Patents by Inventor Shotaro Fukuda

Shotaro Fukuda 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: 9878712
    Abstract: In an apparatus, a first obtainer obtains a first travelling-condition parameter of a target vehicle. The first travelling-condition parameter shows one or more conditions under which the target vehicle is travelling on the road. A second obtainer obtains a second travelling-condition parameter of a preceding vehicle travelling on the road immediately ahead of the target vehicle. The second travelling-condition parameter shows one or more conditions under which the preceding vehicle is travelling on the road. A deviation calculator calculates a deviation between the first and second travelling-condition parameters. A behavior determiner determines a recommended behavior of the target vehicle in response to the calculated deviation. A controller controls a device, which is associated with a behavior of the target vehicle, according to the recommended behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Masao Oooka, Shotaro Fukuda, Takahiro Narita
  • Publication number: 20170313311
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is mounted in an own vehicle and performs driving assistance for the own vehicle. The driving assistance apparatus determines a travel recommended lane in which the own vehicle is to travel, based on a comparison of a preset vehicle speed set in advance to allow the own vehicle to travel at a constant speed, to a travel state of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle in a travel lane in which the own vehicle is traveling and a travel state of an adjacent vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle in an adjacent lane that is adjacent to the travel lane. The driving assistance apparatus performs output based on the travel recommended lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Masao Oooka, Shotaro Fukuda, Aki Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 9758189
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a steering amount calculation unit which calculates a steering amount for decreasing a lateral deviation of a vehicle with respect to a target route, a vehicle position acquisition unit which acquires a position of the vehicle, and a past information acquisition unit which acquires the lateral deviation, which is related to the position of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit or a position ahead of the position of the vehicle, from a storage section in which the lateral deviation is stored with the position of the vehicle being related to the lateral deviation. The steering amount calculation unit feeds back the lateral deviation acquired by the past information acquisition unit to calculate the steering amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Ueda, Masao Oooka, Shotaro Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9731719
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is mounted to an own vehicle and controls the own vehicle such that an inter-vehicle distance between a preceding vehicle and the own vehicle becomes a reference distance. The vehicle control apparatus acquires passing suitability information indicating whether or not the own vehicle is able to pass the preceding vehicle. When the own vehicle is not able to pass the preceding vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus corrects the inter-vehicle distance by adding a correction distance to a reference distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Shotaro Fukuda, Takahiro Narita, Masao Oooka
  • Publication number: 20170203764
    Abstract: In assisting merging vehicles on the road, a own vehicle is accelerated to target speed on a first lane. The own vehicle accelerated to the target speed is caused to change a travel lane from the first lane into a second lane. A distance A from the own vehicle to a reference position is acquired in the first lane, and speed of the own vehicle is also acquired. A traveling distance B required for the own vehicle to stop is calculated under a condition where the own vehicle traveling at speed acquired starts to slow down at predetermined deceleration. Assisting in merging is performed, on condition that a value obtained by subtracting the calculated distance B from the acquired distance A is smaller than a predetermined threshold value during a period from a start time of the acceleration to a start time of changing the travel lane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Koji Fujiki, Hiroaki Niino, Shotaro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20160098605
    Abstract: In a lane boundary line information acquiring device, a detection unit detects lane boundary lines. A driving environment acquiring unit acquires a driving environment. A probability information acquiring unit acquires probability information containing a probability of presence of a lane boundary line, etc. based on the detected lane boundary lines and the acquired driving environment. A position information acquiring unit acquires position information of the own vehicle. A memory unit associates the probability information with the position information of the own vehicle. Where the position information is acquired by the position information acquiring unit at a time when the probability information acquiring unit acquires the probability information, and stores the probability information associated with the position information into the memory unit. A readout unit reads out the probability information associated with the position information at a location in front of the own vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Masaya Okada, Naoki Kawasaki, Yusuke Ueda, Masao Oooka, Shotaro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20160052544
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a steering amount calculation unit which calculates a steering amount for decreasing a lateral deviation of a vehicle with respect to a target route, a vehicle position acquisition unit which acquires a position of the vehicle, and a past information acquisition unit which acquires the lateral deviation, which is related to the position of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit or a position ahead of the position of the vehicle, from a storage section in which the lateral deviation is stored with the position of the vehicle being related to the lateral deviation. The steering amount calculation unit feeds back the lateral deviation acquired by the past information acquisition unit to calculate the steering amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Yusuke Ueda, Masao Oooka, Shotaro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20150353087
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is mounted to an own vehicle and controls the own vehicle such that an inter-vehicle distance between a preceding vehicle and the own vehicle becomes a reference distance. The vehicle control apparatus acquires passing suitability information indicating whether or not the own vehicle is able to pass the preceding vehicle. When the own vehicle is not able to pass the preceding vehicle, the vehicle control apparatus corrects the inter-vehicle distance by adding a correction distance to a reference distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: HIROAKI NIINO, SHOTARO FUKUDA, TAKAHIRO NARITA, MASAO OOOKA
  • Publication number: 20150344033
    Abstract: In a driver assisting apparatus, a predicting unit predicts, based on information including at least a current location and a behavior of each of a preceding vehicle and a target vehicle, an overtaking course from the current location of the target vehicle to a future location of the target vehicle when assuming that the target vehicle will safely overtake the preceding vehicle. The target and preceding vehicles are running on a road. A determining unit determines whether there are one or more physical impediments for an overtaking of the preceding vehicle through the predicted overtaking course based on at least traffic information associated with at least a portion in the road in front of the current location of the target vehicle. An adjusting unit adjusts assistance for the driver of the target vehicle for the overtaking of the at least one preceding vehicle according to a result of the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: SHOTARO FUKUDA, HIROAKI NIINO, MASAO OOOKA, TAKAHIRO NARITA
  • Publication number: 20150344034
    Abstract: In an apparatus, a first obtainer obtains a first travelling-condition parameter of a target vehicle. The first travelling-condition parameter shows one or more conditions under which the target vehicle is travelling on the road. A second obtainer obtains a second travelling-condition parameter of a preceding vehicle travelling on the road immediately ahead of the target vehicle. The second travelling-condition parameter shows one or more conditions under which the preceding vehicle is travelling on the road. A deviation calculator calculates a deviation between the first and second travelling-condition parameters. A behavior determiner determines a recommended behavior of the target vehicle in response to the calculated deviation. A controller controls a device, which is associated with a behavior of the target vehicle, according to the recommended behavior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: HIROAKI NIINO, MASAO OOOKA, SHOTARO FUKUDA, TAKAHIRO NARITA
  • Patent number: 8676461
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls acceleration of a vehicle provided with a motive power generation apparatus and brake apparatuses. For the control, the control apparatus comprises calculation and actuating blocks. The calculation block calculates torque to be requested, based on a difference between an actual value of the acceleration and a target value thereof and a gain for feedback controlling the actual value of the acceleration to the target value thereof. The gain is differentiated in value between in a first case in which the brake apparatuses are used for the feedback control and a second case in which the brake apparatuses are not used for the feedback control. The actuating block actuates the motive power generation apparatus and the brake apparatuses based on the calculated torque. The value of the gain in the first case is made larger than the value of the gain in the second case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Hajime Kumabe, Shotaro Fukuda, Satoshi Niwa, Hiroyuki Kodama, Kazunori Kadowaki, Shintaro Osaki
  • Patent number: 8670911
    Abstract: A vehicle stop control device is provided. The device is configured to perform a stop control for stopping a vehicle by adjusting a braking force for wheels and includes a target deceleration setting unit which sets a target deceleration as a target for stopping the vehicle so as to have a smaller value as a vehicle body velocity comes closer to zero, a deceleration obtaining unit which obtains a vehicle body deceleration of the vehicle, a control unit which performs the stop control of setting the braking force to have a smaller value as a subtraction value obtained by subtracting the target deceleration from the vehicle body deceleration is greater, and causing the set braking force to be applied to the wheels; and a determining unit which determines that a road surface is an ascent road when the braking force set by the control unit is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Fukuda, Yukio Mori
  • Patent number: 8660767
    Abstract: A control apparatus is provided to control the stopping of a vehicle. The control apparatus comprises a speed detector that detects a speed of a vehicle, speed acquiring means, target setting means, and control means. The speed acquiring means acquires an actual speed of the vehicle from detected results of the speed detector. The target setting means sets a target acceleration of the vehicle depending on the actual speed when the vehicle is stopped automatically. The control means controls an actual acceleration of the vehicle at the target acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Shotaro Fukuda, Satoshi Niwa, Hajime Kumabe, Yukio Mori, Hiroyuki Kodama, Takahisa Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8401757
    Abstract: A running control apparatus calculates a target driving or braking torque in a calculating block to control the vehicle driven or braked by this torque at a target speed against a running resistance changed with running circumstances of the vehicle. In a control block, when a driver-required braking torque based on the braking operation of the driver is smaller than the target braking torque, the running control for the vehicle is performed to brake the vehicle by the target braking torque. When the driver-required braking torque becomes higher than the target braking torque, the running control is stopped, and the driver manually brakes the vehicle by the driver-required braking torque. When the driver-required braking torque is decreased to be lower than the target braking torque or a predetermined braking torque corresponding to the release of the braking operation, the running control is restarted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Hajime Kumabe, Satoshi Niwa, Shotaro Fukuda, Masayoshi Takeda, Shintaro Osaki
