Patents by Inventor Shiro Ezoe

Shiro Ezoe 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: 20210316618
    Abstract: A vehicle control system is provided with a motor generator and has a function of, if a vehicle-stop brake fluid pressure at a vehicle stop timing is less a predetermined pressure necessary for holding a vehicle in a stopped state, boosting the vehicle-stop brake fluid pressure to the stop holding fluid pressure or greater to hold the vehicle in the stopped state. The system includes a first calculator, a second calculator, and a vehicle stop controller. The first calculator calculates a target driving force for the vehicle. The second calculator calculates, from the target driving force, a requested driving force for drive control of the motor generator and a requested brake fluid pressure to be used for brake control. The vehicle stop controller performs, at a timing immediately before the vehicle stop timing, a pre-boosting process of increasing the brake fluid pressure to the stop holding fluid pressure or greater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi HOSHI, Fumiyuki MORIYA, Tatsuhiro KUBO, Shiro EZOE
  • Patent number: 9889884
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle detects a vehicle to be passed that is a target of passing and is in front of the vehicle equipped with the apparatus in the traveling lane thereof, detects a parallel traveling vehicle that is traveling in a lane that is adjacent to a lane to which the vehicle performs lane changing to pass the vehicle to be passed and is located on the opposite side of the lane which the vehicle to be passed is traveling, monitors the vehicle to be passed and the parallel traveling vehicle, and variably controls a passing maneuver with respect to the vehicle to be passed on the basis of a monitoring result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Harunobu Horiguchi, Shiro Ezoe, Takayuki Nagase, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 9809164
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle detects a vehicle to be passed that is an target of passing and is located in front of a vehicle equipped with the travel control apparatus in a traveling lane thereof on the basis of peripheral environment information and travel information, detects a following vehicle that is behind the vehicle in the traveling lane thereof as a following vehicle in the original lane on the basis of the peripheral environment information, monitors the vehicle to be passed and the following vehicle in the original lane, and variably controls a passing maneuver with respect to the vehicle to be passed on the basis of a monitoring result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Harunobu Horiguchi, Shiro Ezoe, Takayuki Nagase, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi
  • Patent number: 9776641
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a travel environment information acquisition unit that acquires travel environment information on a travel environment where the vehicle travels; a travel information detector that detects travel information on the vehicle; and an overtaking controller that detects an overtaking target vehicle ahead of the vehicle in an identical travel lane on the basis of the travel environment information and the travel information, and overtakes the overtaking target vehicle using automatic driving control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Harunobu Horiguchi, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi, Takayuki Nagase, Eiichi Shiraishi, Shiro Ezoe, Satoru Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9764640
    Abstract: In a travel control apparatus for a vehicle, a travel environment information acquisition unit acquires travel environment information, and a travel information detector detects travel information relating to the vehicle. The apparatus executes automatic driving control based on such information pieces. A vehicle peripheral object detector detects an object around the vehicle, separately to the travel environment information acquisition unit. An environment information acquisition failure detector detects an acquisition failure in the travel environment information acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi, Harunobu Horiguchi, Takayuki Nagase, Eiichi Shiraishi, Shiro Ezoe, Satoru Akiyama
  • Patent number: 9637107
    Abstract: In a travel control apparatus for a vehicle, a travel environment information acquisition unit acquires travel environment information on a travel environment of the vehicle. A travel information detector detects travel information on the vehicle in order to execute automatic driving control based on such information pieces. A lateral force generator generates lateral force to be applied to the vehicle during the automatic driving control. A torsion bar is interposed on a torque transmission path of a steering system. A steering wheel angle detector detects a steering wheel angle. A lateral force detector detects the lateral force acting on the vehicle. An intervening steering operation determination unit determines that a driver has performed an intervening steering operation when a characteristic of the detected steering wheel angle and lateral force differs from a reference characteristic that varies univocally when the steering wheel is in a no load condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Satoru Akiyama, Takayuki Nagase, Eiichi Shiraishi, Shiro Ezoe, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi, Harunobu Horiguchi
  • Patent number: 9499171
    Abstract: When a vehicle equipped with a driving support apparatus moves from an original traveling lane into a lane for passing in order to pass a preceding vehicle and an oncoming vehicle appears in the lane for passing, the safe passing of the preceding vehicle is determined to be impossible and the passing is interrupted even when the oncoming vehicle decelerates, in the case where a deceleration change amount of the oncoming vehicle is smaller than a threshold. On the other hand, when the deceleration change amount of the oncoming vehicle is equal to or greater than the threshold, whereby safety with respect to surrounding vehicles can be confirmed, and it is determined the vehicle can be safely returned in front of the preceding vehicle, the passing of the preceding vehicle is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Nagase, Koji Matsuno, Shiro Ezoe, Harunobu Horiguchi, Hajime Oyama, Yasushi Takaso, Masato Mizoguchi, Osamu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9493163
