module determines that performance of the autonomous drive system is below a predetermined performance threshold, the control module retrieves the vehicle's location from the location module and transmits the vehicle's location to the high risk location monitoring module, which records the vehicle's current location to notify other vehicles that autonomous drive issues may occur at the vehicle's location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Minglei HUANG, Yu YAN, Hiroshi INOU
  • Publication number: 20180362001
    Abstract: A traveling control apparatus acquires a shape of a road on which an own vehicle is to travel, and, in the case where the shape of the road changes from a straight road to a curved road, the apparatus calculates an upper limit speed, which prevents the own vehicle from skidding off outside the curved road when the own vehicle travels on the curved road, as a target speed. The traveling control apparatus decelerates the own vehicle from a deceleration start position so that the own vehicle enters the curved road at a constant speed at a time point when the own vehicle enters the curved road. The traveling control apparatus sets the target speed after acceleration has finished when the own vehicle exits the curved road and reaches an acceleration start position, and accelerates the own vehicle from the acceleration start position to an acceleration completion position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Teppei MIYAKE, Tomoyuki HORI
  • Publication number: 20180354518
    Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a target motion estimation unit estimates a motion for a target area representing an area where no other vehicle is traveling on a lane in the future based on motions of other vehicles traveling on the lane to which a course is to be changed. A control amount setting unit sets a control amount of an own vehicle required in order to make the motion of the target area and a motion of the own vehicle match. A motion control unit controls the motion of the own vehicle according to the set control amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Minoru OKADA
  • Publication number: 20180348776
    Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a control unit acquires a passing target point representing a position of a point that an own vehicle aims to pass in the future (S140) and generates a trajectory for passing the passing target point (S150). Then, the control unit calculates and outputs a control amount of the own vehicle for causing the own vehicle to travel according to the trajectory (S170).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventor: Hiroshi INOU
  • Publication number: 20180265084
    Abstract: A traveling path generation apparatus includes an information acquisition section, a target recognition section, and a path generation section. The path generation section generates, on the basis of road line shape information acquired by the information acquisition section, an expected traveling path on which an object vehicle is expected to travel along an object lane by correcting a lane traveling path such that a spacing in a lane width direction with respect to a close target recognized by the target recognition section becomes equal to or larger than a safe spacing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi INOU, Minoru OKADA
  • Patent number: 10053145
    Abstract: A target steering angle calculator calculates, based on a target curvature, a target steering angle representing a steering angle of the vehicle at a target position. A current steering-angle obtainer obtains a current steering angle representing a steering angle of the vehicle at a current position. A steering controller controls the steering of the vehicle to cause the current steering angle to follow the target steering angle. A distance estimator estimates, based on at least one of the environmental information around the vehicle and control information about the vehicle, a visible distance representing a distance visibly recognizable by the driver of the vehicle to a front of the vehicle. The target curvature obtainer uses the visible distance as the target distance to obtain the target curvature at the predetermined target position that has the visible distance away from the current position along the road in the travelling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisaya Akatsuka, Hiroshi Inou
  • Patent number: 9952597
    Abstract: In an apparatus for correcting a location of a vehicle, a satellite positioning unit mounted in the vehicle measures the location of the vehicle using navigation satellites. A locational trajectory generating unit generates a locational trajectory of the vehicle based on the location of the vehicle measured by the satellite positioning unit. A location correcting unit corrects the location of the vehicle based on the locational trajectory and map information stored in a map information storage. The location correcting unit, for each of the vehicle locations included in the locational trajectory, determines in which one of the lanes of the road the vehicle was traveling as the vehicle location was measured, and geometrically compares at least one traveled lane of the road acquired from the determination and the locational trajectory, and based on the comparison, calculates a locational correction amount of the location of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsubasa Okuya, Minoru Okada, Hiroshi Inou
  • Publication number: 20180056970
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing driving aid control to cause a travel trajectory of a mobile object to follow a setpoint trajectory by transmitting a control command value to a yaw moment controller. In the apparatus, a setpoint trajectory setter sets the setpoint trajectory of the mobile object. A first control command value calculator calculates a first control command value by performing target-position following control to cause a position of the mobile object to follow a future target position of the mobile object set on the setpoint trajectory. A second control command value calculator calculates a second control command value by performing setpoint-trajectory following control based on a current lateral error that is a lateral error between a current position of the mobile object and the setpoint trajectory. A third control command value calculator calculates the control command value based on the first control command value and the second control command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Hirotaka TOKORO, Hiroshi INOU
  • Patent number: D963666
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO International America, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Yan, Arpith Abraham, Trong Nguyen, Hiroshi Inou