Patents by Inventor Nobuyuki Kuge

Nobuyuki Kuge 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: 9381811
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system has a controller configured to urge a driver to slow down (decelerate) in locations where visibility is poor. The controller detects a traveling condition of a host vehicle, e.g., when the host vehicle is approaching a designated area, such as a school zone, and then selectively executes an imaginary speed limiting road protrusion control that generates an imaginary speed limiting road protrusion by artificially reproducing a vehicle behavior that simulates the host vehicle crosses an actual speed limiting road protrusion arranged on a road surface, based on the traveling condition of the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kondoh, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge, Kenji Komori
  • Patent number: 8924074
    Abstract: A driving assistance system for vehicle detects short-duration data representing a current traveling condition and drive operation, and intermediate-duration data representing a travelling condition and drive operation of this day. Drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing distribution of the short-duration data and distribution of the intermediate-duration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Komori, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge, Yasuhiko Takae, Takayuki Kondoh
  • Patent number: 8788435
    Abstract: A driving maneuver assisting apparatus includes a learning section configured to learn a driving-behavior pattern of a driver for a predetermined duration; a non-steady-state degree calculating section configured to calculate a non-steady-state degree by comparing a current driving-behavior pattern with the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section, wherein the non-steady-state degree represents how different the current driving-behavior pattern is from the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section; a learning level calculating section configured to calculate a learning level of the learning section; and a notifying section configured to notify the driver of a maneuver assisting information for inducing the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section in accordance with the learning level calculated by the learning level calculating section, when the non-steady-state degree calculated by the non-steady-state degree calculating section exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Kazuto Sato, Hirofumi Hashiguchi
  • Patent number: 8688312
    Abstract: A driving assistance system for vehicle obtains short-duration data representing a present traveling condition and driving operation and intermediate-duration data representing a traveling condition and driving operation of that day. A drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing a distribution of the short-duration data and a distribution of the intermediate-date, and a drive diagnosis result is evaluated with two evaluation criteria so as to provide an alarm or an operation improvement suggestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kondoh, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge, Yasuhiko Takae, Kenji Komori
  • Patent number: 8670915
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system is provided that calculates a risk potential indicative of a degree of convergence between the host vehicle and the preceding obstacle. A first driving assistance control system controls at least one of an actuation reaction force exerted by a driver-operated driving operation device and a braking/driving force exerted against the host vehicle based on the risk potential calculated. A second driving assistance control system controls the braking/driving force of the host vehicle such that a headway distance is maintained between the host vehicle and the obstacle. A transition detecting section detects a transition of operating states of the first and second driving assistance control systems. The control adjusting section adjusts the control executed by the first and second driving assistance control systems when a transition of operating state is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Takayuki Kondoh, Akira Onozuka, Tomohiro Yamamura, Yoshiharu Kamisuki
  • Publication number: 20130238211
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system is provided that calculates a risk potential indicative of a degree of convergence between the host vehicle and the preceding obstacle. A first driving assistance control system controls at least one of an actuation reaction force exerted by a driver-operated driving operation device and a braking/driving force exerted against the host vehicle based on the risk potential calculated. A second driving assistance control system controls the braking/driving force of the host vehicle such that a headway distance is maintained between the host vehicle and the obstacle. A transition detecting section detects a transition of operating states of the first and second driving assistance control systems. The control adjusting section adjusts the control executed by the first and second driving assistance control systems when a transition of operating state is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki KUGE, Takayuki KONDOH, Akira ONOZUKA, Tomohiro YAMAMURA, Yoshiharu KAMISUKI
  • Patent number: 8521357
    Abstract: An impaired operation detection method is basically performed by sensing a yaw rate of a vehicle over a time period. Then time points are identified in which the yaw rate changes direction. A linear rate of change in the yaw rate is determined between two of the time points that are sequential in time. An actual rate of change is examined between the two time points. A difference between the actual rate of change and the linear rate of change to obtain a difference value. Then, the operator's impairment condition is determined based on the difference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Virginia Tech Intellectual Property, Inc.
