Patents by Inventor Kunihiro Sugihara

Kunihiro Sugihara 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: 11560095
    Abstract: Provided is an input unit to which input signals are inputted, the input signals including signals indicating operating states of switches used for operating the electronic mirror and used for selecting a display mode from among the plurality of display modes to be displayed by the electronic mirror; a storage unit that together with prioritizing and storing each of a plurality of display modes in a hierarchical structure, stores mode setting conditions that are conditions for setting each display mode; a determination unit for determining whether or not the mode setting conditions are satisfied for each of the plurality of display modes based on the input signals; and a setting unit that, of the plurality of display modes, sets a display mode from among the display modes for which the mode setting conditions are satisfied, as a display mode to be displayed on the electronic mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Egashira, Yuki Yamagami, Kunihiro Sugihara, Goro Asai, Tomoaki Iida, Taichi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11485287
    Abstract: An electronic mirror system includes: a camera for capturing images of surroundings of a vehicle; a display unit for displaying an image captured by the camera; a switch unit including an adjustment switch and a multi-function switch; and a control unit for performing a process according to a signal from the switch unit. When the multi-function switch is operated, the control unit executes a process selected from a plurality of set processes according to a state of the vehicle; and in a case where the executed process is a transition to a mode for changing setting information of the system, and when the adjustment switch is operated after the transition, the control unit changes the setting information according to a signal from the adjustment switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Fukuda, Tomoaki Iida, Goro Asai, Kunihiro Sugihara, Taichi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11417115
    Abstract: An obstacle recognition device of a vehicle provided with a camera capturing an image around the vehicle, includes an acquiring unit sequentially acquiring the image captured by the camera; a feature point extracting unit extracting a plurality of feature points of an object included in the image; a calculation unit calculating each motion distance of the plurality of feature points between the image previously acquired and the image currently acquired by the acquiring unit; a first determination unit determining whether each motion distance of the feature points is larger than or equal to a first threshold; a second determination unit determining whether each motion distance of the feature points is larger than or equal to a second threshold; and an obstacle recognition unit recognizing an obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koki Osada, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Tomoyuki Fujimoto, Takuya Miwa, Yutaka Hamamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Publication number: 20220234573
    Abstract: A moving object determination device applied to a vehicle, the device includes at least a predicted time calculation unit, a time difference calculation unit, and a moving/stationary determination unit. The predicted time calculation unit calculates a predicted time from when an obstacle starts to be detected by the first sensor to when the obstacle will no longer be detected by the second sensor based on a traveling speed of the obstacle and a length of the obstacle. The time difference calculation unit calculates a real time from when the obstacle has been detected by the first sensor to when the obstacle has no longer been detected by the second sensor, and calculates a time difference between the real time and the predicted time. The moving/stationary determination unit determines that the obstacle is a stationary object in response to the time difference being equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220237923
    Abstract: An object detection device is configured to be mounted to an own vehicle to detect an object present around the own vehicle. The object detection device includes a coordinate acquisition section and an object recognition section. The coordinate acquisition section acquires position coordinates of a detection point corresponding to the object on the basis of a plurality of images captured at different positions along with movement of the own vehicle by one imaging section mounted to the own vehicle. The object recognition section recognizes the object without using position coordinates of a movement point that is a detection point corresponding to a moving object but using position coordinates of a stop point that is a detection point different from the movement point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Youhei SUZUKI, Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Hidenori TANAKA, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA, Yutaka HAMAMOTO, Masumi FUKUMAN
  • Publication number: 20220227362
    Abstract: A control device to be applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device, a ranging device, and a safety device is configured to, based on moving-object detection information around the vehicle acquired from images captured by the imaging device, perform a first actuation process directed to moving objects to actuate the safety device, and based on stationary-object detection information around the vehicle acquired from measurements made by the ranging device, perform a second actuation process directed to stationary objects to actuate the safety device. In the control device, a mask region setting unit is configured to set at least either neighborhood-of-stationary-object regions or far-side regions as a mask region. An actuation restriction unit is configured to, in response to the moving object determined to be present around the vehicle being present in the mask area, restrict performance of the first actuation process on the moving object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi KOBAYASHI, Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220227363
    Abstract: A control device to be applied to a vehicle equipped with an imaging device and a safety device is configured to, based on moving-object detection information detected from images captured by the imaging device, actuate the safety device for a moving object. In the control device, a control unit is configured to, in response to any of certain information that it is certain that the object is a moving object and uncertain information indicating that it is not certain whether the object is a moving object being acquired as moving-object detection information, actuate the safety device based on a position of the object subjected to detection with the certain information or the uncertain information. An actuation region setting unit is configured to, when the moving-object detection information is the uncertain information, narrow an actuation region as compared to when the moving-object detection information is the certain information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Atsushi KOBAYASHI, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Patent number: 11393220
    Abstract: An obstacle identification apparatus acquires an image that is captured by a camera that is mounted to a vehicle. The obstacle identification apparatus calculates a first gradient that is a gradient in a first direction of a luminance value of pixels in the image and a second gradient that is a gradient of the luminance value in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the first gradient. Based on the first gradient and the second gradient, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates a shadow boundary that is a boundary between an own-vehicle shadow that is a shadow of the own vehicle and an object outside the vehicle. Based on the estimated shadow boundary, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates the own-vehicle shadow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Miwa, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Yutaka Hamamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Publication number: 20220210344
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has: a synthesizing device (132) for synthesizing a rear image (111B) captured by a rear imaging device (11B) for imaging a rear area of the vehicle (1) and a first rear side image (111BL, 111BR) captured by a first rear side imaging device (11BL, 11BR) for imaging a first rear side area of the vehicle to generate a synthesized image (111C); and a displaying device (14) for displaying the synthesized image. The synthesizing device varies a proportion of an area of each of the rear image and the first rear side image to the synthesized image on the basis of a first information relating to a first turn indicator configured to operate to inform that the vehicle travels rightward or leftward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka SHIDOCHI, Goro ASAI, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220166924
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has: a synthesizing device (132) for synthesizing a rear image (111B) captured by a rear imaging device (11B) for imaging rear area of a first vehicle (1) and a rear side image (111BL, 111BR) captured by a rear side imaging device (11BL, 11BR) for imaging rear side area of the first vehicle to generate a synthesized image (111C); and a display (14) for displaying the synthesized image. The synthesizing device varies a proportion of each of a rear image area and a rear side image area to the synthesized image based on velocity of the first vehicle and/or a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle existing at the rear of the first vehicle, wherein the rear image area and the rear side image area are areas in which the rear image and the rear side image are displayed, respectively, in the synthesized image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka SHIDOCHI, Goro Asai, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11336839
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has: a synthesizing device (132) for synthesizing a rear image (111B) captured by a rear imaging device (11B) for imaging a rear area of the vehicle (1) and a first rear side image (111BL, 111BR) captured by a first rear side imaging device (11BL, 11BR) for imaging a first rear side area of the vehicle to generate a synthesized image (111C); and a displaying device (14) for displaying the synthesized image. The synthesizing device varies a proportion of an area of each of the rear image and the first rear side image to the synthesized image on the basis of a first information relating to a first turn indicator configured to operate to inform that the vehicle travels rightward or leftward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka Shidochi, Goro Asai, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11283995
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has: a synthesizing device (132) for synthesizing a rear image (111B) captured by a rear imaging device (11B) for imaging rear area of a first vehicle (1) and a rear side image (111BL, 111BR) captured by a rear side imaging device (11BL, 11BR) for imaging rear side area of the first vehicle to generate a synthesized image (111C); and a display (14) for displaying the synthesized image. The synthesizing device varies a proportion of each of a rear image area and a rear side image area to the synthesized image based on velocity of the first vehicle and/or a distance between the first vehicle and a second vehicle existing at the rear of the first vehicle, wherein the rear image area and the rear side image area are areas in which the rear image and the rear side image are displayed, respectively, in the synthesized image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka Shidochi, Goro Asai, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11070737
    Abstract: An exposure control device of a vehicle-mounted camera comprises an illuminance level determination unit, a plurality of timers, a timer operating unit, and an exposure level determination unit. The illuminance level determination unit determines that an illumination level of an external light illuminance corresponds to one of a plurality of illuminance levels. The timers each provided for a corresponding one of a plurality of change modes, the change modes being defined among the plurality of illuminance levels, or among a plurality of exposure levels for an exposure of a vehicular camera. The timer operating unit operates each of the timers in accordance with a state of change of the illuminance level of the external light illuminance. The exposure level determination unit determines one of the exposure levels for the exposure of the vehicular camera based on a count state of each of the timers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyohei Ozaki, Taichi Hasegawa, Kunihiro Sugihara, Goro Asai, Tomoaki Iida
