Patents by Inventor Akira Hino

Akira Hino 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: 11237575
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a linear solenoid by controlling a driving current supplied to the linear solenoid through a feedback control. The feedback control is executed by a feedback control system having parameters that are determined in accordance with an ILQ design method. In a frequency characteristic of a gain of a transfer function representing a ratio of an output to a disturbance in the feedback control system, the gain is lower than 0 [dB] throughout all frequency ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Tokura, Katsumi Kono, Masato Kaigawa, Masato Matsubara, Hitoshi Matsunaga, Akira Hino
  • Patent number: 10967863
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle with a stepped automatic transmission has: a gradient acquiring part; a driving force calculating part; a future change estimating part; and a shift control part. The shift control part prohibits change of the gear stage when the speed of change of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle in the future if the maximum driving force applied, is within a reference range of speed of change where the occupants would not notice a change in speed or acceleration, and permits change of the gear stage when the speed of change of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle in the future if the maximum driving force applied, is outside the reference range of speed of change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki Tokura, Hideki Takamatsu, Hirofumi Sato, Shojiro Suga, Katsumi Kono, Akira Hino, Masato Matsubara
  • Publication number: 20200164876
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle with a stepped automatic transmission has: a gradient acquiring part; a driving force calculating part; a future change estimating part; and a shift control part. The shift control part prohibits change of the gear stage when the speed of change of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle in the future if the maximum driving force applied, is within a reference range of speed of change where the occupants would not notice a change in speed or acceleration, and permits change of the gear stage when the speed of change of the speed or acceleration of the vehicle in the future if the maximum driving force applied, is outside the reference range of speed of change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki TOKURA, Hideki TAKAMATSU, Hirofumi SATO, Shojiro SUGA, Katsumi KONO, Akira HINO, Masato MATSUBARA
  • Publication number: 20200048184
    Abstract: A method for producing an alkyl nitrite by bringing an aqueous solution containing nitric acid and an alkanol into contact with a gas including nitrogen monoxide and thereby producing an alkyl nitrite, in which the reaction temperature is 60° C. to 100° C., is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hirofumi II, Naoki NEGORO, Akira HINO, Yoshikatsu NISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20200019196
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a linear solenoid by controlling a driving current supplied to the linear solenoid through a feedback control. The feedback control is executed by a feedback control system having parameters that are determined in accordance with an ILQ design method. In a frequency characteristic of a gain of a transfer function representing a ratio of an output to a disturbance in the feedback control system, the gain is lower than 0[dB] throughout all frequency ranges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaaki TOKURA, Katsumi KONO, Masato KAIGAWA, Masato MATSUBARA, Hitoshi MATSUNAGA, Akira HINO
  • Patent number: 10260575
    Abstract: At the time when a hydraulic actuator is operated to engage a dog clutch, after it is detected that a hydraulic pressure for operating the hydraulic actuator is higher than or equal to a predetermined hydraulic pressure, it is determined whether the dog clutch is not engaged. Therefore, non-engagement determination due to insufficient hydraulic pressure for operating the hydraulic actuator is prevented. Thus, at the time when the hydraulic actuator is operated to engage the dog clutch, it is possible to prevent consumption of time to engage the dog clutch due to unnecessary re-engagement operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuo, Akira Hino, Hiroki Kondo, Mitsuhiro Fukao, Daisuke Inoue, Akihide Ito, Motonori Kimura
  • Patent number: 10183669
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicular drive unit is provided. The vehicular drive unit includes a continuously variable transmission, and a clutch. The control apparatus includes an electronic control unit that is configured to acquire an oil temperature of hydraulic oil for controlling the continuously variable transmission and the clutch, and control the clutch such that a torque capacity of the clutch becomes smaller than a torque capacity that is set in a case where an oil temperature of the hydraulic oil is higher than a predetermined oil temperature, when the oil temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined oil temperature, or control the continuously variable transmission such that a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission becomes equal to or larger than a lower limit set in advance when the oil temperature of the hydraulic oil is equal to or lower than the predetermined oil temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya Ishiizumi, Tsuyoshi Fujikane, Koji Hattori, Akira Hino, Mitsuhiro Fukao
  • Patent number: 10137899
    Abstract: A clutch mechanism is configured to selectively change between a first power transmission path and a second power transmission path. The first power transmission path is configured to transmit torque to an output shaft via a transmission mechanism. The second power transmission path is configured to transmit the torque to the output shaft via a continuously variable transmission mechanism. An electronic control unit is configured to: (a) selectively change a power transmission path during traveling to one of the first power transmission path and the second power transmission path by controlling the clutch mechanism; and (b) in changing the power transmission path by controlling the clutch mechanism, control an operating point of the internal combustion engine during a change of the power transmission path so that the operating point crosses over an optimum fuel, consumption line of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Fukao, Hiroki Kondo, Akira Hino, Daisuke Inoue, Akihide Ito, Atsushi Ayabe
  • Patent number: 10118619
    Abstract: In a control device for a vehicle including: a dog clutch mechanism that is disposed in a power transmission path in which a driving force is transmitted from an engine to a wheel and is operated by a hydraulic actuator; and an electric oil pump that supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator, rotation of the engine is stopped in a state in which the dog clutch mechanism is engaged by the hydraulic pressure supplied from the electric oil pump at a time during an engine stop operation, the rotation of the engine is started in the state in which the dog clutch mechanism is engaged by the hydraulic pressure supplied from the electric oil pump at a time during an engine restart operation, hence occurrence of up-lock of the dog clutch mechanism is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuo, Akira Hino, Hiroki Kondo, Mitsuhiro Fukao, Daisuke Inoue, Atsushi Ayabe, Hiromitsu Nitani, Kazuya Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 10065648
    Abstract: Vehicle control system and method provided to change speed ratio smoothly when switching a power transmission route from a route including a geared transmission to a route including a continuously variable transmission. Vehicle control system applied to a vehicle comprising: continuously variable transmission for changing speed ratio continuously is disposed between input shaft and output shaft; geared transmission is disposed parallel to the continuously variable transmission, and is adapted to establish speed ratio that cannot be established by continuously variable transmission; and friction clutch is brought into engagement to switch torque transmission route from a route including the geared transmission to a route including the continuously variable transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuo, Yusuke Ohgata, Daisuke Inoue, Atsushi Ayabe, Motonori Kimura, Shuhei Ishikawa, Akira Hino, Hiroki Kondo
  • Patent number: 10066746
    Abstract: In a region in which a rate of change in slip ratio of a transmission belt with respect to a change in input torque exceeds a permissible slip ratio rate of change set in advance, a steep change in the slip ratio is suppressed by limiting the rate of change in the input torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Fukao, Hiroki Kondo, Akira Hino, Atsushi Ayabe, Daisuke Inoue, Akihide Ito
  • Patent number: 10012297
    Abstract: A power transmission system includes a first transmission provided in a first power transmission path, a second transmission provided in a second power transmission path, a first engagement device, a second engagement device, a third engagement device, a fail-safe valve, and an electronic control unit. The third engagement device selectively connects or interrupts one of the first and second power transmission paths. The electronic control unit is configured to, during traveling in a state where the third engagement device is released, output hydraulic pressure commands for simultaneous engagement of the first engagement device and the second engagement device. The electronic control unit is configured to, when it is determined that both the first engagement device and the second engagement device are engaged, prohibit traveling using the one of the first and second power transmission paths which is selectively connected or interrupted by the third engagement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Fukao, Hiroki Kondo, Akira Hino, Kazuya Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9829102
    Abstract: In a vehicle in which a continuously variable transmission and a gear mechanism are provided in parallel on a power transmission pathway between an input shaft and an output shaft, (i) an electronic control unit performs CVT shifting, in view of shift characteristics of C to C shifting in which the speed ratio is changed in stages, or (ii) then electronic control unit performs C to C shifting, in view of shift characteristics of CVT shifting in which the speed ratio is steplessly changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Fukao, Kenji Matsuo, Hiroki Kondo, Akira Hino, Daisuke Inoue, Atsushi Ayabe, Akihide Ito
  • Patent number: 9821806
    Abstract: When neutral control is started by placing a CVT drive clutch in a semi-engaged state while a vehicle is decelerating in a state where a second power transmission path is established, a clutch mechanism that is semi-engaged in neutral control while the vehicle is decelerating is changed from the CVT drive clutch to a forward clutch before a stop of the vehicle, so it is possible to continue the neutral control until a stop of the vehicle. At a stop of the vehicle, a power transmission path is already changed to a first power transmission path that establishes a gear ratio (EL) higher than a highest gear ratio (?max) that can be established by the second power transmission path. Thus, right after a stop of the vehicle, it is possible to execute idle stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuro Shimazu, Mitsuhiro Fukao, Hiromitsu Nitani, Akira Hino, Hiroki Kondo, Atsushi Ayabe