    Inventors: Shane McLaughlin, Hiroshi Tsuda, Jon Hankey, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge
  • Patent number: 8494714
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are stability display apparatus and methods. One apparatus comprises a driving state detection unit configured to detect a driving state of a vehicle in operation; a controller comprising an instability estimation unit configured to estimate an instability index indicating driving instability of the vehicle based on the driving state of the vehicle detected by the driving state detection unit and configured to determine changes in the instability index; and a display unit configured to display the instability index estimated by the instability estimation unit in a display region within a range less than or equal to an upper limit that is a limit of display and configured to display in the display region a representation of the changes of the instability index when the instability index is beyond the upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Takayuki Kondoh, Yoshiki Yasuno
  • Patent number: 8442739
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system is provided that calculates a risk potential indicative of a degree of convergence between the host vehicle and the preceding obstacle. A first driving assistance control system controls at least one of an actuation reaction force exerted by a driver-operated driving operation device and a braking/driving force exerted against the host vehicle based on the risk potential calculated. A second driving assistance control system controls the braking/driving force of the host vehicle such that a headway distance is maintained between the host vehicle and the obstacle. A transition detecting section detects a transition of operating states of the first and second driving assistance control systems. The control adjusting section adjusts the control executed by the first and second driving assistance control systems when a transition of operating state is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Takayuki Kondoh, Akira Onozuka, Tomohiro Yamamura, Yoshiharu Kamisuki
  • Publication number: 20120041641
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are stability display apparatus and methods. One apparatus comprises a driving state detection unit configured to detect a driving state of a vehicle in operation; a controller comprising an instability estimation unit configured to estimate an instability index indicating driving instability of the vehicle based on the driving state of the vehicle detected by the driving state detection unit and configured to determine changes in the instability index; and a display unit configured to display the instability index estimated by the instability estimation unit in a display region within a range less than or equal to an upper limit that is a limit of display and configured to display in the display region a representation of the changes of the instability index when the instability index is beyond the upper limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Takayuki Kondoh, Yoshiki Yasuno
  • Patent number: 8060305
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system is provided with a risk factor detection section, a first risk potential calculation section, a second risk potential calculation section and a risk potential notification section. The risk factor detection section detects a plurality of potential risk factors related to a host vehicle. The first risk potential calculation section calculates a first risk potential attributed to a first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected. The second risk potential calculation section calculates a second risk potential attributed to a second risk factor that is different than the first risk factor from the risk factors that were detected. The risk potential notification section notifies a driver of the first risk potential with a first risk potential notification and the second risk potential with a second risk potential notification using a common risk notification device with the first and second notifications being different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kimura, Yosuke Kobayashi, Nobuyuki Kuge
  • Publication number: 20110264325
    Abstract: An impaired operation detection method is basically performed by sensing a yaw rate of a vehicle over a time period. Then time points are identified in which the yaw rate changes direction. A linear rate of change in the yaw rate is determined between two of the time points that are sequential in time. An actual rate of change is examined between the two time points. A difference between the actual rate of change and the linear rate of change to obtain a difference value. Then, the operator's impairment condition is determined based on the difference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: NISSAN TECHNICAL CENTER NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Shane McLaughlin, Hiroshi Tsuda, Jon Hankey, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge
  • Publication number: 20110153532
    Abstract: A driving maneuver assisting apparatus includes a learning section configured to learn a driving-behavior pattern of a driver for a predetermined duration; a non-steady-state degree calculating section configured to calculate a non-steady-state degree by comparing a current driving-behavior pattern with the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section, wherein the non-steady-state degree represents how different the current driving-behavior pattern is from the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section; a learning level calculating section configured to calculate a learning level of the learning section; and a notifying section configured to notify the driver of a maneuver assisting information for inducing the driving-behavior pattern learned by the learning section in accordance with the learning level calculated by the learning level calculating section, when the non-steady-state degree calculated by the non-steady-state degree calculating section exceeds a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Kazuto Sato, Hirofumi Hashiguchi
