Patents by Inventor Tomohiko Tsuruta

Tomohiko Tsuruta 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: 10446034
    Abstract: The driving support system detects an object existing around an own vehicle. The driving support system 1 predicts a position of a movement destination of the detected object. The driving support system sets a region having a predetermined width at each of an X coordinate and a Y coordinate as a tracking region to be set for tracking the object, based on an XY coordinate of the position of the predicted movement destination of the object. The driving support system limits the tracking region, based on a tracking exclusion region where objects unsuitable as tracking targets may be detected with high probability. At that time, the driving support system limits the tracking region by excluding the tracking exclusion region from the tracking region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Akamine, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Yasuyuki Miyake
  • Patent number: 10134282
    Abstract: A tracking control apparatus for tracking a preceding vehicle includes information acquiring unit for acquiring information about surrounding the own vehicle, preceding vehicle determining unit for determining the preceding vehicle running ahead of the own vehicle, control unit controls the tracking control to be maintained or released, and turn signal determining unit for determining whether or not a turn signal of a turn signal unit of the preceding vehicle is active. The control unit maintains or releases the tracking control by determining the surrounding of the own vehicle concerning a traffic lane change by the preceding vehicle based on the information acquired by the information acquiring unit, when the turn signal determining unit determines that the turn signal of the turn signal unit is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Tsuruta, Motonori Tominaga, Yusuke Ueda, Takeshi Hatoh
  • Publication number: 20180211536
    Abstract: The driving support system detects an object existing around an own vehicle. The driving support system 1 predicts a position of a movement destination of the detected object. The driving support system sets a region having a predetermined width at each of an X coordinate and a Y coordinate as a tracking region to be set for tracking the object, based on an XY coordinate of the position of the predicted movement destination of the object. The driving support system limits the tracking region, based on a tracking exclusion region where objects unsuitable as tracking targets may be detected with high probability. At that time, the driving support system limits the tracking region by excluding the tracking exclusion region from the tracking region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Yusuke Akamine, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Yasuyuki Miyake
  • Publication number: 20180096210
    Abstract: A driving area recognition device has an image acquiring section for acquiring image data transmitted from an in-vehicle monocular camera and an extraction section for extracting, from the acquired image data, edge points in boundary parts arranged at both the right side and the left side of a driving area of a vehicle. The device further has a setting section for setting plural provisional areas as candidates of the driving area so that at least a part of each of the plural provisional areas is overlapped together, a calculation section for calculating the number of edge points in each of the plural provisional areas, and a recognition section for recognizing the driving area based on the plural provisional areas and the number of edge points in each of the plural provisional areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Shunsuke SUZUKI, Tomohiko TSURUTA, Naoki KAWASAKI
  • Patent number: 9934441
    Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing lane partition lines on opposite sides of a traveling lane of a vehicle based on a forward image captured by a camera mounted in the vehicle. In the apparatus, an allowable range limiter is configured to, based on a learned value of a lane width learned by a lane width learner, limit allowable ranges for the respective lane partition lines, where in the allowable ranges the respective lane partition lines are allowed to be detected in the forward image. A lane change determiner is configured to determine whether or not there is a lane change made by the vehicle. The allowable range limiter is further configured to, if it is determined by the lane change determiner that there is a lane change, enlarge at least one of the allowable ranges limited by the allowable range limiter based on the learned value of the lane width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20180005051
    Abstract: In a travel road shape recognition apparatus, a first travel road shape, which approximates a shape of a road boundary, is calculated based on feature points indicating the travel road boundary in a captured image. A worsening position, which is a position on the calculated first travel road shape at which a degree of coincidence with the feature points worsens, is detected over an area from near to far from an own vehicle. A second travel road shape, which approximates a shape of the road boundary in an area farther from the own vehicle, beyond the worsening position, is calculated. The road boundary in the area nearer to the own vehicle, up to the worsening position, is recognized from the first travel road shape. The road boundary in the area farther from the own vehicle, beyond the worsening position, is recognized from the second travel road shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Tomohiko TSURUTA, Naoki KAWASAKI, Shunsuke SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20170357863
