Patents by Inventor Koji Taguchi

Koji Taguchi 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: 20190129420
    Abstract: An autonomous driving vehicle provides a driverless transportation service for a user. An alarming phenomenon is a natural phenomenon that potentially causes a disaster. The autonomous driving vehicle recognizes, based on driving environment information, the alarming phenomenon at a current location of the autonomous driving vehicle or on a planned travel route from the current location to a destination. When recognizing the alarming phenomenon, the autonomous driving vehicle determines whether to continue or halt vehicle travel control in accordance with a current travel plan. When determining to halt the vehicle travel control in accordance with the current travel plan, the autonomous driving vehicle sets an emergency plan depending on a type of the alarming phenomenon and controls the autonomous driving vehicle in accordance with the emergency plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasunao YOSHIZAKI, Koji TAGUCHI, Masaki WASEKURA, Nobuhide KAMATA
  • Publication number: 20190126766
    Abstract: The vehicle dispatching system accepts a dispatch request from a user, selects an autonomous vehicle matching with the dispatch request from among a plurality of autonomous vehicles, and dispatches a selected autonomous vehicle to the user. The plurality of autonomous vehicles include a plurality of battery-mounted vehicles having an in-vehicle battery capable of being charged externally as an energy source. Each of the plurality of battery-mounted vehicles performs charging at a charging station when a charging level of the in-vehicle battery decreases. The vehicle dispatching system comprises a management server including a processor for executing programs stored in memory, the management server programmed to act as a charging planning unit that changes an upper limit charging level of the in-vehicle battery when charging at the charging station according to a time slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji TAGUCHI, Makoto MORITA
  • Publication number: 20190118616
    Abstract: When receiving the transportation request from the user (step S200), the management center extracts the unoccupied vehicle according to the transportation request and selects it as a transportation vehicle (step S201). After selecting the transportation vehicle, the management center transmits to the transportation vehicle the transportation information including the instruction for start-up of air-conditioning (step S202). When receiving the drop-off completion information from the transportation vehicle (step S205), the management center selects the standby area (step S206) and transmits to the transportation vehicle standby information including the instruction for shut-down of air-conditioning (step S207).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto MORITA, Koji TAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10215572
    Abstract: A map update determination system includes a traveling plan generation unit generating, based on a target route of a vehicle set in advance and map information, a traveling plan of the vehicle including a control target value for the vehicle in accordance with a position on the target route, a detection value acquisition unit acquiring, in association with the position on the target route, a control result detection value resulting from an automatic driving control for the vehicle executed based on a road environment in a vicinity of the vehicle, a traveling situation of the vehicle, a position of the vehicle, and the traveling plan, an evaluation value calculation unit calculating an evaluation value of the traveling plan for each zone, and a map update determination unit determining a necessity of an update of the map information for each zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Koji Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20190019330
    Abstract: A dynamic map update device includes a processor configured to: acquire a captured image from a plurality of vehicles, each of the plurality of vehicles having a camera configured to capture surroundings, the captured image being captured by the camera; update a dynamic map of a predetermined area based on the captured image; vary an update frequency of the dynamic map depending on a position among a plurality of positions in the predetermined area; and acquire the captured image from the plurality of vehicles according to the update frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Saeko MIYAOKA, Koji TAGUCHI, Masato ENDO
  • Publication number: 20180203461
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a vehicle-mounted sensor, a map database, a control rule database, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to recognize the position of a vehicle on a map; control traveling of the vehicle by using one of a plurality of control rules based on the position of the vehicle on the map, map information, and a detection result of the vehicle-mounted sensor; recognize a road section in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the position of the vehicle on the map and the map information; specify a control rule used in the road section based on the recognized road section and control rule data; and control traveling of the vehicle in the road section by using the specified control rule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Yokokawa, Koji Taguchi, Yutaka Aoki, Masateru Amano
  • Patent number: 10019017
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system includes a positioning unit that measures a position of a vehicle; a database that stores map information; an actuator that controls traveling of the vehicle; and an electronic controller configured to process: a detection of a first vehicle position and the map information; an identification of a traveling scene based on the first vehicle position and the map information; a detection of a second vehicle position by preforming position detection processing; and a control of the actuator based on the second vehicle position if a distance between the first vehicle position and the second vehicle position is equal to or smaller than a threshold or a control of the actuator based on the first vehicle position if the distance is not equal to or smaller than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Taguchi, Hiroyuki Ishida, Shuichi Yokokawa
  • Patent number: 9880554
    Abstract: A misrecognition determination device is provided. The misrecognition determination device may be configured such that a plurality of traveling parameters that is used for driving control of a vehicle and is based on input data is calculated, a difference between each two of the plurality of traveling parameters is calculated, a weighting coefficient is calculated according to an orthogonality between each two pieces of input data in a traveling situation of the vehicle, and a determination is made whether misrecognition has occurred in a parameter group, which includes the plurality of traveling parameters, using the values each generated by multiplying the difference by the weighting coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Taguchi, Masaaki Yamaoka, Tomoyuki Kuriyama, Akihisa Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9811092
    Abstract: A vehicle traveling control device includes: a communication unit that communicate with preceding vehicles; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information on the preceding vehicles and following vehicles around a host vehicle with which the host vehicle can carry out vehicle-vehicle communication; a number of vehicles calculation unit that calculates a reference number of vehicles and an estimated number of vehicles; and a traveling control unit that causes the host vehicle to travel at the traveling position behind the following vehicle if the estimated number of vehicles is larger than the reference number of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi Obuchi, Koji Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9789875
    Abstract: A brake/drive force controlling apparatus for a vehicle includes an engine for applying drive forces to driving wheels of the vehicles, a control diff for distributing the drive forces to the left and right driving wheels independently, and an electronic control system brake device for applying brake forces to the left and right driving wheels independently. An ECU is configured so as to be able to control the engine, the control diff, and the electronic control system brake device according to an operating state of the vehicle. When the electronic control system brake device is operated, this ECU stops the operation of the control diff, thereby avoiding a sudden input of load on the drive force distribution mechanism, regardless of the running state of the vehicle. This makes the apparatus simpler and more lightweight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoji Mizoguchi, Koji Taguchi, Hirokazu Kato
  • Publication number: 20170227970
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system includes a positioning unit that measures a position of a vehicle; a database that stores map information; an actuator that controls traveling of the vehicle; and an electronic controller configured to process: a detection of a first vehicle position and the map information; an identification of a traveling scene based on the first vehicle position and the map information; a detection of a second vehicle position by preforming position detection processing; and a control of the actuator based on the second vehicle position if a distance between the first vehicle position and the second vehicle position is equal to or smaller than a threshold or a control of the actuator based on the first vehicle position if the distance is not equal to or smaller than the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Koji Taguchi, Hiroyuki Ishida, Shuichi Yokokawa
  • Publication number: 20170123434
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system includes a travel plan generation unit that generates a travel plan of a vehicle, a traveling control unit that performs autonomous driving control of the vehicle b, a detection value acquisition unit that acquires a control-result detection value detected during the autonomous driving control, an evaluation value calculation unit that calculates an evaluation value of the travel plan based on a result of comparison between the control target value and the control-result detection value, an interruption requirement determination unit that determines whether an interruption of the autonomous driving control is required based on the evaluation value of the travel plan and an evaluation threshold, and an information providing unit that provides interruption information on the autonomous driving control to an occupant of the vehicle and to other vehicles around the vehicle if it is determined that the interruption of the autonomous driving control is required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Koji TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170122749
    Abstract: A map update determination system includes a traveling plan generation unit generating, based on a target route of a vehicle set in advance and map information, a traveling plan of the vehicle including a control target value for the vehicle in accordance with a position on the target route, a detection value acquisition unit acquiring, in association with the position on the target route, a control result detection value resulting from an automatic driving control for the vehicle executed based on a road environment in a vicinity of the vehicle, a traveling situation of the vehicle, a position of the vehicle, and the traveling plan, an evaluation value calculation unit calculating an evaluation value of the traveling plan for each zone, and a map update determination unit determining a necessity of an update of the map information for each zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiromitsu URANO, Koji TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20170031364
    Abstract: In a navigation device for the autonomously driving vehicle, a continuation degree of autonomous driving on the paths found by a path searcher is calculated by a continuation degree calculator. In addition, a path for the host vehicle to travel is selected by the path selector from the paths found by the path searcher based on the degree of continuation of the autonomous driving. Therefore, it is possible to select a path for the host vehicle travelling by autonomous driving while including the degree of continuation of the autonomous driving in conditions for selecting the path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norihiro TAKAHASHI, Koji TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160327948
    Abstract: A misrecognition determination device is provided. The misrecognition determination device may be configured such that a plurality of traveling parameters that is used for driving control of a vehicle and is based on input data is calculated, a difference between each two of the plurality of traveling parameters is calculated, a weighting coefficient is calculated according to an orthogonality between each two pieces of input data in a traveling situation of the vehicle, and a determination is made whether misrecognition has occurred in a parameter group, which includes the plurality of traveling parameters, using the values each generated by multiplying the difference by the weighting coefficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji TAGUCHI, Masaaki YAMAOKA, Tomoyuki KURIYAMA, Akihisa YOKOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20160292998
    Abstract: A vehicle traveling control device includes: a communication unit that communicate with preceding vehicles; a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information on the preceding vehicles and following vehicles around a host vehicle with which the host vehicle can carry out vehicle-vehicle communication; a number of vehicles calculation unit that calculates a reference number of vehicles and an estimated number of vehicles; and a traveling control unit that causes the host vehicle to travel at the traveling position behind the following vehicle if the estimated number of vehicles is larger than the reference number of vehicles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masashi OBUCHI, Koji TAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9224299
    Abstract: A cruise control plan evaluation device (10) that evaluates safety of a cruise control plan for an automatically-operated vehicle includes: a behavior prediction unit (16a) that predicts a behavior that may be exhibited by a nearby vehicle, which is present near the automatically-operated vehicle, at a given time point; a position prediction unit (16b) that predicts a position of the nearby vehicle after the given time point based on a position of the nearby vehicle at the given time point and the behavior predicted by the behavior prediction unit (16a); and an evaluation unit (20) that evaluates the safety of the cruise control plan based on the position of the nearby vehicle predicted by the position prediction unit (16b) and a position that is reached by the automatically-operated vehicle according to the cruise control plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Taguchi, Tomoyuki Doi
  • Patent number: 9140565
    Abstract: The travel plan generation method includes a maximum speed limit section setting step of setting a maximum speed limit section, a low speed allowed section setting step of setting a low speed allowed section which is in front of the maximum speed limit section on the route and is in a low speed allowable distance range from the maximum speed limit section, and a travel plan generation step of generating a travel plan in which the speed of the vehicle is limited to a speed limit or less in the maximum speed limit section and the speed of the vehicle is not reduced to a low discomfort speed or less in sections other than the maximum speed limit section and the low speed allowed section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9123243
    Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle control device capable of reducing calculation time while securing precision of a traveling plan in an arbitrary section. The vehicle control device controls a vehicle along a traveling plan calculated in accordance with a traveling path to a destination of the vehicle. The vehicle control device includes a traveling path setting unit which sets the traveling path from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, a traveling path division unit which divides the traveling path into a first section and a second section, and a traveling plan calculation unit which calculates a first traveling plan according to the first section and a second traveling plan according to the second section. The traveling plan calculation unit coarsens calculation granularity in the second traveling plan compared to calculation granularity in the first traveling plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Koji Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9085301
    Abstract: A vehicle control device generates a speed pattern alternately repeating an acceleration travel pattern having a section accelerating a host vehicle and an inertia travel pattern having a section with an acceleration driving force of zero and a deceleration braking force of zero with respect to the wheels of the host vehicle. The speed pattern is generated by reducing speed of the host vehicle in front of any one position of an intersection of the road on which the host vehicle travels and an exit leading to the road. The intersection and the exit may encounter another vehicle, and may include a traffic flow of other vehicles on a road with a host vehicle. Matching a proved speed by reducing vehicle speed of a speed pattern with a position of an intersection or an exit, the host vehicle may cooperate with traffic flow to improve fuel efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Taguchi