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).

  • Publication number: 20180247669
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate and a lift tab extending in a first direction. The lift tab has an arc-shaped cross section, and includes an arc-shaped outer circumferential surface, an arc-shaped inner circumferential surface, a first upper end surface located between one arc ends of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces, and a second upper end surface located between other arc ends of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the inner circumferential surface, and a first angle made between the outer circumferential surface and the first upper end surface is less than a second angle made between the inner circumferential surface and the first upper end surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Yasutaka Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20180178796
    Abstract: A control device for vehicle travelling is provided, which executes following control that controls a vehicle speed in accordance with a following distance from a preceding vehicle. The following control includes LK following control that is executed so that a following distance from a preceding vehicle on a travel lane becomes an LK target following distance, under a situation of lane keep. The following control farther includes LC following control that is executed so that a following distance from a vehicle to be a preceding vehicle on a target lane becomes an LC target following distance, under a situation of lane change. In the LC following control, a vehicle speed is controlled so that a larger value is allowed as compared with at a time of execution of the LK following control, with respect to one or both of an acceleration and a jerk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroki Fukuda, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20180154939
    Abstract: The autonomous LC control is started in response to receiving a start instruction of autonomous lane change. When the driver performs a steering intervention in a same direction as a direction of steering requested by the autonomous LC control, and establishment of a stop condition of lane change is not recognized, during execution of the autonomous LC control, the autonomous driving control is continued. When the steering intervention in the same direction is performed, and establishment of the stop condition is recognized, during execution of the autonomous LC control, termination of the autonomous driving control is announced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventor: Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 9990945
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate and a lift tab extending in a first direction. The lift tab has an arc-shaped cross section, and includes an arc-shaped outer circumferential surface, an arc-shaped inner circumferential surface, a first upper end surface located between one arc ends of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces, and a second upper end surface located between other arc ends of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the inner circumferential surface, and a first angle made between the outer circumferential surface and the first upper end surface is less than a second angle made between the inner circumferential surface and the first upper end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Yasutaka Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20180150074
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system includes: a driver information acquisition device that acquires driver information indicating an action and a state of a driver of a vehicle; and a control device that performs autonomous driving control that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle. The autonomous driving control includes: deactivating action detection processing that detects, based on the driver information, a deactivating action of the driver to deactivate the autonomous driving; ready state detection processing that detects, based on the driver information, a ready state indicating that the driver is ready for manual driving; and deactivation processing that deactivates the autonomous driving when the ready state is detected after the deactivating action is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Kenichiro Aoki, Yoshinori Watanabe, Daisuke Satoh
  • Patent number: 9963149
    Abstract: A passing restraint flag for restraining a host vehicle from passing a preceding vehicle ahead is established by a passing restraint determination unit of the vehicle control device. In addition, when the passing restraint flag is established, a traveling plan for the host vehicle not to pass the preceding vehicle ahead is generated by a traveling plan generation unit of the vehicle control device. The passing restraint determination unit establishes the passing restraint flag when there is the possibility of an inappropriate operation of passing occurring such as when a distance between a merging point of a traveling lane along which the host vehicle travels and a merging lane merging into the traveling lane, and a position of the preceding vehicle having passed through the merging point is equal to or less than a third threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Ryuta Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20180043935
    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: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20180043897
    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: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20180047292
    Abstract: An autonomous driving vehicle sets a travelable area in which the autonomous driving vehicle can travel in a process of going to a destination. In a multiple-lane area including two or more lanes in the travelable area, one lane is determined as a standard travel lane. Processing of determining the standard travel lane is configured so that dispersion occurs to standard travel lanes which are determined by a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles in a same multiple-lane area placed under a same environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20180046196
    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: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Yoshinori Watanabe, Kenichiro Aoki, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20180018993
    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: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Takafumi Kikuchi, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 9830938
    Abstract: A suspension assembly includes a support plate, a wiring member, and a driving element. The wiring member includes a metal plate, an insulating layer, and a conductive layer. The metal plate includes a base end plate, a support portion on a projection portion formed on the support plate, and a pair of link portions which connect the base endplate to the support portion. The insulating layer includes a first end portion on the support portion, and a pair of bridge portions which are respectively provided in parallel with the link portions and extend from a second end portion that is on the base end plate to the first end portion. The driving element deforms in response to a voltage applied thereto to move the support portion. Each link portion includes a bent portion at a location of a straight line passing through a central region of the driving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Masaya Kudo
  • Publication number: 20170309303
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a suspension assembly includes a support plate and a lift tab extending in a first direction. The lift tab has an arc-shaped cross section, and includes an arc-shaped outer circumferential surface, an arc-shaped inner circumferential surface, a first upper end surface located between one arc ends of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces, and a second upper end surface located between other arc ends of the outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the inner circumferential surface, and a first angle made between the outer circumferential surface and the first upper end surface is less than a second angle made between the inner circumferential surface and the first upper end surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Yasutaka Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9761255
    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: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takafumi Kikuchi, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20170248959
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a scene determination unit determining whether or not a current traveling scene is a traveling-restricted scene, an order setting unit setting priorities corresponding to a restriction with respect to driving behaviors previously classified for different purposes in a case where it is determined that the traveling scene is the traveling-restricted scene and setting priorities with respect to the plurality of driving behaviors in a case where it is not determined that the traveling scene is the traveling-restricted scene, a traveling plan generating unit generating traveling plans corresponding to the plurality of priority-set driving behaviors, an executability determination unit determining executability of each of the plurality of generated driving behaviors, a traveling plan selection unit selecting the traveling plan corresponding to the driving behavior with the highest priority, and a traveling control unit controlling the traveling of the host vehicle based on the trav
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki MATSUBARA, Masaki MATSUNAGA, Kenichiro AOKI, Yoshinori WATANABE, Ryuta HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170240176
    Abstract: A passing restraint flag for restraining a host vehicle from passing a preceding vehicle ahead is established by a passing restraint determination unit of the vehicle control device. In addition, when the passing restraint flag is established, a traveling plan for the host vehicle not to pass the preceding vehicle ahead is generated by a traveling plan generation unit of the vehicle control device. The passing restraint determination unit establishes the passing restraint flag when there is the possibility of an inappropriate operation of passing occurring such as when a distance between a merging point of a traveling lane along which the host vehicle travels and a merging lane merging into the traveling lane, and a position of the preceding vehicle having passed through the merging point is equal to or less than a third threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenichiro AOKI, Ryuta HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170225685
    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: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichiro AOKI
  • Publication number: 20170138408
    Abstract: A shaft structure installed in a shaft capable of making a power-transmission includes a male component having splines and spline bottoms on an outer periphery, a female component having splines and spline bottoms on an inner periphery and allows the male component to be slidably inserted in an axial direction thereby making up the shaft structure, and an elastic member covering the outer or inner periphery of the male or female component, wherein the female component has substantially U or V-shaped cross-section grooves on the outer periphery as opposed to splines, and a shape defined by the spline of the female component and the groove is such a shape that when the male or female component is twisted and a stress is applied to the spline in a direction around the shaft, the spline could be elastically deformed and absorb a maximum design stress within an elastic region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Yoji Ishizaki, Yoshiharu Kiyohara, Kenichiro Aoki, Takehito Dei, Yasuhiro Aoki
  • Publication number: 20170092308
    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: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Takafumi Kikuchi, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 9530441
    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: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takafumi Kikuchi, Kenichiro Aoki