Patents by Inventor Takahiro Tochioka

Takahiro Tochioka 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: 20220371625
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus operates in various modes, e.g., a normal mode in which plural travel functions of a vehicle are controlled by plural driving functions of a driver; an automatic mode in which all driving functions are performed by the vehicle; an optimization mode in which, when a temporary reduction of driving performance of any of the plural driving functions of the driver is detected, physical stimulation and/or information that makes the driver recognize the temporary reduction of the driving performance is provided to the driver; and an assistance mode in which, when a chronic reduction of the driving performance of any of the plural driving functions of the driver is detected, information on assistance with execution of the driving performance is provided to the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro TOCHIOKA, Yasunori YAMAMOTO, Yohei IWASHITA, Yoshitaka FUJIHARA, Takashi SUGANO
  • Publication number: 20220005118
    Abstract: A virtual currency management device 50 is configured to: estimate a well-being value (WB value) as a mental activity level of a user A who participates in a give event E; store an amount of legal currency spent in the event E by the user A; generate virtual currency based on the estimated well-being value; store and manage the generated virtual currency in association with the user A; perform processing for selling the managed virtual currency to an investor I (third party), and buying out the virtual currency of the investor I; and set a conversion rate between the virtual currency and the legal currency to be used when the investor I buys or sells the virtual currency, such that the monetary value of the virtual currency increases relative to the legal currency as the stored amount of the legal currency is larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro TOCHIOKA
  • Patent number: 10713511
    Abstract: A recognition timing estimation device configured to estimate a timing of a driver's recognizing action related to a subsequent travel segment of a plurality of travel segments that constitute a traveling course of a vehicle, is provided. The device includes a processor configured to execute a traveling information acquiring module to acquire information related to a driving operation of a driver or the traveling course, a travel segment estimating module to estimate a pause between the travel segments based on the information acquired by the traveling information acquiring module, an eye detecting module to detect a behavior of a driver's eye, and a recognition timing estimating module to estimate the timing of the driver's recognizing action based on a temporal relationship between the pause between the travel segments estimated by the travel segment estimating module and the behavior of the eye detected by the eye detecting module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Yasutaka Kajiwara, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Patent number: 10676104
    Abstract: A driving assist device is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute an inference module to infer that a timing of a line-of-sight movement or blink detected by a camera near a predicted timing is a timing of a recognizing action of a driver for a subsequent travel segment of a plurality of travel segments that constitute a traveling course of a vehicle, an information providing module to provide the driver with assisting information for the subsequent travel segment before the timing of the recognizing action inferred by the inference module, and a providing timing changing module to change a providing timing of the assisting information according to a quantity of the assisting information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Yasutaka Kajiwara, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Patent number: 10668929
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes one or more processors configured to execute a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied to a plurality of drivers based on driving data of the drivers, an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a specific driver based on driving data of the driver, and an on-board controller provided in a vehicle operated by the driver. The individual driver model learning engine includes a vehicle control updating program configured to cause the on-board controller to update vehicle control processing based on the general and individual driver models. The vehicle control updating program acquires the driver models and, according to a given condition, determines a driver model based on which the vehicle control processing is updated, between the general and individual driver models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tochioka, Seiji Goto, Hideki Okano, Kazuhiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 10613531
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a control unit configured to perform a drive assistance control based on a balance state between a driver's required driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance which is provided to the driver by the vehicle, and a driver's current driving ability. The control unit includes a processor configured to execute a balance determining module to determine the balance state between the required driving ability and the current driving ability based on a physical quantity related to a driving operation by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Patent number: 10576989
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a vehicle driver based on driving data of the driver, and an on-board controller provided in a vehicle of the driver and configured to perform particular vehicle control processing. The individual driver model learning engine analyzes a current state of the driver based on the driving data, determines recommending processing that corresponds to the analyzed state based on the individual driver model, and instructs the on-board controller to perform the recommending processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Tochioka, Toshimi Okazaki, Jun Takemura
  • Patent number: 10562534
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's required driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's current driving ability, and a changing module to perform increase processing in which the required driving ability is increased when the current driving ability is higher than the required driving ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Patent number: 10558215
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's current driving ability, and a changing module to reduce the required driving ability by performing reduction processing in which comprehension of the traffic environment by the driver is facilitated when the current driving ability is lower than the required driving ability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Patent number: 10343694
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's current driving ability, and a changing module to perform reduction processing in which the required driving ability is reduced when the current driving ability is lower than the required driving ability, the required driving ability being reduced less in a case where the current driving ability is lower than a given threshold compared to a case where the current driving ability is equal to or higher than the given threshold, even when a difference between the required driving ability and the current driving ability is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Publication number: 20190161093
