Patents by Inventor Kohei Tochigi

Kohei Tochigi 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: 20230110942
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus assists a driver of a vehicle by performing a deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle when the vehicle makes a right turn or a left turn at an intersection. The driving assistance apparatus is configured to make a magnitude of a deceleration of a vehicle while performing a deceleration control of when a left-or-right-turn-condition is not satisfied smaller than a magnitude of a deceleration of the vehicle while performing the deceleration control of when the left-or-right-turn-condition is satisfied, in a case where a distance between the vehicle and the intersection is equal to or shorter than a distance threshold and the vehicle is predicted to change a moving direction to a particular direction, the left-or-right-turn-condition being a condition that is satisfied when the vehicle is permitted to change the moving direction to the particular direction in/from a traveling lane in which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota ENDO, Yuta IKEZAWA, Kohei TOCHIGI
  • Publication number: 20230001946
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is configured to perform an assistance control of assisting in driving a vehicle, when a first condition and a second condition are satisfied, in a situation in which a target is recognized. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a determinator configured to determine a state of the assistance control. The determinator is configured (i) to determine that the state of the assistance control is a standby state if a standby condition is satisfied, wherein the standby condition requires that the first condition is satisfied, but the second condition is not satisfied, in the situation in which the target is recognized, and (ii) to determine that the state of the assistance control is an interruption state if an interruption condition is satisfied, wherein the interruption condition requires that the first condition is no longer satisfied while the satisfaction of the standby condition is continued.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei TOCHIGI, Shogo ITO, Yuta IKEZAWA
  • Patent number: 11518350
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is configured to provide deceleration assistance of decelerating a host vehicle, and is configured to end the deceleration assistance on condition that a pedal operation is performed by a driver while the deceleration assistance is provided. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: an estimator configured to estimate an operation intention of the driver associated with an operation of a brake pedal, on condition that the brake pedal is operated by the driver while the deceleration assistance is provided; and a controller programmed to delay timing in which a deceleration assistance amount associated with the deceleration assistance becomes zero at the end of the deceleration assistance, if the estimated operation intention is caused by the target, in comparison with that if the estimated operation intention is not caused by the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Patent number: 11518397
    Abstract: When a driver is not in pedal erroneous operation inducing situation and a rate of change in an operation amount of an accelerator pedal is equal to or greater than a first erroneous operation determination threshold value, a driving assistance apparatus determines that operation of the accelerator pedal is erroneous operation. When the driver is in the pedal erroneous operation inducing situation and the rate of change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal is equal to or greater than a second erroneous operation determination threshold value, the riving assistance apparatus determines that the operation of the accelerator pedal is the erroneous operation, and the second erroneous operation determination threshold value is smaller than the first erroneous operation determination threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa, Shogo Ito
  • Patent number: 11511766
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is configured to perform an assistance control of assisting in driving a vehicle, when a first condition and a second condition are satisfied, in a situation in which a target is recognized. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a determinator configured to determine a state of the assistance control. The determinator is configured (i) to determine that the state of the assistance control is a standby state if a standby condition is satisfied, wherein the standby condition requires that the first condition is satisfied, but the second condition is not satisfied, in the situation in which the target is recognized, and (ii) to determine that the state of the assistance control is an interruption state if an interruption condition is satisfied, wherein the interruption condition requires that the first condition is no longer satisfied while the satisfaction of the standby condition is continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Publication number: 20220340131
    Abstract: A driving assistance device configured to execute deceleration assistance for a driver's vehicle when the driver's vehicle turns right or left at an intersection is configured to recognize, based on a detection result from an external sensor of the driver's vehicle, an adjacent vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a traveling lane of the driver's vehicle, determine whether the adjacent vehicle turns in the same direction of the driver's vehicle at the intersection based on the detection result from the external sensor when the adjacent vehicle is recognized and the driver's vehicle turns right or left at the intersection, and execute the deceleration assistance to cause a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the driver's vehicle and the adjacent vehicle to reach a distance equal to or larger than a target driver's vehicle-to-adjacent vehicle distance when the driving assistance device determines that the adjacent vehicle turns in the same direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Kohei Tochigi, Kumiko Kondo, Shinya Kawamata
  • Patent number: 11479248
