Patents by Inventor Makoto Kawaharada

Makoto Kawaharada 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: 11935401
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles configured to perform autonomous traveling, and a processor. The processor is configured to, when an abnormality occurs in or around at least one first autonomous driving vehicle among the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles, determine a travel instruction for controlling traveling of the first autonomous driving vehicle, transmit the travel instruction to the first autonomous driving vehicle via the communication unit, set a priority representing the degree of the priority in which an instruction operator is notified of the travel instruction in the order determined according to the content of the abnormality, notify any one of at least one instruction terminal of the determined travel instruction in the order of highest priority, and receive a result of checking the determined travel instruction from the instruction terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20240087338
    Abstract: The image processing device includes an acquisition unit that acquires a front image obtained by capturing the front of the vehicle with an in-vehicle front camera and acquires an in-vehicle image obtained by capturing the driver with an in-vehicle camera, a line of sight detection unit that detects a line of sight direction of the driver based on the in-vehicle image, a setting unit that sets a clipping area in which a part of the front image is clipped based on the detected line-of-sight direction of the driver, and a recognition processing unit that executes image recognition processing in the set clipping area. The setting unit sets the clipping area in an area deviated from the line of sight direction of the driver in the front image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto KAWAHARADA, Kohtaroh Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 11912220
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to transport a passenger through autonomous travel. The vehicle includes an in-vehicle camera configured to image the passenger to generate an image, a camera controller configured to control the in-vehicle camera, and a passenger information detection unit configured to detect information about the passenger. The passenger information detection unit measures the number of passengers and the camera controller stops an operation of the in-vehicle camera in a case where the number of passengers is one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20230290160
    Abstract: A stop line detection apparatus recognizes a boundary line of a lane on which the host vehicle travels, and detect a stop line at an intersection in front of the host vehicle. The apparatus sets an intersection area corresponding to the intersection in the road on which the host vehicle travels on the basis of a captured image by a front camera of the host vehicle, detects a crosswalk in the intersection area, a stop line search area setting unit configured to set a stop line search area extending from the crosswalk toward a front side in the lane on which the host vehicle travels, and performs stop line detection in the stop line search area. A depth of the stop line search area in an extending direction of a traveling lane is smaller than twice a depth of the crosswalk.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Kawaharada, Akihiro Watanabe, Hiroaki Shimizu, Ichiro Matsuyama, Masaki Kishimoto, Masamichi Ohsugi, Masateru Udate, Satoshi Takeyasu, Takahiro Doi, Takashi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 11708041
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to transport a passenger through autonomous travel. The vehicle includes an in-vehicle camera configured to image the passenger to generate an image, a camera controller configured to control the in-vehicle camera, and a passenger information detection unit configured to detect information about the passenger. The passenger information detection unit measures the number of passengers and the camera controller stops an operation of the in-vehicle camera in a case where the number of passengers is one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20230169423
    Abstract: A vehicle allocation system includes a request reception unit that receives, from a classroom terminal device, vehicle allocation request information that is able to specify an end time of a classroom, the number of planned users who is scheduled to use a vehicle, and a desired alighting point, a route calculation unit that calculates, based on the specified number of planned users and the desired alighting point, and the number of vehicles that is able to be allocated at present, the number of vehicles to allocate and a route to the desired alighting point of each of the planned users, and a plan creation unit that creates a vehicle allocation plan based on the calculated number of vehicles to allocate and the calculated route such that the vehicles are allocated to the classroom as determined by the end time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoto Sasaki, Makoto Kawaharada, Satoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Okumura, Naotoshi Kadotani
  • Publication number: 20230150545
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a first prediction unit that predicts a reaching time for a vehicle to reach a cross point in front of the vehicle in a case where a pedestrian who crosses the cross point is detected based on information transmitted from a wearable device attached to the pedestrian, a second prediction unit that predicts a crossing time for the pedestrian to complete crossing the cross point based on information for specifying a walking speed acquired from the wearable device, an estimation unit that estimates whether or not the pedestrian is able to safely cross the cross point based on the predicted reaching time and the predicted crossing time, and an execution controller that executes a safe driving assistance control with respect to the vehicle in a case where the estimation unit estimates that the pedestrian is not able to safely cross the cross point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoto Sasaki, Makoto Kawaharada, Satoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Okumura, Naotoshi Kadotani
  • Publication number: 20230121464
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to transport a passenger through autonomous travel. The vehicle includes an in-vehicle camera configured to image the passenger to generate an image, a camera controller configured to control the in-vehicle camera, and a passenger information detection unit configured to detect information about the passenger. The passenger information detection unit measures the number of passengers and the camera controller stops an operation of the in-vehicle camera in a case where the number of passengers is one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20230110846
    Abstract: A household service matching system built on a communication network, includes: a request disclosing unit configured to disclose on the communication network, a request transmitted from a terminal apparatus related to a client who wishes to entrust household service; an acceptance receiving unit configured to receive an acceptance transmitted from a terminal apparatus related to a consignment applicant in response to the request; a determination unit configured to determine a formal consignee from consignment applicants related to the terminal apparatuses having transmitted the acceptance; a vehicle dispatching unit configured to dispatch a vehicle for picking up the formal consignee to a designated position designated by the formal consignee; and a vehicle control unit configured to control the vehicle such that the vehicle that carries the formal consignee arrives at the client's address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoto SASAKI, Makoto Kawaharada, Satoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Okumura, Naotoshi Kadotani
  • Publication number: 20230114510
    Abstract: A shopping service mediation system includes: a request distribution unit configured to distribute a request from a terminal apparatus related to a consignor who wishes to be entrusted, to other terminal apparatuses; an acceptance receiving unit configured to receive acceptances transmitted from the terminal apparatuses related to consignment applicants in response to the request; a determination unit configured to determine a formal consignee from the consignment applicants related to the terminal apparatuses each having transmitted the acceptance; and a confirmation unit configured to confirm completion of the shopping service, wherein each user's use tendency based on the number of entrustments and the number of times entrusted can be displayed on the terminal apparatus corresponding to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoto SASAKI, Makoto KAWAHARADA, Satoshi NAKAMURA, Kenichi OKUMURA, Naotoshi KADOTANI
  • Publication number: 20230114643
    Abstract: A vehicle dispatch service system that provides a vehicle dispatch service in which a vehicle is dispatched to a user to arrive at a hospital at an appointment time of the hospital includes: an arrival time calculation unit that calculates a time at which the vehicle is estimated to arrive at the hospital as an estimated arrival time; an arrival estimation unit that acquires the estimated arrival time from the arrival time calculation unit and estimates whether the user is in time for the appointment time of the hospital; a rebooking unit that resets, when the arrival estimation unit estimates that the user is not in time for the appointment time, a new appointment time as the appointment time based on the estimated arrival time; and rebooking output unit that outputs the new appointment time to a predetermined output destination such that the user recognizes the new appointment time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoto Sasaki, Makoto Kawaharada, Satoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Okumura, Naotoshi Kadotani
  • Publication number: 20230106791
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes: a signal information acquisition unit that acquires signal information about at least one traffic light, from a server having signal information about a plurality of traffic lights provided at a plurality of intersections; and a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle, based on the signal information acquired by the signal information acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Makoto Kawaharada, Katsuhiro Sakai, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20230109606
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles configured to perform autonomous traveling, and a processor. The processor is configured to, when an abnormality occurs in or around at least one first autonomous driving vehicle among the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles, determine a travel instruction for controlling traveling of the first autonomous driving vehicle, transmit the travel instruction to the first autonomous driving vehicle via the communication unit, set a priority representing the degree of the priority in which an instruction operator is notified of the travel instruction in the order determined according to the content of the abnormality, notify any one of at least one instruction terminal of the determined travel instruction in the order of highest priority, and receive a result of checking the determined travel instruction from the instruction terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20230103492
