Patents by Inventor Osamu Fukata

Osamu Fukata 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: 11498617
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle using a vehicle control apparatus includes: a sensor configured to detect a state outside a subject vehicle; and a control device. The vehicle control method includes: executing control of recovering a travel trajectory of the subject vehicle to a target trajectory, as ordinary control, by giving a steering amount in a lateral direction with respect to a travel lane of the subject vehicle; using detection data of the sensor to determine whether or not another vehicle is traveling in an adjacent lane to the travel lane of the subject vehicle; and when determining that the other vehicle is traveling in the adjacent lane ahead of the subject vehicle, increasing a response of the steering amount to a higher response than that in the ordinary control, before the subject vehicle passes the other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuta Akamatsu, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata, Ko Sato
  • Publication number: 20220024515
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle using a vehicle control apparatus includes: a sensor configured to detect a state outside a subject vehicle; and a control device. The vehicle control method includes: executing control of recovering a travel trajectory of the subject vehicle to a target trajectory, as ordinary control, by giving a steering amount in a lateral direction with respect to a travel lane of the subject vehicle; using detection data of the sensor to determine whether or not another vehicle is traveling in an adjacent lane to the travel lane of the subject vehicle; and when determining that the other vehicle is traveling in the adjacent lane ahead of the subject vehicle, increasing a response of the steering amount to a higher response than that in the ordinary control, before the subject vehicle passes the other vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Yuta Akamatsu, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata, Ko Sato
  • Patent number: 11148711
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle using a vehicle control apparatus includes: a sensor configured to detect a state outside a subject vehicle; and a control device. The vehicle control method includes: executing control of recovering a travel trajectory of the subject vehicle to a target trajectory, as ordinary control, by giving a steering amount in a lateral direction with respect to a travel lane of the subject vehicle; using detection data of the sensor to determine whether or not another vehicle is traveling in an adjacent lane to the travel lane of the subject vehicle; and when determining that the other vehicle is traveling in the adjacent lane ahead of the subject vehicle, increasing a response of the steering amount to a higher response than that in the ordinary control, before the subject vehicle passes the other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuta Akamatsu, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata, Ko Sato
  • Patent number: 11046333
    Abstract: A drive-assisted vehicle control device includes a controller that controls travel of a host vehicle. During travel on a curved route, the controller establishes a threshold value established as a boundary value for suppressing acceleration of the host vehicle. The threshold value is lower when another vehicle is present on an outside-peripheral-side curved route adjacent to a host-vehicle travel lane than when another vehicle is not present on the outside-peripheral-side curved route. The controller determines whether a lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold value during travel on a curved route. The controller permits accelerating travel on the curved route upon determining that the lateral acceleration is less than or equal to the threshold value, but suppresses accelerating travel on the curved route when upon determining that the lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuta Akamatsu, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Patent number: 10946858
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus, when a lane line of the traffic lane that had been being detected is no longer detected, estimates an imaginary lane line based on the position of the lane line detected in the past and controls the travel of the host vehicle such that the host vehicle is at a predetermined position with respect to the imaginary lane line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20200307623
    Abstract: A vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle using a vehicle control apparatus includes: a sensor configured to detect a state outside a subject vehicle; and a control device. The vehicle control method includes: executing control of recovering a travel trajectory of the subject vehicle to a target trajectory, as ordinary control, by giving a steering amount in a lateral direction with respect to a travel lane of the subject vehicle; using detection data of the sensor to determine whether or not another vehicle is traveling in an adjacent lane to the travel lane of the subject vehicle; and when determining that the other vehicle is traveling in the adjacent lane ahead of the subject vehicle, increasing a response of the steering amount to a higher response than that in the ordinary control, before the subject vehicle passes the other vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Yuta Akamatsu, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata, Ko Sato
  • Patent number: 10710601
    Abstract: A travel control method controls travel of an own vehicle to locate a lateral position of the own vehicle at a predetermined position with respect to a lane marker of a lane in which the own vehicle is traveling or with respect to a preceding vehicle, and reduces a control amount on travel from when control on the travel of the own vehicle is started until a predetermined time passes to be smaller than a control amount on the travel after the predetermined time has passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20200207372
    Abstract: A drive-assisted vehicle control device includes a controller that controls travel of a host vehicle. During travel on a curved route, the controller establishes a threshold value established as a boundary value for suppressing acceleration of the host vehicle. The threshold value is lower when another vehicle is present on an outside-peripheral-side curved route adjacent to a host-vehicle travel lane than when another vehicle is not present on the outside-peripheral-side curved route. The controller determines whether a lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold value during travel on a curved route. The controller permits accelerating travel on the curved route upon determining that the lateral acceleration is less than or equal to the threshold value, but suppresses accelerating travel on the curved route when upon determining that the lateral acceleration is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Yuta AKAMATSU, Masahiro KOBAYASHI, Yasuhisa TAIRA, Osamu FUKATA
  • Patent number: 10647319
    Abstract: A travel control method of the present invention includes: recognizing the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; controlling the travel of the host vehicle such that the host vehicle is situated at a predetermined position relative to a boundary line of the lane; detecting an increase in the lane width of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; and, if determining that one of the boundary lines situated to the left and the right of the host vehicle is a dashed line, controlling the travel of the host vehicle based on the dashed boundary line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Patent number: 10611374
    Abstract: A drive control method controls a drive control amount of a subject vehicle so that the subject vehicle may take a prescribed position with respect to lane markings of a lane in which the subject vehicle is running and reduces a drive control amount adopted when a lateral position of one of the lane markings along which the subject vehicle is running moves in a different direction from a lateral position of the other lane marking smaller than a drive control amount adopted when lateral positions of both the lane markings move in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Patent number: 10464560
