Patents by Inventor Maiko HIRANO

Maiko HIRANO 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: 20240067219
    Abstract: A method for controlling a mobile vehicle comprises the steps of selecting a control mode for autonomous driving of the mobile vehicle and transmitting information on the selected control mode to the mobile vehicle. The control mode includes a first mode and a second mode of which a restriction on a driving safety is stricter than that of the first mode. The step of selecting the control mode comprises the steps of determining whether a remote support for the mobile vehicle is required, and selecting the first mode as the control mode when it is determined that the remote support is not required whereas selecting the second mode as the control mode when it is determined that the remote support is required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Narihito YAMAZATO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Maiko HIRANO, Yoshitaka ADACHI, Koji TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20230376031
    Abstract: A method to perform remote operation of a mobile vehicle is provided. In this method, data of two types of camera images whose imaging ranges partially overlap each other and data of operation content in the remote operation are acquired. Further, based on the data of the operation content, the position in the vertical direction at which the two types of the camera images are combined is set. Further, at least one of the two types of the camera images is moved in the vertical direction such that the two types of the camera images are combined at the set position in the vertical direction, and the two types of the camera images are combined. Then, a composite image of the two types of the camera images is output from a display of a remote operation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Narihito YAMAZATO, Koji TAGUCHI, Maiko HIRANO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Yoshitaka ADACHI, Kentaro TAKEMURA, Toshiki HORITA
  • Publication number: 20230324908
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Bunyo OKUMURA, Maiko HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20230259127
    Abstract: According to the remote assistance method of the present disclosure, first, a positional relationship between the vehicle having an autonomous traveling function and an object present around the vehicle at a future time beyond a current time is displayed spatially on a display device, the positional relationship being predicted based on a path plan for autonomous traveling created by the vehicle and information on the object. Next, assistance content input from a remote operator is transmitted to the vehicle. Then, remote assistance corresponding to the assistance content is executed in the vehicle in response to confirmation that the positional relationship between the vehicle and the object displayed on the display device when the assistance content is input is realized after the vehicle receives the assistance content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Maiko HIRANO, Yoshitaka ADACHI, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Koji TAGUCHI, Narihito YAMAZATO
  • Patent number: 11703858
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Bunyo Okumura, Maiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 11656618
    Abstract: An autonomous driving device configured to release the autonomous driving control if an override operation is input during the execution of the autonomous driving control which is based on a first travel plan, set a second travel plan different from the first travel plan after the input of the override operation, determine whether or not to restore the autonomous driving control with the autonomous driving control which is based on the second travel plan after the input of the override operation, and maintain the manual driving and prohibit automatic starting of the autonomous driving control until after a predetermined time elapses after the autonomous driving control is released and when the determination is made not to restore the autonomous driving control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihito Sato, Kentaro Ichikawa, Maiko Hirano, Bunyo Okumura
  • Publication number: 20220355827
    Abstract: A remote assistance management system is in communication with autonomous traveling vehicles for letting an operator provide remote assistance in response to an assistance request from a vehicle. The system predicts an occurrence of an assistance request in future based on operation states of the vehicles, and categorize a cause of an assistance request predicted to occur into a first category cause that lasts for a long time and a second category cause that lasts only for a short time. The system receives an assistance request from the vehicles. In response to acquiring a first assistance request of which the cause is the first category cause from a first vehicle, the system transmits a first command signal for the first vehicle that is decided by an operator to the first vehicle, and applies the first command signal to another vehicle from which the first assistance request is predicted to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Maiko HIRANO, Koji TAGUCHI, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Yoshitaka ADACHI
  • Publication number: 20220357738
    Abstract: A remote assistance management system is in communication with a plurality of autonomous traveling vehicles for letting an operator provide remote assistance in response to an assistance request from a vehicle. The system predicts, for each vehicle, an occurrence of an assistance request in future based on an operation state of each vehicle and calculates a predicted assistance period for each assistance request predicted to occur. When more than a predetermined number of overlapping assistance requests of which predicted assistance periods overlap at the same time are predicted to occur, the system instructs to excess vehicles a change of a traveling mode from a first traveling mode being a normal traveling mode to a second traveling mode for avoiding or delaying the occurrence of an assistance request, the excess vehicles being vehicles in excess of the predetermined number among vehicles from which the overlapping assistance requests are predicted to occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka ADACHI, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Koji TAGUCHI, Maiko HIRANO
  • Patent number: 11392119
    Abstract: An autonomous driving device includes an autonomous driving release unit that releases the autonomous driving control if an override operation is input during the autonomous driving control which is based on a first travel plan, a travel plan setting unit that sets a second travel plan different from the first travel plan after the input of the override operation, an autonomous driving restore determination unit that determines whether to restore the autonomous driving control with the autonomous driving control which is based on the second travel plan after the input of the override operation, and a vehicle control unit that maintains the manual driving and prohibits automatic starting of the autonomous driving control until after a predetermined time elapses after the autonomous driving control is released and when the autonomous driving restore determination unit determines not to restore the autonomous driving control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihito Sato, Kentaro Ichikawa, Maiko Hirano, Bunyo Okumura
  • Patent number: 11328593
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating trajectories for a vehicle user interface showing a driver's perspective view. Methods include generating an ego-vehicle predicted trajectory for an ego-vehicle; and generating at least one road agent predicted trajectory for a road agent that is external to the ego-vehicle. After the predicted trajectories are generated, the method continues by determining that at least two predicted trajectories overlap when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view, when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view. The method includes modifying the at least one road agent predicted trajectory to remove the overlap. The method then proceeds with updating a display of the user interface to include any modified road agent predicted trajectory. Systems include a trajectory-prediction module to execute the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Maiko Hirano, Yusuke Sawamura