    Abstract: In an object detection apparatus and an object detection method, as first and second images, captured images of an area ahead of a vehicle in a vehicle advancing direction are acquired from first and second imaging units provided in the vehicle. Based on the first and second images, whether or not an object is present in a blind spot ahead of the vehicle in the vehicle advancing direction is determined. When the object is determined to be present in the blind spot, the first and second images are held in time series. As first and second image differences, differences in a feature quantity between a previous image and a current image in the first and second images are acquired. Based on the first and second image differences, whether or not the object is approaching the area ahead of the vehicle is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Tomohiko TSURUTA, Naoki KAWASAKI, Kazuhisa ISHIMARU, Noriaki SHIRAI, Hirotake ISHIGAMI
  • Patent number: 9796378
    Abstract: When a travel path is to be generated for a vehicle, road surface lines (white lines, etc.) delimiting the traffic lane of the vehicle, and also external objects in the vehicle environment, are detected and registered as respective obstacles. Specific points are defined at appropriate locations on each obstacle, and the travel path is generated by connecting respective mid-point positions between opposed pairs of specific points, each pair defined on respective ones of an opposed (left-side, right-side) pair of the registered obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Tsuruta, Yusuke Ueda, Takeshi Hatoh, Takayuki Kondoh, Naoya Inoue, Hossein Tehrani Niknejad, Seiichi Mita
  • Patent number: 9792508
    Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing lane partition lines on opposite sides of a traveling lane in a processing area of a forward image captured by a camera mounted in a vehicle. In the apparatus, a lane change determiner is configured to determine whether or not there is a lane change made by the vehicle. A processing area changer is configured to, while it is determined by the lane change determiner that there is a lane change, change the processing area from a predefined processing area to a processing area that can accommodate the lane change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9688275
    Abstract: A travel lane marking probability calculating unit calculates a travel lane marking probability of each of travel lane marking candidates based on a calculation condition. A travel lane marking recognizing unit recognizes, as a travel lane marking, a travel lane marking candidate having a travel lane marking probability that is a threshold value or higher, among the travel lane marking candidates. A lane change detecting unit detects that an own vehicle is in the midst of a lane change. When the own vehicle is in the midst of a lane change, a condition changing unit changes the calculation condition to allow the travel lane marking probability to be more easily increased compared to when the own vehicle is not in the midst of a lane change, or changes the threshold value to be lower than that when the own vehicle is not in the midst of a lane change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki, Tatsuru Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 9669829
    Abstract: An on-board camera captures an image of a travel lane ahead of an own vehicle. At least one state acquisition apparatus acquires an acquired value indicating a state of the own vehicle. A travel lane marking recognition system recognizes a travel lane marking that demarcates the travel lane from an image captured by the on-board camera. The travel lane marking recognition system sets a reliability level of the recognized travel lane marking based on the acquired value of the at least one state acquisition apparatus. When the reliability level is higher than a first predetermined threshold, the travel lane marking recognition system performs driving control of the own vehicle based on the recognized travel lane marking. When the reliability level is lower than the first predetermined threshold, the travel lane marking recognition system performs a deviation warning of deviation from the travel lane based on the recognized travel lane marking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Shimomura, Shunsuke Suzuki, Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta
  • Patent number: 9594965
    Abstract: In a lane boundary line recognition device, a calculation section calculates a degree of uncertainty which affects a correct recognition of white lines on a roadway of a vehicle. A learning section updates a learning value of the degree of uncertainty. A recognition suppression section suppresses execution of a recognition process of recognizing white lines on the roadway when the updated learning value is more than a threshold value. An environment change judgment section judges whether or not a road environment has changed. A learning resetting section resets the learning value of the degree of uncertainty to a previous learning value when the detection result of the environment change judgment section indicates an occurrence of change of the road environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Akamine, Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9460352
    Abstract: In a lane boundary line recognition device, an extraction unit extracts lane boundary line candidates from image acquired by an in-vehicle camera. A position estimation unit estimates a position of each lane boundary line based on drive lane information containing a number of drive lanes on a roadway and a width of each drive lane when (a) and (b) are satisfied, (a) when an own vehicle drives on an own vehicle lane specified by the drive lane specifying unit, and (b) when the lane boundary line candidate corresponds to lane boundary lines of the own vehicle lane. A likelihood calculation unit increases a likelihood of the lane boundary line candidate when a distance between a position of the lane boundary line candidate and an estimated position of the lane boundary line candidate obtained by the drive lane boundary line position estimation unit is within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki, Naoki Kawasaki, Osamu Shimomura
  • Patent number: 9403555
