Patents by Inventor Masato Imai
Masato Imai 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).
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Publication number: 20250010823Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device capable of avoiding the collision with an obstacle by performing an appropriate collision assessment and appropriate driving assistance having considered a detection error of the obstacle. The vehicle control device 100 includes a collision assessment unit 3 which assesses whether or not there is a possibility of an ego vehicle and an obstacle colliding with each other, and a driving assistance control unit 4 which performs driving assistance for avoiding the collision. The collision assessment unit 3 includes a region setting unit 31 which sets an ego vehicle region and an obstacle region, a location prediction unit 33 which predicts future locations of the ego vehicle region and the obstacle region, and an overlap assessment unit 34 which assesses that there is a possibility of collision when the ego vehicle region and the obstacle region overlap at the future location.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2022Publication date: January 9, 2025Applicant: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Masato IMAI, Satoru OKUBO
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Publication number: 20240412506Abstract: An image processing device includes: an input unit that acquires each photographed image from a plurality of cameras installed in a vehicle; a photographing state detection unit that detects whether a malfunction has occurred in a photographing state of each of the photographed images; a likelihood calculation unit that calculates, for each of the cameras, a likelihood indicating a degree of malfunction of the photographing state on the basis of each of the photographed images; and a likelihood update unit that updates the likelihood to a new likelihood on a basis of a determination obtained by integrating the likelihoods for each of the cameras calculated by the likelihood calculation unit, in which the likelihood updated by the likelihood update unit is outputted as the likelihood for each of the cameras.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2022Publication date: December 12, 2024Applicant: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Kazuya KIMITA, Masato IMAI, Naoyuki TASHIRO, Kota IRIE
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Patent number: 12084109Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a route processor that generates a route from a current location position to a target position. The target position remains constant. The vehicle control device further includes a steering pattern processor that generates a target steering angle, which is a target value of a steering angle for the route, and outputs steering angle information indicating the generated target steering angle. The vehicle control device further includes a steering angle processor that corrects the steering angle information such that a transition curve section of the route includes a steering angle increasing section where the steering angle is below the target steering angle and a steering angle decreasing section where the steering angle exceeds the target steering angle. The vehicle control device further includes a steering controller that performs steering control based on the steering angle information corrected by the steering angle processor.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2018Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Shinya Kasai, Masato Imai, Takashi Tsutsui
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Patent number: 11987286Abstract: This vehicle control device is provided with: an environment recognition unit for recognizing the surrounding environment of a vehicle; a parking route generation unit for generating a travel route to a parking position which is determined on the basis of the recognized surrounding environment; a signal input unit to which a parking command signal is input; and a travel control unit for causing the vehicle to travel along the travel route to the parking position on the basis of the input parking command signal. The vehicle control device drives the vehicle to travel to the parking position for automatic parking while behaving differently depending on whether the parking command signal input to the signal input unit is a first parking command signal or a second parking command signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 21, 2024Assignee: Clarion Co., LtdInventor: Masato Imai
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Patent number: 11975709Abstract: A vehicle parking control device has a processor and a memory to control the vehicle from a starting to a target parking position. The vehicle control device includes an obstacle detection unit detecting obstacles around the vehicle, a travelable area setting unit setting an area where the vehicle can travel based on a position of the obstacles, and sets the target parking position in the travelable area, a route generation unit calculating a travel route to the target parking position in the travelable area, and a parking execution unit that causes the vehicle to travel toward the target parking position on the basis of the travel route. The route generation unit generates a route from a parking start position to the target parking position, and corrects a distance of the section to a predetermined distance when the distance of the section is less than the predetermined distance.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2020Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Naoyuki Tashiro, Masashi Seimiya, Satoshi Matsuda, Masato Imai
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Patent number: 11753000Abstract: When there are a plurality of routes to one parking space, automatic parking cannot be performed on a route with short parking time. A route candidate generation unit 301 changes a reference vehicle speed and a route shape, and searches for a route from a parking start position to a parking target position. The route passage time calculation unit 302 calculates, for each route candidate, the time required to pass through the route based on the reference vehicle speed and the length of the route. A state switching time calculation unit 303 calculates, for each route candidate, the time required for switching between forward and backward movements of a vehicle, and the time required to change steering to a predetermined steering angle in a state where the vehicle is stopped. A route selection processing unit 305 selects a specific route, for example, a route with short parking time, from a generated routes based on route passage time.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2019Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Naoyuki Tashiro, Masato Imai, Takashi Tsutsui
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Patent number: 11396288Abstract: In the invention, in automatic parking, a route from a parking start position to a target parking position is calculated prior to the start of parking. However, there are cases where an external environment recognition device cannot detect an obstacle at a distant or blind spot. In such a case, smooth parking is hindered when the vehicle is actually automatically parked. In the invention, in Step S1101, the vehicle is virtually moved from a parking start position 1201 in the direction of a turning position, and a turning position 1206 is calculated on a parking route 1205. In Step S1103, a preliminary route to a target parking position 1207 when the vehicle is turned back at the turning position 1206 is calculated. In the next Step S1104, it is determined whether the preliminary route can be generated, and when the preliminary route satisfies a predetermined condition, the route calculated by a candidate route calculation unit 501 is adopted as an automatic parking route.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2019Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Naoyuki Tashiro, Masashi Seimiya, Masato Imai, Shinya Kasai
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Patent number: 11390272Abstract: Unfortunately, even when a new area, which cannot be recognized from the parking start position, is detected in the surrounding area as the vehicle travels on the parking route, the new area cannot be used effectively as the parking route. In step S304, when there is an area for extending the parking route in the newly detected area, the route is determined to be extensible. In step S305, it is determined whether the vehicle can be parked with one turnabout without extending the route, and when it is determined that the vehicle cannot be parked with one turnabout, the process proceeds to step S307 to perform the route extension process. When the posture of the vehicle at the turning point does not exceed a predetermined value in step S306, the process also proceeds to step S307.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2019Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Shinya Kasai, Masashi Seimiya, Masato Imai, Naoyuki Tashiro
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Patent number: 11370442Abstract: A host lane environment recognition unit acquires an operation of a target vehicle traveling in a host lane and a road environment. An adjacent lane environment recognition unit acquires operation of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane and a road environment. A lane changeable space determination unit determines whether the host vehicle can change lanes using road environment information of the adjacent lane. A lane change control unit determines whether the target vehicle traveling in the host lane is allowed to change lanes, based on the operation of the target vehicle and the adjacent vehicle traveling in their lanes. The lane change control unit causes the host vehicle to change lanes based on determining whether the host vehicle can change lanes in the adjacent lane by the lane changeable space determination unit and whether or not the target vehicle is allowed to change lanes.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2019Date of Patent: June 28, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Go Sakayori, Tsutomu Kaneko, Masato Imai, Naoyuki Tashiro
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Publication number: 20220161785Abstract: A vehicle parking control device has a processor and a memory to control the vehicle from a starting to a target parking position. The vehicle control device includes an obstacle detection unit detecting obstacles around the vehicle, a travelable area setting unit setting an area where the vehicle can travel based on a position of the obstacles, and sets the target parking position in the travelable area, a route generation unit calculating a travel route to the target parking position in the travelable area, and a parking execution unit that causes the vehicle to travel toward the target parking position on the basis of the travel route. The route generation unit generates a route from a parking start position to the target parking position, and corrects a distance of the section to a predetermined distance when the distance of the section is less than the predetermined distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2020Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Naoyuki TASHIRO, Masashi SEIMIYA, Satoshi MATSUDA, Masato IMAI
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Patent number: 11247677Abstract: A vehicle control device controls a vehicle on the basis of inter-vehicle spacing information with respect to a preceding vehicle and a trailing vehicle. The vehicle control device is equipped with: a target inter-vehicle spacing calculation unit which calculates target inter-vehicle spacing information on the basis of inter-vehicle spacing information with respect to the preceding vehicle and inter-vehicle spacing information with respect to a trailing vehicle. The vehicle control device is configured to control the speed of the vehicle such that the calculated target inter-vehicle spacing information is maintained.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2018Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Masato Imai, Takao Kojima, Kiyoshi Yorozuya, Jun Kezuka
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Publication number: 20210402986Abstract: The present invention sets an appropriate parking route according to a surrounding situation. A vehicle control device which controls traveling of a vehicle includes: a surrounding environment recognition unit which recognizes a surrounding environment of an own vehicle, detects a parking space, sets a target parking position and a travelable space; and a vehicle control unit which guides and controls the own vehicle to the target parking position in the travelable space. The vehicle control unit guides and controls the own vehicle to the target parking position without traveling the own vehicle in a space behind the target parking position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2019Publication date: December 30, 2021Applicant: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventors: Masato IMAI, Naoyuki TASHIRO, Satoru OKUBO, Shinsaku TSUKADA
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Publication number: 20210387614Abstract: A vehicle control device, which reduces intervention in automatic parking by a driver, includes a processor and a memory, that control the vehicle to a target parking position. The vehicle control device includes an obstacle detection unit detecting a position of an obstacle around the vehicle, a travelable region setting unit that determines a region where the vehicle may travel based on the position of the obstacle, and sets the target parking position within the travelable region, a route generation unit that calculates a travel route to the target parking position within the travelable region, and an automatic parking execution unit that causes the vehicle to automatically travel toward the target parking position. When a driver intervenes during the automatic traveling, the route generation unit stores vehicle state information at the time of the intervention, and resets the travelable region based on the driver operation intervention information.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2019Publication date: December 16, 2021Applicant: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Naoyuki TASHIRO, Masashi SEIMIYA, Satoshi MATSUDA, Masato IMAI
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Publication number: 20210354688Abstract: In the invention, in automatic parking, a route from a parking start position to a target parking position is calculated prior to the start of parking. However, there are cases where an external environment recognition device cannot detect an obstacle at a distant or blind spot. In such a case, smooth parking is hindered when the vehicle is actually automatically parked. In the invention, in Step S1101, the vehicle is virtually moved from a parking start position 1201 in the direction of a turning position, and a turning position 1206 is calculated on a parking route 1205. In Step S1103, a preliminary route to a target parking position 1207 when the vehicle is turned back at the turning position 1206 is calculated. In the next Step S1104, it is determined whether the preliminary route can be generated, and when the preliminary route satisfies a predetermined condition, the route calculated by a candidate route calculation unit 501 is adopted as an automatic parking route.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2019Publication date: November 18, 2021Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Naoyuki TASHIRO, Masashi SEIMIYA, Masato IMAI, Shinya KASAI
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Patent number: 11163310Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle control device in which it is possible to modify the travel trajectory of a vehicle in response to the presence of an obstruction in the vehicle perimeter. In the present invention, the vehicle control device 1 recognizes the surroundings of the vehicle, detects a first branching point in a first route that is preset on a road, and in cases in which a prescribed condition is met by the presence of an obstruction detected from the recognized surroundings when the vehicle is to move along a travel trajectory that is based on at least one second route from among a plurality of second routes that branch from the first branching point, generates a virtual route which branches from the first route at a second branching point differing from the first branching point toward the selected second route, and modifies the travel trajectory on the basis of the generated virtual route.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2017Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Masato Imai, Takao Kojima, Kentaro Yoshimura, Kiyoshi Yorozuya
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Publication number: 20210261133Abstract: A host lane environment recognition unit acquires an operation of a target vehicle traveling in a host lane and a road environment. An adjacent lane environment recognition unit acquires operation of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane and a road environment. A lane changeable space determination unit determines whether the host vehicle can change lanes using road environment information of the adjacent lane. A lane change control unit determines whether the target vehicle traveling in the host lane is allowed to change lanes, based on the operation of the target vehicle and the adjacent vehicle traveling in their lanes. The lane change control unit causes the host vehicle to change lanes based on determining whether the host vehicle can change lanes in the adjacent lane by the lane changeable space determination unit and whether or not the target vehicle is allowed to change lanes.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2019Publication date: August 26, 2021Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Go SAKAYORI, Tsutomu KANEKO, Masato IMAI, Naoyuki TASHIRO
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Publication number: 20210213937Abstract: To reduce a sense of discomfort to the occupants. A control device 100a includes a surrounding environment recognition unit 1 and a guidance unit 10. The surrounding environment recognition unit 1 recognizes the surrounding environment of an own vehicle 900 and sets a target parking position 901 and a travelable space of the own vehicle 900. The guidance unit 10 guides and controls the own vehicle 900 to the target parking position 901. The guidance unit 10 changes a traveling state of the own vehicle 900 according to the size of the travelable space.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 26, 2019Publication date: July 15, 2021Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Masato IMAI, Naoyuki TASHIRO, Shinya KASAI, Satoru OKUBO, Koji TAKAHASHI, Satoshi MATSUDA
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Patent number: 10997860Abstract: A parking frame for which a parking route cannot be generated is excluded from selection objects by a simple determination. The parking assistance device acquires information on an entrance width of a frame entrance of the parking frame and information on a passage width of a passage, and calculates a minimum projection amount wm in a passage width direction of a vehicle 220 from the parking frame 203 to the passage 205 when a vehicle corner on a front side of the vehicle in an approach direction to the parking frame and on a first side in a vehicle width direction is located at the entrance end on the first side of the parking frame in the frame width direction, and when the vehicle is disposed at a position where the vehicle side part on a second side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is in contact with the entrance end on the second side of the parking frame in the frame width direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2019Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Munetoshi Tsuge, Koji Takahashi, Masato Imai
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Publication number: 20210061356Abstract: A steering angular acceleration becomes steep in a transition curve section, and sudden control is required for steering follow-up control, so that there is a problem that a steering wheel behavior at the time of steering control is suddenly changed. In the straight section 710a, the steering angle does not change and remains at zero. In a transition curve section 711a (steering angle increasing section), the steering angle is corrected to a section 702 where the steering angle exceeds a target steering angle after a section 701 where the steering angle is below the target steering angle. In the arc section 712, the steering angle maintains a constant angle. In a transition curve section 711b (steering angle decreasing section), the steering angle is corrected to a section 704 where a steering angle is below a target steering angle after a section 703 where the steering angle exceeds the target steering angle. In the straight section 710b, the steering angle does not change and remains at zero.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2018Publication date: March 4, 2021Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.Inventors: Shinya KASAI, Masato IMAI, Takashi TSUTSUI
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Publication number: 20210056848Abstract: A parking frame for which a parking route cannot be generated is excluded from selection objects by a simple determination. The parking assistance device acquires information on an entrance width of a frame entrance of the parking frame and information on a passage width of a passage, and calculates a minimum projection amount wm in a passage width direction of a vehicle 220 from the parking frame 203 to the passage 205 when a vehicle corner on a front side of the vehicle in an approach direction to the parking frame and on a first side in a vehicle width direction is located at the entrance end on the first side of the parking frame in the frame width direction, and when the vehicle is disposed at a position where the vehicle side part on a second side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is in contact with the entrance end on the second side of the parking frame in the frame width direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2019Publication date: February 25, 2021Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Munetoshi TSUGE, Koji TAKAHASHI, Masato IMAI