    Abstract: When an oncoming vehicle in an oncoming lane is detected in the case where a vehicle equipped with a driving support apparatus moves to a position across a portion of a boundary between an original traveling lane of the vehicle and the oncoming lane in order to pass a preceding vehicle, passing control is interrupted. When the departure of the oncoming vehicle from the oncoming lane is confirmed, the interruption of the passing control is canceled and the passing is performed. When the oncoming vehicle does not depart, or when it the oncoming vehicle is determined to depart but a vehicle following the oncoming vehicle is detected, the interruption of the passing control is maintained and the vehicle is returned to behind the preceding vehicle in the original traveling lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Ezoe, Takayuki Nagase, Osamu Takahashi, Koji Matsuno, Harunobu Horiguchi, Masato Mizoguchi, Yasushi Takaso, Hajime Oyama
  • Publication number: 20160288785
    Abstract: A driving support system for a vehicle that causes the vehicle to travel following a target travel route through steering and deceleration control includes: a target steering angle calculation unit that calculates a target steering angle at the time of passing through a curved section of the target travel route; a target deceleration calculation unit that calculates a target deceleration in the curved section; a deceleration correction value calculation unit that calculates, on the basis of the target steering angle and an actual steering angle, a corrected vehicle speed for correcting a target vehicle speed determined by the target deceleration; and a deceleration correction unit that corrects the target deceleration such that the target vehicle speed becomes the corrected vehicle speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventor: Shiro EZOE
  • Patent number: 9452760
    Abstract: During a self-driving control, when an acquisition failure occurs in traveling environment information acquisition required for performing self-driving, and a failure of a steering system of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle driving control apparatus is detected, a brake controller sets an evacuation course along which the vehicle is to travel safely within traveling environment, based on traveling environment information detected last time before the acquisition failure of the traveling environment information, and executes a deceleration of the vehicle and a yaw brake control that applies a yaw moment to the vehicle based on the evacuation course.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hajime Oyama, Masato Mizoguchi, Yasushi Takaso, Koji Matsuno, Shiro Ezoe, Satoru Akiyama, Eiichi Shiraishi, Takayuki Nagase, Harunobu Horiguchi
  • Publication number: 20160132055
    Abstract: In a travel control apparatus for a vehicle, a travel environment information acquisition unit acquires travel environment information on a travel environment of the vehicle. A travel information detector detects travel information on the vehicle in order to execute automatic driving control based on such information pieces. A lateral force generator generates lateral force to be applied to the vehicle during the automatic driving control. A torsion bar is interposed on a torque transmission path of a steering system. A steering wheel angle detector detects a steering wheel angle. A lateral force detector detects the lateral force acting on the vehicle. An intervening steering operation determination unit determines that a driver has performed an intervening steering operation when a characteristic of the detected steering wheel angle and lateral force differs from a reference characteristic that varies univocally when the steering wheel is in a no load condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Koji MATSUNO, Satoru AKIYAMA, Takayuki NAGASE, Eiichi SHIRAISHI, Shiro EZOE, Hajime OYAMA, Yasushi TAKASO, Masato MIZOGUCHI, Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160121906
    Abstract: In a travel control apparatus for a vehicle, a travel environment information acquisition unit acquires travel environment information, and a travel information detector detects travel information relating to the vehicle. The apparatus executes automatic driving control based on such information pieces. A vehicle peripheral object detector detects an object around the vehicle, separately to the travel environment information acquisition unit. An environment information acquisition failure detector detects an acquisition failure in the travel environment information acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Koji MATSUNO, Hajime OYAMA, Yasushi TAKASO, Masato MIZOGUCHI, Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Takayuki NAGASE, Eiichi SHIRAISHI, Shiro EZOE, Satoru AKIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20160114811
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a travel environment information acquisition unit that acquires travel environment information on a travel environment where the vehicle travels; a travel information detector that detects travel information on the vehicle; and an overtaking controller that detects an overtaking target vehicle ahead of the vehicle in an identical travel lane on the basis of the travel environment information and the travel information, and overtakes the overtaking target vehicle using automatic driving control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Inventors: Koji MATSUNO, Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Hajime OYAMA, Yasushi TAKASO, Masato MIZOGUCHI, Takayuki NAGASE, Eiichi SHIRAISHI, Shiro EZOE, Satoru AKIYAMA
  • Patent number: 9302704
    Abstract: A basic assist torque is set on the basis of the vehicle speed and the steering torque, and when the vehicle changes from a straight driving state to a curve driving state, a correction amount for the basic assist torque is calculated, which is to offset steering torque characteristic values which has been predetermined depending on a steering angle, in a direction opposite to the steering direction by correcting an absolute value of the basic assist torque to reduce its action on the steering direction depending at least upon the curvature radius of the driving road in front of the vehicle, and the basic assist torque is corrected with the basic assist torque correction amount and the controlled/corrected torque (assist torque) is output to a motor drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shiro Ezoe
  • Publication number: 20160090100
    Abstract: During a self-driving control, when an acquisition failure occurs in traveling environment information acquisition required for performing self-driving, and a failure of a steering system of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle driving control apparatus is detected, a brake controller sets an evacuation course along which the vehicle is to travel safely within traveling environment, based on traveling environment information detected last time before the acquisition failure of the traveling environment information, and executes a deceleration of the vehicle and a yaw brake control that applies a yaw moment to the vehicle based on the evacuation course.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Hajime OYAMA, Masato MIZOGUCHI, Yasushi TAKASO, Koji MATSUNO, Shiro EZOE, Satoru AKIYAMA, Eiichi SHIRAISHI, Takayuki NAGASE, Harunobu HORIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150375748
    Abstract: When a vehicle equipped with a driving support apparatus moves from an original traveling lane into a lane for passing in order to pass a preceding vehicle and an oncoming vehicle appears in the lane for passing, the safe passing of the preceding vehicle is determined to be impossible and the passing is interrupted even when the oncoming vehicle decelerates, in the case where a deceleration change amount the oncoming vehicle is smaller than a threshold. On the other hand, when the deceleration change amount of the oncoming vehicle is equal to or greater than the threshold, whereby safety with respect to surrounding vehicles can be confirmed, and it is determined the vehicle can be safely returned in front of the preceding vehicle, the passing of the preceding vehicle is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventors: Takayuki NAGASE, Koji MATSUNO, Shiro EZOE, Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Hajime OYAMA, Yasushi TAKASO, Masato MIZOGUCHI, Osamu TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20150367854
    Abstract: When an oncoming vehicle in an oncoming lane is detected in the case where a vehicle equipped with a driving support apparatus moves to a position across a portion of a boundary between an original traveling lane of the vehicle and the oncoming lane in order to pass a preceding vehicle, passing control is interrupted. When the departure of the oncoming vehicle from the oncoming lane is confirmed, the interruption of the passing control is canceled and the passing is performed. When the oncoming vehicle does not depart, or when it the oncoming vehicle is determined to depart but a vehicle following the oncoming vehicle is detected, the interruption of the passing control is maintained and the vehicle is returned to behind the preceding vehicle in the original traveling lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Shiro EZOE, Takayuki NAGASE, Osamu TAKAHASHI, Koji MATSUNO, Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Masato MIZOGUCHI, Yasushi TAKASO, Hajime OYAMA
  • Publication number: 20150360684
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle detects a vehicle to be passed that is an target of passing and is located in front of a vehicle equipped with the travel control apparatus in a traveling lane thereof on the basis of peripheral environment information and travel information, detects a following vehicle that is behind the vehicle in the traveling lane thereof as a following vehicle in the original lane on the basis of the peripheral environment information, monitors the vehicle to be passed and the following vehicle in the original lane, and variably controls a passing maneuver with respect to the vehicle to be passed on the basis of a monitoring result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji MATSUNO, Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Shiro EZOE, Takayuki NAGASE, Hajime OYAMA, Yasushi TAKASO, Masato MIZOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150360721
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus for a vehicle detects a vehicle to be passed that is a target of passing and is in front of the vehicle equipped with the apparatus in the traveling lane thereof, detects a parallel traveling vehicle that is traveling in a lane that is adjacent to a lane to which the vehicle performs lane changing to pass the vehicle to be passed and is located on the opposite side of the lane which the vehicle to be passed is traveling, monitors the vehicle to be passed and the parallel traveling vehicle, and variably controls a passing maneuver with respect to the vehicle to be passed on the basis of a monitoring result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Koji MATSUNO, Harunobu HORIGUCHI, Shiro EZOE, Takayuki NAGASE, Hajime OYAMA, Yasushi TAKASO, Masato MIZOGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8924114
    Abstract: When there is a curve in a forward driving path of a vehicle, a wheel clutch for a turning outer wheel of a rear shaft is engaged and a wheel clutch for a turning inner wheel of the rear shaft is disengaged during driving of the curve. When there is no curve, both of the right and left wheel clutches are engaged when it is estimated the vehicle receive a predetermined disturbance input during forward driving. Then, a target yaw moment of a vehicle is calculated. If an average speed of the right and left wheels of a front shaft is more than the speed of the turning outer wheel, the wheel clutch for the turning outer wheel is engaged when the target yaw moment is applied to the vehicle, so that the engaging force of a transfer clutch is controlled based on the target yaw moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Matsuno, Shiro Ezoe, Hajime Oyama, Yuichirou Tamura, Takeshi Terazawa, Akihiro Watanabe