Patents by Inventor Masahiro Kowada

Masahiro Kowada 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: 11480970
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a terminal, a control device, and an external environment sensor. The control device includes an action plan unit, an external environment recognizing unit, and a traveling control unit. The terminal includes a position detection unit and an input unit. In a case where a prescribed condition is satisfied, the action plan unit computes or maintains a traveling route that is not restricted by a person to be present in a moving side area located on one lateral side for which a vehicle should be headed. In a case where the prescribed condition is not satisfied, the action plan unit computes the traveling route such that the vehicle reaches a parking position after moving straight for a prescribed distance or more. The prescribed condition is satisfied in a case where a position of the terminal is present in the moving side area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Masahiro Kowada, Miki Tsujino
  • Patent number: 11364933
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a terminal configured to be carried by a user; and a control device configured to execute remote autonomous moving processing to move a vehicle from an initial position to a stop position. The terminal includes: a touch panel configured to display an acceptance area that accepts a prescribed repetitive operation performed for continuing traveling of the vehicle and to display a suspension icon that accepts an operation performed for stopping the vehicle; and a processing unit configured to make the touch panel display the suspension icon at a part where the repetitive operation has been performed when the repetitive operation is stopped. When the control device or the processing unit determines that the suspension icon is operated or that the repetitive operation is not resumed within a prescribed period after the repetitive operation has been stopped, the control device stops the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Masahiro Kowada, Tomonobu Goto, Miki Tsujino
  • Patent number: 11327479
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a plurality of terminals configured to be carried by users; and a control device configured to execute remote parking processing to move a vehicle from a current position to a parking position and to park the vehicle at the parking position in response to an instruction from any of the terminals. The control device is configured to execute starting processing to start operation of the vehicle in response to the instruction from any of the terminals. Once the control device executes the starting processing in response to an instruction from one of the terminals, the control device prohibits the remote parking processing in response to an instruction from any other of the terminals as long as the vehicle is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Masahiro Kowada, Miki Tsujino
  • Patent number: 11327495
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a terminal including an input/output unit and configured to be carried by a user; and a control device configured to perform wireless communication with the terminal and to execute autonomous parking processing to move a vehicle to a parking position and to park the vehicle at the parking position, wherein the control device includes a vehicle position identifying unit configured to detect a position of the vehicle, and an action plan unit configured to set a reference position where the user is deemed to hold the terminal outside the vehicle without moving and to compute a traveling route of the vehicle from an alighting position where the user alights from the vehicle to the parking position such that a condition that a distance from the reference position to the vehicle does not exceed a prescribed value is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Katsuyasu Yamane, Miki Tsujino, Masahiro Kowada
  • Patent number: 11327480
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a driving operation device provided in a vehicle and configured to accept a driving operation by a user; an operation terminal configured to be carried by the user and including an input/output unit configured to accept an input by the user and to output a signal; and a control device configured to control traveling of the vehicle based on a signal from the driving operation device and to execute remote parking processing to move the vehicle to a parking position based on a signal from the operation terminal. When the control device detects the driving operation based on a signal from the driving operation device during the remote parking processing, the control device executes suspension processing to stop the vehicle and to make the input/output unit notify that the driving operation device has been operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Masahiro Kowada, Miki Tsujino
  • Patent number: 11256247
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a terminal including an input/output unit configured to accept an operation input by a user and to display a notification to the user and an operator monitoring unit configured to monitor the user performing the operation input; and a control device configured to perform remote parking processing to move and park a vehicle in response to the operation input by the user, wherein, in the remote parking processing, the control device is configured to obtain a direction of a sightline of the user based on information obtained by the operator monitoring unit, and prohibit a movement of the vehicle in a case where the control device determines that the sightline of the user is directed to the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junpei Noguchi, Miki Tsujino, Masahiro Kowada
  • Publication number: 20200310445
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a terminal, a control device, and an external environment sensor. The control device includes an action plan unit, an external environment recognizing unit, and a traveling control unit. The terminal includes a position detection unit and an input unit. In a case where a prescribed condition is satisfied, the action plan unit computes or maintains a traveling route that is not restricted by a person to be present in a moving side area located on one lateral side for which a vehicle should be headed. In a case where the prescribed condition is not satisfied, the action plan unit computes the traveling route such that the vehicle reaches a parking position after moving straight for a prescribed distance or more. The prescribed condition is satisfied in a case where a position of the terminal is present in the moving side area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Junpei NOGUCHI, Masahiro KOWADA, Miki TSUJINO
  • Publication number: 20200307626
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a terminal configured to be carried by a user; and a control device configured to execute remote autonomous moving processing to move a vehicle from an initial position to a stop position. The terminal includes: a touch panel configured to display an acceptance area that accepts a prescribed repetitive operation performed for continuing traveling of the vehicle and to display a suspension icon that accepts an operation performed for stopping the vehicle; and a processing unit configured to make the touch panel display the suspension icon at a part where the repetitive operation has been performed when the repetitive operation is stopped. When the control device or the processing unit determines that the suspension icon is operated or that the repetitive operation is not resumed within a prescribed period after the repetitive operation has been stopped, the control device stops the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Junpei NOGUCHI, Masahiro KOWADA, Tomonobu GOTO, Miki TSUJINO
  • Publication number: 20200310410
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a plurality of terminals configured to be carried by users; and a control device configured to execute remote parking processing to move a vehicle from a current position to a parking position and to park the vehicle at the parking position in response to an instruction from any of the terminals. The control device is configured to execute starting processing to start operation of the vehicle in response to the instruction from any of the terminals. Once the control device executes the starting processing in response to an instruction from one of the terminals, the control device prohibits the remote parking processing in response to an instruction from any other of the terminals as long as the vehicle is in operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Junpei NOGUCHI, Masahiro KOWADA, Miki TSUJINO
  • Publication number: 20200310411
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a driving operation device provided in a vehicle and configured to accept a driving operation by a user; an operation terminal configured to be carried by the user and including an input/output unit configured to accept an input by the user and to output a signal; and a control device configured to control traveling of the vehicle based on a signal from the driving operation device and to execute remote parking processing to move the vehicle to a parking position based on a signal from the operation terminal. When the control device detects the driving operation based on a signal from the driving operation device during the remote parking processing, the control device executes suspension processing to stop the vehicle and to make the input/output unit notify that the driving operation device has been operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Junpei NOGUCHI, Masahiro KOWADA, Miki TSUJINO
  • Publication number: 20200310412
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a terminal including an input/output unit configured to accept an operation input by a user and to display a notification to the user and an operator monitoring unit configured to monitor the user performing the operation input; and a control device configured to perform remote parking processing to move and park a vehicle in response to the operation input by the user, wherein, in the remote parking processing, the control device is configured to obtain a direction of a sightline of the user based on information obtained by the operator monitoring unit, and prohibit a movement of the vehicle in a case where the control device determines that the sightline of the user is directed to the terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Junpei NOGUCHI, Miki TSUJINO, Masahiro KOWADA
  • Publication number: 20200310441
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a terminal including an input/output unit and configured to be carried by a user; and a control device configured to perform wireless communication with the terminal and to execute autonomous parking processing to move a vehicle to a parking position and to park the vehicle at the parking position, wherein the control device includes a vehicle position identifying unit configured to detect a position of the vehicle, and an action plan unit configured to set a reference position where the user is deemed to hold the terminal outside the vehicle without moving and to compute a traveling route of the vehicle from an alighting position where the user alights from the vehicle to the parking position such that a condition that a distance from the reference position to the vehicle does not exceed a prescribed value is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Junpei NOGUCHI, Katsuyasu YAMANE, Miki TSUJINO, Masahiro KOWADA
  • Patent number: 8948931
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle, capable of suppressing increase in power consumption and reducing running cost when electric power supplied from power source is consumed by an on-vehicle electric device. The control system 1 for a vehicle V includes an ECU 2. If a predetermined communication state where a portable device 11 is estimated to be in a compartment of the vehicle V is established (if the answer to the question of the step 23 is NO) after a state where a power source position set by a changeover switch 22 is an accessory position has continued for a first predetermined time period (?T·TREF), the ECU 2 stops power supply from the power source to the on-vehicle electric device when a second predetermined time period (?T·TREF) elapses after the predetermined communication state was established (steps 26, 11, 13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kowada, Shinichi Arie, Junpei Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20140244074
    Abstract: A control system for a vehicle, capable of suppressing increase in power consumption and reducing running cost when electric power supplied from power source is consumed by an on-vehicle electric device. The control system 1 for a vehicle V includes an ECU 2. If a predetermined communication state where a portable device 11 is estimated to be in a compartment of the vehicle V is established (if the answer to the question of the step 23 is NO) after a state where a power source position set by a changeover switch 22 is an accessory position has continued for a first predetermined time period (?T·TREF), the ECU 2 stops power supply from the power source to the on-vehicle electric device when a second predetermined time period (?T·TREF) elapses after the predetermined communication state was established (steps 26, 11, 13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kowada, Shinichi Arie, Junpei Noguchi