Patents by Inventor Yuki Minase

Yuki Minase 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: 11124182
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring apparatus obtains the position of an object from a captured image of a region in a heading direction of a vehicle, and obtains a position obtainment accuracy. When the distance between the object and the vehicle becomes relatively short, the position obtainment accuracy increases. However, the distance between the object and the vehicle becomes shorter, the position obtainment accuracy may decrease. Therefore, if collision avoidance control is performed for an object selected on the basis of the position obtainment accuracy, there is a possibility that the collision avoidance control is not performed for an object which is most likely to collide with the vehicle. In view of this, the apparatus obtains, for each object, a required deceleration which is the magnitude of acceleration necessary for stoppage at a position before the object, and performs the collision avoidance control for an object which is the largest in the required deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takagi, Yuki Minase
  • Publication number: 20210284140
    Abstract: Provided is an obstacle detecting unit that acquires a detection signal based on a distance between a vehicle and an obstacle around the vehicle; an image acquiring unit that acquires an image signal corresponding to an image around the vehicle; and a control unit that executes, based on the detection signal and the image signal, an automatic parking process detecting the parking space and parking the vehicle in the parking space. The control unit is configured to execute, when executing the automatic parking process, a fault handling process depending on a state of the automatic parking process in the case where a fault occurs in either the obstacle detecting unit or the image acquiring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshiki HAYAKAWA, Yuki MINASE, Motonari OHBAYASHI, Masumi FUKUMAN
  • Patent number: 11104355
    Abstract: A parking support apparatus determines whether or not a leaving condition becomes satisfied while the controller is executing the automatic parking control and the current shift range is at range other than a parking range, the leaving condition being a condition that is satisfied when the driver performs a leaving action. The parking support apparatus determines whether or not the vehicle has already reached the target parking area. The parking support apparatus generates a first alert having a first alerting capability, if the vehicle has already reached the target parking area when the leaving condition has been satisfied, and generates a second alert having a second alerting capability lower than the first alerting capability or no alerts, if the vehicle has not reached the target parking area yet when the leaving condition has been satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasutaka Matsunaga, Yuki Minase, Miyuki Omori, Toshihiro Takagi
  • Patent number: 11072367
    Abstract: Provided is a steering assist apparatus configured to perform a steering assist control for changing a steering angle of a vehicle in such a manner that the vehicle moves along a target path; determine whether a newly-detected object is a stationary object or a moving object; cancel the steering assist control and inform a driver that the steering assist control is cancelled when the newly-detected object is the stationary object and a cancel condition is satisfied; pause the steering assist control and inform the driver that the steering assist control is paused when the newly-detected object is the moving object and a pause condition is satisfied; and resume the steering assist control when a resume condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Ohtani, Shinya Sannodo, Yuki Minase
  • Publication number: 20210107460
    Abstract: Accuracy of acquired parking space information on a parking space having a target parking range set therein is increased when the parking space information is registered. A vehicle parking assist apparatus (10) has a registration mode for registering the information on the parking space having the target parking range set therein, and a plurality of vehicle speed modes having different travel speeds of a vehicle (100) during execution of parking travel processing. The plurality of vehicle speed modes include two or more vehicle speed modes, one of which is selectable by a user. When the registration mode is not selected, during the execution of the parking travel processing, the vehicle parking assist apparatus (10) causes the vehicle (100) to travel in the vehicle speed mode selected by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki MINASE, Takuya NAKAGAWA, Junji HORIGUCHI, Norio IMAI
  • Publication number: 20210107562
    Abstract: The parking assist apparatus comprises an imaging apparatus, a controller capable of performing parking assist control including registration mode and parking assist mode, and a door opening/closing sensor. The registration mode includes parking position setting processing for temporarily setting a parking position in a registration-planned-region, and parking position correction processing for registering a corrected parking position under a state where the vehicle is stopped in the parking position as a registered parking position in association with feature points already extracted from a captured image including the registration-planned-region. The parking assist mode includes parking assist processing for detecting the feature point(s) from a captured image and thereby calculating the registered parking position, and parking the vehicle in the registered parking position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junji HORIGUCHI, Yuki Minase, Takuya Nakagawa, Norio Imai
  • Publication number: 20210107463
    Abstract: The parking assist apparatus comprises a first vehicle stop apparatus operated for a purpose of stopping a vehicle, a controller configured to be capable of performing parking assist control for parking a vehicle in a parking position and to finish the parking assist control by performing control for instructing a driver of the vehicle to operate the first vehicle stop apparatus or by controlling the first vehicle stop apparatus, and a second vehicle stop apparatus operated for a purpose of stopping the vehicle. When it is determined while the parking assist control is being performed that there is a malfunction in an apparatus for detecting whether or not operation of the first vehicle stop apparatus has been performed, the controller is configured to finish the parking assist control by performing control for instructing the driver to operate the second vehicle stop apparatus or by controlling the second vehicle stop apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya NAKAGAWA, Yuki MINASE, Junji HORIGUCHI, Norio IMAI
