Patents by Inventor Takeshi Nanami

Takeshi Nanami 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: 11467277
    Abstract: An object recognition apparatus groups reflection points detected by a radar device, and recognizes an object around the own vehicle, based on a radar-based target detected using the grouped plurality of reflection points and an image-based target detected using an image captured by an image capturing device. The object recognition apparatus includes a reflection point acquiring unit that acquires reflection point information related to the grouped plurality of reflection points, and an object determining unit that determines that a plurality of objects have been detected as a single object by the radar device, based on the reflection point information acquired by the reflection point acquiring unit and the information on the image-based target, if the image-based target detected by the imaging device includes an image-only target not detected by the radar device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Masui, Tadashi Sakai, Takashi Maeda, Takeshi Nanami, Minoru Nakadori
  • Patent number: 11346922
    Abstract: An object recognition device recognizes an object around the own vehicle by using a radar device and an imaging device. The object recognition apparatus includes: information combining unit that generates combined target information by combining radar-based target information with image-based target information if the object is being detected by the radar device and the imaging device, the radar-based target information being information on an object detected by the radar device, the image-based target information being information on an object detected by the imaging device; and an identical object determining unit that determines that an object detected by the imaging device is identical with an object detected by the radar device, based on time-dependent change of the combined target information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Masui, Tadashi Sakai, Takashi Maeda, Takeshi Nanami, Minoru Nakadori
  • Patent number: 11086011
    Abstract: A target detection device mounted in a vehicle includes: a radar specification unit; a same target determination unit; and an image specification unit that specifies, as image target position information, an image detection region of an image detection target detected on the basis of a captured image, the image detection region representing the position of the image detection target relative to the base point on an XY-plane with the X-axis representing the vehicle width direction of the vehicle and the Y-axis representing the vehicle length direction of the vehicle. The image specification unit sets the Y-axis range of the image detection region in the Y-axis direction on the basis of the bearing from the base point to each of the two X-directional ends of the image detection target in the captured image and of an expected width minimum value and an expected width maximum value in the X-axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi Sakai, Yohei Masui, Ryoma Niihara, Takashi Maeda, Takeshi Nanami, Minoru Nakadori
  • Patent number: 11021155
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus performs during-following control in which, when a direction indicator of an own vehicle is operated during traveling in which a preceding vehicle is followed, the own vehicle is accelerated in conjunction with the operation of the direction indicator. An adjacent vehicle selecting unit selects, from other vehicles present ahead of the own vehicle, an adjacent vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a traveling lane of the own vehicle based on a lateral position that is a relative position relative to the own vehicle in a direction orthogonal to a travelling direction of the own vehicle and a relative distance to the own vehicle in the travelling direction. An acceleration control unit performs acceleration of the own vehicle by the during-following control based on whether or not the adjacent vehicle is selected when the direction indicator is operated during following-traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Takuma Sudo, Takashi Maeda, Takeshi Nanami, Minoru Nakadori
  • Publication number: 20200300969
    Abstract: An object recognition device recognizes an object around the own vehicle by using a radar device and an imaging device. The object recognition apparatus includes: information combining unit that generates combined target information by combining radar-based target information with image-based target information if the object is being detected by the radar device and the imaging device, the radar-based target information being information on an object detected by the radar device, the image-based target information being information on an object detected by the imaging device; and an identical object determining unit that determines that an object detected by the imaging device is identical with an object detected by the radar device, based on time-dependent change of the combined target information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Yohei MASUI, Tadashi SAKAI, Takashi MAEDA, Takeshi NANAMI, Minoru NAKADORI
  • Patent number: 10780884
    Abstract: A cruise control apparatus controls the traveling of an own vehicle on the basis of the predicted route which is a predicted value of the travel route of an own vehicle. The cruise control apparatus compares the moving locus of the preceding vehicle with the position of a stationary object provided along the road to determine whether or not a moving locus is along the shape of the road. The moving locus is validated when it is determined that the moving locus is along the shape of the road, and the moving locus is invalidated when it is determined that the moving locus is not along the shape of the road, and the predicted route of the vehicle is calculated on the basis of the validated moving locus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10611240
    Abstract: A cruise control apparatus controls travel of an own vehicle based on a predicted course which is a future travel course of the own vehicle. The cruise control apparatus includes a first predicted course calculating unit and a second predicted course calculating unit, as a plurality of course prediction means for calculating a predicted course, and is provided with a course change determination unit for determining whether a change in the course is to be performed and a prediction switching unit which performs switching to enable one of a first predicted course calculated by the first predicted course calculating unit and a second predicted course calculated by the second predicted course calculation unit, the switching being based on a result of determination made by the course change determination unit as to whether a change in the course is to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Toyoharu Katsukura, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10486698
