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: 20190299995
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a calculator configured to calculate a plurality of controlled variables for decelerating a host vehicle, if there are a plurality of deceleration targets ahead in a traveling direction of the host vehicle, in association with the plurality of deceleration targets; an output device configured to select and output one controlled variable from the plurality of controlled variables; and a controller programmed to perform the deceleration support control on the basis of the one controlled variable. When a deceleration support control is performed on the basis of a first controlled variable as the one controlled variable, the output device outputs a second controlled variable, which is different from the first controlled variable out of the plurality of controlled variables, instead of the first controlled variable as the one controlled variable, on condition that the second controlled variable is greater than a switching controlled variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Shin Tanaka, Masahiko Adachi, Shogo Ito
  • Publication number: 20190031163
    Abstract: In a driving assist device, an electronic control unit is configured to determine whether a target position is able to be decided from a predetermined object indicating that a vehicle needs to be decelerated, when recognizing the predetermined object, to perform a first assist by which the vehicle is decelerated at a first deceleration that is changed based on a brake operation by a driver, when determining that the target position is not able to be decided, and to perform a second assist by which the vehicle is decelerated at a second deceleration that is equal to or higher than a predetermined deceleration necessary to decelerate the vehicle to the target velocity before the vehicle reaches the target position decided from the predetermined object, when determining that the target position is able to be decided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiko ADACHI, Kohei TOCHIGI, Shin TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20180170381
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus (12) performs a second support after forbidding acceleration by a first support, keeps forbidding the acceleration by the first support after the second support is completed and before a predetermined acceleration allowing condition is satisfied, and allows the acceleration by the first support after the acceleration allowing condition is satisfied, if both of an execution condition for the first support and an execution condition for the second support are satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Miyuki KAMATANI, Minami SATO, Kohei TOCHIGI
  • Patent number: 9963128
    Abstract: A travel assistance device includes an actuator and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to predict a future position of a vehicle and an object, set an assistance range around the vehicle, determine whether an avoidance start condition is satisfied and in which of a first roadway area, a second roadway area, and a sidewalk area the object is positioned, set the avoidance start condition and a movement range of the object, so that the avoidance start condition is more easily determined to be satisfied when the object is in the first roadway area than when the object is in the second roadway area, and more easily determined to be satisfied when the object is in the second roadway area than when the object is in the sidewalk area, and perform a collision avoidance operation when the avoidance start condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Kazuyuki Fujita, Shinichi Nagata, Minami Sato
  • Publication number: 20180022328
    Abstract: A travel assistance device includes an actuator and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to predict a future position of a vehicle and an object, set an assistance range around the vehicle, determine whether an avoidance start condition is satisfied and in which of a first roadway area, a second roadway area, and a sidewalk area the object is positioned, set the avoidance start condition and a movement range of the object, so that the avoidance start condition is more easily determined to be satisfied when the object is in the first roadway area than when the object is in the second roadway area, and more easily determined to be satisfied when the object is in the second roadway area than when the object is in the sidewalk area, and perform a collision avoidance operation when the avoidance start condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei TOCHIGI, Kazuyuki FUJITA, Shinichi NAGATA, Minami SATO
  • Patent number: 9742218
    Abstract: A charging control unit is used in a system having an engine, an electric power generator, and a battery charged by electric power generated by the electric power generator and being capable of executing stop control for prohibiting the engine from restarting in a state where the engine is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Koji Ito, Michihiro Miyashita
  • Patent number: 9586588
    Abstract: A power supply control apparatus is provided with: a first calculating device configured to calculate a vehicle stop time rate on the basis of a travel history of the vehicle; a second calculating device configured to calculate a stoppable time rate on the basis of the travel history, and an estimating device configured to estimate an electric power amount associated with the idling stop control, on the basis of the calculated stoppable time rate if the idling stop control is allowed when the vehicle decelerates, and to estimate the electric power amount, on the basis of the calculated vehicle stop time rate if the idling stop control is not allowed when the vehicle decelerates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori Shinohara, Kohei Tochigi, Tomoharu Maeda
