Patents by Inventor Nobukazu Ueki
Nobukazu Ueki 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).
-
Controller and vehicle control method for setting pick-up and drop-off zones of ride-sharing vehicle
Patent number: 11959756Abstract: A controller includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores drop-off data regarding a first user who gets off a ride-sharing vehicle and pick-up data regarding a second user who gets on the ride-sharing vehicle. The processor is configured to execute vehicle control including at least one of drop-off of the first user and pick-up of the second user based on at least one of the drop-off data and the pick-up data. The vehicle control includes, executing at least one of first zone setting processing that is processing of setting a first zone where the drop-off is executed and second zone setting processing that is processing of setting a second zone where the pick-up is executed, and executing first zone resetting processing of resetting the first zone in a space not overlapping the second zone.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2022Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Nobukazu Ueki -
Patent number: 11919527Abstract: An autonomous driving system configured to make an abnormality determination for an in-vehicle device at an abnormality determination point while an autonomous vehicle is driving autonomously includes: a route search unit configured to search for a travel route from a departure point to a destination point; a route determination unit configured to determine a determination route for making the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device from the searched travel route, based on necessity of making the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device and the number of the abnormality determination points on the travel route; and an abnormality determination unit configured to make the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device at the abnormality determination point while the autonomous vehicle is driving along the determination route.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Daichi Hotta, Nobukazu Ueki, Sadayuki Abe
-
Patent number: 11807223Abstract: An automated drive device that automatically stops a vehicle in a pick-up and drop-off area in which a passenger gets and off the vehicle includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores a program and information to be read by the at least one processor. The processor is configured to acquire the type of the passenger before the vehicle reaches the pick-up and drop-off area as a first process. The processor is configured to change a behavior for stopping the vehicle in the pick-up and drop-off area in accordance with the type of the passenger as a second process.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2021Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobukazu Ueki, Daichi Hotta, Sadayuki Abe
-
Publication number: 20220373340Abstract: A controller includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores drop-off data regarding a first user who gets off a ride-sharing vehicle and pick-up data regarding a second user who gets on the ride-sharing vehicle. The processor is configured to execute vehicle control including at least one of drop-off of the first user and pick-up of the second user based on at least one of the drop-off data and the pick-up data. The vehicle control includes, executing at least one of first zone setting processing that is processing of setting a first zone where the drop-off is executed and second zone setting processing that is processing of setting a second zone where the pick-up is executed, and executing first zone resetting processing of resetting the first zone in a space not overlapping the second zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Nobukazu Ueki
-
Publication number: 20220316894Abstract: A route search device includes a memory and a processor. The processor performs search processing for a route from a current position to a destination of a ride-sharing vehicle based on data stored in the memory. A standard route with the shortest requested time from the current position to the destination is calculated in the search processing. A high-frequency route with a frequency of encountering a pedestrian between the current position and the destination that is higher than the standard route is also calculated in the search processing. A recognition level is compared with a reference level in the search processing. When the recognition level is equal to or less than the reference level, the standard route is selected as a final route. When the recognition level is higher than the reference level, the high-frequency route is selected as the final route.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2022Publication date: October 6, 2022Inventors: Daichi Hotta, Sadayuki Abe, Nobukazu Ueki
-
Publication number: 20220194362Abstract: An automated drive device that automatically stops a vehicle in a pick-up and drop-off area in which a passenger gets and off the vehicle includes at least one processor and at least one memory that stores a program and information to be read by the at least one processor. The processor is configured to acquire the type of the passenger before the vehicle reaches the pick-up and drop-off area as a first process. The processor is configured to change a behavior for stopping the vehicle in the pick-up and drop-off area in accordance with the type of the passenger as a second process.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobukazu Ueki, Daichi Hotta, Sadayuki Abe
-
Publication number: 20220194397Abstract: An autonomous driving system configured to make an abnormality determination for an in-vehicle device at an abnormality determination point while an autonomous vehicle is driving autonomously includes: a route search unit configured to search for a travel route from a departure point to a destination point; a route determination unit configured to determine a determination route for making the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device from the searched travel route, based on necessity of making the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device and the number of the abnormality determination points on the travel route; and an abnormality determination unit configured to make the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device at the abnormality determination point while the autonomous vehicle is driving along the determination route.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2021Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Daichi Hotta, Nobukazu Ueki, Sadayuki Abe
-
Patent number: 10421369Abstract: A charge control apparatus includes a control device configured to execute a refresh charge to fully charge a battery upon a predetermined refresh charge start condition being met, and execute a predetermined control according to a vehicle travel state under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the predetermined control involving at least one of charging and discharging the battery. The control device suppresses the refresh charge when the control device detects at least one of a predetermined input from an external device and a predetermined vehicle operation.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2014Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Nobukazu Ueki
-
Patent number: 9827925Abstract: There is a need to predict a driving environment with high responsiveness by a simple configuration. There is provided a driving environment prediction device that predicts a driving environment of a vehicle that causes a vehicle stop. The driving environment prediction device comprises: a first vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a first period, as a first vehicle stop time rate (shorter-period vehicle stop time rate); a second vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a second period which is longer than the first period, as a second vehicle stop time rate (longer-period vehicle stop time rate); and a driving environment predictor which is configured to predict the driving environment, based on the shorter-period vehicle stop time rate and the longer-period vehicle stop time rate.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Koji Ito, Nobukazu Ueki, Kouhei Tochigi
-
Publication number: 20160303985Abstract: A charge control apparatus includes a control device configured to execute a refresh charge to fully charge a battery upon a predetermined refresh charge start condition being met, and execute a predetermined control according to a vehicle travel state under a situation where the control device does not execute the refresh charge, the predetermined control involving at least one of charging and discharging the battery. The control device suppresses the refresh charge when the control device detects at least one of a predetermined input from an external device and a predetermined vehicle operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2014Publication date: October 20, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Nobukazu UEKI
-
Patent number: 9422908Abstract: A vehicular control apparatus performs control of enabling idle operation of an internal combustion engine that generates a motive power applied to a driving wheel of a vehicle if a vehicle speed of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined vehicle speed that is set in advance, and disabling idle operation of the internal combustion engine if the vehicle speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the predetermined vehicle speed, when the vehicle is in a state other than an acceleration running state. Accordingly, the vehicular control apparatus achieves an effect of making it possible to suppress the consumption of fuel.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2011Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masaki Matsunaga, Koji Ito, Michihiro Miyashita, Nobukazu Ueki, Yasuyuki Mikami
-
Patent number: 9211890Abstract: There is a need to further improve the fuel consumption of a vehicle. There is provided a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle having: an engine; a battery that is chargeable with an amount of electric power generated by a generator which is driven with power of the engine; and auxiliary machinery that are operated with electric power of the battery. The vehicle control device comprises an idle reduction controller, an SOC detector, a current value obtaining section, a current correcting section, an idle reduction capacity setting section and a remaining capacity controller.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2012Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Koji Ito, Nobukazu Ueki, Kouhei Tochigi
-
Patent number: 9199590Abstract: A vehicle control device is mounted on a vehicle and the vehicle includes an engine and a battery. The battery can be charged by an amount of electric power generated by an alternator that is driven by power from the engine. The vehicle control device includes an electrical control unit. The electrical control unit is configured to; (i) perform idling stop, (ii) detect a state of charge of the battery, (iii) set a capacity for idling stop that is predicted to be used in a stop and start period between stop and restart of the engine, during stop control, within an usable SOC range of the battery while the vehicle is running, and (iv) control the amount of electric power to prevent a remaining capacity in the usable SOC range corresponded to the state of charge from falling below the capacity for idling stop while the vehicle is running.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobukazu Ueki, Koji Ito, Michihiro Miyashita, Kouhei Tochigi
-
Publication number: 20150337789Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus performs control of enabling idle operation of an internal combustion engine that generates a motive power applied to a driving wheel of a vehicle if a vehicle speed of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined vehicle speed that is set in advance, and disabling idle operation of the internal combustion engine if the vehicle speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the predetermined vehicle speed, when the vehicle is in a state other than an acceleration running state. Accordingly, the vehicle control apparatus achieves an effect of making it possible to suppress the consumption of fuel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Masaki MATSUNAGA, Koji ITO, Michihiro MIYASHITA, Nobukazu UEKI, Yasuyuki MIKAMI