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a host vehicle; a controller programmed to perform a deceleration control when a deceleration target is recognized by the recognizer; and a detector configured to detect a slip of the host vehicle. The controller sets a first controlled variable, which is a controlled variable associated with the deceleration control when the slip of the host vehicle is detected without execution of the deceleration control, so as to suppress an extent of deceleration of the host vehicle, in comparison with a second controlled variable, which is the controlled variable when the slip of the host vehicle is not detected without execution of the deceleration control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Masahiko Adachi, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Patent number: 11433888
    Abstract: A driving support system detects a deceleration object ahead and starts deceleration assistance for a host vehicle. The driving support system includes a reliability calculation unit configured to calculate a reliability of detection of the deceleration object, an assistance mode selection unit configured to select an assistance mode of the deceleration assistance from among multiple assistance modes in accordance with the calculated reliability of detection, and a driving support unit configured to perform the deceleration assistance in the selected assistance mode. The assistance mode selection unit is configured to select a first assistance mode when the reliability of detection is lower than a predetermined reliability threshold and select a second assistance mode higher in a level of the deceleration assistance than the first assistance mode when the reliability of detection is higher than or equal to the reliability threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa, Norio Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11420622
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus can provide deceleration assistance of decelerating a host vehicle independently of an operation by a driver. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a specifier configured to specify a type of a target associated with the deceleration assistance, wherein the target is ahead of the host vehicle on a course thereof and requires the host vehicle to decelerate or stop; and a controller programmed to change an end condition associated with deceleration assistance, in accordance with the specified type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Ikezawa, Kohei Tochigi, Masahiko Adachi, Shogo Ito, Shuichi Yamaki
  • Patent number: 11390280
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a host vehicle; a controller programmed to execute a deceleration assistance control of assisting in decelerating a host vehicle when a predetermined condition is satisfied; a determinator configured to determine whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on a roadway on the basis of the recognized surrounding situation; and a restraining device configured to restrain execution of the deceleration assistance control by a controller if it is determined that the host vehicle is not traveling on a roadway, in comparison with a situation in which it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Hirotada Otake, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Patent number: 11364888
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus can execute deceleration assistance of decelerating a host vehicle independently of an operation by a driver. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: an acquirer configured to obtain surrounding information associated with a surrounding situation of the host vehicle; and a controller programmed to reduce a deceleration assistance amount associated with the deceleration assistance when execution of the deceleration assistance is released. The controller is programmed to quickly reduce the deceleration assistance amount when execution of the deceleration assistance is released, if a surrounding situation indicated by the obtained surrounding information is a first situation in which the host vehicle can be required to accelerate, in comparison with a second situation in which the host vehicle cannot be required to accelerate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Ikezawa, Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito
  • Publication number: 20220153267
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus includes an estimator and a controller. The estimator estimates a first estimated vehicle speed and a second estimated vehicle speed when there are a first deceleration target and a second deceleration target in a course ahead of a vehicle, and when a driver of the vehicle releases an accelerator pedal. Wherein the first estimated vehicle speed is an estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle at a first target position corresponding to the first deceleration target, and the second estimated vehicle speed is an estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle at a second target position corresponding to the second deceleration target. The controller controls the vehicle to automatically decelerate toward the second target position when the first estimated vehicle speed is greater than a first predetermined value, and when the second estimated vehicle speed is less than a second predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Kohei Tochigi, Kumiko Kondo
  • Patent number: 11305772
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus can execute a deceleration assistance control, when there is a deceleration target ahead, of the vehicle in a course thereof. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of the vehicle; and a controller programed to execute the deceleration assistance control when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The controller is programed to suppress execution of the deceleration assistance control if a road as the recognized surrounding situation has a high extent of a downgrade, in comparison with a situation in which the road has a low extent of the downgrade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Ikezawa, Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito
  • Patent number: 11260863
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus can execute a deceleration assistance control, when there is a deceleration target ahead, of the vehicle in a course thereof. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of the vehicle; and a controller programed to execute the deceleration assistance control when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The controller is programed to suppress execution of the deceleration assistance control if a road as the recognized surrounding situation has a high extent of a downgrade, in comparison with a situation in which the road has a low extent of the downgrade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Ikezawa, Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito
  • Patent number: 11244179
    Abstract: A stop line position estimation device includes a traffic signal recognition unit configured to recognize a traffic signal at an intersection ahead of a vehicle and a stop line position estimation unit configured to estimate that a position of the stop line is a position from the traffic signal by a first distance toward the vehicle side. When the traffic signal recognition unit recognizes a plurality of traffic signals and the stop line position estimation unit recognizes an immediate front traffic signal and a rear traffic signal based on a positional relationship between the traffic signals, the stop line position estimation unit estimates that the position of the stop line is a position from the immediate front traffic signal by a second distance toward the vehicle side. The second distance is shorter than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuta Ikezawa, Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito, Hirotada Otake
  • Publication number: 20220032883
    Abstract: There is provided a driving assistance device that executes deceleration assistance of a host vehicle when a relative situation between a deceleration object in front of the host vehicle and the host vehicle satisfies a preset deceleration assistance precondition and a driver of the host vehicle does not operate an accelerator and a brake, the driving assistance device including a first deceleration assistance execution unit configured to execute a first deceleration assistance when the deceleration assistance precondition is satisfied in a state in which the driver of the host vehicle does not operate the accelerator and the brake, and a second deceleration assistance execution unit configured to execute a second deceleration assistance when the driver releases the accelerator or the brake in a state in which the deceleration assistance precondition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Kohei Tochigi, Kumiko Kondo
  • Patent number: 11173905
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus performs a stop control of stopping a host vehicle so that a following distance between the host vehicle and a stopped vehicle, which is ahead in a course of the host vehicle, approaches a target following distance. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a setting device configured to set the target following distance smaller, if an operation speed is less than a predetermined speed, in comparison with that if the operation speed is greater than the predetermined speed when one of an acceleration off operation and a brake off operation is performed, or when one of an accelerator opening degree corresponding to an operation amount of an accelerator pedal and a brake opening degree corresponding to an operation amount of a brake pedal is less than or equal to a predetermined opening degree, while the stopped vehicle is recognized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Ito, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Publication number: 20210213967
    Abstract: When a driver is not in pedal erroneous operation inducing situation and a rate of change in an operation amount of an accelerator pedal is equal to or greater than a first erroneous operation determination threshold value, a driving assistance apparatus determines that operation of the accelerator pedal is erroneous operation. When the driver is in the pedal erroneous operation inducing situation and the rate of change in the operation amount of the accelerator pedal is equal to or greater than a second erroneous operation determination threshold value, the riving assistance apparatus determines that the operation of the accelerator pedal is the erroneous operation, and the second erroneous operation determination threshold value is smaller than the first erroneous operation determination threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa, Shogo Ito
  • Publication number: 20210171032
    Abstract: A driving support system detects a deceleration object ahead and starts deceleration assistance for a host vehicle. The driving support system includes a reliability calculation unit configured to calculate a reliability of detection of the deceleration object, an assistance mode selection unit configured to select an assistance mode of the deceleration assistance from among multiple assistance modes in accordance with the calculated reliability of detection, and a driving support unit configured to perform the deceleration assistance in the selected assistance mode. The assistance mode selection unit is configured to select a first assistance mode when the reliability of detection is lower than a predetermined reliability threshold and select a second assistance mode higher in a level of the deceleration assistance than the first assistance mode when the reliability of detection is higher than or equal to the reliability threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo ITO, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Publication number: 20210162992
    Abstract: A driver assistance device is configured to determine whether a type of a deceleration target is included in a category of a position-fixed object or a moving object, and determine whether the deceleration target is lost, and to continue the deceleration assistance on assumption that the lost deceleration target exists when the deceleration target is determined to be lost. The driver assistance device is configured to notify a driver of a host vehicle that the deceleration target is lost when the deceleration target is determined to be lost and the type of the deceleration target is included in the category of the moving object, and not to notify the driver that the deceleration target is lost when the deceleration target is determined to be lost and the type of the deceleration target is included in the category of the position-fixed object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuta Ikezawa, Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito