Patents by Inventor Hiroya Chiba

Hiroya Chiba 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: 20240153387
    Abstract: A parking lot includes a plurality of parking spaces monitored by a single camera. A parking lot management method for managing the parking lot includes a parking space allocation process that allocates an available parking space having a highest entry priority among the plurality of parking spaces to an entry vehicle entering the parking lot. The plurality of parking spaces include a first parking space and a second parking space that is closer to an installation position of the single camera than the first parking space is. An entry priority of the first parking space is higher than an entry priority of the second parking space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20240144825
    Abstract: A parking lot includes a plurality of parking spaces monitored by a single camera. A parking lot management method includes a parking space allocation process that allocates an available parking space among the plurality of parking spaces to an entry vehicle entering the parking lot. The plurality of parking spaces include a priority parking space depending on a size of the entry vehicle. Even when the entry vehicle is parked in the priority parking space, a predetermined percentage or more of a parking space adjacent to the priority parking space is not hidden by the entry vehicle when viewed from the single camera. The parking space allocation process includes: acquiring information on the size of the entry vehicle; recognizing the priority parking space among the plurality of parking spaces based on the size of the entry vehicle; and preferentially allocating the priority parking space to the entry vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20240119837
    Abstract: A parking lot includes: a plurality of parking spaces arranged in series in a first direction; a camera configured to take a picture of the plurality of parking spaces; and a recognition target provided in each of the plurality of parking spaces. A usage status of each parking space is determined based on a result of recognition of the recognition target by the camera. Each parking space includes a first parking space line and a second parking space line. The first parking space line is located closer to the camera than the second parking space line is in the first direction. The recognition target is arranged to be decentered from a center line between the first parking space line and the second parking space line toward a region on a side of the second parking space line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20240119621
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for supporting a movement of a moving body in a predetermined area. The system acquires an image captured by an infrastructure camera such that the image includes a plurality of markers arranged in the predetermined area. The system compares the image acquired this time and the image acquired previous time. The system detects a position change marker among the plurality of markers whose position in the image acquired previous time changes from that in the image acquired this time. The system determines that the infrastructure camera is out of position when it is detected that number of the position change marker is equal to or more than a predetermined number. The system determines that the infrastructure camera is not out of position when it is detected that number of the position change marker is less than the predetermined number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Chiba, Koji Morita, Yuhei Oka, Daisuke Kakuma
  • Patent number: 11904833
    Abstract: A boundary is at an engine drive restricted zone where operation of the internal combustion engine is restricted. An adjusting device adjusts of at least one of the temperature inside the cabin using electric power, the humidity inside the cabin using electric power, or the air pollution degree inside the cabin. In response to a prediction that (1) a host vehicle will enter the inside of the engine drive restricted zone and that (2a) the time period for the host vehicle to reach the boundary is within a preset time period or that (2b) the distance between the host vehicle and the boundary is within a preset distance, the value of at least one of the temperature inside the cabin, the humidity inside the cabin, and the air pollution degree inside the cabin is reduced before the host vehicle enters the inside of the engine drive restricted zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Hiroya Chiba, Yoshiyuki Kageura, Masanori Shimada, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Sui Kurihashi, Hiroki Morita, Makoto Ogiso
  • Publication number: 20230415545
    Abstract: A method for operating an air conditioner installed in a vehicle is provided. The method includes a step of operating the air conditioner according to an operation instruction for the air conditioner when the operation instruction is received from a mobile terminal of an operator of the vehicle, and a step of displaying a notification related to an operation of the air conditioner on a screen of the mobile terminal while the air conditioner is operated according to the operation instruction, the step being a step in which the notification related to the operation of the air conditioner is continuously displayed on the screen without being deleted by a predetermined operation of the mobile terminal by the operator when the mobile terminal is located outside the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shun OTA, Taro HASEGAWA, Tomoya TAKEDA, Yuka NISHIYAMA, Hiroya CHIBA, Tatsuya SUGANO, Taizo MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20230419834