-
Patent number: 8958970Abstract: A vehicle control system and a vehicle control device can switch control of a supporting device for support a drive of a vehicle between an ordinary travel in which the vehicle travels in a state that a power source for causing the vehicle to travel is operated and an inertia travel in which the vehicle travels in a state that an operation of the power source is stopped. Accordingly, since the vehicle control system and the vehicle control device switch the control of the supporting device between the ordinary travel and the inertia travel, the vehicle control system and the vehicle control device achieve an effect that the vehicle can be caused to appropriately travel by inertia.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2010Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Matsunaga, Nobukazu Ueki, Hiroshi Tsujii, Koji Ito
-
Publication number: 20140371983Abstract: To improve the accuracy of prediction of the power consumption of the air conditioner units, a power consumption prediction device that predicts an amount of electric power consumed by a vehicle having one or more air conditioner units operable with electric power of a battery comprises: a passenger count detector that detects a count of passengers in the vehicle; an active air conditioner unit count detector that detects a count of active air conditioner units in the vehicle; a vehicle interior temperature detector that detects a vehicle interior temperature of the vehicle; an air conditioner unit set temperature acquirer that obtains a set temperature of each of the air conditioner units; and a power consumption predictor that predicts power consumption of the air conditioner units using the count of passengers, the count of active air conditioner units, the vehicle interior temperature and the set temperature of each air conditioner unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2011Publication date: December 18, 2014Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Koji Ito, Nobukazu Ueki, Kouhei Tochigi
-
Publication number: 20140365099Abstract: A request to fully charge a battery and a request to execute idling stop are made compatible with each other. A vehicle control apparatus is mounted in a vehicle having an engine, and a battery that can be charged by an electric power generator that is driven by a motive power of the engine. The vehicle control apparatus is equipped with an idling stop control unit that stops the engine, an SOC change amount detection unit that detects an amount of change in a state of charge (an SOC) of the battery, and an execution restriction unit that permits and prohibits stop of the engine by the idling stop control unit in accordance with the amount of change in the SOC. The execution restriction unit determines timings for the permission and the prohibition such that an amount of increase in the SOC at a time when the engine is not stopped by the idling stop control unit becomes larger than an amount of decrease in the SOC at a time when the engine is stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 24, 2012Publication date: December 11, 2014Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kohei Tochigi, Koji Ito, Michihiro Miyashita, Nobukazu Ueki
-
Publication number: 20140330473Abstract: There is a need to further improve the fuel consumption of a vehicle. There is provided a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle having: an engine; a battery that is chargeable with an amount of electric power generated by a generator which is driven with power of the engine; and auxiliary machinery that are operated with electric power of the battery. The vehicle control device comprises an idle reduction controller, an SOC detector, a current value obtaining section, a current correcting section, an idle reduction capacity setting section and a remaining capacity controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2012Publication date: November 6, 2014Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Koji Ito, Nobukazu Ueki, Kouhei Tochigi
-
Patent number: 8880318Abstract: A vehicle controlling system includes an engine serving as a power source of a vehicle; an electric storage device; an assist device that assists an operation of a driver by consuming power from the electric storage device so as to operate a running device that changes the running condition of the vehicle; and a starting device that consumes power from the electric storage device so as to start the engine, wherein the starting device automatically starts the engine based upon a physical quantity concerning the engine, and the start of the engine is inhibited while the assist device operates the running device, when the execution of an inertial running in which the engine is stopped to allow the vehicle to run with inertia.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2010Date of Patent: November 4, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Ito, Hiroshi Tsujii, Masaki Matsunaga, Nobukazu Ueki
-
Publication number: 20140316628Abstract: There is a need to predict a driving environment with high responsiveness by a simple configuration. There is provided a driving environment prediction device that predicts a driving environment of a vehicle that causes a vehicle stop. The driving environment prediction device comprises: a first vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a first period, as a first vehicle stop time rate (shorter-period vehicle stop time rate); a second vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a second period which is longer than the first period, as a second vehicle stop time rate (longer-period vehicle stop time rate); and a driving environment predictor which is configured to predict the driving environment, based on the shorter-period vehicle stop time rate and the longer-period vehicle stop time rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2011Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Michihiro Miyashita, Koji Ito, Nobukazu Ueki, Kouhei Tochigi