Patents by Inventor Youhei Masui

Youhei Masui 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: 20230271611
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is provided for a vehicle equipped with a high-accuracy sensor and a low-accuracy sensor to detect a preceding vehicle. The low-accuracy sensor is able to detect a distance to a preceding vehicle larger than a maximum distance to a preceding vehicle detectable by the high-accuracy sensor, and having low ranging accuracy. A control unit is configured to perform following control in which the vehicle is controlled so as not to collide with the preceding vehicle, using at least either of the first detection information derived from the high-accuracy sensor and the second detection information derived from the low-accuracy sensor, and further configured to, when performing the following control using only the second detection information, reduce a degree of change in vehicle control that is based on the second detection information, as compared to when performing the following control using the first detection information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Youhei MASUI, Naoki KUSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230174093
    Abstract: A driving assistance device includes: a stoppage factor determination unit configured to determine whether to clear a stoppage factor of the own vehicle,; an interfering object determination unit configured to determine whether an interfering object is present that interferes with the starting of the own vehicle, based on object information of another object that has not been recognized as the stoppage factor; and a notification determination unit configured to: set, as a condition for permitting the provision of a notification for prompting the starting of the own vehicle being stopped, a determination that the stoppage factor is cleared made by the stoppage factor determination unit, and suppress the provision of the notification in response to the interfering object determination unit determining that the interfering object is present even if the stoppage factor determination unit determines that the stoppage factor is cleared during stoppage of the own vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2023
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Tomohiko INOUE, Youhei MASUI, Hiroaki NIINO, Toshihiro MARUYAMA, Shota KUROKI
  • Publication number: 20220297671
    Abstract: A driver assistance device includes a processor. The processor is configured to: automatically decelerate an own vehicle in accordance with a relative relation between the own vehicle and a vehicle traveling ahead that is traveling forward of the own vehicle; change deceleration of the own vehicle by a first change amount, or a second change amount that is larger than the first change amount, when automatically decelerating the own vehicle; perform behavioral determination to estimate whether behavior of the own vehicle will become unstable when the own vehicle is automatically decelerated; and change the deceleration by the first change amount when automatically decelerating the own vehicle, when the behavior of the own vehicle is estimated to become unstable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Toshinori Okita, Yuki Kawasaki, Youhei Masui
  • Publication number: 20220289190
    Abstract: A driving assistance device includes a determination unit that determines whether a brake light of a preceding vehicle located in front of a vehicle is turned on, based on a lighting state of a headlight of the preceding vehicle and an acceleration/deceleration of the preceding vehicle, a calculation unit that calculates a target acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, based on a determination by the determination unit of whether the brake light of the preceding vehicle is turned on, and a control unit that controls the vehicle so that an acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle corresponds to the target acceleration/deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Tomohiko INOUE, Youhei MASUI, Hiroaki NIINO, Yuki TEZUKA, Naoki KUSUMOTO, Yuuji KOSAKA
  • Patent number: 11383710
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus performing an automatic driving of a vehicle includes: a vehicle information acquiring unit that acquires vehicle information related to a nearby vehicle; a setting unit that sets an intervehicle margin between the vehicle and the nearby vehicle by using the vehicle information, and determines a change timing of a travelling speed of the vehicle depending on the intervehicle margin; and a driving control unit that performs in a lane change operation, a control of changing the travelling speed of the vehicle at the change timing, and a control of an intervehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle of the vehicle after the lane change operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norio Tsuchida, Youhei Masui
  • Publication number: 20200339118
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus performing an automatic driving of a vehicle includes: a vehicle information acquiring unit that acquires vehicle information related to a nearby vehicle; a setting unit that sets an intervehicle margin between the vehicle and the nearby vehicle by using the vehicle information, and determines a change timing of a travelling speed of the vehicle depending on the intervehicle margin; and a driving control unit that performs in a lane change operation, a control of changing the travelling speed of the vehicle at the change timing, and a control of an intervehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle of the vehicle after the lane change operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Norio TSUCHIDA, Youhei MASUI
  • 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
  • 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: 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: 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
  • 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: 10339393
    Abstract: A demarcation line recognition apparatus is applied to a vehicle in which an imaging apparatus that captures an image of an area ahead of the vehicle is mounted. The demarcation line recognition apparatus includes: a demarcation line recognizing unit that recognizes a traveling demarcation line that demarcates a traveling lane of the vehicle based on an image acquired by the imaging apparatus; and a demarcation line estimating unit that estimates a shape of the traveling demarcation line in a range that cannot be recognized by the demarcation line recognizing unit, based on the traveling demarcation line recognized by the demarcation line recognizing unit. The demarcation line recognition apparatus determines a reliability level of the traveling demarcation line recognized by the demarcation line recognizing unit and invalidates the estimation of the shape of the traveling demarcation line by the demarcation line estimating unit based on the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura, Yoshihisa Ogata, Takeshi Nanami, Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 10176387
    Abstract: A road shape recognition apparatus is mounted in a vehicle. The road shape recognition apparatus acquires a road image, determines a road shape using the road image, recognizes the road shape based on the road image within a predetermined recognition range, and estimates the road shape outside of the recognition range based on the road shape within the recognition range. The road shape recognition apparatus estimates the road shape outside of the recognition range and within a first distance as a curved line of which a curvature change rate is constant, and the road shape farther than the first distance as a curved line of which a curvature is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Kawasaki, Youhei Masui, Toyoharu Katsukura