Patents by Inventor Katsuhiko Iwazaki

Katsuhiko Iwazaki 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: 7233851
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist apparatus for guiding a vehicle to a target position is provided. A basic path that changes the deflection angle ? to 0 is determined, and is subjected to similarity transformation. On the basis of the similarity-transformed path, a path factoring in transition from the initial steering angle is set. Then, a correction is made such that the area in the running distance-curvature graph regarding this path becomes equal to a corresponding area regarding the basic path, thereby setting a corrected path. The corrected path is similarity-transformed, and then is re-corrected in accordance with transition from the initial steering angle. Thus, a final target path is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7155325
    Abstract: A method for performing a parking assist control for automatically guiding a vehicle to a target parking position includes the steps of calculating a change of a vehicle direction based on a traveling distance of the vehicle and a steering angle obtained by a steering angle sensor, calculating the change of the vehicle direction based on a yaw rate obtained by a yaw rate sensor, and determining whether or not the parking assist control is required to be stopped based on a result of a comparison between the calculated changes of the vehicle direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata, Akira Matsui, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7127339
    Abstract: A driving assist apparatus for a vehicle which calculates a path by an algorithm suitable for real-time path calculation in a vehicle-installed computing device is provided. A basic path that changes the deflection angle of the vehicle to 0 is computed from an initial vehicle position. From the basic path, a target path is computed, for example, by adding straight-line paths to the two opposite ends of the basic path. On the basis of the target path, a driving assist is performed. During the driving assist, a basic path is re-calculated. If it is determined that a similarity-enlarged path obtained through similarity enlargement of the basic path can be used to reach the target position point, a target path is re-set on the basis of the similarity-enlarged path. Then a driving assist is performed on the basis of the re-set target path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7117073
    Abstract: A parking-assist device for an automotive vehicle comprises an imaging unit which creates an image of an exterior behind the vehicle. A target-parking-position input unit inputs a target parking position to park the vehicle when requested. A target-parking-position memory access unit stores the target parking position and reads the stored target parking position when requested. A vehicle-travel-amount detection unit detects an amount of travel of the vehicle. A parking-route determining unit calculates a parking route from a current position of the vehicle to the target parking position. A display unit displays the created image and displays one of the target parking position inputted and the stored target parking position read on the created image in a superimposed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Endo, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7103461
    Abstract: A driving assist apparatus and method for a vehicle capable of guiding the vehicle at appropriate vehicle speed in accordance with the path is provided. The alarm vehicle speed for informing a driver of overspeed during driving assist is set lower for a changing steer region than for a fixed steer region. The lower alarm vehicle speed is set before the changing steer region is entered. Therefore, in the changing steer region, the vehicle speed can be sufficiently reduced, so that a set amount of steering can be accomplished. In the fixed steer region, the vehicle speed can be increased so as to reduce the time of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7099758
    Abstract: A parking assist apparatus includes an initial traveling locus calculator for calculating an initial traveling locus, a new traveling locus calculating a new traveling locus when a deviation amount of the present vehicle position from a current traveling locus is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, and a parking assist for performing a parking assist to guide the vehicle along the traveling locus. The parking assist apparatus further includes an initial traveling locus deviation calculator for calculating the deviation amount of the present vehicle position from the initial traveling locus generated by the calculation of the initial traveling locus calculator. The parking assist stops performing the parking assist when the deviation amount calculated by the initial traveling locus deviation calculator is equal to or greater than a second predetermined value which is smaller than the fist predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7085634
    Abstract: A parking assist apparatus allows a target parking position to be set by a user moving a target parking frame displayed together with an actual image of surroundings of a vehicle, and automatically guides the vehicle to the set target parking position. In the parking assist apparatus, the target parking frame is initially displayed through the use of past setting of the target parking position by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Endo, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7075456
    Abstract: A parking assist device includes a leading path generation judging device for judging whether an effective leading path to a target parking position is generated. According to the parking assist device, a parking assist for leading a vehicle to the target parking position is conducted in accordance with a judged result of the leading path generation judging device. The leading path generation judging device includes a first judging device for judging whether the leading path is generated when an initial steering angle of the vehicle is determined as a steering angle initial value, and a second judging device for judging whether the leading path is generated when a steering angle other than the initial steering angle is determined as the steering angle initial value in case it is judged that the leading path is not generated by the first judging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7069129