  • Publication number: 20220128992
    Abstract: An autonomous driving device includes an autonomous driving release unit configured to release the autonomous driving control if an override operation is input during the execution of the autonomous driving control which is based on a first travel plan, a travel plan setting unit configured to set a second travel plan different from the first travel plan after the input of the override operation, an autonomous driving restore determination unit configured to determine whether or not to restore the autonomous driving control with the autonomous driving control which is based on the second travel plan after the input of the override operation, and a vehicle control unit configured to maintain the manual driving and prohibit automatic starting of the autonomous driving control until after a predetermined time elapses after the autonomous driving control is released by the autonomous driving release unit and when the autonomous driving restore determination unit determines not to restore the autonomous driving co
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihito SATO, Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Maiko HIRANO, Bunyo OKUMURA
  • Publication number: 20220121198
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro ICHIKAWA, Bunyo Okumura, Maiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 11307577
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Bunyo Okumura, Maiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 11292458
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating trajectories for a vehicle user interface showing a driver's perspective view. Methods include generating an ego-vehicle predicted trajectory for an ego-vehicle; and generating at least one road agent predicted trajectory for a road agent that is external to the ego-vehicle. After the predicted trajectories are generated, the method continues by determining that at least one predicted trajectory overlaps either an object or another predicted trajectory, when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view. The method includes modifying the at least one road agent predicted trajectory to remove the overlap. The method then proceeds with updating a display of the user interface to include any modified road agent predicted trajectory. Systems include a trajectory-prediction module to execute the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Maiko Hirano, Yusuke Sawamura
  • Patent number: 11292457
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating trajectories for a vehicle user interface showing a driver's perspective view. Methods include generating an ego-vehicle predicted trajectory for an ego-vehicle; and generating at least one road agent predicted trajectory for a road agent that is external to the ego-vehicle. After the predicted trajectories are generated, the method continues by determining that at least one road agent predicted trajectory both (1) exists behind an object, indicating travel behind the object, and (2) overlaps with the object, when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view. The method includes modifying the at least one road agent predicted trajectory to remove the overlap. The method then proceeds with updating a display of the user interface to include any modified road agent predicted trajectory. Systems include a trajectory-prediction module to execute the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Maiko Hirano, Yusuke Sawamura
  • Patent number: 10955849
    Abstract: An automatic driving system includes at least one electronic control unit configured to: generate a traveling plan so as to moderate a change in behavior of a vehicle at a time when an automatic driving control of the vehicle is started by an automatic engagement compared to a change in the behavior of the vehicle at a time when the automatic driving control is started by a triggered engagement, the automatic engagement being an engagement in which the automatic driving control is automatically started when an automatic engagement condition is satisfied, the triggered engagement being an engagement in which the automatic driving control is started when an automatic driving start condition is satisfied and an automatic driving start trigger is input by an occupant; and execute the automatic driving control by controlling the behavior of the vehicle based on the traveling plan, using an actuator equipped in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Kunihito Sato, Bunyo Okumura, Maiko Hirano
  • Publication number: 20210035447
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating trajectories for a vehicle user interface showing a driver's perspective view. Methods include generating an ego-vehicle predicted trajectory for an ego-vehicle; and generating at least one road agent predicted trajectory for a road agent that is external to the ego-vehicle. After the predicted trajectories are generated, the method continues by determining that at least two predicted trajectories overlap when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view, when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view. The method includes modifying the at least one road agent predicted trajectory to remove the overlap. The method then proceeds with updating a display of the user interface to include any modified road agent predicted trajectory. Systems include a trajectory-prediction module to execute the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Maiko Hirano, Yusuke Sawamura
  • Publication number: 20210031758
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating trajectories for a vehicle user interface showing a driver's perspective view. Methods include generating an ego-vehicle predicted trajectory for an ego-vehicle; and generating at least one road agent predicted trajectory for a road agent that is external to the ego-vehicle. After the predicted trajectories are generated, the method continues by determining that at least one road agent predicted trajectory both (1) exists behind an object, indicating travel behind the object, and (2) overlaps with the object, when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view. The method includes modifying the at least one road agent predicted trajectory to remove the overlap. The method then proceeds with updating a display of the user interface to include any modified road agent predicted trajectory. Systems include a trajectory-prediction module to execute the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Maiko Hirano, Yusuke Sawamura
  • Publication number: 20210031759
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating trajectories for a vehicle user interface showing a driver's perspective view. Methods include generating an ego-vehicle predicted trajectory for an ego-vehicle; and generating at least one road agent predicted trajectory for a road agent that is external to the ego-vehicle. After the predicted trajectories are generated, the method continues by determining that at least one predicted trajectory overlaps either an object or another predicted trajectory, when displayed on the user interface showing a driver's perspective view. The method includes modifying the at least one road agent predicted trajectory to remove the overlap. The method then proceeds with updating a display of the user interface to include any modified road agent predicted trajectory. Systems include a trajectory-prediction module to execute the methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Maiko Hirano, Yusuke Sawamura
  • Patent number: 10775785
    Abstract: An automatic driving system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured: to create a first travel plan of a vehicle based on a position of the vehicle, an environment surrounding the vehicle, and a state of the vehicle; to calculate a first reliability of the first travel plan; to create a second travel plan of the vehicle based on one or two of the position of the vehicle, the environment surrounding the vehicle, and the state of the vehicle; to calculate a second reliability of the second travel plan; and to start the automatic driving control such that the vehicle travels based on the first travel plan when the first reliability of the first travel plan is equal to or higher than the second reliability of the second travel plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Kunihito Sato, Bunyo Okumura, Maiko Hirano