Patents by Inventor Kazuya Maki

Kazuya Maki 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: 20100222978
    Abstract: A pressure braking unit including an operating pressure applying unit that applies an operating pressure to a working fluid according to operation of an operating member; a pressurizing unit that applies a pressurized pressure to the working fluid; a braking force generating unit that generates pressure braking force on wheels by a total pressure of the operating pressure and the pressurized pressure; a regenerative braking unit that generates regenerative braking force on the wheels; and a controlling unit that executes switching control to switch the regenerative braking force to the pressure braking force according to the pressurized pressure, and by prohibiting increase in the pressurized pressure by the pressurizing unit, it is possible to inhibit braking operation feeling from deteriorating while ensuring the braking force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Kodama, Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20100089709
    Abstract: A vehicle brake control apparatus is provided with a master cylinder capable of outputting master cylinder pressure, which is pressure of operating fluid generated by operation of a brake pedal, and hydraulic pumps capable of outputting pressurized pressure generated by pressurizing the operating fluid as braking force, wherein a brake ECU is configured to detect driver's requested braking force based on the master cylinder pressure to drive-control the hydraulic pumps based on the requested braking force, and when the hydraulic pumps outputs the braking force, the brake ECU changes the requested braking force according to a pedal stroke of the brake pedal at the time of the detection of the requested braking force, thereby enabling high-precision braking force control by setting optimal requested braking force always according to intension of a driver irrespective of a driving condition of the vehicle to improve drivability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Michihito Shimada, Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20100036577
    Abstract: A braking apparatus includes a hydraulic brake device that generates pressure braking-force by wheel cylinder pressure, the hydraulic brake device including a master cylinder for exerting a master cylinder pressure on a brake oil according to a manipulation force generated by the manipulation of a brake pedal by a driver, a brake booster for assisting the manipulation force by a negative pressure generated by an internal combustion engine, and a negative pressure sensor for detecting the negative pressure of the brake booster, and a regenerative braking device for generating a regenerative braking-force by performing regenerative braking. The regenerative braking device generates a regenerative braking when the detected negative pressure is lower than a reference negative pressure to be greater than when the detected negative pressure is the reference negative pressure. The uncomfortable feeling felt by the driver in manipulating the brake is suppressed, and the fuel consumption is enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Shinya Kodama, Michihito Shimada, Kazuya Maki
  • Patent number: 7597409
    Abstract: A control unit of a brake apparatus for a vehicle comprises target braking force determining means determining a target value corresponding to a target braking force that is a target value of a braking force on the basis of a basic value corresponding to the basic hydraulic pressure, compensation braking force controlling means controlling a compensation braking force so that a total value corresponding to a total braking force is equal to the target value corresponding to the target braking force, and the target braking force determining means including hunting reducing hydraulic pressure calculating means calculating a controlling value corresponding to a hunting reducing hydraulic pressure, the controlling value obtained by applying process to the basic hydraulic pressure in order to control a variation thereof, and the target value corresponding to the target braking force is determined by use of the controlling value corresponding to the hunting reducing hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Kokubo, Kazuya Maki, Masayuki Naito
  • Patent number: 7469974
    Abstract: During normal braking, a brake fluid supply route is used through which brake fluid is supplied from a master reservoir to wheel cylinders to using first to fourth pumps. When an abnormality occurs, a route is used through which a master cylinder pressure, which is generated by depressing a brake pedal, is transmitted through brake conduits to the wheel cylinders for both front wheels. First to fourth linear valves are provided in parallel with the first to fourth pumps, respectively, and during normal braking, the first to fourth linear valves are operated under duty control to adjust the wheel cylinder pressures that are generated in the wheel cylinders to, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Yasuo Takahara
  • Publication number: 20080255732
    Abstract: A braking control apparatus for a vehicle includes four wheel braking apparatuses for applying a braking torque to wheels, a first hydraulic pressure generating apparatus generating a hydraulic pressure, a vacuum booster generating an assist force for assisting a breaking operation, a first hydraulic circuit, a second hydraulic circuit, a second hydraulic pressure generating apparatus generating an assist hydraulic pressure that is added to the hydraulic pressure, a detecting portion for detecting a braking operation variable, a target value determining portion for determining a first assist hydraulic pressure target value and a second assist hydraulic pressure target value to be both greater than zero over a range where the braking operation variable is greater than a predetermined value at which the assist force by the vacuum booster is started, and a pressure regulating portion for regulating the assist hydraulic pressure to mach the assist hydraulic pressure target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Yasuo Takahara, Takashi Sato, Kazuya Maki
  • Patent number: 7345749
    Abstract: This apparatus specifies, based upon the front image that is photographed by a front camera 65f before the present time by a predetermined time, the position (point A) of the “object” in the front image by utilizing the difference in brightness, and specifies, based upon the rear image photographed by a rear camera 65r at the present time, the position (point C) of the object same as the aforesaid “object” in the rear image by utilizing the difference in brightness. This apparatus obtains the displacement amount m in the image lateral direction of the position (point C) of the specified “same object” in the rear image with respect to the position (point B) of the aforesaid “same object” in the rear image that is to be specified supposing that the vehicle body slip angle ? is “0”, and detects the vehicle body slip angle ? according to the equation of “?=tan?1(m/L)” (L: camera-to-camera distance).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20070284936
    Abstract: A vehicle brake system is provided with a brake ECU serving as controlled hydraulic brake force control means for executing a controlled hydraulic brake force control to decrease the rotational speed of an electric motor when at least both of a regenerative brake force and a controlled hydraulic brake force are being applied. The brake ECU decreases the rotational speed of the electric motor when the gradient of a target controlled hydraulic brake force being a controlled hydraulic pressure command value given to a hydraulic brake device is downhill or is not present. Thus, the pressured fluid supplied from a pump driven by the electric motor to be supplied to wheel cylinders of a vehicle is decreased to enhance the efficiency in utilizing the regenerative energy which an electric motor for driving the vehicle has in dependence on the stepping state of a brake pedal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Koichi Kokubo, Masayuki Naito
  • Publication number: 20070272457
    Abstract: In the hybrid vehicle of the invention, when the sum of a regenerative braking force BFr produced by a motor and an operational braking force BFpmc based on a master cylinder pressure Pmc is insufficient for a braking force demand BF* required by the driver in response to the driver's depression of a brake pedal, the motor and a brake actuator of an HBS are controlled to satisfy the braking force demand BF* by the total of the regenerative braking force BFr of the motor, the master cylinder pressure Pmc-based operational braking force BFpmc, and a compensated braking force BFpp based on a pressure increase by two pumps included in the brake actuator (steps S170 through S190).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Shinya Kodama, Michihito Shimada, Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20070273204
    Abstract: In response to the driver's depression of a brake pedal, the hybrid vehicle of the invention utilizes both a master cylinder pressure Pmc and a pressure increase by two pumps included in two different braking systems of a brake actuator in an HBS to satisfy a braking force demand BF* required by the driver. In this case, the braking control of the invention corrects a basic pump command value dpB for the respective pumps with a pump command correction value dc (step S190), which is set according to a detected behavior of the hybrid vehicle in a braking state, and controls the brake actuator in the HBS to satisfy the braking force demand BF* (steps S170 to S200).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Shinya Kodama, Michihito Shimada, Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20070267915
    Abstract: In the case of detection of any abnormality in either of a first braking system and a second braking system of a brake actuator, which causes failed pressurization of brake oil, an electronically-controlled hydraulic braking system is controlled to enable pressurization of the brake oil with a pump included in only a normal braking system, that is, only with a pump of a normal first braking system or only with a pump of a normal second braking system. Such pressurization ensures satisfaction of a braking force demand BF* required by the driver by utilizing an operational pressure or master cylinder pressure Pmc and a pressure increase induced by pressurization of the brake oil by the pump in the normal braking system (step S220 or S230 and step S210).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Publication date: November 22, 2007
    Inventors: Michihito Shimada, Shinya Kodama, Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20070241611
    Abstract: When vehicle speed V decreases to or below a preset reference vehicle speed Vref during output of regenerative braking force from a motor in response to the driver's depression of a brake pedal, the vehicle of the invention performs a replacement pre-operation (steps S190 to S220 and S160) and a replacement operation (steps S240 to S280 and S160) and controls the motor and an electronically controlled hydraulic braking system to satisfy a braking force demand BF*. The replacement pre-operation actuates and controls pumps included in a brake actuator of the electronically controlled hydraulic braking system to exert their proper pressurization performance. The replacement operation decreases the regenerative braking force output from the motor and enhances a pressure increase by the pumps to replace the regenerative braking force with a pressure increase-based braking force BFpp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Inventors: Michihito Shimada, Kazuya Maki
  • Publication number: 20070228812
    Abstract: A control unit of a brake apparatus for a vehicle comprises target braking force determining means determining a target value corresponding to a target braking force that is a target value of a braking force on the basis of a basic value corresponding to the basic hydraulic pressure, compensation braking force controlling means controlling a compensation braking force so that a total value corresponding to a total braking force is equal to the target value corresponding to the target braking force, and the target braking force determining means including hunting reducing hydraulic pressure calculating means calculating a controlling value corresponding to a hunting reducing hydraulic pressure, the controlling value obtained by applying process to the basic hydraulic pressure in order to control a variation thereof, and the target value corresponding to the target braking force is determined by use of the controlling value corresponding to the hunting reducing hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Koichi Kokubo, Kazuya Maki, Masayuki Naito