    Abstract: A vehicle information processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a terminal of a first user, a storage unit configured to store an end-of-use position and an expected end-of-use time at which a second user of a vehicle ends use of the vehicle for each of a plurality of vehicles subjected to autonomous driving control and occupied by the second user, and a vehicle selection unit configured to acquire a boarding position and a boarding time at which the first user wants to get on a vehicle from the terminal via the communication unit and select at least one vehicle, of which the end-of-use position and the expected end-of-use time are in a predetermined relationship with the boarding position and the boarding time, from among the plurality of vehicles while referring to the storage unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihide Tachibana, Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Publication number: 20230102225
    Abstract: A delivery management system includes: a registration unit configured to register as registrants, persons each being preset or may be set as consignees; an association unit configured to store a second person in association with a first person; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not there are a delivery package scheduled to be delivered to the first person as the consignee and a delivery package scheduled to be delivered to the second person as the consignee; and a delivery information management unit configured to make an adjustment such that a delivery place and a delivery date and time related to the first person who is determined to have the delivery package matches those related to the second person who is determined to have the delivery package, and configured to notify each of the persons of adjustment delivery information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kiyoto Sasaki, Makoto Kawaharada, Satoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Okumura, Naotoshi Kadotani
  • Patent number: 11615500
    Abstract: A vehicle information processing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a terminal of a first user, a storage unit configured to store an end-of-use position and an expected end-of-use time at which a second user of a vehicle ends use of the vehicle for each of a plurality of vehicles subjected to autonomous driving control and occupied by the second user, and a vehicle selection unit configured to acquire a boarding position and a boarding time at which the first user wants to get on a vehicle from the terminal via the communication unit and select at least one vehicle, of which the end-of-use position and the expected end-of-use time are in a predetermined relationship with the boarding position and the boarding time, from among the plurality of vehicles while referring to the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihide Tachibana, Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 11577751
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes an upper limit value setting unit configured to set an upper limit value of an acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, and a vehicle controller configured to control the vehicle such that the acceleration or deceleration does not exceed the upper limit value. The upper limit value setting unit is configured to change the upper limit value according to at least one predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 11568740
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of autonomous driving vehicles configured to perform autonomous traveling, and a processor. The processor is configured to, when an abnormality occurs in or around at least one first autonomous driving vehicle among the plurality of autonomous driving vehicles, determine a travel instruction for controlling traveling of the first autonomous driving vehicle, transmit the travel instruction to the first autonomous driving vehicle via the communication unit, set a priority representing the degree of the priority in which an instruction operator is notified of the travel instruction in the order determined according to the content of the abnormality, notify any one of at least one instruction terminal of the determined travel instruction in the order of highest priority, and receive a result of checking the determined travel instruction from the instruction terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 11543833
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a communication unit configured to be communicable with an autonomous driving vehicle that autonomously travels, a determination unit configured to determine whether there is a possibility that communication between the autonomous driving vehicle and the vehicle control device is disconnected, based on information indicating a communication status between the autonomous driving vehicle and the vehicle control device, and a travel instruction unit configured to transmit, when there is the possibility that the communication between the autonomous driving vehicle and the vehicle control device is disconnected, a travel instruction to the autonomous driving vehicle via the communication unit before the communication between the autonomous driving vehicle and the vehicle control device is disconnected. The travel instruction matches conditions associated with travel control of the autonomous driving vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 11541868
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a storage portion in which map information is stored, the map information showing a position where a roadside machine configured to transmit a radio signal including predetermined information is provided; a route setting portion configured to set a route where an autonomous driving vehicle is to travel when a current position, of the autonomous driving vehicle, that is measured by a positioning portion provided in the autonomous driving vehicle is included within a predetermined distance from the position of the roadside machine on the map information and the autonomous driving vehicle approaches the position where the roadside machine is provided, the route being set so that a communication portion provided in the autonomous driving vehicle can receive the radio signal; and a vehicle controlling portion configured to control the autonomous driving vehicle so that the autonomous driving vehicle travels along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Sakai, Makoto Kawaharada, Akihide Tachibana, Tomoyuki Kuriyama