  • Publication number: 20210107507
    Abstract: A parking support apparatus determines whether or not a leaving condition becomes satisfied while the controller is executing the automatic parking control and the current shift range is at range other than a parking range, the leaving condition being a condition that is satisfied when the driver performs a leaving action. The parking support apparatus determines whether or not the vehicle has already reached the target parking area. The parking support apparatus generates a first alert having a first alerting capability, if the vehicle has already reached the target parking area when the leaving condition has been satisfied, and generates a second alert having a second alerting capability lower than the first alerting capability or no alerts, if the vehicle has not reached the target parking area yet when the leaving condition has been satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasutaka MATSUNAGA, Yuki MINASE, Miyuki OMORI, Toshihiro TAKAGI
  • Publication number: 20210107564
    Abstract: A parking assistance apparatus obtains a target travelling route from a present position of a vehicle to a target parking position and controls the vehicle such that the vehicle moves along the target travelling route. The target travelling route is obtained such that the vehicle moves backward to reach the target parking position and the vehicle is moves in a region on the target parking position side of a travelling boundary line. The travelling boundary line is a straight line which is in front of the vehicle located at the target parking position and which is away from a reference position by a boundary distance. The reference position is a position at a front end and at a center in a lateral direction of the vehicle located at the target parking position. The boundary distance is a configurable value changed by a driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki MINASE, Takuya NAKAGAWA, Junji HORIGUCHI, Norio IMAI
  • Publication number: 20210107563
    Abstract: A parking assistance apparatus obtains a target travelling route from a present position of a vehicle to a target parking position when it is determined that a predetermined route obtaining condition is satisfied. In addition, the parking assistance apparatus executes a travelling assistance processing for controlling at least a steering angle of the vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the target travelling route when a predetermined assist starting condition is satisfied. The target travelling route is obtained such that a distance between the vehicle and the object is kept larger than the threshold distance while the vehicle travels along that target travelling route The threshold distance is stored in the parking assistance apparatus and a configurable value which can be changed by a driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Takuya Nakagawa, Junji Horiguchi, Satoshi Kozai, Norio Imai
  • Publication number: 20210107459
    Abstract: The vehicle parking assist system includes a parking assist ECU configured to set a first driving-force limit value during the execution of the parking assist control, and a drive ECU connected to the parking assist ECU for communication, and configured to control the driving force of the drive apparatus of the vehicle. While the drive ECU successfully receives the first driving-force limit value from the parking assist ECU, the drive ECU controls the driving force of the drive apparatus so that the driving force of the drive apparatus is prevented from exceeding the first driving-force limit value. When the communication abnormality has occurred, and a driver-request driving force directed to the drive apparatus becomes 0, the drive ECU controls the driving force of the drive apparatus so that the driving force of the drive apparatus thereafter is the driver-request driving force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TOJO, Yuki Minase
  • Publication number: 20200298839
    Abstract: A parking assistance device performs parking assistance control including steering angle control for changing a steering angle of a vehicle, driving force control for controlling a driving force of the vehicle, and braking force control for controlling a braking force of the vehicle. The parking assistance device notifies an occupant of a driving operation to be performed by the occupant, including a moving operation on a shift lever and an operation on a brake pedal when the vehicle reaches a switching position where a traveling direction of the vehicle is to be switched during performing the parking assistance control. When the driving operation is performed by the occupant, the parking assistance device restarts the parking assistance control at a timing when the occupant stops the operation on the brake pedal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kota Inoue, Yuki Minase, Takuya Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Tachibana, Norio Imai, Nozomu Maeda
  • Publication number: 20200282975
    Abstract: Provided is a parking assist apparatus for a vehicle, the parking assist apparatus including a first module configured to set, as a movement path, a path along which the vehicle is movable to a target position, and determine movement assist information for moving the vehicle along the movement path; and a second module configured to execute parking assist control such that the vehicle moves in accordance with the determined movement assist information, the second module being further configured to, when an occupant performs a first operation before the vehicle has reached the target position, stop the vehicle, and execute pause processing for maintaining the movement assist information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuki Minase, Kota Inoue, Takuya Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Tachibana, Norio Imai, Nozomu Maeda
  • Patent number: 10691960