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus includes: a recognition processing section that recognizes a lane line of a traffic lane in which a host vehicle is traveling; a vehicle control section that performs lane keeping control such that a lateral position of the host vehicle is at a predetermined position with respect to the lane line; a radar that detects a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle; and a cancelling section that, when the recognition processing section does not detect the lane line, cancels the lane keeping control when a predetermined time has passed after the lane line is no longer detected. The predetermined time is shorter when a following distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is longer than a predetermined value than when the following distance is shorter than or equal to the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20190308623
    Abstract: A drive control method controls a drive control amount of a subject vehicle so that the subject vehicle may take a prescribed position with respect to lane markings of a lane in which the subject vehicle is running and reduces a drive control amount adopted when a lateral position of one of the lane markings along which the subject vehicle is running moves in a different direction from a lateral position of the other lane marking smaller than a drive control amount adopted when lateral positions of both the lane markings move in the same direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20190308631
    Abstract: A travel control method controls travel of an own vehicle to locate a lateral position of the own vehicle at a predetermined position with respect to a lane marker of a lane in which the own vehicle is traveling or with respect to a preceding vehicle, and reduces a control amount on travel from when control on the travel of the own vehicle is started until a predetermined time passes to be smaller than a control amount on the travel after the predetermined time has passed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20190299988
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus, when a lane line of the traffic lane that had been being detected is no longer detected, estimates an imaginary lane line based on the position of the lane line detected in the past and controls the travel of the host vehicle such that the host vehicle is at a predetermined position with respect to the imaginary lane line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20190256092
    Abstract: A travel control method of the present invention includes: recognizing the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; controlling the travel of the host vehicle such that the host vehicle is situated at a predetermined position relative to a boundary line of the lane; detecting an increase in the lane width of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; and, if determining that one of the boundary lines situated to the left and the right of the host vehicle is a dashed line, controlling the travel of the host vehicle based on the dashed boundary line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Publication number: 20190241182
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus includes: a recognition processing section that recognizes a lane line of a traffic lane in which a host vehicle is traveling; a vehicle control section that performs lane keeping control such that a lateral position of the host vehicle is at a predetermined position with respect to the lane line; a radar that detects a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle; and a cancelling section that, when the recognition processing section does not detect the lane line, cancels the lane keeping control when a predetermined time has passed after the lane line is no longer detected. The predetermined time is shorter when a following distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle is longer than a predetermined value than when the following distance is shorter than or equal to the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Ko Sato, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuhisa Taira, Osamu Fukata
  • Patent number: 10142595
    Abstract: A driving assistance device includes a camera, a moving object detector, a candidate reflection region detector, a predetermined position brightness detector and a cause determiner. The moving object detector and the candidate reflection region detector set a detection region for detecting, from image data captured by the camera, an existence of an adjacent vehicle in an adjacent lane. The predetermined position brightness detector detects a candidate light projecting object which projects light with brightness equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value. The cause determiner determines whether or not there exists a candidate light projecting object which indicates the existence of the adjacent vehicle in the detection region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chikao Tsuchiya, Yasuhisa Hayakawa, Shinya Tanaka, Osamu Fukata
  • Patent number: 10096124
    Abstract: A water droplet detection device has an image capturing unit and a water droplet detection unit. The image capturing unit has a photographic optical system that an area captures an image of a predetermined area. The water droplet detection unit sets an arbitrary attention point in the captured image, a plurality of first reference points inside an imaginary circle of a predetermined radius having the attention point as a center the imaginary circle, and a plurality of second reference points corresponding to the first reference points outside the imaginary circle. The water droplet detection unit detects edge information between the first reference points and second reference points, and assesses a circularity strength of the edge information to detect a water droplet attached to the photographic optical system. The water droplet detection device can be used with an image conversion unit to form a three-dimensional object detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Hayakawa, Osamu Fukata, Masayuki Takemura, Akira Utagawa, Shoji Muramatsu, Kota Irie
  • Patent number: 9956941
    Abstract: An on-board device, that outputs a control signal to a cleaning control unit that controls accumulation removing units used to remove accumulations settled on a photographic lens in an on-board camera by adopting a plurality of methods, includes: an accumulation detection unit that detects an accumulation settled on the photographic lens from a photographic image output from the on-board camera when a vehicle speed input thereto is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed; a selection unit that selects an accumulation removing unit adopting a first method among the accumulation removing units adopting the plurality of methods; and a removal decision unit that makes a decision, based upon the photographic image, as to whether or not the accumulation has been removed from the photographic lens through a removal operation performed by the accumulation removing unit adopting the first method, which has been selected by the selection unit, wherein: if the removal decision unit decides that the accumul
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignees: Clarion Co., Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kiyohara, Kota Irie, Katsuyuki Nakamura, Shoji Muramatsu, Masayuki Takemura, Osamu Fukata, Yasuhisa Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 9862320
    Abstract: A three-dimensional object detection device has a camera, a three-dimensional object detection unit, a lens cleaning device, a lens state assessment unit and a controller. The camera has a lens for forming an image of an area rearward of a vehicle. The three-dimensional object detection unit detects a three-dimensional object rearward of the vehicle based on the captured images. The lens cleaning device sprays cleaning fluid to clean the lens of the camera. The lens state assessment unit accesses whether the lens is in a predetermined state subject to control based on a timing at which cleaning fluid is sprayed on the lens. The controller suppresses detection of the three-dimensional object by retaining detection or assessment results for a predetermined length of time that were obtained immediately before the lens was assessed to be in the state subject to control, upon assessment that the lens state is subject to control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Hayakawa, Osamu Fukata