Patents by Inventor Hideyuki Maeji
Hideyuki Maeji 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: 7004128Abstract: A control unit employed in a variable valve timing apparatus vibrates a control signal for controlling an oil-pressure control valve. If the vibration center of the duty value of the control signal for driving the oil-pressure control valve lies in a dead band, the vibration takes the duty value to the outside of the dead center temporarily. Thus, even if the center value of the control signal lies in the dead band, the valve timing of the oil-pressure control valve changes with variations in control signal. As a result, the width of the dead band appears small or to have a value of zero. Accordingly, the response characteristic of variations in valve timing to the variations in control signal is improved. The vibration of the control signal is also effective for detection of a width of the dead band.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2002Date of Patent: February 28, 2006Assignee: DENSO CorporationInventors: Yoshihiro Majima, Jun Hasegawa, Hisashi Iida, Masaomi Inoue, Hideyuki Maeji, Haruyuki Urushihata, Noriaki Iwase
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Patent number: 6976382Abstract: At a time point at which an ignition switch is made OFF and an engine is stopped, an output of a downstream gas sensor is read, thereafter, at a time point at which a predetermined time period has elapsed from stopping the engine, the output of the downstream gas sensor changed by flowing the atmosphere back into an exhaust pipe is read. Thereafter, a change in the output of the downstream gas sensor until the predetermined time period has elapsed from stopping the engine is calculated, the change in the output is compared with an abnormality determinant and when the change in the output is smaller than the abnormality determinant, response of the downstream gas sensor is determined to be abnormal.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2003Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: DENSO CorporationInventors: Hisashi Kadowaki, Syujiro Morinaga, Yukihiro Yamashita, Hideyuki Maeji
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Patent number: 6898927Abstract: An emission control system has a catalyst and a sensor responding to a component of exhaust gas. In order to speed warming up the catalyst, the emission control system increases the amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas. A diagnosis of the emission control system is carried out by determining whether the amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas is sufficient or insufficient. The amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas is represented by the length of time to an activated state of the sensor. In the diagnosis, the amount of heat generated by a heater provided in the sensor is taken into consideration.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2002Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Syujiro Morinaga, Hisashi Iida, Yoshihiro Majima, Tatsuya Oka, Akira Ichikawa, Keiji Wakahara, Masayuki Tsutsumi, Hideyuki Maeji, Masakazu Yamada, Takanori Takahashi, Yukihiro Yamashita
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Patent number: 6877468Abstract: A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided which is designed to ensure the drivability of the engine in the event of failure in operation of a variable valve timing control system made up of intake and exhaust side variable valve timing control mechanisms. If one of intake and exhaust side variable valve timing control mechanism has failed, the control apparatus actuates the other variable valve timing control mechanism to control the timing of opening and closing of a corresponding one of intake and exhaust valves so as to decrease an amount of overlap between the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2003Date of Patent: April 12, 2005Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Tomohiro Tsujimura, Yasuo Hirata, Hideyuki Maeji
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Patent number: 6688286Abstract: A knock control apparatus for engine has a knock sensor for detecting vibrations of the engine. The knock control apparatus determines an occurrence of knock by using at least one of a statistical process, a waveform process and a FFT process. The knock control apparatus desirably uses at least two of the above-described process for improving the accuracy of knock determination. The knock control apparatus learns a corrective value during a stable condition of the engine. The learned value is used for determining an ignition timing when the engine is in a transitional condition. Therefore, it is possible to detect a knock accurately, and reduce a knock when the engine is in the transitional condition.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2002Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Naoki Kokubo, Hirohiko Yamada, Hideki Yukumoto, Hideyuki Maeji
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Publication number: 20030154709Abstract: At a time point at which an ignition switch is made OFF and an engine is stopped, an output of a downstream gas sensor is read, thereafter, at a time point at which a predetermined time period has elapsed from stopping the engine, the output of the downstream gas sensor changed by flowing the atmosphere back into an exhaust pipe is read. Thereafter, a change in the output of the downstream gas sensor until the predetermined time period has elapsed from stopping the engine is calculated, the change in the output is compared with an abnormality determinant and when the change in the output is smaller than the abnormality determinant, response of the downstream gas sensor is determined to be abnormal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2003Publication date: August 21, 2003Inventors: Hisashi Kadowaki, Syujiro Morinaga, Yukihiro Yamashita, Hideyuki Maeji
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Publication number: 20030131814Abstract: A valve timing control apparatus for an internal combustion engine is provided which is designed to ensure the drivability of the engine in the event of failure in operation of a variable valve timing control system made up of intake and exhaust side variable valve timing control mechanisms. If one of intake and exhaust side variable valve timing control mechanism has failed, the control apparatus actuates the other variable valve timing control mechanism to control the timing of opening and closing of a corresponding one of intake and exhaust valves so as to decrease an amount of overlap between the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2003Publication date: July 17, 2003Inventors: Tomohiro Tsujimura, Yasuo Hirata, Hideyuki Maeji
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Publication number: 20030070423Abstract: An emission control system has a catalyst and a sensor responding to a component of exhaust gas. In order to speed warming up the catalyst, the emission control system increases the amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas. A diagnosis of the emission control system is carried out by determining whether the amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas is sufficient or insufficient. The amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas is represented by the length of time to an activated state of the sensor. In the diagnosis, the amount of heat generated by a heater provided in the sensor is taken into consideration. The diagnosis can also be carried out before and after the warming up the catalyst. The heater can also be deactivated. Detection of an abnormality of a secondary air control system can be based on a component of exhaust gas. If the amount of heat dissipated by exhaust gas is found insufficient, additional control can be executed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2002Publication date: April 17, 2003Inventors: Syujiro Morinaga, Hisashi Iida, Yoshihiro Majima, Tatsuya Oka, Akira Ichikawa, Keiji Wakahara, Masayuki Tsutsumi, Hideyuki Maeji, Masakazu Yamada, Takanori Takahashi, Yukihiro Yamashita
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Publication number: 20030000489Abstract: A control unit employed in a variable valve timing apparatus vibrates a control signal for controlling an oil-pressure control valve. If the vibration center of the duty value of the control signal for driving the oil-pressure control valve lies in a dead band, the vibration takes the duty value to the outside of the dead center temporarily. Thus, even if the center value of the control signal lies in the dead band, the valve timing of the oil-pressure control valve changes with variations in control signal. As a result, the width of the dead band appears small or to have a value of zero. Accordingly, the response characteristic of variations in valve timing to the variations in control signal is improved. The vibration of the control signal is also effective for detection of a width of the dead band.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2002Publication date: January 2, 2003Inventors: Yoshihiro Majima, Jun Hasegawa, Hisashi Iida, Masaomi Inoue, Hideyuki Maeji, Haruyuki Urushihata, Noriaki Iwase
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Publication number: 20020179053Abstract: A knock control apparatus for engine has a knock sensor for detecting vibrations of the engine. The knock control apparatus determines an occurrence of knock by using at least one of a statistical process, a waveform process and a FFT process. The knock control apparatus desirably uses at least two of the above-described process for improving the accuracy of knock determination. The knock control apparatus learns a corrective value during a stable condition of the engine. The learned value is used for determining an ignition timing when the engine is in a transitional condition. Therefore, it is possible to detect a knock accurately, and reduce a knock when the engine is in the transitional condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2002Publication date: December 5, 2002Inventors: Naoki Kokubo, Hirohiko Yamada, Hideki Yukumoto, Hideyuki Maeji