  • Publication number: 20170305428
    Abstract: In a control device for a vehicle including: a dog clutch mechanism that is disposed in a power transmission path in which a driving force is transmitted from an engine to a wheel and is operated by a hydraulic actuator; and an electric oil pump that supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator, rotation of the engine is stopped in a state in which the dog clutch mechanism is engaged by the hydraulic pressure supplied from the electric oil pump at a time during an engine stop operation, the rotation of the engine is started in the state in which the dog clutch mechanism is engaged by the hydraulic pressure supplied from the electric oil pump at a time during an engine restart operation, hence occurrence of up-lock of the dog clutch mechanism is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji MATSUO, Akira HINO, Hiroki KONDO, Mitsuhiro FUKAO, Daisuke INOUE, Atsushi AYABE, Hiromitsu NITANI, Kazuya SAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170253247
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicular drive unit is provided. The vehicular drive unit includes a continuously variable transmission, and a clutch. The control apparatus includes an electronic control unit that is configured to acquire an oil temperature of hydraulic oil for controlling the continuously variable transmission and the clutch, and control the clutch such that a torque capacity of the clutch becomes smaller than a torque capacity that is set in a case where an oil temperature of the hydraulic oil is higher than a predetermined oil temperature, when the oil temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined oil temperature, or control the continuously variable transmission such that a speed ratio of the continuously variable transmission becomes equal to or larger than a lower limit set in advance when the oil temperature of the hydraulic oil is equal to or lower than the predetermined oil temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya ISHIIZUMI, Tsuyoshi FUJIKANE, Koji HATTORI, Akira HINO, Mitsuhiro FUKAO
  • Publication number: 20170241492
    Abstract: At the time when a hydraulic actuator is operated to engage a dog clutch, after it is detected that a hydraulic pressure for operating the hydraulic actuator is higher than or equal to a predetermined hydraulic pressure, it is determined whether the dog clutch is not engaged. Therefore, non-engagement determination due to insufficient hydraulic pressure for operating the hydraulic actuator is prevented. Thus, at the time when the hydraulic actuator is operated to engage the dog clutch, it is possible to prevent consumption of time to engage the dog clutch due to unnecessary re-engagement operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji MATSUO, Akira HINO, Hiroki KONDO, Mitsuhiro FUKAO, Daisuke INOUE, Akihide ITO, Motonori KIMURA
  • Patent number: 9739220
    Abstract: A vehicle drive control device in a vehicle including an engine comprising a throttle valve and a supercharger with an air bypass valve changed from a closing side to an opening side when a closing speed of the throttle valve is higher than a speed determination value, the vehicle drive control device providing a torque-down control of the engine by operating the throttle valve to a closing side, wherein at the time of provision of the torque-down control of the engine in which the throttle valve is operated to the closing side when a rotation speed of the engine is equal to or greater than a predetermined rotation speed and a speed ratio of a torque converter is equal to or less than a predetermined value in a supercharged state, the throttle valve is caused to perform a closing operation at the closing speed lower than the speed determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wataru Matsubara, Hiroya Fujiwara, Akira Hino, Shuhei Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9695766
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an engine, a dog clutch and a friction clutch. The dog clutch is configured to transmit power or interrupt transmission of power in a power transmission path that transmits power of the engine to a drive wheel. The dog clutch includes a synchromesh mechanism. The friction clutch is configured to transmit power or interrupt transmission of power in the power transmission path between the engine and the dog clutch. The control apparatus includes: an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to, when the synchromesh mechanism is operated in order to engage the dog clutch in a state where the vehicle is stopped and the friction clutch is released, increase a rotation speed of the engine as compared to when the synchromesh mechanism is not operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Matsuo, Akira Hino, Hiroki Kondo, Mitsuhiro Fukao, Daisuke Inoue, Akihide Ito, Atsushi Ayabe
  • Publication number: 20170159814
    Abstract: In a region in which a rate of change in slip ratio of a transmission belt with respect to a change in input torque exceeds a permissible slip ratio rate of change set in advance, a steep change in the slip ratio is suppressed by limiting the rate of change in the input torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro FUKAO, Hiroki KONDO, Akira HINO, Atsushi AYABE, Daisuke INOUE, Akihide ITO