Patents by Inventor Keigo Matsubara

Keigo Matsubara 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: 10676092
    Abstract: A vehicle control device has an engine, automatic transmission, and torque converter disposed between the engine and the automatic transmission. The torque converter includes a lockup clutch coupling an input member to an output member of the torque converter. The control device has: a slip control portion controlling lockup clutch slip when deceleration running; and a fuel cut control portion performing an engine fuel cut when deceleration running and to terminate the fuel cut when an engine rotation speed is reduced to a predetermined rotation speed or less during the fuel cut, the fuel cut control portion being permitted to perform the fuel cut, based on lockup clutch slip pressure controlled by the slip control portion has reached a slip pressure value at which the engine rotation speed does not decrease due to a shortage of torque capacity of the lockup clutch even when the fuel cut is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Chikashi Ohta, Masami Kondo
  • Patent number: 10449950
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit that is configured to set a value of a target generated voltage of the generator. The electronic control unit is configured to execute power generation control to control a generated voltage of a generator. The electronic control unit is configured to maintain a value of the generated voltage in the power generation control to be constant during an upshift gear change when the upshift gear change control of a transmission is executed while the lock-up clutch control is executed during deceleration of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to increase the value in the power generation control during the downshift control to the value of the target generated voltage at a first specified rate when a downshift gear change of the transmission is executed while the lock-up clutch control is executed during the deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Chikashi Ohta
  • Patent number: 10351140
    Abstract: A transmission gear control apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes an automatic transmission, a torque converter, and an accelerator operation amount sensor. The torque converter is disposed between the engine and the automatic transmission. The transmission gear control apparatus includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) control switching of a transmission gear stage of the automatic transmission at least on a basis of a change in vehicle speed of the vehicle; (ii) control lockup of a lock-up clutch of the torque converter on a basis of a state of the vehicle; and (iii) control the automatic transmission when the accelerator operation amount is equal to or larger than a specified value such that an upshift of the automatic transmission is performed at a higher vehicle speed as a rotation difference between input and output of the torque converter is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio Sugawara, Keigo Matsubara, Akihito Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 10286914
    Abstract: An electronic control unit starts shift initial oil pressure control after the completion of lockup initial oil pressure control when shift control is performed during the performance of lockup control, the electronic control unit starts shift initial oil pressure control after the completion of lockup initial oil pressure control. Besides, the electronic control unit places priority on the shift control and starts the lockup initial oil pressure control after the completion of the shift initial oil pressure control, when the lockup control is performed during the performance of the shift control. Therefore, the shift initial oil pressure control and the lockup initial oil pressure control are prevented from occurring at the same time when the shift control and the lockup control are performed at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Ayumu Sagawa
  • Patent number: 10161514
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a lockup clutch is provided. The control apparatus for the lockup clutch includes an electronic control unit that is configured to: calculate a driven target clutch torque capacity and a driving target clutch torque capacity; set a target clutch torque of the lockup clutch and control the lockup clutch, based on the driven target clutch torque capacity and the driving target clutch torque capacity; and change over the target clutch torque capacity from the driven target clutch torque capacity to the driving target clutch torque capacity when the driven target clutch torque capacity and the driving target clutch torque capacity coincide with each other after an operation state of an accelerator of the vehicle changes over from an accelerator OFF state to an accelerator ON state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Hironobu Aratake
  • Patent number: 10107391
    Abstract: In a transmission with a lockup clutch, in a case where zero-slip control of the lockup clutch is not established (converged) within a predetermined time, a sweep increase of a lockup clutch hydraulic pressure starts at an increase rate smaller than a normal increase rate in a case where the zero-slip control is established within the predetermined time, the increase rate until the end of the sweep increase is set to be equal to or less than the normal increase rate, and in addition, a hydraulic pressure at the time of the end of the sweep increase is set to be equal to or greater than a hydraulic pressure in a case where the zero-slip control is established within the predetermined time. With such control, in a case where the zero-slip state is not brought, suppressing the occurrence of shock when complete engagement is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Ayumu Sagawa
  • Patent number: 10099698
    Abstract: In the case where the lockup clutch is in the complete engagement state when a changeover between shift stages is made with the second shift mode selected, an electronic control unit holds the lockup clutch in the complete engagement state. Meanwhile, in the case where the lockup clutch is in the slip engagement state, the electronic control unit holds the lockup clutch in the slip engagement state based on a slip amount of the torque converter, or switches the lockup clutch to the complete engagement state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Ayumu Sagawa
  • Patent number: 10088038
    Abstract: If the difference between output torque output from an engine and load torque from drive wheels is large and torque input to a lockup clutch is large, since a value of lockup command pressure at which lockup engagement pressure in lockup end control becomes constant standby pressure is set to be high, fast release of the lockup clutch or racing of the engine is suppressed during the lockup end control. If torque input to the lockup clutch is small, the value of the lockup command pressure at which the lockup engagement pressure in the lockup end control becomes the constant standby pressure is set to be low, and a hydraulic pressure output period during which hydraulic pressure is output to the lockup clutch is set to be short.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Ayumu Sagawa
  • Publication number: 20180201269
    Abstract: A vehicle control device has an engine, automatic transmission, and torque converter disposed between the engine and the automatic transmission. The torque converter includes a lockup clutch coupling an input member to an output member of the torque converter. The control device has: a slip control portion controlling lockup clutch slip when deceleration running; and a fuel cut control portion performing an engine fuel cut when deceleration running and to terminate the fuel cut when an engine rotation speed is reduced to a predetermined rotation speed or less during the fuel cut, the fuel cut control portion being permitted to perform the fuel cut, based on lockup clutch slip pressure controlled by the slip control portion has reached a slip pressure value at which the engine rotation speed does not decrease due to a shortage of torque capacity of the lockup clutch even when the fuel cut is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Chikashi OHTA, Masami KONDO
  • Patent number: 9951830
    Abstract: An electronic control unit performs lockup clutch engagement control in the sequence of fast fill control, constant-pressure standby control and command pressure raising control, and starts the lockup clutch engagement control from that one of the fast fill control and the command pressure raising control which is later in sequence than the other, as a command pressure for a control oil pressure at a transition time point for making a transition to the lockup clutch engagement control rises, in making the transition to the lockup clutch engagement control during the lockup clutch release control. Therefore, when the command pressure for the control oil pressure is equal to or higher than a predetermined value that is needed to carry out packing for narrowing a pack clearance of a lockup clutch, the lockup clutch engagement control is started from the command pressure raising control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo Matsubara, Ayumu Sagawa
  • Publication number: 20170361833
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes an electronic control unit that is configured to set a value of a target generated voltage of the generator. The electronic control unit is configured to execute power generation control to control a generated voltage of a generator. The electronic control unit is configured to maintain a value of the generated voltage in the power generation control to be constant during an upshift gear change when the upshift gear change control of a transmission is executed while the lock-up clutch control is executed during deceleration of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to increase the value in the power generation control during the downshift control to the value of the target generated voltage at a first specified rate when a downshift gear change of the transmission is executed while the lock-up clutch control is executed during the deceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Chikashi OHTA
  • Publication number: 20170328467
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a lockup clutch is provided. The control apparatus for the lockup clutch includes an electronic control unit that is configured to: calculate a driven target clutch torque capacity and a driving target clutch torque capacity; set a target clutch torque of the lockup clutch and control the lockup clutch, based on the driven target clutch torque capacity and the driving target clutch torque capacity; and change over the target clutch torque capacity from the driven target clutch torque capacity to the driving target clutch torque capacity when the driven target clutch torque capacity and the driving target clutch torque capacity coincide with each other after an operation state of an accelerator of the vehicle changes over from an accelerator OFF state to an accelerator ON state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Hironobu ARATAKE
  • Publication number: 20170274905
    Abstract: A transmission gear control apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes an automatic transmission, a torque converter, and an accelerator operation amount sensor. The torque converter is disposed between the engine and the automatic transmission. The transmission gear control apparatus includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: (i) control switching of a transmission gear stage of the automatic transmission at least on a basis of a change in vehicle speed of the vehicle; (ii) control lockup of a lock-up clutch of the torque converter on a basis of a state of the vehicle; and (iii) control the automatic transmission when the accelerator operation amount is equal to or larger than a specified value such that an upshift of the automatic transmission is performed at a higher vehicle speed as a rotation difference between input and output of the torque converter is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio SUGAWARA, Keigo MATSUBARA, Akihito HAYASAKA
  • Publication number: 20170276243
