Patents by Inventor Tomohiko Nagao

Tomohiko Nagao 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: 11921516
    Abstract: Provided is a driving assistance system using a magnetic marker capable of providing more pieces of information. In the driving assistance system for assisting driving of a vehicle, a magnetic marker (1) including a magnet sheet (11) serving as a magnetism generating unit which generates a magnetic field and also an RFID tag (15) as an information providing unit which provides information to a vehicle side is laid on a travelling road of the vehicle, and the vehicle includes a magnetic sensor serving as a magnetism detecting unit which magnetically detects the magnetic marker (1) and also a tag reader as an information acquiring unit which acquires the information provided by the RFID tag (15) included in the magnetic marker (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11875675
    Abstract: A vehicle including a magnetic detecting part for detecting a magnetic marker disposed in a road is configured to acquire marker state information indicating the state of the magnetic marker from an external server apparatus via wireless communication and diagnose the state of the magnetic detecting part by using a result of detection of the magnetic marker in which the state of the magnetic marker indicated by the marker state information is good, thereby allowing inspection cost and cost of maintenance of the magnetic detecting part for detecting the magnetic marker to be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20240011231
    Abstract: A work system (1) including a work vehicle (11) which, as moving on a road (1R) where magnetic markers (10) are laid, detects the magnetic marker (10) to conduct work of preparation, maintenance, or management of the road (1R) has a control unit (13) which identifies a relative position of the work vehicle (11) with respect to the magnetic marker (10) and identifies a point to be worked on by the work vehicle (11) based on the relative position. With the work vehicle (11) conducting work at the point identified by the control unit (13), work regarding the traveling road where the magnetic markers are laid can be efficiently conducted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20240010189
    Abstract: An automatic parking system which controls a vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to be moved to a parking place and accommodated in a parking frame provided in the parking place includes a route where magnetic marker is laid so as to be detectable by using a magnetic sensor array provided to the vehicle, RFID tag providing tag information capable of identifying laying position of the magnetic marker, and a control server device which identifies a vehicle position based on the laying positions of the magnetic markers, allowing highly-accurate identification of the position of the vehicle to be forwarded and allowing operation with high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 11862014
    Abstract: In a magnetic marker system including a magnetic marker disposed in a travel environment so as to be detectable by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle and a server apparatus which acquires detection information of the magnetic marker from each vehicle, the detection information uploaded from a vehicle side to the server apparatus includes marker information, which is identification information of a corresponding magnetic marker, and the server apparatus estimates the state of the magnetic marker based on the detection information from each vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11808000
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped magnetic marker to be laid on a road surface so as to be able to be detected by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle to achieve assist for driving operation of the vehicle by a driver or control on a vehicle side to achieve automatic driving independently from operation of the driver has a magnet sheet (11) as a magnetism generation source and a wireless tag (2) which outputs information via wireless communication to the vehicle side. In the magnetic marker, the wireless tag (2) is interposed between a sheet (11A) and a sheet (11B) configuring the magnet sheet (11), and the entire wireless tag (2) is accommodated inside the magnet sheet (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Masaaki Nakada, Ryota Fujimura
  • Patent number: 11801827
    Abstract: An automatic parking system which controls a vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to be moved to a parking place and accommodated in a parking frame provided in the parking place includes a route where magnetic marker is laid so as to be detectable by using a magnetic sensor array provided to the vehicle, RFID tag providing tag information capable of identifying laying position of the magnetic marker, and a control server device which identifies a vehicle position based on the laying positions of the magnetic markers, allowing highly-accurate identification of the position of the vehicle to be forwarded and allowing operation with high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20230271630
    Abstract: In an operation system (1) for a bus (5) including a connection point database which stores identification information of a magnetic marker (10) positioned so as to correspond to a connection point (13) between a dedicated lane (111) having magnetic markers (10) laid thereon and a general lane (112), the connection point (13) is set so as to correspond to the magnetic marker (10) according to identification information stored in a connection point database, thereby allowing flexibility in changing a route to be improved in the operation system which causes a vehicle to operate along a route defined in advance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230259140
    Abstract: In a vehicle-oriented system (1) for providing information to a vehicle (5) side by using an information providing area (11) provided on a plane where a vehicle (5) moves, a magnetic distribution indicating the information by a plurality of N-pole magnetic markers (10N) is formed in the information providing area (11), and a sign (100) for identifying a position and orientation of the information providing area (11) is provided in the information providing area (11). Therefore, information can be provided by a magnetic method irrespective of a forwarding direction of the vehicle (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20230250598
    Abstract: In a marker system (1) which includes a plurality of magnetic markers (10) disposed on a road surface for driving assist control of a vehicle (5) including automatic traveling control and in which a wireless tag is affixed to a partial magnetic marker (10A) of the plurality of magnetic markers (10), a sign (1M) for distinguishing between a partial magnetic marker (10A) with a wireless tag affixed thereto and another magnetic marker (10B) without a wireless tag affixed thereto is provided. Thus, it is possible to associate the detected magnetic marker (10) and the wireless tag as a transmission source of tag waves with each other with high reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Patent number: 11687088
    Abstract: A vehicular system where a vehicle moves in a traveling area in which magnetic markers are arranged so that magnetic polarities form a predetermined pattern and a wireless tag is annexed correspondingly to some of the magnetic markers, the wireless tag outputting, by wireless communication, tag information allowing a position of the magnetic marker to be identified, includes a first position identifying part which identifies a vehicle position where the vehicle is located based on the position of the magnetic marker identified by using the tag information and a second position identifying part which identifies, on a route after the vehicle passes over the magnetic marker serving as a reference when the first position identifying part identifies the vehicle position, a magnetic marker newly detected by the vehicle based on detection history of magnetic markers and identifies the vehicle position based on the position of the identified magnetic marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11631111
    Abstract: A driving support system including an information acquiring part which acquires, from a vehicle side detecting a magnetic marker laid in a road and capable of acquiring marker identification information for identifying the magnetic marker detected, upload information including the marker identification information, an information providing part which provides the vehicle side as a transmission source of the upload information with support information, a configuration which provides information acquisition right which is a right to receive the support information to the vehicle, and a transmission source management area for registering the identification information of the vehicle as a provision destination of the support information by recording the identification information of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Publication number: 20220412024
    Abstract: A sheet-shaped magnetic marker to be laid on a road surface so as to be able to be detected by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle to achieve assist for driving operation of the vehicle by a driver or control on a vehicle side to achieve automatic driving independently from operation of the driver has a magnet sheet (11) as a magnetism generation source and a wireless tag (2) which outputs information via wireless communication to the vehicle side. In the magnetic marker, the wireless tag (2) is interposed between a sheet (11A) and a sheet (11B) configuring the magnet sheet (11), and the entire wireless tag (2) is accommodated inside the magnet sheet (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Masaaki NAKADA, Ryota FUJIMURA
  • Publication number: 20220340202
    Abstract: A control system (1) for letting a vehicle travel by automatic steering is a system which includes a vehicle control part (112) which controls the vehicle so that a subject point set for the vehicle passes through a predetermined route, a subject-point selection processing part (113) which selects a subject point, and a subject-point updating processing part (114) which updates the subject point as a control subject as appropriate by setting the subject point newly selected by the subject-point selection processing part (113) as the control subject, and a highly-versatile system capable of automatic steering irrespective of the type of the vehicle or the shape of the route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu YAMAMOTO, Tomohiko NAGAO, Hitoshi AOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220316159
    Abstract: A magnetic marker is embedded in a road, and is configured to be detected by a magnetic sensor provided in a vehicle. The magnetic marker is provided with a case accommodating a magnet and a protective material covering the magnet, and an anchor that is provided protruding downward from the case and that is configured to expand in diameter in a state of being embedded in the road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro TASAKA, Keizo Fukushima, Toshiyasu Takakuwa, Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11454516
    Abstract: In a method of calibrating a gyro sensor mounted on a vehicle for measuring an angular velocity in a rotating direction generated about an axis of a vertical direction, a lateral shift amount detection process of detecting lateral shift amounts of the vehicle with respect to magnetic markers laid in a road, an azimuth estimation process of estimating, when the vehicle passes over a laying location where two magnetic markers are laid, an azimuth of the vehicle by a calculation process with the lateral shift amounts with respect to the two magnetic markers taken as input values, and a calibration process of calibrating the gyro sensor by using the azimuth of the vehicle estimated by the azimuth estimation process, are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11356822
    Abstract: Provided is a driving assistance system capable of providing more pieces of information to a vehicle side by using magnetic markers. A driving assistance system (1A) is a system including magnetic markers (1) laid on a travelling road so as to be magnetically detectable and also be able to provide code information to a vehicle side, a vehicle (5) configured to be able to magnetically detect the magnetic markers (1) and also read the code information, and a base station (6) configured to make a reply with corresponding information when receiving the code information from the vehicle (5) reading the code information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11347236
    Abstract: In a marker detection method in which a sensor unit (11) that includes a plurality of magnetic sensors arranged in a vehicle width direction is used to detect magnetic markers (10) laid in a road, a feature value that represent symmetry of magnetic distribution, which is the distribution of magnetic measurement values obtained by each magnetic sensor included in the sensor unit (11) is generated, and threshold process regarding the feature value is executed to determine the possibility of the presence of magnetic generation source other than magnetic marker (10), that causes disturbance, and hence to suppress erroneous detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama
  • Patent number: 11339543
    Abstract: An installation system has a laser range finder set at a reference position to measure a distance to a target, an installation cart which performs operation for laying a magnetic marker in a road, and an arithmetic unit which identifies a position relation of a laying position where the magnetic marker is laid with respect to the reference position. When operation for laying the magnetic marker in a road is performed, by taking the installation cart during performing the operation of laying the magnetic marker in the road as a target, based on a distance to the installation cart measured by the laser range finder, the position relation of the laying position with respect to the reference position is identified by the arithmetic unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama, Masayoshi Fujiya, Shin Takeuchi, Hideto Takeishi, Taizo Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11334087
    Abstract: In an installation method for laying magnetic markers (10) in a road for driving assist control on a vehicle side, a laying work vehicle (2) sequentially lays the magnetic markers (10) while moving along the road without performing a prior survey or the like of laying positions, and then by using a positioning work vehicle (3) including a magnetic sensor capable of detecting magnetism, the laid magnetic markers (10) are detected and the laying positions are identified to generate position data regarding the magnetic markers (10), thereby allowing reduction of cost of laying the magnetic markers (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Tomohiko Nagao, Hitoshi Aoyama