Patents by Inventor Etsushi Taguchi

Etsushi Taguchi 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: 10897106
    Abstract: The charger includes first and second connectors, each including an opposing surface. One of the opposing surface of the first connector and the opposing surface of the second connector includes, on a first opposing surface, a male power terminal and a male signal terminal for a power cutoff signal projecting from the first opposing surface, and the other one of the opposing surface of the first connector and the opposing surface of the second connector is provided with a female power terminal which the male power terminal is to be fitted into and a female signal terminal which the male signal terminal is to be fitted into on a second opposing surface. A length of the male signal terminal in a direction in which the male signal terminal projects is shorter than a length of the male power terminal in a direction in which the male power terminal projects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Etsushi Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20200036139
    Abstract: The charger includes first and second connectors, each including an opposing surface. One of the opposing surface of the first connector and the opposing surface of the second connector includes, on a first opposing surface, a male power terminal and a male signal terminal for a power cutoff signal projecting from the first opposing surface, and the other one of the opposing surface of the first connector and the opposing surface of the second connector is provided with a female power terminal which the male power terminal is to be fitted into and a female signal terminal which the male signal terminal is to be fitted into on a second opposing surface. A length of the male signal terminal in a direction in which the male signal terminal projects is shorter than a length of the male power terminal in a direction in which the male power terminal projects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventor: Etsushi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9994109
    Abstract: A boost converter is configured of a boost chopper having a diode of an upper arm and a switching element of a lower arm. Output power from a battery to a load is limited such that a current flowing through boost converter does not exceed a current upper limit value for thermal protection of boost converter. The current upper limit value is set based not only on a cooling water temperature of boost converter but also on an output voltage VH of boost converter, in consideration of characteristics that, as output voltage VH rises, an amount of heat generated in diode decreases, diode being regarded as a main target of thermal protection since it receives a power running current to load. Thereby, the boost converter can be protected from overheating without excessively deteriorating vehicle traveling performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Etsushi Taguchi, Akihiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9933795
    Abstract: A cooler includes an estimator. The estimator is configured to estimate a coolant temperature from a measurement value of the temperature sensor. The estimator is configured to determine a difference by subtracting an immediately preceding measurement value from a current measurement value, determine a correction value from the difference, and output an estimated value of the coolant temperature. The estimated value is obtained by adding the correction value to the current measurement value. The correction value is obtained by multiplying a gain by the difference. The gain is determined from a time constant, the gain is determined according to a flow rate of the coolant. The time constant is obtained when a transfer function of heat transferred from the coolant to the temperature sensor is modeled as a first order lag system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Etsushi Taguchi, Natsuki Nozawa
  • Patent number: 9866107
    Abstract: A control system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute three-phase ON control such that two transistors connected in parallel to the first transistor are switched ON when a condition i) is satisfied, The first transistor is one of the transistor of the six transistors and in which the short-circuit fault has occurred. The condition i) is that a recovery loss of a first diode in which a reverse recovery current is generated is estimated to be smaller than a recovery tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Etsushi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9709444
    Abstract: The specification is related to a motor controller, a vehicle including the motor controller and a heat stress estimating method for a switching element. The motor controller includes a switching element, a temperature sensor, and a computer. The switching element is configured to convert output electric power of an electric power supply into motor-driving electric power. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the switching element. The computer is configured to extract a maximum point and a minimum point in a time-dependent change in the temperature of the switching element, the computer is configured to calculate a temperature difference between the maximum point and the minimum point adjacent to each other and configured to calculate an estimated value of a heat stress to which the switching element is subjected based on each calculated temperature difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Natsuki Nozawa, Etsushi Taguchi, Kento Taguri
  • Patent number: 9545916
    Abstract: When all conditions for increasing a regeneration amount are established, and when a motor temperature Tmg is lower than a predetermined temperature, and a rotation speed Nm1 of a motor MG1 is lower than a predetermined rotation speed, a motor requirement upper limit value VHlimmg is set by imposing a limit for reducing a drive voltage system voltage VH (S130). In so doing, the regeneration amount can be increased by suppressing heat generation by a diode of a lower arm of a step-up converter. When, on the other hand, the motor temperature Tmg equals or exceeds the predetermined temperature or the rotation speed Nm1 of the motor MG1 equals or exceeds the predetermined rotation speed, the motor requirement upper limit value VHlimmg is set by relaxing or canceling the limit for reducing the drive voltage system voltage VH (S130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kamatani, Takaya Soma, Takao Itoh, Etsushi Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20160260650
    Abstract: A semiconductor module, which is mounted on an object for mounting and cooled by a cooler to which cooling medium is supplied, the semiconductor module includes: a package; a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged inside the package; and a temperature sensor provided in a part of the plurality of semiconductor elements. The semiconductor element having the temperature sensor is configured so as to be more adjacent to one edge part of the package than the other semiconductor element. The semiconductor module having the temperature sensor is mounted on the object for mounting such that the semiconductor element having the temperature sensor is located at an uppermost position among the plurality of semiconductor elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Etsushi TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160248317
    Abstract: A control system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute three-phase ON control such that two transistors connected in parallel to the first transistor are switched ON when a condition i) is satisfied, The first transistor is one of the transistor of the six transistors and in which the short-circuit fault has occurred. The condition i) is that a recovery loss of a first diode in which a reverse recovery current is generated is estimated to be smaller than a recovery tolerance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Etsushi TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160155278
    Abstract: The specification is related to a motor controller, a vehicle including the motor controller and a heat stress estimating method for a switching element. The motor controller includes a switching element, a temperature sensor, and a computer. The switching element is configured to convert output electric power of an electric power supply into motor-driving electric power. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the switching element. The computer is configured to extract a maximum point and a minimum point in a time-dependent change in the temperature of the switching element, the computer is configured to calculate a temperature difference between the maximum point and the minimum point adjacent to each other and configured to calculate an estimated value of a heat stress to which the switching element is subjected based on each calculated temperature difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Natsuki NOZAWA, Etsushi TAGUCHI, Kento TAGURI
  • Publication number: 20160152150
    Abstract: A boost converter is configured of a boost chopper having a diode of an upper arm and a switching element of a lower arm. Output power from a battery to a load is limited such that a current flowing through boost converter does not exceed a current upper limit value for thermal protection of boost converter. The current upper limit value is set based not only on a cooling water temperature of boost converter but also on an output voltage VH of boost converter, in consideration of characteristics that, as output voltage VH rises, an amount of heat generated in diode decreases, diode being regarded as a main target of thermal protection since it receives a power running current to load. Thereby, the boost converter can be protected from overheating without excessively deteriorating vehicle traveling performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Etsushi TAGUCHI, Akihiro TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20160114788
    Abstract: When all conditions for increasing a regeneration amount are established, and when a motor temperature Tmg is lower than a predetermined temperature, and a rotation speed Nm1 of a motor MG1 is lower than a predetermined rotation speed, a motor requirement upper limit value VHlimmg is set by imposing a limit for reducing a drive voltage system voltage VH (S130). In so doing, the regeneration amount can be increased by suppressing heat generation by a diode of a lower arm of a step-up converter. When, on the other hand, the motor temperature Tmg equals or exceeds the predetermined temperature or the rotation speed Nm1 of the motor MG1 equals or exceeds the predetermined rotation speed, the motor requirement upper limit value VHlimmg is set by relaxing or canceling the limit for reducing the drive voltage system voltage VH (S130).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideki KAMATANI, Takaya SOMA, Takao ITOH, Etsushi TAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150369532
    Abstract: A cooler includes an estimator. The estimator is configured to estimate a coolant temperature from a measurement value of the temperature sensor. The estimator is configured to determine a difference by subtracting an immediately preceding measurement value from a current measurement value, determine a correction value from the difference, and output an estimated value of the coolant temperature. The estimated value is obtained by adding the correction value to the current measurement value. The correction value is obtained by multiplying a gain by the difference. The gain is determined from a time constant, the gain is determined according to a flow rate of the coolant. The time constant is obtained when a transfer function of heat transferred from the coolant to the temperature sensor is modeled as a first order lag system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Etsushi Taguchi, Natsuki Nozawa