Denso Corporation

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Tadashi Sakai

Kazunao Yamada

Yusuke Mizuno

Takashi Maeda

Yohei Masui

Takeshi Nanami

Minoru Nakadori

Naoki Kawasaki

Akihiro Watanabe

Yusuke Kataoka

Keisuke Tani

Yasushi Sakuma

Akira Sakamoto

Tomohiko Inoue

Ryoma Niihara

Yuusuke Mizuno

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.

Object recognition apparatus and object recognition method

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.

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.

Target detection device

In a target recognition apparatus that recognizes a target in a periphery of an own vehicle, a radar target acquiring unit acquires, as a radar target, the target that is detected by transmission and reception of radar waves. An image target acquiring unit acquires, as an image target, the target that is included in a captured image captured by an imaging apparatus. A target recognizing unit recognizes, as a first target, one of a plurality of radar targets included in a predetermined area relative to the image target and recognizes, as a second target, at least one of the plurality of radar targets other than the first target. A sameness determining unit determines whether the first target and the second target are the same object.

Target recognition apparatus, target recognition method, and vehicle control system

An estimating device includes: a movement amount computing section that, on the basis of a position of a predetermined region within an image picked-up at a first time, and a position of a region that corresponds to the predetermined region and is within an image picked-up in a same direction at a second time that is after the first time, computing a movement amount of the predetermined region in a vertical direction; a movement amount integrating section that computes an integrated value of the movement amounts, each time the movement amount is computed; a correcting section that corrects the integrated value of a current point in time on the basis of time series data of the integrated values of the movement amounts within a past predetermined time period; and an estimating section that estimates a pitch angle of the vehicle on the basis of a corrected integrated value.

Estimating device and estimating program

A complex marking determining device includes a brightness state calculating portion configured to calculate a lane marking representative value indicative of a brightness state of a plurality of pixels that make up a lane marking display region, and calculate a road surface representative value indicative of a brightness state of a plurality of pixels that make up the road surface display region; and a complex marking determining portion configured to determine that the lane marking is a complex marking at least when a degree of deviation between the lane marking representative value and the road surface representative value is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

Complex marking determining device and complex marking determining method

A drive control device is mounted to a hybrid electric vehicle that has an engine and a motor as a running power source, wherein the hybrid electric vehicle runs under a plurality of running modes that is switched in accordance with accelerator operation. The drive control device specifies a present position of the vehicle. The drive control device defines a schedule of the accelerator operation for each of a plurality of sections in a route from an origin to a destination in order to achieve an enhanced fuel efficient running of the vehicle. The drive control device displays a recommended accelerator operation for a present section of the plurality of sections, in which section the vehicle is presently located, in accordance with the schedule of the accelerator operation and the present position of the vehicle.

Drive control device for hybrid electric vehicle

A re-generation instruction apparatus has a re-generation instruction computer that receives brake operation information from a re-generation control computer for calculating an energy loss in a total energy from speed reduction by the brake operation of the driver, which is lost by a re-generation brake system. The calculated energy loss is utilized for preparing notification for the driver in various situations such as a pre-travel notification, a during-travel notification and/or an after-travel notification.

Notification apparatus

In a drive control apparatus, an information storing unit collects first and second information at predetermined intervals while the vehicle runs and the information storing unit stores the first and second information in a storage device. A schedule effective section extracting unit extracts a schedule effective section from a route from an origin to a destination based on the second information. A control index storage controlling unit defines the schedule of the control index of each of multiple predetermined sections within the schedule effective section based on the first information such that fuel consumption of the engine is reduced in the schedule effective section, wherein the defined schedule of the control index is stored in the storage device. An assist control process unit performs drive control of a motor and an engine based on the schedule of the control index.

Drive control apparatus for hybrid electric vehicle and method for controlling the same

A temperature increase of a battery of a vehicle in a schedule effect road range is estimated based on an estimate of energy acquirable by regeneration in the schedule effect road range of the vehicle. A special value of the battery upper limit temperature is designated which is obtained by subtracting the temperature increase from a default value of the battery upper limit temperature. A battery upper limit temperature reduction road range is designated which is located just prior to the schedule effect road range. While the vehicle runs the battery upper limit temperature reduction road range, the battery upper limit temperature is set at the special value by being switched from the default value. When the vehicle completes running the battery upper limit temperature reduction road range and starts running the schedule effect road range, the battery upper limit temperature is returned to the default value from the special value.

In-vehicle charge and discharge control apparatus and partial control apparatus

In a hybrid vehicle, an ECU collects data of (i) an amount of acquisition electrical power acquired when regeneratively charging a battery and (ii) an amount of requirement electrical power required for operating a motor, for every road section in association with a travel of the vehicle, and records the collected data in a storage device. Thereafter, when a travel course the vehicle is going to travel includes a road section where the amount of acquisition electrical power is greater than an acquisition-related threshold value or a road section where the amount of requirement electrical power is greater than a requirement-related threshold value, a re-plan of a control schedule for the engine and the motor is executed. In contrast, when the travel course does not include such a road section, a re-plan of the control schedule is prohibited.

Drive control apparatus for hybrid vehicle

A planning apparatus for use in a hybrid vehicle specifies a plan section for the purpose of creating a travel plan, and stores the plan section in a durable storage medium. The medium-stored plan section is then presented for an occupant of the vehicle, for the purpose of confirmation. The stored plan section may be modified according to an intention of the occupant, thereby enabling the occupant's intention to be reflected to the plan section. Then, the plan section reflecting the occupant's intention is used to create a travel plan of the hybrid vehicle.

Planning apparatus

An air-conditioner controlling device includes a first control unit and a second control unit. The first control unit changes an air-conditioner operation from a standard to an energy-saving, when a vehicle is determined to be located in a target area. The target area is defined by a predetermined interval from a target point of the vehicle. The second control unit changes the air-conditioner operation from the energy-saving to the standard, after the first control unit changes the air-conditioner operation from the standard to the energy-saving, in a case that a destination of the vehicle is estimated to be different from the target point.

Air-conditioner controlling device

Past limit electric power generation costs and past limit electric assist costs are stored as pieces of planning information, based on each of which a fuel consumption amount is estimated assuming that a vehicle travels according to a past traveling pattern. An average estimated fuel consumption amount is computed by averaging the fuel consumption amounts estimated for the pieces of planning information. The piece of planning information including the lowest average estimated fuel consumption amount is selected for the next traveling. An improvement amount during electric power generation and an improvement amount during assistance are computed based on the selected piece of planning information (limit electric power generation cost), the limit electric assist cost, and the present generating and electric assist costs required actually while the vehicle is traveling. An engine and a motor/generator of the vehicle are controlled based on the two improvement amounts.

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Kariya, Japan

Tadashi Sakai