Patents by Inventor Asao Ukai
Asao Ukai 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).
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Patent number: 7516730Abstract: In a fuel pump control system for an internal combustion engine whose operation is switched between cut-off-cylinder operating mode during which some of the cylinders are non-operative and full-cylinder operating mode during which all of the cylinders are operative and having a fuel injector connected to the fuel supply line and supplied with fuel pressurized by the fuel pump, it is discriminated whether the operation of the engine is in the full-cylinder operating mode or in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, the operation of the fuel pump is controlled based on the discriminated operating mode of the engine, i.e., is controlled such that the delivery flow rate of the fuel pump when the engine is discriminated to be in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, is reduced relative to that when the engine is discriminated to be in the full-cylinder operating mode, thereby reducing the power consumption and operating noise of the fuel pump.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Asao Ukai, Toshitaka Hachiro, Tomohiro Nishi, Takahiro Yonekura
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Publication number: 20070186909Abstract: In a fuel pump control system for an internal combustion engine whose operation is switched between cut-off-cylinder operating mode during which some of the cylinders are non-operative and full-cylinder operating mode during which all of the cylinders are operative and having a fuel injector connected to the fuel supply line and supplied with fuel pressurized by the fuel pump, it is discriminated whether the operation of the engine is in the full-cylinder operating mode or in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, the operation of the fuel pump is controlled based on the discriminated operating mode of the engine, i.e., is controlled such that the delivery flow rate of the fuel pump when the engine is discriminated to be in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, is reduced relative to that when the engine is discriminated to be in the full-cylinder operating mode, thereby reducing the power consumption and operating noise of the fuel pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2007Publication date: August 16, 2007Inventors: Asao Ukai, Toshitaka Hachiro, Tomohiro Nishi, Takahiro Yonekura
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Patent number: 7210464Abstract: In a fuel pump control system for an internal combustion engine whose operation is switched between cut-off-cylinder operating mode during which some of the cylinders are non-operative and full-cylinder operating mode during which all of the cylinders are operative and having a fuel injector connected to the fuel supply line and supplied with fuel pressurized by the fuel pump, it is discriminated whether the operation of the engine is in the full-cylinder operating mode or in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, the operation of the fuel pump is controlled based on the discriminated operating mode of the engine, i.e., is controlled such that the delivery flow rate of the fuel pump when the engine is discriminated to be in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, is reduced relative to that when the engine is discriminated to be in the full-cylinder operating mode, thereby reducing the power consumption and operating noise of the fuel pump.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2005Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Asao Ukai, Toshitaka Hachiro, Tomohiro Nishi, Takahiro Yonekura
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Patent number: 6956298Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a motor as power sources of the hybrid vehicle, an energy storage device for storing electrical energy converted, by the motor, from the output power of the engine or the kinetic energy of the hybrid vehicle, and a control device which is adapted to obtain, at every stop of the hybrid vehicle, a first difference between the state of charge of the energy storage device at the immediately previous stop of the hybrid vehicle and the current state of charge, and to change an amount of power generation by the motor depending on the first difference when driving of the hybrid vehicle is not performed by the motor or when a regenerative deceleration operation is not performed by the motor.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2003Date of Patent: October 18, 2005Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Tomohiro Shibata, Asao Ukai, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Publication number: 20050150482Abstract: In a fuel pump control system for an internal combustion engine whose operation is switched between cut-off-cylinder operating mode during which some of the cylinders are non-operative and full-cylinder operating mode during which all of the cylinders are operative and having a fuel injector connected to the fuel supply line and supplied with fuel pressurized by the fuel pump, it is discriminated whether the operation of the engine is in the full-cylinder operating mode or in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, the operation of the fuel pump is controlled based on the discriminated operating mode of the engine, i.e., is controlled such that the delivery flow rate of the fuel pump when the engine is discriminated to be in the cut-off-cylinder operating mode, is reduced relative to that when the engine is discriminated to be in the full-cylinder operating mode, thereby reducing the power consumption and operating noise of the fuel pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2005Publication date: July 14, 2005Inventors: Asao Ukai, Toshitaka Hachiro, Tomohiro Nishi, Takahiro Yonekura
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Publication number: 20040176211Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine and a motor as power sources of the hybrid vehicle, an energy storage device for storing electrical energy converted, by the motor, from the output power of the engine or the kinetic energy of the hybrid vehicle, and a control device which is adapted to obtain, at every stop of the hybrid vehicle, a first difference between the state of charge of the energy storage device at the immediately previous stop of the hybrid vehicle and the current state of charge, and to change an amount of power generation by the motor depending on the first difference when driving of the hybrid vehicle is not performed by the motor or when a regenerative deceleration operation is not performed by the motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2003Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Tomohiro Shibata, Asao Ukai, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Patent number: 6740987Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle provided with an engine and a motor as driving sources, and a storage battery device which stores regenerative energy obtained by output from the engine or by regenerative operation of the motor during deceleration of the vehicle. The control device includes: a vehicle speed detection unit which detects speed of the vehicle; a deceleration fuel cut determination unit which determines whether supply of fuel to the engine is stopped during deceleration of the vehicle; and a brake detection unit which detects operation of a brake, wherein regenerative braking is stopped when operation of the brake is detected by the brake detection unit if the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit is lower than a predetermined speed and if it is determined by the deceleration fuel cut determination unit that the supply of fuel to the engine is not stopped.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda
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Patent number: 6739122Abstract: The present invention provides an air-fuel ratio feedback control apparatus for an internal-combustion engine. The apparatus includes an air-fuel ratio detector that is disposed in an exhaust system of the engine so as to detect an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas, NOx purifier for purifying NOx contained in the exhaust gas during a lean operation and feedback controller for making a feedback control upon an air-fuel ratio of air-fuel mixture to be supplied to the engine based on an output of the air-fuel ratio detector. A diagnostic system diagnoses the NOx purifier based on an output of an O2 sensor disposed downstream of the NOx purifier when the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture to be supplied to the engine has been changed from lean to rich and gain changer for making a feedback control gain of the feedback controller smaller when the air-fuel ratio is changed from lean to rich.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2002Date of Patent: May 25, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda, Futoshi Nishioka
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Patent number: 6700213Abstract: A control system provided in a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine for outputting a driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, depending on driving conditions, a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the motor acting as a generator using the output from the engine and electric energy regenerated by the motor when the vehicle decelerates. The control system includes an output assist determination means for determining, based on a determination threshold value as the standard, whether to assist the output from the engine by the motor, depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle. An air-fuel controller is provided for changing the air-fuel ratio of the mixture, which is to be supplied to the engine, to a condition leaner or richer than the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2000Date of Patent: March 2, 2004Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Izumiura, Kan Nakaune, Takashi Iwamoto, Asao Ukai, Katsuhiro Kumagai
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Patent number: 6651436Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle of the present invention determines whether a brake switch flag F_BKSW is “1” or not (step S101), and in the case where the brake is on (“yes”), obtains a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN by table retrieval from a #REGENBR table. In the case where the brake is off (“no”), it is determined whether a fuel supply cut delay time regeneration flag F_RGNFCD is “1” or not (step S104). In the case where regeneration is not performed in the fuel supply cut delay time (“no”), a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN is obtained by table retrieval from a #REGEN table (step S105). On the other hand, in the case where regeneration is performed in the fuel supply cut delay time (“yes”), a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN is obtained by table retrieval from a #RGNNFCD table (step S106).Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2002Date of Patent: November 25, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Futoshi Nishioka, Fumihiko Konno
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Patent number: 6634447Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle that responds reliably to the assist requests of a driver from start-up to departure of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2000Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Hironao Fukuchi, Asao Ukai, Takashi Iwamoto, Fumihiko Konno, Katsuhiro Kumagai
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Patent number: 6622697Abstract: An engine idling control device includes a secondary air supply device, an intake gauge pressure detecting unit and a secondary air supply control unit. The secondary air supply device is disposed on a bypass intake passage communicating with an intake pipe and bypassing a throttle valve. The intake gauge pressure detecting unit detects an intake gauge pressure on the intake pipe side. The secondary air supply control unit controls the secondary air supply device so as to open and close the bypass intake passage when an engine is in an idling state. The secondary air supply device is controlled to obtain the optional opening value. The secondary air supply control unit controls such that the secondary air supply device increases the opening value when the intake gauge pressure becomes higher than a predetermined low load condition in an idling state.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2000Date of Patent: September 23, 2003Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideyuki Oki, Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Publication number: 20030041590Abstract: The present invention provides an air-fuel ratio feedback control apparatus for an internal-combustion engine that can avoid an overshoot of the actual air-fuel ratio when the diagnostic device for diagnosing the NOx purifier changes the air-fuel ratio from lean to rich. The apparatus comprises air-fuel ratio detector that is disposed in an exhaust system of the engine so as to detect an air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas, NOx purifier for purifying NOx contained in the exhaust gas during a lean operation and feedback controller for making a feedback control upon an air-fuel ratio of air-fuel mixture to be supplied to the engine based on an output of the air-fuel ratio detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2002Publication date: March 6, 2003Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda, Futoshi Nishioka
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Publication number: 20030034653Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle provided with an engine and a motor as driving sources, and a storage battery device which stores regenerative energy obtained by output from the engine or by regenerative operation of the motor during deceleration of the vehicle. The control device includes: a vehicle speed detection unit which detects speed of the vehicle; a deceleration fuel cut determination unit which determines whether supply of fuel to the engine is stopped during deceleration of the vehicle; and a brake detection unit which detects operation of a brake, wherein regenerative braking is stopped when operation of the brake is detected by the brake detection unit if the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit is lower than a predetermined speed and if it is determined by the deceleration fuel cut determination unit that the supply of fuel to the engine is not stopped.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2002Publication date: February 20, 2003Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Shigetaka Kuroda, Asao Ukai, Katsuhiro Kumagai