  • Patent number: 7894988
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assist system has a host vehicle risk factor detection section, a peripheral risk factor detection section, a host vehicle risk potential calculation section, a peripheral risk potential calculation section and a risk potential notification section. The host vehicle risk factor detection section detects host vehicle risk factors related to a host vehicle. The peripheral risk factor detection section detects peripheral risk factors in an area around the host vehicle. The host vehicle risk potential calculation section calculates a host vehicle risk potential attributed to the host vehicle risk factors. The peripheral risk potential calculation section calculates a peripheral risk potential attributed to the peripheral risk factors. The risk potential notification section notifies a driver of the host vehicle risk potential and the peripheral risk potential using a common risk notification device for both notifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kimura, Yosuke Kobayashi, Nobuyuki Kuge
  • Publication number: 20100274435
    Abstract: A driving assistance system for vehicle obtains short-duration data representing a present traveling condition and driving operation and intermediate-duration data representing a traveling condition and driving operation of that day. A drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing a distribution of the short-duration data and a distribution of the intermediate-date, and a drive diagnosis result is evaluated with two evaluation criteria so as to provide an alarm or an operation improvement suggestion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kondoh, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge, Yasuhiko Takae, Kenji Komori
  • Patent number: 7809506
    Abstract: A driving intention estimation, driver assistance and vehicle with the driver assistance for providing a stable estimation of a driver's driving intention even if detection of a relationship between an own vehicle and lane markers is lost. A plurality of imaginary drivers of a first type and a second type, each being given a respective driving intention, are provided. When detection of lane markers is reliably kept, a driving intention by a real driver is estimated based on a comparison between an operation of the real driver to operations of the imaginary drivers of the first type that are calculated based on the relative positional relationship of the own vehicle to the detected lane marker. When the detection of lane markers is lost, operations of the plurality of imaginary drivers are calculated based on the relative positional relationship of the own vehicle to a preceding vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Takeshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7778742
    Abstract: An intention estimation and operation assistance system for estimating an operator's intention and providing assistance to operation of a machine. Reference data, such as the operation of a plurality of hypothetical operators, is provided for comparison with the operation of a real operator, to determine an estimated intention of the operator. The estimated operator is utilized to alter the operation of the machine, to provide a safer and/or smoother operation experience in operating the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Drexel University
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kuge, Tomohiro Yamamura, Dario Salvucci
  • Publication number: 20100198456
    Abstract: A driving assistance system for vehicle detects short-duration data representing a current traveling condition and drive operation, and intermediate-duration data representing a travelling condition and drive operation of this day. Drive diagnosis is carried out by comparing distribution of the short-duration data and distribution of the intermediate-duration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Kenji Komori, Tomohiro Yamamura, Nobuyuki Kuge, Yasuhiko Takae, Takayuki Kondoh
  • Patent number: 7715972
    Abstract: Driving assisting systems and methods that regulate a reaction force applied to an accelerator pedal based on risk potential, estimated driver's intention and necessity for acceleration, in response to an estimated driver's intention being a predetermined type of intention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kuge
  • Patent number: 7634331
    Abstract: A system for estimating a driving intention of a vehicle driver comprises a vehicle surroundings detection device for detecting the vehicle surroundings, an operational input detection device for detecting operational input by the real driver, a first imaginary driver operational input calculation device for calculating the required operational input by a first method based on the vehicle surroundings in order to execute the driving intention of each imaginary driver for multiple differing imaginary drivers, a second imaginary driver operational input calculation device for calculating the required operational input by a second method that differs from the first method based on information differing from said vehicle surroundings in order to execute the driving intention of each imaginary driver, an imaginary driver operational input selection device for selecting either the operational input of the multiple imaginary drivers computed by the first driver operational input calculation device or the operational
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Kuge