    Abstract: An automated valet parking (AVP) management system executes a tentative allocation process that allocates a tentative parking space on a passage in a parking lot to an entry vehicle, when there is no available regular parking space in the parking lot. In the tentative allocation process, the AVP management system acquires a scheduled exit time of a parked vehicle parked in a regular parking space. When the scheduled exit time of a first parked vehicle is earlier than the scheduled exit time of a second parked vehicle, the AVP management system preferentially allocates the tentative parking space not present on an exit route of the first parked vehicle to the entry vehicle based on the map information and the vehicle management information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20230419832
    Abstract: An automated valet parking (AVP) management system allocates a tentative parking space on a passage in a parking lot to an entry vehicle. When a first vehicle parked in a first regular parking space exits, the AVP management system identifies a first tentatively-parked vehicle parked in a first tentative parking space on an exit route of the first vehicle, and determines a first evacuation route for evacuating the first tentatively-parked vehicle so as not to hinder exiting of the first vehicle. The AVP management system identifies a second tentatively-parked vehicle parked in a second tentative parking space that is not present on the exit route but is present on the first evacuation route, and determines a second evacuation route for evacuating the second tentatively-parked vehicle so as not to hinder the exiting of the first vehicle and evacuation of the first tentatively-parked vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20230406129
    Abstract: A system is configured to, if an unmanned autonomous vehicle that runs on electric power, for example, a robotaxi, needs to be charged, make a request of a person around a charging station, for example, a driver of an electrified vehicle being charged, to do work for charging the robotaxi with a smartphone. At this time, the system may make a request to do work for charging the robotaxi in return for giving an incentive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shun OTA, Taro HASEGAWA, Tomoya TAKEDA, Yuka NISHIYAMA, Hiroya CHIBA, Tatsuya SUGANO, Taizo MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20230410083
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a management apparatus that manages settlement devices. The management apparatus manages a first settlement device that performs a settlement for use of a service or purchase of a product and a second settlement device mounted on a vehicle used by a user. The management apparatus comprises one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute following two steps. The first step is permitting the first settlement device to perform a first settlement for the use of the service or the purchase of the product until the user using the service or purchasing the product gets in the vehicle. The second step is permitting at least the second settlement device to perform the first settlement after the user using the service or purchasing the product gets in the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20230406299
    Abstract: A moving body control system controls travel of a moving body in a predetermined. The moving body control system executes: a position estimation process that estimates a position of the moving body based on a steering angle and a speed of the moving body; a travel control process that controls travel of the moving body so as to follow a target path based on the estimated position of the moving body; a road surface condition acquisition process that acquires road surface condition information indicating slipperiness of a target road surface on the target path at least around the moving body; and a departure suppression process that dynamically changes a control parameter used in the travel control process according to the slipperiness of the target road surface such that departure of the moving body from the target path is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20230401494
    Abstract: A method for managing a car rental service for renting a vehicle in response to a rental request from a user is provided. The method includes the steps of: acquiring image data of at least one of the surroundings and the interior of the vehicle acquired using a camera mounted on the vehicle; and processing the at least one image data acquired during the lending of the vehicle to the user in a reproducible manner at the terminal of the owner when a request for confirmation of the at least one image data is received from the terminal of the owner of the vehicle after the lending of the vehicle to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shun OTA, Taro HASEGAWA, Tomoya TAKEDA, Yuka NISHIYAMA, Hiroya CHIBA, Tatsuya SUGANO, Taizo MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20230394379
    Abstract: The vehicle management server manages a vehicle rented as a robot taxi from an owner to a user. The vehicle management server transmits the vehicle position information to a communication terminal of the owner when the vehicle is in operation as a robot taxi. The vehicle position information is a distance from the current position of the owner to the vehicle, or an area where the vehicle is currently located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shun OTA, Taro HASEGAWA, Tomoya TAKEDA, Yuka NISHIYAMA, Hiroya CHIBA, Tatsuya SUGANO, Taizo MASUDA
  • Publication number: 20230391361
    Abstract: The autonomous driving vehicle of the present disclosure is equipped with a solar cell and a battery capable of charging electric power generated by the solar cell. The autonomous driving vehicle of the present disclosure searches for a solar power generation point in which the charge power amount of the battery increases more than the current location, and moves to the solar power generation point in the autonomous driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taizo MASUDA, Taro HASEGAWA, Tomoya TAKEDA, Yuka NISHIYAMA, Hiroya CHIBA, Tatsuya SUGANO, Shun OTA
  • Patent number: 11834032
    Abstract: A vehicle control device including processor being configured to, when driving sections are present inside a restricted region, extract as a restricted driving section from among driving sections present inside the restricted region a driving section through which it is projected the vehicle will be driven in a restricted time period in which operation of internal combustion engines is restricted, and prepare a driving plan able to drive through the restricted driving section in the EV mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Hiroya Chiba, Yoshiyuki Kageura, Masanori Shimada, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Sui Kurihashi, Hiroki Morita, Makoto Ogiso
  • Publication number: 20230316915
    Abstract: A moving body support system supports a moving body that recognizes a marker arranged in a predetermined area. The moving body support system estimates brightness at a position of the marker in the predetermined area without using an image captured by a camera mounted on the moving body. The moving body support system calculates a luminance correction value of an image including the marker according to the brightness at the position of the marker. The moving body support system acquires a first image including a target marker around the moving body by using the camera. The moving body support system generates a second image by correcting luminance of the first image by using the luminance correction value for the target marker. Then, the moving body support system recognizes the target marker based on the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya CHIBA, Tatsuya Sugano
  • Patent number: 11772631
    Abstract: The home position estimation system includes a GNSS receiver, an object detection device for detecting an object in surroundings of the hybrid vehicle, an identifying part configured to identify the object detected by the object detection device, and a position estimating part configured to estimate a position of the hybrid vehicle based on an output of the GNSS receiver. If a predetermined condition is satisfied and the object identified by the identifying part is an object indicating a boundary of a low emission zone which requires that the internal combustion engine be stopped, the position estimating part is configured to judge whether the hybrid vehicle is located within the low emission zone, regardless of the output of the GNSS receiver, based on a result of identification by the identifying part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Hiroya Chiba, Yoshiyuki Kageura, Masanori Shimada, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi
  • Patent number: 11777344
    Abstract: A signal emitting apparatus provided in a vehicle to which power is transferred from a ground side power supplying apparatus by noncontact, includes: a signal emitting device for emitting a signal including information relating to the vehicle wirelessly toward the ground side power supplying apparatus; an outside environment acquiring part for acquiring information relating to an outside environment at surroundings of the ground side power supplying apparatus; and a control part for controlling the signal emitting device. The control part changes a mode of wireless signal emission of the signal emitting device in accordance with the outside environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Toshiya Hashimoto, Hiroya Chiba, Shuntaro Okazaki, Shogo Tsuge, Kazuhisa Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11760334
    Abstract: The control device of a vehicle includes a position estimating part configured to estimate a position of the vehicle, and a power output part configured to control the internal combustion engine and the electric motor to output power for running use. The power output part is configured to determine a startup position of the internal combustion engine of the vehicle when the vehicle exits from a low emission zone requesting the internal combustion engine be stopped so that startup positions of internal combustion engines of a plurality of vehicles are dispersed at surroundings of the low emission zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daiki Yokoyama, Hiroya Chiba, Yoshiyuki Kageura, Masanori Shimada, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi
  • Publication number: 20230258467
    Abstract: A moving body support system supports a moving body that recognizes a marker arranged in a predetermined area. Based on positions of a plurality of markers arranged in the predetermined area, the moving body support system acquires a position of a target marker being a target to be recognized by the moving body. The moving body support system further acquires information indicating brightness at the position of the target marker. When the brightness at the position of the target marker is less than a threshold, the moving body support system selects, based on positions of one or more lights present in the predetermined area, a target light present at a position capable of illuminating the target marker and increases a light intensity of the target light as compared with a case where the brightness is equal to or greater than the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroya CHIBA