    Abstract: A driving assist device is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute an inference module to infer that a timing of a line-of-sight movement or blink detected by a camera near a predicted timing is a timing of a recognizing action of a driver for a subsequent travel segment of a plurality of travel segments that constitute a traveling course of a vehicle, an information providing module to provide the driver with assisting information for the subsequent travel segment before the timing of the recognizing action inferred by the inference module, and a providing timing changing module to change a providing timing of the assisting information according to a quantity of the assisting information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Yasutaka Kajiwara, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Publication number: 20190147276
    Abstract: A recognition timing estimation device configured to estimate a timing of a driver's recognizing action related to a subsequent travel segment of a plurality of travel segments that constitute a traveling course of a vehicle, is provided. The device includes a processor configured to execute a traveling information acquiring module to acquire information related to a driving operation of a driver or the traveling course, a travel segment estimating module to estimate a pause between the travel segments based on the information acquired by the traveling information acquiring module, an eye detecting module to detect a behavior of a driver's eye, and a recognition timing estimating module to estimate the timing of the driver's recognizing action based on a temporal relationship between the pause between the travel segments estimated by the travel segment estimating module and the behavior of the eye detected by the eye detecting module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Yasutaka Kajiwara, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Publication number: 20180281812
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes one or more processors configured to execute a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied to a plurality of drivers based on driving data of the drivers, an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a specific driver based on driving data of the driver, and an on-board controller provided in a vehicle operated by the driver. The individual driver model learning engine includes a vehicle control updating program configured to cause the on-board controller to update vehicle control processing based on the general and individual driver models. The vehicle control updating program acquires the driver models and, according to a given condition, determines a driver model based on which the vehicle control processing is updated, between the general and individual driver models.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takahiro Tochioka, Seiji Goto, Hideki Okano, Kazuhiro Ikeda
  • Publication number: 20180284766
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's current driving ability, and a changing module to reduce the required driving ability by performing reduction processing in which comprehension of the traffic environment by the driver is facilitated when the current driving ability is lower than the required driving ability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Publication number: 20180281809
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied for a plurality of vehicle drivers based on driving data of the plurality of drivers, and an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model particular to a specific vehicle driver based on the driving data of the specific driver received from a specific vehicle of the specific driver. The individual driver model learning engine includes a first synchronization engine configured to provide, to the general driver model learning engine, the driving data obtained by executing a first data conversion processing on the driving data of the specific driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takahiro Tochioka, Osamu Michihira, Naoyuki Hikida, Seiji Goto, Hideki Okano
  • Publication number: 20180281807
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's current driving ability, and a changing module to perform reduction processing in which the required driving ability is reduced when the current driving ability is lower than the required driving ability, the required driving ability being reduced less in a case where the current driving ability is lower than a given threshold compared to a case where the current driving ability is equal to or higher than the given threshold, even when a difference between the required driving ability and the current driving ability is constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Publication number: 20180281811
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a vehicle driver based on driving data of the driver, and an on-board controller provided in a vehicle of the driver and configured to perform particular vehicle control processing. The individual driver model learning engine analyzes a current state of the driver based on the driving data, determines recommending processing that corresponds to the analyzed state based on the individual driver model, and instructs the on-board controller to perform the recommending processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takahiro Tochioka, Toshimi Okazaki, Jun Takemura
  • Publication number: 20180281808
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a processor configured to execute a required driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's required driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance provided to the driver by the vehicle, a current driving ability estimating module to estimate a driver's current driving ability, and a changing module to perform increase processing in which the required driving ability is increased when the current driving ability is higher than the required driving ability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka
  • Publication number: 20180281810
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes one or more processors configured to execute a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied to a plurality of vehicle drivers based on driving data of the plurality of vehicle drivers, an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a specific driver based on driving data of the specific driver and the general driver model, and a vehicle control changing program configured to change vehicle control processing executed by a specific vehicle operated by the specific driver based at least on the individual driver model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takahiro Tochioka, Naoyuki Hikida, Osamu Michihira, Seiji Goto, Hideki Okano, Kazuhiro Ikeda, Satoshi Nakao, Hajime Matsunaga, Yoshiya Kubo, Yoshiharu Kuwagaki, Shigenori Doi, Hisayoshi Yoshikawa, Naoki Yamamoto, Masato Hayamizu
  • Publication number: 20180284767
    Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes a control unit configured to perform a drive assistance control based on a balance state between a driver's required driving ability required for driving a vehicle based on a traffic environment around the vehicle and drive assistance which is provided to the driver by the vehicle, and a driver's current driving ability. The control unit includes a processor configured to execute a balance determining module to determine the balance state between the required driving ability and the current driving ability based on a physical quantity related to a driving operation by the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Yuka Minegishi, Keiichi Tomii, Takahiro Tochioka