    Abstract: A driving support system according to the present invention is provided with an actuator for steering steered wheels and performs a driving support control of a vehicle to apply an additional torque to a steering mechanism incorporating the steered wheels, by means of the actuator to steer the steered wheels. The driving support system has an image taking device for taking a forward image ahead the vehicle, a controller for driving the actuator to generate the torque on the steering mechanism on the basis of the forward image acquired by the image taking device, to perform the driving support control, a steering wheel torque detector for detecting a steering wheel torque on a steering wheel, and a control suppressor for prioritizing a steering operation by a driver to the driving support control when a magnitude of the steering wheel torque is not less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Hiroaki Kataoka, Chumsamutr Rattapon
  • Patent number: 7053794
    Abstract: A parking assist device (1) includes a camera (3) for capturing an image of an exterior of a vehicle, and a monitor (4) for displaying the captured image, and sets a target parking position by moving a target parking frame (11) displayed on a screen of the monitor (4). A default position of the target parking frame (11) is determined based on a target parking position (P2) which is a relative position with respect to a parking preparation position (P1). The target parking position (P2) is estimated based on a running state of the vehicle until the vehicle reaches the parking preparation position (P1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata, Tomohiko Endo, Hisashi Satonaka, Mitsuhiko Morita, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7043346
    Abstract: A parking assist apparatus includes a display unit that displays a target parking frame to be superimposed on an actual image around a vehicle with its position adjustable by a user, a position determining unit that determines a target parking position corresponding to the position of the target parking frame displayed on the actual image, and a parking assist control unit that controls to guide the vehicle to the target parking position on a target path. The parking assist apparatus further includes a feature determining unit that determines a feature on the actual image through an image recognition, and a path correction unit that automatically corrects the target path such that a correlation between the target parking position upon start of a parking assist control and the feature is maintained during execution of the parking assist control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuichi Kubota, Hisashi Satonaka, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Patent number: 7039504
    Abstract: A vehicle backward movement assist device includes a vehicle path determining means for determining a path from a current position of the vehicle moved at a moving amount detected by a vehicle moving amount detecting means to a first target position or a second target position, the vehicle path determining means determining the path by repeatedly calculating the path, and a displaying means for displaying an image of a rear view from a captured by an image capturing means, the displaying means superimposing the first or second target position of the vehicle moved based upon the first or second target position and the detected moving amount on the image of the rear view from the vehicle, the second target position calculated by updating the first target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata, Hisashi Satonaka, Tomohiko Endo, Yuichi Kubota, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Patent number: 7012550
    Abstract: Parking assist apparatus and method cause a vehicle driver to set a target parking position in which the vehicle is to be parked by prompting the driver to specify the position of a parking space frame in the screen of a touch display by touch-operating arrow button switches shown in the screen, and then calculate a path to the target parking position. If a path to the target parking position is not generated by calculation, the arrow button switches for moving the parking space frame in such directions that a path will not be generated (i.e., the vehicle cannot be parked), among all the arrow button switches, are made non-displayed or are displayed dimmer than the other arrow button switches, and are disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Iwakiri, Hisashi Satonaka, Yuichi Kubota, Tomohiko Endo, Akira Matsui, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka, Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata
  • Publication number: 20050278096
    Abstract: A driving support system according to the present invention is provided with an actuator for steering steered wheels of a vehicle and is used for supporting driving of the vehicle by making use of steering by means of the actuator. The driving support system has an image taking device for taking a forward image ahead the vehicle, a determiner for determining a controlled variable of the actuator on the basis of the forward image acquired by the image taking device, a limiter for limiting the controlled variable when a time change of the controlled variable of the actuator determined by the determiner is off a predetermined range, and a controller for controlling the actuator. The limiter sets a limit value for limiting the time change of the controlled variable of the actuator so that the limit value at a start (or at an end) of the driving support control is different from the limit value in continuation of the driving support control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Hiroaki Kataoka, Chumsamutr Rattapon
  • Publication number: 20050273262
    Abstract: A driving control apparatus of the present invention has a driving road keeping device for providing a torque to a steering mechanism so as to keep a vehicle traveling at a predetermined position on a driving road; a driving road departure warning device for issuing a warning of a departure from the driving road on the basis of a position of the vehicle relative to the driving road; and a setting device for setting a need or no need for execution of a control of the driving road keeping device or the driving road departure warning device. Where the setting device sets a need for execution of the control, the control of the driving road keeping device is executed when an activation condition of the driving road keeping device is met and when a cruise control device is active.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka, Chumsamutr Rattapon
  • Publication number: 20050273261
    Abstract: An apparatus for warning deviation from a lane has a deviation evaluation ECU 1. The deviation evaluation ECU 1 has a deviation evaluator 14 for performing an evaluation on a deviation by comparing a future position of a host vehicle with a lane future position. Before this deviation evaluation, a mask processor 13 determines whether a yaw angle of the host vehicle and a lateral position of the vehicle relative to a driving lane exceed their respective thresholds preliminarily determined. When either one or the both are not more than the thresholds, the mask processor 13 performs a mask process, without performing the deviation evaluation. A deviation evaluator 14 performs the deviation evaluation when the yaw angle and the lateral position relative to the driving lane both exceed their respective thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Niwa, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Seiji Kawakami, Hiroaki Kataoka, Chumsamutr Rattapon
  • Publication number: 20050273234
    Abstract: Characteristic lines A to D of lateral acceleration G-required torque T in determination of required torque T are used as switched according to increase/decrease of the absolute value of the lateral acceleration, and the direction thereof. The lines A, C used in increase of the absolute value of the lateral acceleration G are so set that the absolute value of required torque T becomes larger at the same lateral acceleration G (G?0) than that with the lines B, D used in decrease of the absolute value of the lateral acceleration G. The difference between line A and line B (the difference between line C and line D as well) at the same lateral acceleration G is so set that the difference near the lateral acceleration of 0 is smaller than that in the other regions. Particularly, it is preferable to set the required torque T to 0 at the lateral acceleration G of 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chumsamutr Rattapon, Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20050270145
    Abstract: In deviation prevention support ECU 10 in driving operation support system 1, an applied torque by steering torque applier 17 is set based on a vehicle speed of a vehicle. The applied torque is set to increase with increase of the vehicle speed. An upper limit according to the vehicle speed is set for this applied torque. Furthermore, in a Start interval in application of the applied torque, a rate of increasing to reach a maximum is determined according to the maximum of the applied torque. In a Close interval, the applied torque is decreased at a rate different from that in the Start interval, and the absolute rate of increasing the torque in the Start interval is set to be larger than the absolute rate of decreasing the torque in the Close interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Chumsamutr Rattapon
  • Publication number: 20050267661
    Abstract: A driving support system according to the present invention is provided with an actuator for steering steered wheels and performs a driving support control of a vehicle to apply an additional torque to a steering mechanism incorporating the steered wheels, by means of the actuator to steer the steered wheels. The driving support system has an image taking device for taking a forward image ahead the vehicle, a controller for driving the actuator to generate the torque on the steering mechanism on the basis of the forward image acquired by the image taking device, to perform the driving support control, a steering wheel torque detector for detecting a steering wheel torque on a steering wheel, and a control suppressor for prioritizing a steering operation by a driver to the driving support control when a magnitude of the steering wheel torque is not less than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Hiroaki Kataoka, Chumsamutr Rattapon
  • Publication number: 20050267684
    Abstract: A driving control apparatus of the present invention has a driving road keeping device for providing a torque to a steering mechanism so as to keep a vehicle traveling at a predetermined position on a driving road, a setting device for setting a need or no need for execution of a control of the driving road keeping device, and a cruise control device for controlling a driving force or speed of the vehicle so as to keep the vehicle in a predetermined driving state. A need or no need for execution of the control of the driving road keeping device is determined based on a setting state of the setting device and a control state of the cruise control device. A display indicating that the control of the driving road keeping device is ready is presented when the control of the driving road keeping device is in an executable state upon a state change of either the setting state of the setting device or the control state of the cruise control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Kawakami, Satoru Niwa, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka, Chumsamutr Rattapon