    Abstract: A cruise control device 10 includes a cutting-in/deviation determination unit 12 for performing cutting-in determination and deviation determination of another vehicle. The cutting-in/deviation determination unit 12 calculates a lateral position that is a position in a vehicle width direction of a forward vehicle 51 traveling ahead of an own vehicle 50, and determines the forward vehicle 51 traveling on an adjacent lane 64 to be a cutting-in vehicle into an own lane 63 and determines the forward vehicle 51 traveling on the own lane 63 to be a deviating vehicle from the own lane 63 on the basis of the calculated lateral position. The cutting-in/deviation determination unit 12 determines whether or not the own vehicle 50 is in a predetermined own vehicle turning state that is either one of a state before starting a turn or a state of turning, and determines permission of performing of cutting-in determination and deviation determination of the other vehicle on the basis of the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10471961
    Abstract: A cruise control device has a white line recognition unit recognizing a white line defining a lane having the own vehicle, based on an image captured by an image capturing device and a lane entering and leaving determination unit carrying out lane entering determination and lane leaving determination of the own vehicle with respect to a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle based on the relative position of the own vehicle in the vehicle width direction with respect to the white line. In the lane entering determination and lane leaving determination, a preceding vehicle on the lane to which the own vehicle is moving is determined to be an entering lane vehicle whose lane the own vehicle is entering, and a preceding vehicle on the lane from which the own vehicle is moving is determined to be a leaving lane vehicle whose lane the own vehicle is leaving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Yusuke Matsumoto, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10427689
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus mounted to an own vehicle to control the own vehicle according to the position of other vehicle ahead of the own vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a setting means setting a parameter indicating whether the other vehicle is in the path of the own vehicle, based on the position of the other vehicle relative to the own vehicle in a lateral direction perpendicular to the path of the own vehicle, a determining means determining whether the other vehicle is in the path of the own vehicle, based on the parameter, an acquisition means acquiring a lane width that is the width of the lane the own vehicle is traveling, and an adjustment means changing the correspondence between the relative position and the parameter, based on the lane width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Youhei Masui, Taku Sakima, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Publication number: 20190293758
    Abstract: An object recognition apparatus groups reflection points detected by a radar device, and recognizes an object around the own vehicle, based on a radar-based target detected using the grouped plurality of reflection points and an image-based target detected using an image captured by an image capturing device. The object recognition apparatus includes a reflection point acquiring unit that acquires reflection point information related to the grouped plurality of reflection points, and an object determining unit that determines that a plurality of objects have been detected as a single object by the radar device, based on the reflection point information acquired by the reflection point acquiring unit and the information on the image-based target, if the image-based target detected by the imaging device includes an image-only target not detected by the radar device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Yohei MASUI, Tadashi SAKAI, Takashi MAEDA, Takeshi NANAMI, Minoru NAKADORI
  • Publication number: 20190293787
    Abstract: A target detection device mounted in a vehicle includes: a radar specification unit; a same target determination unit; and an image specification unit that specifies, as image target position information, an image detection region of an image detection target detected on the basis of a captured image, the image detection region representing the position of the image detection target relative to the base point on an XY-plane with the X-axis representing the vehicle width direction of the vehicle and the Y-axis representing the vehicle length direction of the vehicle. The image specification unit sets the Y-axis range of the image detection region in the Y-axis direction on the basis of the bearing from the base point to each of the two X-directional ends of the image detection target in the captured image and of an expected width minimum value and an expected width maximum value in the X-axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Tadashi SAKAI, Yohei MASUI, Ryoma NIIHARA, Takashi MAEDA, Takeshi NANAMI, Minoru NAKADORI
  • Patent number: 10423161
    Abstract: A predicted course estimating apparatus for estimating a predicted course of the own vehicle, includes: a data acquiring means for acquiring turning data that indicates a turning direction of the own vehicle; a filtering means for removing a high-frequency component that is included in the turning data; a course predicting means for calculating an estimated value for course prediction of the own vehicle, based on the turning data that has been filtered and a speed of the own vehicle; a determining means for determining whether the own vehicle is traveling a part of a road where the shape changes; and a characteristics changing means for changing the extent of removing of the high-frequency component by the filtering means when it is determined that the own vehicle is traveling a part of the road where the shape changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Taku Sakima, Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10407066