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Patent number: 6478015Abstract: In order to prevent an occurrence of dieseling phenomenon, and to prevent engine rotation speed from decreasing during idle operation or the idle operation from being stopped, in step S111, it is determined whether the flag value of an idle stop flag F_IDLSTP is “1” or not. If it is determined that the determination result is “YES”, that is, if it is determined that the internal combustion engine body is stopped, 0% is set to a target purge control valve drive duty value PGCMD (step S105), and 0 is set to the target purge flow rate QPGC (step S106). If it is determined that the determination result is “NO”, that is, when the internal combustion engine body is in operation, PGCMD calculation processing is executed (step S112).Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2000Date of Patent: November 12, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideyuki Oki, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Hironao Fukuchi, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Izumiura
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Publication number: 20020147070Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle of the present invention determines whether a brake switch flag F_BKSW is “1” or not (step S101), and in the case where the brake is on (“yes”), obtains a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN by table retrieval from a #REGENBR table. In the case where the brake is off (“no”), it is determined whether a fuel supply cut delay time regeneration flag F_RGNFCD is “1” or not (step S104). In the case where regeneration is not performed in the fuel supply cut delay time (“no”), a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN is obtained by table retrieval from a #REGEN table (step S105). On the other hand, in the case where regeneration is performed in the fuel supply cut delay time (“yes”), a deceleration regeneration computation value DECRGN is obtained by table retrieval from a #RGNNFCD table (step S106).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2002Publication date: October 10, 2002Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Futoshi Nishioka, Fumihiko Konno
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Patent number: 6450274Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle powered from an engine and an assist motor for supplying electric power in an amount predetermined according to running conditions of the vehicle further includes means for detecting a catalyzer temperature and correcting the predetermined assist power value according to the detected catalyzer temperature when accelerating and means for preventing the idling engine from being cut off when detected catalyzer temperature is lower than a preset temperature. This control device thus realizes rapid heating of the catalyzer device to a temperature necessary for activating the catalyzer therein by adequately correcting the assist power value of the motor according to the current catalyzer temperature when accelerating and by preventing the idling engine from being cut off while the catalyzer device has a low temperature.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1999Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Fumihiko Konno, Shigetaka Kuroda, Youichi Iwata, Asao Ukai, Takashi Kiyomiya, Kenji Nakano, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto
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Patent number: 6435171Abstract: The present invention increases the frequency of the LAF sensor deterioration determination in the case that air-fuel ratio control is being carried out while the deterioration of the LAF sensor is being monitored. When the monitor conditions are no longer satisfied during the deterioration determination of the LAF sensor (as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6), the LAF prohibition timer is operated (as shown in (c) of FIG. 6), and switching to a lean burn is prohibited for a predetermined time interval (for example, 7 seconds), and in addition, after the LAF sensor deterioration determination has completed, after passage of a time interval shorter than this predetermined time interval (for example, 2 seconds) (as shown in figures (c) and (d) of FIG. 6), a lean burn is permitted.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2000Date of Patent: August 20, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Asao Ukai, Hideyuki Takahashi
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Patent number: 6404332Abstract: Disclosed herein is a shift position indicating device for indicating a recommended shift position to a driver of a hybrid vehicle having an engine for driving a drive shaft of the vehicle, a motor for assisting a drive force applied to the drive shaft by electrical energy, and a battery for supplying power to the motor and storing electrical energy output from the motor. The motor having a regenerative function of converting kinetic energy of the drive shaft into electrical energy. According to the shift position indicating device, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a high-load running condition, and when the vehicle is in the high-load running condition, the shift-down is recommended.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2000Date of Patent: June 11, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken-Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi, Asao Ukai, Hironao Fukuchi
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Patent number: 6334499Abstract: An output control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of preventing stopping of the engine at the time of recovering from a deceleration fuel cut and improving the acceleration capability. In a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, a motor for assisting the driving power of the engine, and a battery for supplying electric power for the motor, the output control apparatus comprises an engine speed sensor, an idle stop execution judgement flag F_FCEX, and a motor ECU for judging whether the output assistance by the motor is to be executed, and the motor ECU comprises a deceleration fuel cut returning time permission judgement device (S026) for permitting the output assistance by the motor, when it is judged to return from the deceleration fuel cut by the flag value of the idle stop execution judgement flag F_FCEX, and when it is detected that the engine speed at the time of returning from the deceleration fuel cut is lower than a predetermined engine speed #NEMGMOT.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2000Date of Patent: January 1, 2002Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune