Patents by Inventor Kenichiro Aoki

Kenichiro Aoki 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: 10663973
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system acquires information concerning a vehicle density in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to a lane on which an own vehicle is traveling, when the own vehicle travels on a road having a plurality of lanes. The autonomous driving system selects the adjacent lane as an own vehicle travel lane, when the vehicle density in the adjacent lane that is calculated from the acquired information is lower than a threshold density that is determined in accordance with relations between the own vehicle and surrounding vehicles. The autonomous driving system performs lane change to the adjacent lane autonomously, or propose lane change to the adjacent lane to a driver, when the adjacent lane is selected as the own vehicle travel lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20200152229
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate, a trace member on the support plate and a drive element mounted on the trace member. The trace member includes a metal plate, and a multilayered member on the metal plate. The multilayered member includes a first insulating layer, a conductive layer stacked on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer stacked on the conductive layer. The multilayered member includes a mount portion on which the drive element is mounted, and a branching portion arranged along the mount portion with a gap therebetween. At least one portion of the branching portion is formed into a thin portion having a thickness less than other portions of the multilayered member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Takafumi Kikuchi, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20200130654
    Abstract: A vehicle control system installed on a vehicle includes: a driver abnormality detection device configured to detect abnormality of a driver of the vehicle; a vehicle control device configured to execute vehicle stop control that stops the vehicle and abnormality notification processing that activates a notification device, when the abnormality of the driver is detected; and an information acquisition device configured to acquire driving environment information including at least one of surrounding situation information indicating a situation around the vehicle, vehicle state information indicating a state of the vehicle, and driving operation information indicating a driving operation by the driver. The vehicle control device determines, based on the driving environment information, whether to continue or terminate the abnormality notification processing after termination of the vehicle stop control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kamada, Kenichiro Aoki, Taiyo Uejima
  • Publication number: 20200094836
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a vehicle recognition unit configured to recognize a rear lateral vehicle in an area rearward of the host vehicle; a remaining distance acquisition unit configured to acquire a remaining distance from a current position of the host vehicle to a position at which the host vehicle completes a lane change; a lane change availability determination unit configured to determine whether the lane change is available; and a vehicle control unit configured to control, when the lane change availability determination unit determines that the lane change is not available and the remaining distance is shorter than a first determination distance, steering of the host vehicle such that a position of the host vehicle in a vehicle width direction becomes a position closer to the second lane than a position when the remaining distance is longer than or equal to the first determination distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Tadashi Omachi
  • Publication number: 20200094844
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an electronic control unit configured to: acquire lane information including a curvature of a curve located ahead in a traveling direction of the vehicle; acquire target vehicle information as information on a target vehicle, based on the lane information and the target vehicle information, a target trajectory; perform a target trajectory modification process for offsetting the target trajectory determined from the lane information in such a direction as to move away from the target vehicle, when the vehicle approaches the target vehicle; set an offset amount of the target trajectory in accordance with the curvature of the curve, when the vehicle approaches the target vehicle from an outer side of the curve, in the target trajectory modification process; and cause the vehicle to automatically run along the target trajectory modified through the target trajectory modification process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Tadashi Omachi
  • Publication number: 20200070889
    Abstract: An automatic driving system that is mounted in a vehicle includes: an information acquiring device configured to acquire driving environment information indicating a driving environment of the vehicle; and a running control device configured to execute lane change control from a first lane to a second lane, and set a lane change time which is a time required for lane change The running control device is configured to set an initial value of the lane change time, determine whether a moving object having a highest degree of approach to the vehicle is present in the second lane, and change the initial value based on a relative position of the moving object with respect to the vehicle and a relative speed of the vehicle with respect to the moving object when it is determined that the moving object having the highest degree of approach is present in the second lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki FUKUDA, Shota FUJII, Kenichiro AOKI
  • Patent number: 10573339
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate, a trace member on the support plate and a drive element mounted on the trace member. The trace member includes a metal plate, and a multilayered member on the metal plate. The multilayered member includes a first insulating layer, a conductive layer stacked on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer stacked on the conductive layer. The multilayered member includes a mount portion on which the drive element is mounted, and a branching portion arranged along the mount portion with a gap therebetween. At least one portion of the branching portion is formed into a thin portion having a thickness less than other portions of the multilayered member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takafumi Kikuchi, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10550883
    Abstract: A slider slidably straddling over a guide rail, an attachment plate having a square U-shape attached to an end surface of the slider and including opposite vertical frames and a horizontal frame connecting the vertical frames, and a sliding scraper fitted in a square U-shape groove of the attachment plate and including opposite vertical portions and a horizontal portion connecting the opposite vertical portions, and a groove portion that is in sliding contact with the guide rail are provided, and protrusion portions at which the vertical frames and the vertical portions are in abutment with each other are provided an open end portion of an inner side surface of each of the opposite vertical frames of the attachment plate or an end portion of an outer side surface of each of the opposite vertical portions of the sliding scraper, the end portion facing the relevant open end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: NITTA CORPORATION, THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoji Ishizaki, Atsushi Matsumoto, Kenichiro Aoki, Ryuji Furusawa, Sho Iwashiro
  • Patent number: 10535377
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a rotatable disk-shaped recording medium, a head which processes data on the recording medium and a housing including a base accommodating the recording medium and the head and a cover including a welded portion laser-welded to the base. The welded portion includes a first welded portion welded by a first weld width and a second welded portion welded by a second weld width greater than the first weld width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10464604
    Abstract: Each of a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles configuring an autonomous driving system executes lane selection determination processing of acquiring information concerning an empty space situation in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to a lane where an own vehicle is traveling, and determining whether or not to select the adjacent lane as an own vehicle travel lane in accordance with an empty space situation in the adjacent lane. When the adjacent lane is selected as the own vehicle travel lane by the lane selection determination processing, lane change to the adjacent lane is performed autonomously, or lane change to the adjacent lane is proposed to a driver. The autonomous driving system gives variation to an execution interval of the lane selection determination processing among the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20190227544
    Abstract: When generating a traveling path for divergent event, a traveling path generation portion judges an occurrence of a traffic jam on a divergent lane. The occurrence of the traffic jam on the divergent lane is judged based on whether or not a surrounding vehicle which satisfies a predetermined condition exist in a search region. If it is judged that the traffic jam is occurring on the divergent lane, a notice for handover from an automatic divergent operation to a manual divergent operation is given to a driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichiro AOKI, Akira ITO
  • Publication number: 20190219101
    Abstract: A seal member for a linear guide including a guide rail and slider movably set on the guide rail through rolling elements, the seal member, attached to the slider, configured to seal an opening of a gap between the guide rail and slider, the seal member includes: fibers having been impregnated with rubber or resin, wherein a sliding contact part of said seal member, which is in sliding contact with the guide rail, is made of the fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Takehito Dei, Yoji Ishizaki, Yoshiharu Kiyohara, Kenichiro Aoki, Yasuhiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10344795
    Abstract: A shaft structure installed in a shaft capable of making a power-transmission, the shaft structure including: a male component having a plurality of male splines formed on an outer peripheral part thereof; and a female component having a plurality of female splines formed on an inner peripheral part thereof, the inner peripheral part configured to allow the outer peripheral part of the male component to be engaged therein so that the male component and the female component can be slidably fitted with respect to each other in an axial direction thereby making up said shaft structure, wherein the outer peripheral part of the male component and the inner peripheral part of the female component have a fabric impregnated with rubber or resin interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: NITTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Yoshiharu Kiyohara, Yoji Ishizaki, Katsuyuki Nakai, Yasuhiro Aoki, Toshihiko Kojima
  • Patent number: 10343686
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system acquires information concerning an empty space situation in an adjacent lane, and information concerning an entry frequency with which other vehicles enter into an own lane from the adjacent lane, when an own vehicle travels on a road having a plurality of lanes. The autonomous driving system determines whether or not to select the adjacent lane as an own vehicle travel lane in accordance with the empty space situation in the adjacent lane and the entry frequency. However, when the entry frequency is a threshold value or more, determination not to select the adjacent lane as the own vehicle travel lane is kept irrespective of the empty space situation in the adjacent lane. The autonomous driving system performs lane change to the adjacent lane autonomously when the adjacent lane is selected as the own vehicle travel lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20190162230
    Abstract: A slider slidably straddling over a guide rail, an attachment plate having a square U-shape attached to an end surface of the slider and including opposite vertical frames and a horizontal frame connecting the vertical frames, and a sliding scraper fitted in a square U-shape groove of the attachment plate and including opposite vertical portions and a horizontal portion connecting the opposite vertical portions, and a groove portion that is in sliding contact with the guide rail are provided, and protrusion portions at which the vertical frames and the vertical portions are in abutment with each other are provided an open end portion of an inner side surface of each of the opposite vertical frames of the attachment plate or an end portion of an outer side surface of each of the opposite vertical portions of the sliding scraper, the end portion facing the relevant open end portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Applicants: NITTA CORPORATION, THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoji ISHIZAKI, Atsushi MATSUMOTO, Kenichiro AOKI, Ryuji FURUSAWA, Sho IWASHIRO
  • Publication number: 20190074038
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a rotatable disk-shaped recording medium, a head which processes data on the recording medium and a housing including a base accommodating the recording medium and the head and a cover including a welded portion laser-welded to the base. The welded portion includes a first welded portion welded by a first weld width and a second welded portion welded by a second weld width greater than the first weld width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventor: Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10202123
    Abstract: The vehicle control system includes a turning signal control unit configured to switch a turning signal of the vehicle between an off state and an on state according to the lane change control. The turning signal control unit maintains the turning signal in the on state until predetermined release conditions are satisfied when the lane change control in process is cancelled and the vehicle is switched to the manual driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 10163457
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a lift tab of a suspension assembly, includes: forming a first mask on a first surface of a plate-shaped base material; forming a second mask smaller than the first mask by a width less than or equal to a plate thickness of the base material, on a second surface of the base material, which is on an opposite side to the first surface, to oppose the first mask; etching the base material from both surface sides through the first mask and the second mask, to cut out the base material; and subjecting the cut-out base material to a bending process to form the lift tab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Yasutaka Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10137929
    Abstract: An electric power steering device for a vehicle includes a plurality of assist systems electromagnetically driving an electric motor. When a first or second assist system malfunctions, a malfunction state assist amount calculation part calculates an assist amount while decreasing a limit value at the vehicle stopping, to an amount smaller than a limit value at the vehicle moving. When a malfunction such as a disconnection or a fixing of the switching elements occurs in the first or second assist systems on the basis of a judgment result of a malfunction judgment function, an assist amount switching part supplies an assist amount received from the malfunction state assist amount calculation part to first and second motor drive control parts. When a malfunction occurs in one of the first and second assist systems, one of the first and second motor drive control parts drives the motor by using the assist amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Kenji Shibata, Takayoshi Tsujimoto
  • Publication number: 20180245694
    Abstract: A sealing material 1 includes a cylindrical sliding layer 2, an elastic integument layer 3, and a fastening fiber 4. The cylindrical sliding layer 2 includes an insertion hole 21 to permit slidable insertion of a bar-shaped body, and is composed of a material in which a fiber and an elastic material are integrated with each other. The elastic integument layer 3 is laminated on an outer peripheral surface 22 of the sliding layer 2. The fastening fiber 4 is continuously wound in a state of being uncontacted with the outer peripheral surface 22 of the sliding layer 2 over at least one convolution along a circumferential direction on the inside of the elastic integument layer 3 or an outer peripheral surface of the elastic integument layer 3. A sealing mechanism uses the sealing material 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: NITTA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenichiro AOKI