Patents by Inventor Kunimichi Hatano

Kunimichi Hatano 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: 11904961
    Abstract: A steering device includes: a steering wheel which is rotatable over an angle range exceeding 180 degrees in each of leftward and rightward directions from a neutral position; a steering mechanism that steers a wheel according to a steering angle of the steering wheel, with a ratio of the steering angle to a steered angle being changeable; and a control device that controls the ratio of the steering mechanism. The control device sets the ratio to a first value during travel of a vehicle in the manual driving mode and sets the ratio to a second value smaller than the first value during travel of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode, wherein the second value is set such that the steering angle corresponding to a maximum steered angle of the wheel specified by the steering mechanism is less than 180 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Ojima, Munetsugu Hanji, Hayato Miyakawa, Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 11872993
    Abstract: A moving body control apparatus includes a judging section that judges a driving preparation level of an occupant of a moving body; and a lane change control section that approves a first lane change, which is a lane change in which a lane boundary line is crossed once, if the driving preparation level of the occupant is greater than or equal to a first level, and approves a second lane change, which is a lane change in which lane boundary lines are crossed a plurality of times, if the driving preparation level of the occupant is greater than or equal to a second level that is higher than the first level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunimichi Hatano, Tadahiko Kanoh, Yuta Takada, Tsubasa Shibauchi, Shogo Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11673551
    Abstract: When following control that causes a user vehicle to follow a following target that is a first other vehicle travelling in a user path in which the user vehicle is travelling is being performed, a travel control section transitions from a state in which the first other vehicle is the following target to a state in which the first other vehicle is not the following target, and in a case where an outside recognizing section recognizes a second other vehicle, which is travelling in another path that is not the user path, the travel control section determines whether to set the second other vehicle as the following target based on a prescribed condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiko Kanoh, Kunimichi Hatano, Tsubasa Shibauchi, Yuta Takada, Shogo Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20220306187
    Abstract: A steering device includes: a steering wheel which is rotatable over an angle range exceeding 180 degrees in each of leftward and rightward directions from a neutral position; a steering mechanism that steers a wheel according to a steering angle of the steering wheel, with a ratio of the steering angle to a steered angle being changeable; and a control device that controls the ratio of the steering mechanism. The control device sets the ratio to a first value during travel of a vehicle in the manual driving mode and sets the ratio to a second value smaller than the first value during travel of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode, wherein the second value is set such that the steering angle corresponding to a maximum steered angle of the wheel specified by the steering mechanism is less than 180 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Yosuke OJIMA, Munetsugu HANJI, Hayato MIYAKAWA, Kunimichi HATANO
  • Publication number: 20220306163
    Abstract: When the driving mode of a vehicle is switched from an automatic driving mode to a manual driving mode in response to steering of the steering wheel by a driver while the vehicle is traveling in the automatic driving mode, a control device determines whether a recognized steering angle which is the steering angle of the steering wheel recognized by the driver is near a neutral position or near a one turn position according to the grip positions on the steering wheel, and when the determined recognized steering angle differs from an actual steering angle, the control device changes a ratio between the steering angle of the steering wheel and a steered angle of a wheel such that the steered angle approaches a recognized steered angle corresponding to the recognized steering angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Yosuke OJIMA, Munetsugu HANJI, Hayato MIYAKAWA, Kunimichi HATANO
  • Patent number: 11169537
    Abstract: A subject vehicle includes: a communication device communicating with an external device; a detection unit detecting a state of the surroundings of a subject vehicle; a driving support control unit executing driving support of automatically executing at least a part of speed control or steering control of the subject vehicle on the basis of the state of the surroundings of the subject vehicle detected by the detection unit; an extraction unit extracting environment information causing a change in control in the driving support from information of the state of the surroundings of the subject vehicle detected by the detection unit; and a communication control unit transmitting the environment information extracted by the extraction unit to an external device using the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunimichi Hatano, Masahiko Asakura, Naoto Sen, Masaaki Abe
  • Publication number: 20210300377
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus comprises a judging section that judges whether a destination of a user vehicle is set, and a lane change control section that, if the destination is not set, enables performance of a single lane change causing the user vehicle to perform a lane change from the user lane to a first other lane, and if the destination is set, enables the single lane change and also enables a multiple lane change causing the user vehicle to perform a lane change from the user lane to a second other lane through the first other lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Tadahiko KANOH, Kunimichi HATANO, Tsubasa SHIBAUCHI, Yuta TAKADA, Shogo KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20210300366