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus mounted to an own vehicle to control the own vehicle according to a position of other vehicle ahead of the own vehicle is provided. The device includes a setting means setting a parameter indicating a position of the other vehicle relative to the own vehicle in a lateral direction perpendicular to the path of the own vehicle, a determination means determining whether the other vehicle is in the path of the own vehicle based on the parameter, a detection means detecting whether a relative movement has been made in the lateral direction by at least one of the own vehicle and the other vehicle, and a correction means correcting the parameter when a relative movement has been made in the lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Youhei Masui, Taku Sakima, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10392015
    Abstract: A vehicle control device mounted on the own vehicle and configured to control the own vehicle according to the position of another vehicle ahead of the own vehicle. The vehicle control device comprises an estimated course calculation means calculating an estimated course of the own vehicle; a setting means setting a parameter indicating whether the other vehicle is in the path of the own vehicle based on the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle in a lateral direction orthogonal to the estimated course of the own vehicle; a determination means determining whether the other vehicle is a leading vehicle in the path of the own vehicle based on the parameter; and a changing means changing the likelihood of being determined as the leading vehicle when the estimated course is a curve, based on the estimated course and the position of the other vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jin Kurumisawa, Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10384681
    Abstract: A cruise control device 10 is applied to a vehicle in which an imaging device 21 is mounted. The cruise control device 10 includes: a white line recognition unit 11 which recognizes a white line 61 as a lane boundary that defines an own lane 63 that is a travel lane of an own vehicle 50, on the basis of images acquired by the imaging device 21; and a cutting-in/deviation determination unit 12 which performs cutting-in determination and deviation determination, in which the forward vehicle traveling on an adjacent lane 64 is determined to be a cutting-in vehicle that cuts into the own lane, and the forward vehicle traveling on the own lane is determined to be a deviating vehicle that deviates from the own lane on the basis of a relative position with respect to the white line in a vehicle width direction of a forward vehicle 51.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10380424
    Abstract: Provided is an object detection device (13) using a detection means (11) to transmit probe waves, receive reflected waves from an object (50) in a detection range, and acquire, as first detection information on the object, a position based on the reflected waves, to detect the object. The device includes an image information acquisition means, determination region setting means, and an object locating means. The image information acquisition means acquires, as second detection information on the object, a position based on an image of an area within the detection range, the image being captured by an image capturing means (12). The determination region setting means sets a determination region in the detection range. The object locating means locates the object, based on the first detection information, if pieces of the first and second detection information are present in the determination region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Youhei Masui, Taku Sakima, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10350999
    Abstract: A cruise control apparatus, mounted to a vehicle, controls traveling of the own vehicle, based on a predicted course, which is a future course of the own vehicle. The cruise control apparatus includes a preceding vehicle position storage unit, a course prediction computation unit, and a cancellation determination section. The preceding vehicle position storage unit chronologically stores a preceding vehicle position, which is a position of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle. The predicted course computation unit calculates a predicted course, based on the trajectory of the preceding vehicle position. The cancellation determination section cancels the preceding vehicle position stored in the preceding vehicle position storage unit when it has been determined that either the own vehicle or the preceding vehicle is in a situation where the own vehicle or the preceding vehicle is likely to depart from the current course.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10343696
    Abstract: Travel control of vehicle is performed in a state where the axis deviation of radar device has occurred, is avoided. A travel control restriction-use ECU is for restricting or prohibiting execution of travel control of vehicle based on detection result obtained by radar device, travel control restriction-use ECU includes a determining unit configured to determine whether an axis deviation has occurred in the radar device based on detection result obtained by radar device, when detection device, which is configured to detect switch on operation and switch off operation with respect to activation switch of vehicle, detects switch on operation with respect to activation switch of vehicle; and restricting unit configured to restrict or prohibit execution of travel control, during period from when switch on operation is performed with respect to activation switch of vehicle to when determination of whether axis deviation has occurred is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Nishida, Takeshi Nanami, Youhei Masui, Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Toyoharu Katsukura
  • Patent number: 10345443
    Abstract: A radar device for detecting a distance between vehicles by the transmission and reception of survey waves is mounted in a vehicle as an object detection means for detecting an object. A cruise control apparatus includes a trajectory calculation means for calculating a moving locus of a preceding vehicle traveling in front of an own vehicle on the basis of the detection result of the radar device, a route prediction means for calculating a predicted route of the vehicle on the basis of the moving locus of the preceding vehicle calculated by the trajectory calculation means, an axial deviation detection means for detecting the axial deviation of the radar device, and an invalidation processing means for invalidating the predicted route calculated by the route prediction means when it is detected that the axial deviation detection means has detected axial deviation of the radar device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida