Patents by Inventor Hidekatsu Akiyama

Hidekatsu Akiyama 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).

  • Publication number: 20240132050
    Abstract: A vehicle is a series hybrid vehicle that drives drive wheels using a travel motor by utilizing power of a power generation motor, which generates power by being driven by motive power of an internal combustion engine provided with a turbo charger. A method for controlling the vehicle includes executing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine when excess power is greater than at least power that can be inputted in the system and the internal combustion engine is being supercharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Kazuma Iwasaki, Azusa Kobayashi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Ryo Onogawa
  • Patent number: 11794719
    Abstract: When an estimation state of a road noise value based on an angular acceleration of a wheel is a proper estimation state, it is determined whether a background noise of the vehicle is in the high background or the low background noise state according to magnitudes of the road noise value and a predetermined threshold value. When the estimation state is not the proper estimation state, it is determined that the background noise of the vehicle is in the low background noise state regardless of road noise value. When the background noise is in the high background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively large. When the background noise is in the low background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so that noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Ito, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Takanobu Sawada
  • Publication number: 20230227020
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control method for a hybrid vehicle having a drive motor, a battery supplying electric power to the drive motor, and an engine for power generation configured to supply electric power to the battery and the drive motor includes operating the engine at a higher engine rotation speed in an operating state in which a fuel consumption device that contributes to improved fuel consumption performance does not operate than in an operating state in which the fuel consumption device operates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventor: Hidekatsu Akiyama
  • Patent number: 11654887
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided for a drive system including an internal combustion engine, a generator that is driven by the internal combustion engine, and a battery that is charged with electric power generated by the generator. A target power generated by the generator is set and the target engine output is calculated for the internal combustion engine according to the target generated power. The air density in the environment in which the vehicle travels is detected. The target engine output is corrected based on the detected air density with respect to the decrease in air density, and the generated power of the generator is made to follow the target generated power. The execution of air density correction is permitted or stopped depending on an operating state of the drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidekatsu Akiyama
  • Patent number: 11577713
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle including a battery charged with electric power generated by an engine, including a motor as a drive source, and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation, the running modes including a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state, and a charge mode configured to perform electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising: setting a range of charge amount that allows for charging of the battery based on the electric power generated; and setting an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11535237
    Abstract: An electric device control method controls an electric device that includes an internal combustion engine, a first electric motor that receives a driving force of the internal combustion engine to carry out power generation, and a second electric motor connected to a drive shaft. The method sets a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine to increase as a vehicle speed of the vehicle increases while the power generation is carried out by the first electric motor. Where the driving force required by the second electric motor becomes zero or negative while the first electric motor is carrying out power generation by the driving force of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine is stopped where the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and the power generation is continued where the vehicle speed is less than the first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidekatsu Akiyama, Tomoyuki Hanyu
  • Patent number: 11529944
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle including a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery, is provided, is provided. The control method having controlling the generator and the electric motor and accepting mode setting to set any of a normal mode, a regeneration driving mode, and a silent mode, the regeneration driving mode being a mode in which a regenerative braking force caused by the electric motor is larger than that in the normal mode, the silent mode being a mode in which charging by the engine is inhibited, wherein: when the normal mode is set, setting of the silent mode is not accepted; and when the regeneration driving mode is set, setting of the silent mode is accepted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11518363
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a battery charged with electric power generated by the engine, and a motor as a drive source and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation. As the running mode, the method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state; and a charge mode configured to electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising setting an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11434798
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle includes a battery supplying electric power to an electric motor, the battery is charged by an engine for electric power generation, and exhaust gas discharged from the engine 1 is treated by a catalyst. By the catalyst warm-up control method, when temperature of the catalyst is lower than required warm-up temperature for activating the catalyst, target revolution speed and target torque of the engine are controlled based on a state of charge of the battery, and, when target revolution speed is lower than lower-limit revolution speed at which the catalyst can be heated to the required warm-up temperature, the target revolution speed is controlled so as to be required warm-up revolution speed that is equal to or higher than the lower-limit revolution speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Azusa Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Shinsuke Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20220266816
    Abstract: When an estimation state of a road noise value based on an angular acceleration of a wheel is a proper estimation state, it is determined whether a background noise of the vehicle is in the high background or the low background noise state according to magnitudes of the road noise value and a predetermined threshold value. When the estimation state is not the proper estimation state, it is determined that the background noise of the vehicle is in the low background noise state regardless of road noise value. When the background noise is in the high background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively large. When the background noise is in the low background noise state, an output of the in-vehicle actuator is set so that noise accompanying an operation of the in-vehicle actuator becomes relatively small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Azusa Ito, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Takanobu Sawada
  • Publication number: 20220212654
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided for a drive system including an internal combustion engine, a generator that is driven by the internal combustion engine, and a battery that is charged with electric power generated by the generator. A target power generated by the generator is set and the target engine output is calculated for the internal combustion engine according to the target generated power. The air density in the environment in which the vehicle travels is detected. The target engine output is corrected based on the detected air density with respect to the decrease in air density, and the generated power of the generator is made to follow the target generated power. The execution of air density correction is permitted or stopped depending on an operating state of the drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventor: Hidekatsu AKIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220203960
    Abstract: An electric device control method controls an electric device that includes an internal combustion engine, a first electric motor that receives a driving force of the internal combustion engine to carry out power generation, and a second electric motor connected to a drive shaft. The method sets a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine to increase as a vehicle speed of the vehicle increases while the power generation is carried out by the first electric motor. Where the driving force required by the second electric motor becomes zero or negative while the first electric motor is carrying out power generation by the driving force of the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine is stopped where the vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, and the power generation is continued where the vehicle speed is less than the first threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Hidekatsu AKIYAMA, Tomoyuki HANYU
  • Patent number: 11285937
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle supplies electric power to an electric motor by a battery, to charge the battery by a power generation engine, and to treat exhaust gas from the engine with a catalyst, the hybrid vehicle selecting a manner mode in which power generation using the engine is stopped. The catalyst warm-up control method performs catalyst warm-up control such that when the temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a normal threshold temperature for activating the catalyst, the target rotation speed of the engine is controlled to a first warm-up required rotation speed at which the catalyst can be heated to a temperature that is higher than the normal threshold temperature. When the manner mode is selected, control is performed when temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a manner mode threshold temperature that is equal to or less than the normal threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai, Takashi Kamijo, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20210213934
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a battery charged with electric power generated by the engine, and a motor as a drive source and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation. As the running mode, the method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state; and a charge mode configured to electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising setting an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the normal mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Publication number: 20210155218
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle including a battery charged with electric power generated by an engine, including a motor as a drive source, and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation, the running modes including a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state, and a charge mode configured to perform electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising: setting a range of charge amount that allows for charging of the battery based on the electric power generated; and setting an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the normal mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke HIGUCHI, Hidekatsu AKIYAMA, Azusa KOBAYASHI, Keisuke KAWAI
  • Publication number: 20200398819
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle supplies electric power to an electric motor by a battery, to charge the battery by a power generation engine, and to treat exhaust gas from the engine with a catalyst, the hybrid vehicle selecting a manner mode in which power generation using the engine is stopped. The catalyst warm-up control method performs catalyst warm-up control such that when the temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a normal threshold temperature for activating the catalyst, the target rotation speed of the engine is controlled to a first warm-up required rotation speed at which the catalyst can be heated to a temperature that is higher than the normal threshold temperature. When the manner mode is selected, control is performed when temperature of the catalyst becomes lower than a manner mode threshold temperature that is equal to or less than the normal threshold temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai, Takashi Kamijo, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20200384977
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle including a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery, is provided, is provided. The control method having controlling the generator and the electric motor and accepting mode setting to set any of a normal mode, a regeneration driving mode, and a silent mode, the regeneration driving mode being a mode in which a regenerative braking force caused by the electric motor is larger than that in the normal mode, the silent mode being a mode in which charging by the engine is inhibited, wherein: when the normal mode is set, setting of the silent mode is not accepted; and when the regeneration driving mode is set, setting of the silent mode is accepted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Publication number: 20200386135
    Abstract: A catalyst warm-up control method for a hybrid vehicle includes a battery supplying electric power to an electric motor, the battery is charged by an engine for electric power generation, and exhaust gas discharged from the engine 1 is treated by a catalyst. By the catalyst warm-up control method, when temperature of the catalyst is lower than required warm-up temperature for activating the catalyst, target revolution speed and target torque of the engine are controlled based on a state of charge of the battery, and, when target revolution speed is lower than lower-limit revolution speed at which the catalyst can be heated to the required warm-up temperature, the target revolution speed is controlled so as to be required warm-up revolution speed that is equal to or higher than the lower-limit revolution speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Azusa Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi Ishikawa, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Shinsuke Higuchi