Patents by Inventor Akira Sawayama

Akira Sawayama 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: 8989934
    Abstract: The present invention improves fuel efficiency of an engine that is the power source of an auxiliary machine. Configured is a regeneration control device that has a control means that, when a hybrid automobile is stopped, the accelerator is in a closed state, and the auxiliary machine is in an operating state, and when the indicated value for the amount of fuel injection of the engine is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold, or the indicated value exceed the threshold, causes a driving mode wherein the engine and an electric motor cooperate during deceleration after the hybrid automobile has started moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Patent number: 8924063
    Abstract: The present invention aims to enhance fuel economy without imparting a sense of discomfort to a driver who drives a vehicle. A determination unit determines whether a depression amount of an accelerator pedal is equal to or lower than a first threshold value set beforehand, when a clutch is disengaged and electric power is regenerated. A clutch control unit controls the engagement or the disengagement of the clutch in such a manner as keeping the disengagement of the clutch, when the depression amount of the accelerator pedal is determined to be equal to or lower than the first threshold value, and engaging the clutch when the depression amount of the accelerator pedal is determined to exceed the first threshold value. The present invention can be applied to a hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Patent number: 8843261
    Abstract: The present invention suppresses a battery temperature increase while suppressing a decrease in battery SOC. The present invention has: a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the battery; and a hybrid ECU that, when the temperature sensor has detected a battery temperature that is equal to or exceeds a predetermined temperature, controls in a manner so that an engine and an electric motor are connected during regenerative power generation during deceleration. The hybrid ECU sets the predetermined temperature in accordance with the gear stage number during hybrid vehicle deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Patent number: 8744659
    Abstract: A regeneration control device of a hybrid vehicle comprises a comparison unit for, when a regenerative torque generated in the electric motor is used as a braking force during deceleration of the vehicle using only the electric motor, comparing a preset target deceleration with an actual deceleration; and a control unit for, in a case where the result of comparison of the comparison unit indicates that a state in which the actual deceleration is equal to or lower than the target deceleration occurs in a predetermined pattern though the electric motor is generating the maximum regenerative torque, causing the vehicle to travel using both an engine and the electric motor in a cooperative manner during the next deceleration after the current deceleration has been finished, such that the engine braking and the regeneration torque are both used as a braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita Yamagata, Akira Sawayama
  • Patent number: 8694190
    Abstract: A regeneration control device of a hybrid vehicle detects brake fluid pressure for detecting the amount of engagement of the brakes of the hybrid vehicle, and performs a first regeneration control in a closed state of the accelerator and the brake pedal not being depressed, a second regeneration control in the closed state of the accelerator and the brake pedal being depressed, and a third regeneration control when the accelerator pedal is in the closed state and the brake fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined value, wherein X(Nm/s) is set as the rate of increase of regenerative torque in the first regeneration control, Y(Nm/s) is set as the rate of increase of regenerative torque in the second regeneration control, and Z(Nm/s) is set as the rate of increase of regenerative torque in the third regeneration control, then X<y<Z is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hino Motors, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Sawayama, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20130253742
    Abstract: A regeneration control device of a hybrid vehicle detects brake fluid pressure for detecting the amount of engagement of the brakes of a hybrid vehicle, and performs a first regeneration control in a closed state of the accelerator and the brake pedal not being depressed, a second regeneration control in the closed state of the accelerator and the brake pedal being depressed, and a third regeneration control when the accelerator pedal is in the closed state and the brake fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined value are executed, wherein X (Nm/s) is set as the rate of increase of regenerative torque in the first regeneration control, Y (Nm/s) is set as the rate of increase of regenerative torque in the second regeneration control, and Z (Nm/s) is set as the rate of increase of regenerative torque in the third regeneration control, then X<Y<X is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Sawayama, Masahiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20130184923
    Abstract: The present invention aims to enhance fuel economy without imparting a sense of discomfort to a driver who drives a vehicle. A determination unit determines whether a depression amount of an accelerator pedal is equal to or lower than a first threshold value set beforehand, when a clutch is disengaged and electric power is regenerated. A clutch control unit controls the engagement or the disengagement of the clutch in such a manner as keeping the disengagement of the clutch, when the depression amount of the accelerator pedal is determined to be equal to or lower than the first threshold value, and engaging the clutch when the depression amount of the accelerator pedal is determined to exceed the first threshold value. The present invention can be applied to a hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Publication number: 20130158769
    Abstract: The present invention improves fuel efficiency of an engine that is the power source of an auxiliary machine. Configured is a regeneration control device that has a control means that, when a hybrid automobile is stopped, the accelerator is in a closed state, and the auxiliary machine is in an operating state, and when the indicated value for the amount of fuel injection of the engine is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold, or the indicated value exceed the threshold, causes a driving mode wherein the engine and an electric motor cooperate during deceleration after the hybrid automobile has started moving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Publication number: 20130158768
    Abstract: In the present invention, a decrease in the amount of regeneration is prevented, and discomfort is not imparted to the driving sensation of a driver. A determination unit determines whether or not a braking device is being operated by the driver. When decelerating while regenerating, a gear shifting control unit controls the shift of gears of a gear box in a manner so as to suspend the shift of gears and continue regeneration when it has been determined that the braking device is being operated by the driver. The present invention can be applied to vehicles that can regenerate electric power by means of an electric motor when decelerating and that are driven by the electric motor and an internal combustion engine via an automatic gear box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Publication number: 20130138286
    Abstract: The present invention suppresses a battery temperature increase while suppressing a decrease in battery SOC. The present invention has: a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the battery; and a hybrid ECU that, when the temperature sensor has detected a battery temperature that is equal to or exceeds a predetermined temperature, controls in a manner so that an engine and an electric motor are connected during regenerative power generation during deceleration. The hybrid ECU sets the predetermined temperature in accordance with the gear stage number during hybrid vehicle deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Akira Sawayama
  • Publication number: 20130131901
    Abstract: A regeneration control device of a hybrid vehicle comprises a comparison unit for, when a regenerative torque generated in the electric motor is used as a braking force during deceleration of the vehicle using only the electric motor, comparing a preset target deceleration with an actual deceleration; and a control unit for, in a case where the result of comparison of the comparison unit indicates that a state in which the actual deceleration is equal to or lower than the target deceleration occurs in a predetermined pattern though the electric motor is generating the maximum regenerative torque, causing the vehicle to travel using both an engine and the electric motor in a cooperative manner during the next deceleration after the current deceleration has been finished, such that the engine braking and the regeneration torque are both used as a braking force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: HINO MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Keita Yamagata, Akira Sawayama