    Abstract: A selection track setting section in a driving route generation device determines as a selected track a track of a preceding vehicle when a detection section and a track generation section detects a track of the preceding vehicle which is running on the same driving lane of a host vehicle. A candidate track selection section outputs as a candidate track one of tracks of front vehicles, detected by the detection section and the track generation section, other than the track of the preceding vehicle. A switching selection section switches as the selected track from the track of the preceding vehicle to the candidate track when a detection of the track of the preceding vehicle is interrupted during a predetermined detection period. An estimate route generation section generates an estimated driving route of the host vehicle on the bass of the selected track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Ueda, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Takeshi Hatoh, Takayuki Kondoh, Naoya Inoue
  • Publication number: 20160188984
    Abstract: A lane partition line recognition apparatus for recognizing left-side and right-side lane partition lines of a traveling lane of a roadway in which a vehicle carrying the apparatus is traveling based on a forward image captured by a vehicle-mounted camera. The apparatus includes an offset detector configured to detect an offset amount indicative of a positional relationship between each of the left-side and right-side recognized lane partition lines and the vehicle and a predictor configured to, if only one of the left and right lane partition lines of the traveling lane of the subject vehicle is recognized, stochastically predict a position of the unrecognized one of the left and right lane partition lines based on the offset amount detected by the offset detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Taiki Kawano, Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9352774
    Abstract: A vehicle driving assistance apparatus mounted in a vehicle. In the apparatus, a drivable route detection unit detects a drivable route, a vehicle state quantity detection unit detects state quantities of the vehicle, and a steering control unit controls steering of the vehicle. Further, in the apparatus, an allowable region estimation unit estimates a driving allowable region on the basis of the detected state quantities and a predetermined allowable range of behavior of the vehicle. A deviation determination unit determines that the vehicle will deviate from the drivable route when a minimum width of an overlap region of the drivable route and the driving allowable region is less than a predetermined threshold. An intervention instruction unit then outputs to the steering control unit an intervention control signal to control steering of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Ueda, Motonori Tominaga, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Takeshi Hatoh
  • Publication number: 20160148059
    Abstract: A travel lane marking recognition apparatus includes a recognizing unit that is mounted to a vehicle. The recognizing unit uses a recognition model to recognize a lane marking that demarcates a lane on a road, based on an image of an area ahead of the vehicle captured by an on-board camera. The recognition model is configured by a plurality of recognition models that includes at least two recognition models among a first-order model that takes into consideration a straight line, a second-order model that takes into consideration a steady curve, and a third-order model that takes into consideration a clothoid curve. The recognizing unit is configured to recognize the lane marking by integrating recognition results acquired using the plurality of recognition models based on a state of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Taiki Kawano, Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20160137202
    Abstract: A travel lane marking probability calculating unit calculates a travel lane marking probability of each of travel lane marking candidates based on a calculation condition. A travel lane marking recognizing unit recognizes, as a travel lane marking, a travel lane marking candidate having a travel lane marking probability that is a threshold value or higher, among the travel lane marking candidates. A lane change detecting unit detects that an own vehicle is in the midst of a lane change. When the own vehicle is in the midst of a lane change, a condition changing unit changes the calculation condition to allow the travel lane marking probability to be more easily increased compared to when the own vehicle is not in the midst of a lane change, or changes the threshold value to be lower than that when the own vehicle is not in the midst of a lane change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki, Tatsuru Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20160121889
    Abstract: An on-board camera captures an image of a travel lane ahead of an own vehicle. At least one state acquisition apparatus acquires an acquired value indicating a state of the own vehicle. A travel lane marking recognition system recognizes a travel lane marking that demarcates the travel lane from an image captured by the on-board camera. The travel lane marking recognition system sets a reliability level of the recognized travel lane marking based on the acquired value of the at least one state acquisition apparatus. When the reliability level is higher than a first predetermined threshold, the travel lane marking recognition system performs driving control of the own vehicle based on the recognized travel lane marking. When the reliability level is lower than the first predetermined threshold, the travel lane marking recognition system performs a deviation warning of deviation from the travel lane based on the recognized travel lane marking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Osamu Shimomura, Shunsuke Suzuki, Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta
  • Publication number: 20160110616
    Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing lane partition lines on opposite sides of a traveling lane in a processing area of a forward image captured by a camera mounted in a vehicle. In the apparatus, a lane change determiner is configured to determine whether or not there is a lane change made by the vehicle. A processing area changer is configured to, while it is determined by the lane change determiner that there is a lane change, change the processing area from a predefined processing area to a processing area that can accommodate the lane change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Naoki Kawasaki, Tomohiko Tsuruta, Shunsuke Suzuki