  • Publication number: 20210188177
    Abstract: Provided is an input unit to which input signals are inputted, the input signals including signals indicating operating states of switches used for operating the electronic mirror and used for selecting a display mode from among the plurality of display modes to be displayed by the electronic mirror; a storage unit that together with prioritizing and storing each of a plurality of display modes in a hierarchical structure, stores mode setting conditions that are conditions for setting each display mode; a determination unit for determining whether or not the mode setting conditions are satisfied for each of the plurality of display modes based on the input signals; and a setting unit that, of the plurality of display modes, sets a display mode from among the display modes for which the mode setting conditions are satisfied, as a display mode to be displayed on the electronic mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Akira EGASHIRA, Yuki YAMAGAMI, Kunihiro SUGIHARA, Goro ASAI, Tomoaki IIDA, Taichi HASEGAWA
  • Patent number: 11040661
    Abstract: An image display apparatus has: a synthesizing device (132) for synthesizing a rear image (111B) and a rear side image (111BL, 111BR) to generate a synthesized image (111C), wherein the rear image is captured by a rear imaging device (11B) for imaging a rear area of a vehicle (1) and the rear side image is captured by a rear side imaging device (11BL, 11BR) for imaging a rear side area of the vehicle; and a displaying device (14) for displaying the synthesized image, the synthesizing device generates the synthesized image so that the synthesized image generated when the vehicle goes in reverse includes a first scene that is below, viewed from the vehicle, a second scene that is included in the synthesized image generated when the vehicle does not go in reverse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka Shidochi, Goro Asai, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11014514
    Abstract: A vehicle surroundings display device includes an imaging device, a display device, and a controller is provided. The imaging device images a region toward a rear side of a vehicle and sideways from the vehicle. The display device is capable of displaying an image captured by the imaging device. The controller controls display of the display device, and selectively a normal active mode, a power-off active mode, a standby mode and a shut-down mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Goro Asai, Tomoaki Iida, Kunihiro Sugihara, Yuki Takahashi, Taichi Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20210110177
    Abstract: An obstacle recognition device of a vehicle provided with a camera capturing an image around the vehicle, includes an acquiring unit sequentially acquiring the image captured by the camera; a feature point extracting unit extracting a plurality of feature points of an object included in the image; a calculation unit calculating each motion distance of the plurality of feature points between the image previously acquired and the image currently acquired by the acquiring unit; a first determination unit determining whether each motion distance of the feature points is larger than or equal to a first threshold; a second determination unit determining whether each motion distance of the feature points is larger than or equal to a second threshold; and an obstacle recognition unit recognizing an obstacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Koki OSADA, Takayuki HIROMITSU, Tomoyuki FUJIMOTO, Takuya MIWA, Yutaka HAMAMOTO, Masumi FUKUMAN, Akihiro KIDA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA
  • Publication number: 20210110176
    Abstract: An obstacle identification apparatus acquires an image that is captured by a camera that is mounted to a vehicle. The obstacle identification apparatus calculates a first gradient that is a gradient in a first direction of a luminance value of pixels in the image and a second gradient that is a gradient of the luminance value in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction of the first gradient. Based on the first gradient and the second gradient, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates a shadow boundary that is a boundary between an own-vehicle shadow that is a shadow of the own vehicle and an object outside the vehicle. Based on the estimated shadow boundary, the obstacle identification apparatus estimates the own-vehicle shadow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Takuya Miwa, Takayuki Hiromitsu, Yutaka Hamamoto, Masumi Fukuman, Akihiro Kida, Kunihiro Sugihara
  • Publication number: 20210006703
    Abstract: An exposure control device of a vehicle-mounted camera comprises an illuminance level determination unit, a plurality of timers, a timer operating unit, and an exposure level determination unit. The illuminance level determination unit determines that an illumination level of an external light illuminance corresponds to one of a plurality of illuminance levels. The timers each provided for a corresponding one of a plurality of change modes, the change modes being defined among the plurality of illuminance levels, or among a plurality of exposure levels for an exposure of a vehicular camera. The timer operating unit operates each of the timers in accordance with a state of change of the illuminance level of the external light illuminance. The exposure level determination unit determines one of the exposure levels for the exposure of the vehicular camera based on a count state of each of the timers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Kyohei OZAKI, Taichi HASEGAWA, Kunihiro SUGIHARA, Goro ASAI, Tomoaki IIDA
  • Patent number: 10857943
    Abstract: A vehicle surroundings display device is provided. The vehicle surroundings display device includes an imaging device, a display device, and a display controller. The imaging device images a region toward a rear side of a vehicle and sideways from the vehicle. The display device is capable of displaying an image captured by the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Goro Asai, Kunihiro Sugihara, Tomoaki Iida, Yuki Takahashi, Taichi Hasegawa