Patents by Inventor Naotsugu Shimizu

Naotsugu Shimizu 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: 20240140469
    Abstract: A driving assistance device includes: an object detecting part that detects an object behind and/or to the left and/or right rear of a host vehicle; an area setting part that sets a warning area behind and/or to the left or right rear of the host vehicle; a notification part that issues a notification when an object is detected within the warning area by the object detecting part; and an area changing part that calculates, based on a variation in curvature of a traveling trajectory of the host vehicle, an area reliable distance defining an area with high reliability, based on the area reliable distance, sets a reference position, and based on a lateral line extending in a turning radius direction of the host vehicle at the reference position, changes a rear end of the warning area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20230316926
    Abstract: A vehicle control device assists in checking a rear side of an own vehicle. The vehicle control device includes a position estimation unit, an SN index calculation unit, a lane determination unit, and an alarm determination unit. The position estimation unit estimates a lateral position of an other vehicle based on a reflected wave of a radar wave. The SN index calculation unit calculates, based on the reflected wave, an SN index indicating a relationship between level of a noise and level of a signal. In response to determining a lane in which the other vehicle is traveling based on information on the lateral position of the other vehicle, the lane determination unit performs determination on the lane based on the SN index. The alarm determination unit determines whether a condition for issuing an alarm about the other vehicle is satisfied based on a result of determination of the lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Jun ITOH, Naotsugu SHIMIZU, Masato ONOZAWA
  • Patent number: 11768287
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus is configured to be mounted to a vehicle to detect objects existing around the vehicle. The object detection apparatus includes an output acquisition unit, an accuracy estimation unit, a weighting setting unit and a position calculation unit. The output acquisition unit is configured to acquire output signals from a plurality of radar sensors mounted respectively at different positions in the vehicle. The accuracy estimation unit is configured to estimate, based on the output signals from the radar sensors, detection accuracies of the radar sensors. The weighting setting unit is configured to set, according to the detection accuracies of the radar sensors, weighting for the output signals from the radar sensors. The position calculation unit is configured to calculate a position of an object by using in combination the output signals from the radar sensors reflecting the set weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naotsugu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11693108
    Abstract: A moving object detection apparatus repeatedly acquires, from a radar apparatus, observed-point information indicating observed-point positions that are positions of observed points where radar waves are reflected. The apparatus estimates, based on the observed-point positions indicated respectively by a plurality of pieces of the observed-point information and tracking filter coefficients indicating the degree of tracking the observed-point positions, a tracking trajectory tracking movement of a moving object corresponding to a plurality of the observed points. The apparatus determines whether distribution of the plurality of the observed points on both sides of the tracking trajectory is continuously biased to one side of the tracking trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naotsugu Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20220371584
    Abstract: A monitoring area setting apparatus is mountable to an own vehicle and sets a monitoring area that indicates an area for monitoring objects in a vicinity of the own vehicle. The monitoring area setting apparatus acquires (i) at least either of a vehicle-width movement amount that indicates an amount of movement in a vehicle-width direction of the own vehicle and an inclination amount that indicates a degree of inclination of the own vehicle relative to an extending direction of a road on which the own vehicle is traveling, and (ii) information that the own vehicle has changed traffic lanes. The monitoring area setting apparatus sets the monitoring area taking into consideration at least either of the vehicle-width movement amount and the inclination amount in response to the own vehicle changing traffic lanes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 11479173
    Abstract: In a driving assistance apparatus, an area setter is configured to set a warning area on at least one of a left rear side and a right rear side of a subject vehicle. A notifier is configured to provide a notification in response to an object detector detecting an object in the warning area. A determiner is configured to determine initiation and completion of a turn at an intersection during turning of the subject vehicle at the intersection. An area changer is configured to, in response to the determiner determining the initiation of the turn, reduce the warning area in a direction approaching the subject vehicle, and in response to the determiner determining the completion of the turn, expand the reduced warning area according to a traveling state of the subject vehicle after the completion of the turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naotsugu Shimizu, Koji Takeuchi, Iwao Izumikawa, Masaki Kawakami
  • Patent number: 11407411
    Abstract: An other lane monitoring device of the present disclosure includes an other vehicle acquisition section, a path acquisition section, a lane estimation section, and a position estimation section. The other vehicle acquisition section is configured to acquire other vehicle position information that indicates the current position of an other vehicle near the own vehicle. The path acquisition section is configured to acquire an own vehicle travel path that indicates a path along which the own vehicle has traveled. The lane estimation section is configured to use the own vehicle travel path as a basis for estimating an other lane area that is a lane where the other lane is present. The position estimation section is configured to estimate a future position of the other vehicle, assuming that the other vehicle moves along the own vehicle travel path or in the other lane area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Kitamura, Naotsugu Shimizu, Koichiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20220206134
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus repeatedly executes measurement determination of whether measurement of a wall object has succeeded. If the wall-object measurement has succeeded, the measurement apparatus calculates an instantaneous wall-distance value indicative of a distance of the wall object from the own object. Otherwise, if the wall-object measurement has not succeeded, the measurement apparatus executes first extrapolation of an additional instantaneous wall-distance value. The measurement apparatus prevents an additional execution of the first extrapolation upon determination that the frequency of continuously repeated executions of the first extrapolation is not less than a prevention threshold frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20220187063
    Abstract: A wall shape measurement device includes a wall distance acquisition part, a wall shape calculation part, a sudden change determination part, and an extrapolation part. The wall distance acquisition part repeatedly determines whether a wall-like object installed along the road is detected, and acquires, in response to the wall-like object being detected, a wall distance value indicating the distance to the wall-like object. The wall shape calculation part calculates a plurality of wall shape values using the traveling track of the vehicle and a plurality of past wall distance values. The sudden change determination part determines whether the wall distance value is suddenly changed, based on a preset sudden change determination condition. In response to the wall distance value being suddenly changed, the extrapolation part extrapolates wall shape values after it is determined that the wall distance value is suddenly changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Naotsugu SHIMIZU, Seiya FUJITSU
  • Patent number: 11346939
    Abstract: A surrounding monitoring radar device includes a signal generation unit, a spectrum generation unit, a cycle setting unit, a learning unit, and an update unit. At an update timing, the update unit updates a determination reference to a learned value calculated by the learning unit. the learning unit is configured to: set the learning value to an initial value at a start timing of the learning period; compare the learned value with a value of a noise floor of the generated frequency spectrum during the learning period; and update the learned value to the value of the noise floor upon the value of the noise floor being smaller than the learned value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naotsugu Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20220026525
    Abstract: A feature quantity calculation unit calculates one or more predetermined types of feature quantities using information correlated to respective extracted peaks. An environment determination unit calculates a specific environment probability from a calculation result of the feature quantity calculation unit using the positive distribution and a non-specific environment probability from a calculation result of the feature quantity calculation unit using the negative distribution. The environment determination unit further determines whether the mobile body is in the specific environment or the non-specific environment in accordance with a result of integration of the specific environment probability and the non-specific environment probability which are calculated for respective feature quantities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Naotsugu SHIMIZU, Seiya FUJITSU
  • Patent number: 11181612
    Abstract: A prevention section generates a prevention signal by performing an interference removal process of preventing an influence of radio wave interference with respect to a non-prevention signal acquired by an acquisition section from a radar sensor for each processing cycle. An analysis section performs a frequency analysis process by using the prevention signal when an operation mode is an interference mode and by using the non-prevention signal when the operation mode is a normal mode. A determination section determines, based on an analysis result obtained by the analysis section, whether radio wave interference is present. When the operation mode is the normal mode and the interference is determined to be present, a switching section switches the operation mode to the interference mode, maintains the interference mode during a certain number of processing cycles, and then switches the operation mode to the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naotsugu Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11155272
    Abstract: An odometry acquiring unit acquires odometry information including a yaw rate applied to a vehicle and a steering angle of the vehicle. An estimate calculating unit calculates an estimate of a turning radius based on the steering angle and the yaw rate acquired by the odometry acquiring unit. A change rate calculating unit calculates a yaw change rate representing a degree of change in the yaw rate acquired by the odometry acquiring unit. A contribution adjusting unit makes an adjustment of decreasing a contribution of the yaw rate and increasing a contribution of the steering angle, to calculation of an estimate performed by the estimate calculating unit, as the yaw change rate increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naotsugu Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20210300243
    Abstract: In a driving assistance apparatus, an area setter is configured to set a warning area on at least one of a left rear side and a right rear side of a subject vehicle. A notifier is configured to provide a notification in response to an object detector detecting an object in the warning area. A determiner is configured to determine initiation and completion of a turn at an intersection during turning of the subject vehicle at the intersection. An area changer is configured to, in response to the determiner determining the initiation of the turn, reduce the warning area in a direction approaching the subject vehicle, and in response to the determiner determining the completion of the turn, expand the reduced warning area according to a traveling state of the subject vehicle after the completion of the turn.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Naotsugu SHIMIZU, Koji TAKEUCHI, Iwao IZUMIKAWA, Masaki KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20210223384
    Abstract: A moving object detection apparatus repeatedly acquires, from a radar apparatus, observed-point information indicating observed-point positions that are positions of observed points where radar waves are reflected. The apparatus estimates, based on the observed-point positions indicated respectively by a plurality of pieces of the observed-point information and tracking filter coefficients indicating the degree of tracking the observed-point positions, a tracking trajectory tracking movement of a moving object corresponding to a plurality of the observed points. The apparatus determines whether distribution of the plurality of the observed points on both sides of the tracking trajectory is continuously biased to one side of the tracking trajectory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 11047969
    Abstract: A periphery monitoring radar device includes a transmission unit, a reception unit, a spectrum generation unit, an azimuth calculation unit, an environment determination unit, and a position calculation unit. The transmission unit transmits a combination of transmission signals modulated using a plurality of modulation modes. The environment determination unit determines whether a peripheral environment is a complex environment from the degree of randomness of a frequency spectrum for each modulation mode. The position calculation unit removes, upon the peripheral environment for at least one modulation mode being determined to be the complex environment, at least one azimuth corresponding to the at least one modulation mode from the azimuths respectively calculated for modulation modes to thereby obtain at least one target azimuth that is at least one of the remaining azimuths except for the removed azimuth; and calculates a position of the vehicle based on the at least one target azimuth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naotsugu Shimizu, Takayuki Kitamura
  • Publication number: 20210173078
    Abstract: An object detection apparatus is configured to be mounted to a vehicle to detect objects existing around the vehicle. The object detection apparatus includes an output acquisition unit, an accuracy estimation unit, a weighting setting unit and a position calculation unit. The output acquisition unit is configured to acquire output signals from a plurality of radar sensors mounted respectively at different positions in the vehicle. The accuracy estimation unit is configured to estimate, based on the output signals from the radar sensors, detection accuracies of the radar sensors. The weighting setting unit is configured to set, according to the detection accuracies of the radar sensors, weighting for the output signals from the radar sensors. The position calculation unit is configured to calculate a position of an object by using in combination the output signals from the radar sensors reflecting the set weighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20210165091
    Abstract: A moving object detection apparatus estimates, based on observed-point positions indicated respectively by a plurality of pieces of observed-point information, a tracking trajectory tracking movement of a moving object. The apparatus stores, based on received electric powers indicated respectively by the pieces of the observed-point information, a maximum received-electric-power. The apparatus determines, for each of the pieces of the observed-point information, whether a received-electric-power difference is greater than a drop determination value. The apparatus also determines, for each of the pieces of the observed-point information, whether the received electric power indicated by the piece of the observed-point information is not higher than a recognition determination value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20200124713
    Abstract: A periphery monitoring radar device includes a transmission unit, a reception unit, a spectrum generation unit, an azimuth calculation unit, an environment determination unit, and a position calculation unit. The transmission unit transmits a combination of transmission signals modulated using a plurality of modulation modes. The environment determination unit determines whether a peripheral environment is a complex environment from the degree of randomness of a frequency spectrum for each modulation mode. The position calculation unit removes, upon the peripheral environment for at least one modulation mode being determined to be the complex environment, at least one azimuth corresponding to the at least one modulation mode from the azimuths respectively calculated for modulation modes to thereby obtain at least one target azimuth that is at least one of the remaining azimuths except for the removed azimuth; and calculates a position of the vehicle based on the at least one target azimuth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Naotsugu SHIMIZU, Takayuki KITAMURA
  • Publication number: 20200057139
    Abstract: A surrounding monitoring radar device includes a signal generation unit, a spectrum generation unit, a cycle setting unit, a learning unit, and an update unit. At an update timing, the update unit updates a determination reference to a learned value calculated by the learning unit. the learning unit is configured to: set the learning value to an initial value at a start timing of the learning period; compare the learned value with a value of a noise floor of the generated frequency spectrum during the learning period; and update the learned value to the value of the noise floor upon the value of the noise floor being smaller than the learned value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventor: Naotsugu SHIMIZU