  • Patent number: 9567967
    Abstract: An auxiliary current amount that is used in an auxiliary that is mounted in a vehicle is calculated. A stop time ratio of the vehicle is calculated based on a running history of the vehicle, and an estimated stop time of the vehicle that is estimated based on the stop time ratio is calculated. An SOC threshold is set based on an estimated consumption current amount that is obtained from the estimated stop time and the auxiliary current amount. A generator that is mounted in the vehicle is operated such that a value of a storage state of the battery recovers to become larger than the SOC threshold when the value of the storage state of the battery is smaller than the SOC threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Tomoharu Maeda, Kohei Tochigi, Tomomi Katsumata
  • Publication number: 20160363060
    Abstract: A control system of a vehicle includes: an engine; a plurality of accessories including an air conditioner; a battery; a generator; and an ECU configured to automatically stop the engine, control the generator to charge or discharge the battery, inhibit the engine from being automatically stopped, calculate a first stop time as a length of time for which the engine can be automatically stopped, during operation of the air conditioner, calculate a first electric quantity as an estimated quantity of electricity consumed, calculate a second stop time as a length of time for which the vehicle is predicted to be stopped in the future, calculate a second electric quantity as an estimated quantity of electricity consumed, and determine the SOC target value, based on the first electric quantity and the second electric quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori SHINOHARA, Kohei TOCHIGI
  • Publication number: 20160332630
    Abstract: A power supply control apparatus is provided with: a first calculating device configured to calculate a vehicle stop time rate on the basis of a travel history of the vehicle; a second calculating device configured to calculate a stoppable time rate on the basis of the travel history, and an estimating device configured to estimate an electric power amount associated with the idling stop control, on the basis of the calculated stoppable time rate if the idling stop control is allowed when the vehicle decelerates, and to estimate the electric power amount, on the basis of the calculated vehicle stop time rate if the idling stop control is not allowed when the vehicle decelerates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masanori SHINOHARA, Kohei TOCHIGI, Tomoharu MAEDA
  • Publication number: 20160153417
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine for executing idling stop. The control device includes a threshold setting unit and an execution prohibition unit. The threshold unit sets a threshold of a charging rate of a battery and sets the threshold when the battery temperature is low smaller than that when the battery temperature is high. The threshold is used for determining whether execution of the idling stop is permitted. The execution prohibition unit prohibits execution of the idling stop when the charging rate of the battery is less than the threshold. The threshold is set by the threshold setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei TOCHIGI
  • Publication number: 20150349581
    Abstract: A charging control unit is used in a system having an engine, an electric power generator, and a battery charged by electric power generated by the electric power generator and being capable of executing stop control for prohibiting the engine from restarting in a state where the engine is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei TOCHIGI, Koji ITO, Michihiro MIYASHITA
  • Publication number: 20150333564
    Abstract: An auxiliary current amount that is used in an auxiliary that is mounted in a vehicle is calculated. A stop time ratio of the vehicle is calculated based on a running history of the vehicle, and an estimated stop time of the vehicle that is estimated based on the stop time ratio is calculated. An SOC threshold is set based on an estimated consumption current amount that is obtained from the estimated stop time and the auxiliary current amount. A generator that is mounted in the vehicle is operated such that a value of a storage state of the battery recovers to become larger than the SOC threshold when the value of the storage state of the battery is smaller than the SOC threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Michihiro MIYASHITA, Tomoharu MAEDA, Kohei TOCHIGI, Tomomi KATSUMATA
  • Publication number: 20140365099
    Abstract: A request to fully charge a battery and a request to execute idling stop are made compatible with each other. A vehicle control apparatus is mounted in a vehicle having an engine, and a battery that can be charged by an electric power generator that is driven by a motive power of the engine. The vehicle control apparatus is equipped with an idling stop control unit that stops the engine, an SOC change amount detection unit that detects an amount of change in a state of charge (an SOC) of the battery, and an execution restriction unit that permits and prohibits stop of the engine by the idling stop control unit in accordance with the amount of change in the SOC. The execution restriction unit determines timings for the permission and the prohibition such that an amount of increase in the SOC at a time when the engine is not stopped by the idling stop control unit becomes larger than an amount of decrease in the SOC at a time when the engine is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Koji Ito, Michihiro Miyashita, Nobukazu Ueki