    Abstract: A surrounding monitoring apparatus obtains the position of a pedestrian contained in an image captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle on the basis of the position of the pedestrian in the image, and determines, on the basis of the obtained position, whether or not the possibility of collision with the pedestrian is high. In the apparatus, an error in extracting the pedestrian position may increase temporarily. In view of this, when the magnitude of change in a position correlation value representing the position of the pedestrian per a predetermined time (position change amount) exceeds a change amount upper limit value, the apparatus modifies the position correlation value such that the position change amount becomes equal to the change amount upper limit value and determines, on the basis of the modified position correlation value, whether or not the possibility of collision with the pedestrian is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro Takagi, Yuki Minase
  • Publication number: 20200001864
    Abstract: A parking assist apparatus is configured to execute parking assist control including steering angle automatic control, driving force automatic control and braking force automatic control, the parking assist apparatus being programmed to notify an occupant of an operation request requesting a driving operation of the vehicle to be performed for the parking assist control; and terminate the parking assist control and notify the occupant that the parking assist control is terminated when the driving operation corresponding to the operation request has not been performed by the occupant within a predetermined period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke OYAMA, Yuki Minase, Shinya Sannodo, Miyuki Omori, Norio Imai
  • Publication number: 20190375381
    Abstract: A parking support device 10 comprises a display device 70 and a control device 20. When the control device determines a parking request operation is performed, the control device displays a parking area image 300. When the control device determines that a parking start condition, which is satisfied when the parking request operation is performed and the vehicle stops, has been satisfied, the control device starts a stop brake control required to cause the vehicle not to move. When the control device determines that a parking consent operation has been performed after the parking start condition became satisfied, the control device finishes the stop brake control and starts an automatic parking control for controlling a traveling state of the vehicle in order to park the vehicle into the parking area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya NAKAGAWA, Yuki Minase, Shinya Sannodo, Shinya Otani, Norio Imai
  • Publication number: 20190248414
    Abstract: Provided is a steering assist apparatus configured to perform a steering assist control for changing a steering angle of a vehicle in such a manner that the vehicle moves along a target path; determine whether a newly-detected object is a stationary object or a moving object; cancel the steering assist control and inform a driver that the steering assist control is cancelled when the newly-detected object is the stationary object and a cancel condition is satisfied; pause the steering assist control and inform the driver that the steering assist control is paused when the newly-detected object is the moving object and a pause condition is satisfied; and resume the steering assist control when a resume condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya OHTANI, Shinya SANNODO, Yuki MINASE
  • Publication number: 20190225267
    Abstract: A steering assist apparatus is configured to, when performing a steering assist control for parking, perform one or both of the following processes (a) and (b): (a) a first setting process for setting a movement path when an oncoming lane is present, the first setting process being a process for setting the movement path in such a manner that a vehicle body does not enter the oncoming lane side from an own lane across a center line or a predetermined line obtained by translating the center line; and (b) a second setting process for setting the movement path when a following vehicle is present, the second setting process being a process for setting the movement path in such a manner that a distance between the vehicle body and a parking-possible region is less than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya OHTANI, Shinya SANNODO, Yuki MINASE
  • Publication number: 20190023267
    Abstract: A surroundings monitoring apparatus obtains the position of an object from a captured image of a region in a heading direction of a vehicle, and obtains a position obtainment accuracy. When the distance between the object and the vehicle becomes relatively short, the position obtainment accuracy increases. However, the distance between the object and the vehicle becomes shorter, the position obtainment accuracy may decrease. Therefore, if collision avoidance control is performed for an object selected on the basis of the position obtainment accuracy, there is a possibility that the collision avoidance control is not performed for an object which is most likely to collide with the vehicle. In view of this, the apparatus obtains, for each object, a required deceleration which is the magnitude of acceleration necessary for stoppage at a position before the object, and performs the collision avoidance control for an object which is the largest in the required deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro TAKAGI, Yuki MINASE
  • Publication number: 20180307923
    Abstract: A surrounding monitoring apparatus obtains the position of a pedestrian contained in an image captured by a camera mounted on a vehicle on the basis of the position of the pedestrian in the image, and determines, on the basis of the obtained position, whether or not the possibility of collision with the pedestrian is high. In the apparatus, an error in extracting the pedestrian position may increase temporarily. In view of this, when the magnitude of change in a position correlation value representing the position of the pedestrian per a predetermined time (position change amount) exceeds a change amount upper limit value, the apparatus modifies the position correlation value such that the position change amount becomes equal to the change amount upper limit value and determines, on the basis of the modified position correlation value, whether or not the possibility of collision with the pedestrian is high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshihiro TAKAGI, Yuki MINASE