    Abstract: In a transmission with a lockup clutch, in a case where zero-slip control of the lockup clutch is not established (converged) within a predetermined time, a sweep increase of a lockup clutch hydraulic pressure starts at an increase rate smaller than a normal increase rate in a case where the zero-slip control is established within the predetermined time, the increase rate until the end of the sweep increase is set to be equal to or less than the normal increase rate, and in addition, a hydraulic pressure at the time of the end of the sweep increase is set to be equal to or greater than a hydraulic pressure in a case where the zero-slip control is established within the predetermined time. With such control, in a case where the zero-slip state is not brought, suppressing the occurrence of shock when complete engagement is carried out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Ayumu SAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20170276195
    Abstract: An electronic control unit performs lockup clutch engagement control in the sequence of fast fill control, constant-pressure standby control and command pressure raising control, and starts the lockup clutch engagement control from that one of the fast fill control and the command pressure raising control which is later in sequence than the other, as a command pressure for a control oil pressure at a transition time point for making a transition to the lockup clutch engagement control rises, in making the transition to the lockup clutch engagement control during the lockup clutch release control. Therefore, when the command pressure for the control oil pressure is equal to or higher than a predetermined value that is needed to carry out packing for narrowing a pack clearance of a lockup clutch, the lockup clutch engagement control is started from the command pressure raising control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Ayumu SAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20170276242
    Abstract: If the difference between output torque output from an engine and load torque from drive wheels is large and torque input to a lockup clutch is large, since a value of lockup command pressure at which lockup engagement pressure in lockup end control becomes constant standby pressure is set to be high, fast release of the lockup clutch or racing of the engine is suppressed during the lockup end control. If torque input to the lockup clutch is small, the value of the lockup command pressure at which the lockup engagement pressure in the lockup end control becomes the constant standby pressure is set to be low, and a hydraulic pressure output period during which hydraulic pressure is output to the lockup clutch is set to be short.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Ayumu SAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20170240178
    Abstract: An electronic control unit starts shift initial oil pressure control after the completion of lockup initial oil pressure control when shift control is performed during the performance of lockup control, the electronic control unit starts shift initial oil pressure control after the completion of lockup initial oil pressure control. Besides, the electronic control unit places priority on the shift control and starts the lockup initial oil pressure control after the completion of the shift initial oil pressure control, when the lockup control is performed during the performance of the shift control. Therefore, the shift initial oil pressure control and the lockup initial oil pressure control are prevented from occurring at the same time when the shift control and the lockup control are performed at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Ayumu SAGAWA
  • Publication number: 20170240179
    Abstract: In the case where the lockup clutch is in the complete engagement state when a changeover between shift stages is made with the second shift mode selected, an electronic control unit holds the lockup clutch in the complete engagement state. Meanwhile, in the case where the lockup clutch is in the slip engagement state, the electronic control unit holds the lockup clutch in the slip engagement state based on a slip amount of the torque converter, or switches the lockup clutch to the complete engagement state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keigo MATSUBARA, Ayumu SAGAWA
  • Patent number: 9050963
    Abstract: A map is provided that has an unlimited region where a take-off slip-engagement the next time is repeatedly executed indefinitely, a limited region where the take-off slip-engagement the next time is repeatedly executed only once, and a prohibited region where the take-off slip-engagement the next time is prohibited, and has a generated heat amount during the take-off slip-engagement and an elapsed time after the lock-up slip-engagement ends as variables. Therefore, a region in which the take-off slip-engagement the next time had been prohibited because the take-off slip-engagement the next time is unable to be repeatedly executed indefinitely even though it is able to be repeatedly executed only once is made the limited region, so the take-off slip-engagement the next time is allowed to be repeatedly executed only once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Dodo, Yoichi Nakashima, Atsushi Muto, Tsuyoshi Fujikane, Keigo Matsubara, Junichi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20140018209
    Abstract: A map is provided that has an unlimited region where a take-off slip-engagement the next time is repeatedly executed indefinitely, a limited region where the take-off slip-engagement the next time is repeatedly executed only once, and a prohibited region where the take-off slip-engagement the next time is prohibited, and has a generated heat amount during the take-off slip-engagement and an elapsed time after the lock-up slip-engagement ends as variables. Therefore, a region in which the take-off slip-engagement the next time had been prohibited because the take-off slip-engagement the next time is unable to be repeatedly executed indefinitely even though it is able to be repeatedly executed only once is made the limited region, so the take-off slip-engagement the next time is allowed to be repeatedly executed only once.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Dodo, Yoichi Nakashima, Atsushi Muto, Tsuyoshi Fujikane, Keigo Matsubara, Junichi Inoue