  • Patent number: 8335626
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling acceleration of a vehicle to a target acceleration. In the apparatus, a target acceleration calculator calculates the target acceleration. A provisional acceleration setting unit sets a provisional target acceleration such that a change rate of the provisional target acceleration is limited to a target limitation value. The provisional target acceleration is used during a step during which the acceleration of the vehicle is changed to the target acceleration. A drive power calculator calculates a drive power to obtain the provisional target acceleration. In the provisional acceleration setting unit, an initial value of the provisional target acceleration depends on a running state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shotaro Fukuda, Yasuhiro Nakai, Satoshi Niwa, Hajime Kumabe, Motoaki Umakoshi, Masayoshi Takeda, Yukio Mori
  • Patent number: 8292784
    Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a brake feedback control unit calculates a brake feedback torque Tfb-BK using a PID control model when a current state is a brake feedback use state. The brake feedback control unit stops the calculation of the brake feedback torque Tfb-BK when the current state is a brake feedback limitation state, and stores as an output value the brake feedback torque Tfb-BK that is output at a brake limitation start timing. At a brake limitation release timing, the brake feedback control unit restarts the feedback control using the stored brake feedback torque Tfb-BK as an initial value. The brake mechanism can thereby generate a predetermined brake torque of not more than 0 [N·m] immediately after the brake limitation release timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoaki Umakoshi, Shotaro Fukuda, Hajime Kumabe, Masayoshi Takeda, Yukio Mori
  • Patent number: 8214124
    Abstract: In a cruise control system for a vehicle, a cruise ECU calculates a cornering resistance applied to the vehicle based upon a steering angle, when a vehicle turns. The cruise ECU calculates a speed reduction amount as a correction vehicle speed based upon the cornering resistance. The cruise ECU subtracts the correction vehicle speed from a set vehicle speed to set a target vehicle speed so that the vehicle speed becomes lower as the cornering resistance is larger. The cruise ECU controls the vehicle speed to be within a permissible speed range of the target vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Kumabe, Yasuhiro Nakai, Satoshi Niwa, Shotaro Fukuda, Masayoshi Takeda, Hiroyuki Kodama
  • Patent number: 8190347
    Abstract: A control apparatus controlling anteroposterior acceleration of a vehicle by controlling a motive power generation apparatus mounted on the vehicle, which is also provided with a staged transmission apparatus that operates on gear ratios. The motive power generation apparatus has an output shaft producing a rotation force in response to a command to be requested. The rotation force is transmitted to the drive wheels via the staged transmission apparatus. A feedback manipulated variable is calculated to control the production of the rotation force of the motive power generation apparatus so that an actual value of anteroposterior acceleration of the vehicle is controlled at a target value thereof. The calculated feedback manipulated variable is used as the command. When the staged transmission apparatus is in the switchover control of the gear ratios, the manipulated variable is is limited from being calculated (for example, stopped from being calculated).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Shotaro Fukuda, Satoshi Niwa, Hajime Kumabe, Shintaro Osaki, Kazunori Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 8019520
    Abstract: A vehicle drive control device includes an initially determined request acceleration calculation means for calculating an initially determined request acceleration, an automatic drive control means for receiving the initially determined request acceleration and applying a predetermined torque to each wheel, a torque calculation means for calculating an allowable torque not causing a slip at each wheel when the allowable torque is applied thereto, on the basis of a vertical load applied to thereto and a friction coefficient of a road surface, a limit acceleration calculation means for calculating a limit acceleration acting on the vehicle in a case where the calculated allowable torque is applied to each wheel, and a request acceleration determination means for obtaining a request acceleration on the basis of the limit acceleration and the initially determined request acceleration, and for outputting the request acceleration, replacing the initially determined request acceleration, to the automatic drive contr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Osaki, Hiroyuki Kodama, Masayoshi Takeda, Kazunori Kadowaki, Yasuhiro Nakai, Hajime Kumabe, Shotaro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20110160974
    Abstract: A vehicle stop control device is provided. The device is configured to perform a stop control for stopping a vehicle by adjusting a braking force for wheels and includes a target deceleration setting unit which sets a target deceleration as a target for stopping the vehicle so as to have a smaller value as a vehicle body velocity comes closer to zero, a deceleration obtaining unit which obtains a vehicle body deceleration of the vehicle, a control unit which performs the stop control of setting the braking force to have a smaller value as a subtraction value obtained by subtracting the target deceleration from the vehicle body deceleration is greater, and causing the set braking force to be applied to the wheels; and a determining unit which determines that a road surface is an ascent road when the braking force set by the control unit is zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shotaro FUKUDA, Yukio Mori