  • Publication number: 20070228821
    Abstract: A braking apparatus for a vehicle includes a hydraulic brake apparatus generating a basic hydraulic pressure so that a basic hydraulic braking force is generated at wheels, the hydraulic brake apparatus generating a controlled hydraulic pressure so that a controlled hydraulic braking force is generated at the wheels, a regenerative brake apparatus causing a regenerative braking force to be generated at any of the wheels, and braking force replacement controlling means for gradually replacing the regenerative braking force with the controlled hydraulic braking force while braking during which at least the regenerative braking force is applied for a purpose of achieving a braking force replacement control to ensure a total braking force required for the wheels by decreasing the regenerative braking force at a gradient within a predetermined range and by increasing the controlled hydraulic braking force in response to the decrease of the regenerative braking force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Koichi Kokubo, Masayuki Naito
  • Publication number: 20070228823
    Abstract: A control unit of a brake apparatus includes: a compensation braking force controlling means for controlling a compensation braking force in response to an operation of a brake operating member so that a characteristic of a total braking force relative to the operation of the brake operating member agrees with a predetermined target characteristic. The total braking force is a sum of the compensation braking force containing a pressurizing hydraulic braking force based upon at least the pressurization and a basic hydraulic pressure braking force based upon the basic hydraulic pressure. The compensation braking force controlling means includes: a judging means for judging whether the vehicle has stopped; and a limiting means for limiting the amount of pressurization via a pressure control valve when the judging means determines that the vehicle has stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Inventors: Koichi Kokubo, Kazuya Maki, Masayuki Naito
  • Publication number: 20070208481
    Abstract: A vehicle brake control device cuts off one or more of the first to fourth linear valves in order to prohibit completely supply of a current to the one or more of the first to fourth linear valves, in the case that a slip ratio of one or more wheels is larger than a first threshold. Thus, it is possible to avoid slow depressurization of the W/C pressure caused by the weak current. In other words, it is possible to achieve quick response in the W/C pressures which allows the depressurization to work well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Hiroaki Niino
  • Publication number: 20070188021
    Abstract: A control portion stores an actual brake force distribution characteristic line indicating relation between a front brake force allocated to the front wheel and a rear brake force allocated to the rear wheel, wherein the actual brake force distribution characteristic line is determined based on an ideal brake force distribution characteristic line so that, in achieving a given deceleration, a ratio of the front brake force to the rear brake force becomes smaller in the case that the distribution is calculated by using the actual brake force distribution characteristic line than in the case that the distribution is calculated by using the ideal brake force distribution characteristic line. The control portion calculates the distribution by using the actual brake force distribution characteristic line and determines, based on the calculated distribution, the wheel cylinder pressures to be generated at the front wheel cylinder the rear wheel cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Yasuo Takahara
  • Publication number: 20070188019
    Abstract: A brake control apparatus for a vehicle includes a controlling device for actuating the pressure modulating device and the motor, calculating a target braking force corresponding to an operation amount, and driving the motor and the pressure modulating device, wherein, in an electric power supply stopped situation, in which electric power is not supplied by the battery, while an operation amount detected by the operation amount sensor increases, the controlling device starts driving the motor by means of electric power supplied by the capacitor, only when a target braking force corresponding to the operation amount reaches memorized target braking force memorized in the memorizing portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Hiroaki Niino
  • Publication number: 20070114844
    Abstract: During normal braking, a brake fluid supply route is used through which brake fluid is supplied from a master reservoir to wheel cylinders to using first to fourth pumps. When an abnormality occurs, a route is used through which a master cylinder pressure, which is generated by depressing a brake pedal, is transmitted through brake conduits to the wheel cylinders for both front wheels. First to fourth linear valves are provided in parallel with the first to fourth pumps, respectively, and during normal braking, the first to fourth linear valves are operated under duty control to adjust the wheel cylinder pressures that are generated in the wheel cylinders to, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Kazuya Maki, Yasuo Takahara
  • Publication number: 20060239508
    Abstract: This apparatus specifies, based upon the front image that is photographed by a front camera 65f before the present time by a predetermined time, the position (point A) of the “object” in the front image by utilizing the difference in brightness, and specifies, based upon the rear image photographed by a rear camera 65r at the present time, the position (point C) of the object same as the aforesaid “object” in the rear image by utilizing the difference in brightness. This apparatus obtains the displacement amount m in the image lateral direction of the position (point C) of the specified “same object” in the rear image with respect to the position (point B) of the aforesaid “same object” in the rear image that is to be specified supposing that the vehicle body slip angle ? is “0”, and detects the vehicle body slip angle ? according to the equation of “?=tan?1(m/L)” (L: camera-to-camera distance).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventor: Kazuya Maki