    Abstract: When following control that causes a user vehicle to follow a following target that is a first other vehicle travelling in a user path in which the user vehicle is travelling is being performed, a travel control section transitions from a state in which the first other vehicle is the following target to a state in which the first other vehicle is not the following target, and in a case where an outside recognizing section recognizes a second other vehicle, which is travelling in another path that is not the user path, the travel control section determines whether to set the second other vehicle as the following target based on a prescribed condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Tadahiko KANOH, Kunimichi HATANO, Tsubasa SHIBAUCHI, Yuta TAKADA, Shogo KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20210300376
    Abstract: A moving body control apparatus includes a vicinity information acquiring section that acquires vicinity information of a moving body; a lane change control section that is capable of performing a first lane change, which is a lane change in which a lane boundary line is crossed once, and a second lane change, which is a lane change in which lane boundary lines are crossed a plurality of times; and a region setting section that sets a first lane change region, which is a region in which the first lane change is permitted, and a second lane change region, which is a region in which the second lane change is permitted, based on the vicinity information. The second lane change region is smaller than the first lane change region, in a range where a distance to a branching position leading to a destination is less than a prescribed distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kunimichi HATANO, Tadahiko KANOH, Yuta TAKADA, Tsubasa SHIBAUCHI, Shogo KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20210300387
    Abstract: A moving body control apparatus includes a judging section that judges a driving preparation level of an occupant of a moving body; and a lane change control section that approves a first lane change, which is a lane change in which a lane boundary line is crossed once, if the driving preparation level of the occupant is greater than or equal to a first level, and approves a second lane change, which is a lane change in which lane boundary lines are crossed a plurality of times, if the driving preparation level of the occupant is greater than or equal to a second level that is higher than the first level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Kunimichi HATANO, Tadahiko KANOH, Yuta TAKADA, Tsubasa SHIBAUCHI, Shogo KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10967877
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a recognition unit that is configured to recognize nearby vehicles traveling around a subject vehicle, an automated driving control unit that is configured to implement a plurality of automated driving modes in which at least one of speed control and steering control of the subject vehicle is automatically implemented, the plurality of automated driving modes having different degrees of surroundings monitoring obligation of the subject vehicle imposed on an occupant of the subject vehicle, and a management unit that is configured to manage the surroundings monitoring obligation of the subject vehicle, the management unit being configured to reduce the surroundings monitoring obligation of the subject vehicle when vehicle platooning in which the subject vehicle travels while following a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the subject vehicle among the nearby vehicles recognized by the recognition unit is implemented by the automated driving control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko Asakura, Kunimichi Hatano, Naoto Sen, Masaaki Abe
  • Patent number: 10921814
    Abstract: When a transmission condition regarding a state detected by a state detection unit (vehicle sensor, operation detection sensor, external environment sensor, or internal environment sensor) is satisfied while a travel controller performs a travel control, a vehicle control system transmits attentional state information representing a travel state, an operation state, or an environment state to a travel assist server through a communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Kawabe, Kunimichi Hatano, Naoki Hayashibe, Mitsunori Kawashima, Takashi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 10889304
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: an automatic driving control unit that executes a first driving mode in which at least one of acceleration/deceleration, and steering of a host vehicle is automatically controlled in order for the host vehicle to travel along a route up to a destination; and a specific situation transition control unit that encourages a vehicle occupant of the host vehicle to transition to a second driving mode in which the degree of automatic driving is lower in comparison to the first driving mode by decelerating the host vehicle in a case of terminating execution of the first driving mode at a scheduled termination point of the first driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 10807594
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: an automatic driving control unit performing automatic driving control of automatically controlling one or both of acceleration/deceleration and steering of a subject vehicle such that the subject vehicle runs along a route to a destination; an avoidance target object detecting unit detecting an avoidance target object that is a target object to be avoided in the vicinity of the subject vehicle; and an avoidance control unit performing an avoidance operation by executing avoidance control of automatically controlling one or both of the acceleration/deceleration and the steering of the subject vehicle with a priority with respect to the automatic driving control in a case in which approach of the subject vehicle to the detected avoidance target object within a predetermined range is detected, and the automatic driving control unit ends the automatic driving control in a case in which the avoidance operation is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 10788824
    Abstract: When an occurrence of override due to an acceleration/deceleration operation and/or a steering operation is detected by an acceleration/deceleration override detection unit and/or a steering override detection unit, a driving mode is switched by a mode switching unit to a semi-automatic driving mode in which the degree of automatic control is higher than when an occurrence of override due to the acceleration/deceleration operation and the steering operation is detected. According to this configuration, the degree of automatic control can be appropriately regulated in accordance with an override state, so a vehicular behavior not intended by the driver can be prevented. In addition, because the partial automatic control is maintained, the burden of driving can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Oniwa, Mineyuki Yoshida, Hironobu Kiryu, Kunimichi Hatano
  • Patent number: 10691123
    Abstract: A vehicle control system including: an acquisition unit that is configured to acquire a traffic situation of an advancing direction destination of a subject vehicle; a prediction unit is configured to predict a future state related to the subject vehicle or the periphery of the subject vehicle with reference to the traffic situation that is acquired by the acquisition unit; and a control unit that is configured to perform vehicle control, and is configured to suppress switching or release of the vehicle control in a case where the prediction unit is configured to predict that the vehicle control will return to a state before the switching or the release is performed within a predetermined period or within a predetermined travel distance after the switching or the release of the vehicle control is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Abe, Kunimichi Hatano, Masahiko Asakura, Naoto Sen
  • Patent number: 10676101
    Abstract: A vehicle control system including: a recognition unit that is configured to recognize a peripheral situation of a subject vehicle; an automated driving control unit that is configured to execute a plurality of driving modes including an automated driving mode of automatically performing at least one of speed control and steering control of the subject vehicle, and switch a driving mode that is executed on the basis of the peripheral situation recognized by the recognition unit; a communication unit that is configured to transmit information related to switching sites switched to a driving mode in which the degree of automated driving is low by the automated driving control unit on the basis of the peripheral situation recognized by the recognition unit to an external device, and receive information related to a specific site derived on the basis of the information related to the switching sites, which is collected from vehicles, from the external device; and an information providing unit that is configured t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunimichi Hatano, Masahiko Asakura, Naoto Sen, Masaaki Abe
  • Patent number: 10514703
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes an imaging section, a surroundings monitoring section, and a display controller. The imaging section is configured to capture an image of surroundings of a vehicle. The surroundings monitoring section is configured to monitor conditions surrounding the vehicle. The display controller is configured to display, on a display present within a cabin of the vehicle and configured to display an image based on an operation by an occupant, an image of surroundings of the vehicle superimposed over part of an image based on an operation by the occupant, and to enlarge the image of the surroundings of the vehicle based on a monitoring result from the surroundings monitoring section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Abe, Kunimichi Hatano, Masahiko Asakura, Naoto Sen
  • Patent number: 10507843
    Abstract: A vehicle control system including: a driving controller configured to execute any one of automated driving for performing at least one of velocity control and steering control over a vehicle by executing any one of multiple driving modes having different automatic control levels, and manual driving for performing both of the velocity control and steering control over the vehicle based on operation on a main operator by an occupant of the vehicle; an armrest for an occupant sitting on a driver's seat of the vehicle to put his/her arm on; and an armrest relative position controller configured to control a drive unit so that a position of the armrest relative to the occupant sitting on the driver's seat varies between the automated driving and the manual driving executed by the driving controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Abe, Kunimichi Hatano, Masahiko Asakura, Naoto Sen
  • Patent number: 10464575
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a reception section configured to receive a selection operation for one or more driving modes by an occupant of a vehicle from out of plural driving modes having different control characteristics related to acceleration/deceleration or cornering; and an automated driving controller configured to perform automated driving in which at least one of speed control and steering control of the vehicle is controlled automatically based on the driving mode received as the selection operation by the reception section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaaki Abe, Kunimichi Hatano, Masahiko Asakura, Naoto Sen