Patents by Inventor Masaaki Otsubo

Masaaki Otsubo 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: 9051891
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for a vehicle including an engine, a manual transmission, a clutch disposed between the engine and the manual transmission, and a clutch manipulation unit with which a driver controls the state of the clutch. In the control device for the vehicle, an engine revolution increasing control to increase an engine revolution is started at a predetermined start timing when the clutch is switched from a disengaged state to an engaged state by manipulation of the clutch manipulation unit at the time of starting the vehicle in an accelerator-off state, and in a case where the engine revolution is largely degrading in a predetermined period around start of the engine revolution increasing control, the start timing of the engine revolution increasing control is advanced for a next starting of the vehicle in the accelerator-off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Watanabe, Masaaki Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20130225368
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for a vehicle including an engine, a manual transmission, a clutch disposed between the engine and the manual transmission, and a clutch manipulation unit with which a driver controls the state of the clutch. In the control device for the vehicle, an engine revolution increasing control to increase an engine revolution is started at a predetermined start timing when the clutch is switched from a disengaged state to an engaged state by manipulation of the clutch manipulation unit at the time of starting the vehicle in an accelerator-off state, and in a case where the engine revolution is largely degrading in a predetermined period around start of the engine revolution increasing control, the start timing of the engine revolution increasing control is advanced for a next starting of the vehicle in the accelerator-off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Watanabe, Masaaki Otsubo
  • Patent number: 8260510
    Abstract: When there is a shift command for the transmission (3) during or immediately after clutch touch point learning, a shift operation value for the transmission (3) is reduced compared to what it normally is (steps ST11 and ST12). Reducing the shift operation value in this way enables the change in the rotation speed of an input rotating body at the time of a gear shift operation to be gradual if that gear shift operation is during or immediately after clutch touch point learning. As a result, inertia torque, and thus shift shock, can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Otsubo
  • Patent number: 7930086
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program including a step of detecting a running speed of a vehicle and a current gear stage of the vehicle, a step of determining whether or not shifting is required, a step of calculating a required period T(D) for performing double clutch control if shifting is required, a step of calculating a required period T(S) for synchro-rotational synchronization, a step of determining whether or not the required period T(D) for double clutch control is equal to or shorter than the required period T(S) for synchro-rotational synchronization, and a step of carrying out shifting by performing double clutch control if the required period T(D) for double clutch control is equal to or shorter than the required period T(S) for synchro-rotational synchronization. A sense of incongruity felt by a driver during shifting is thereby suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20100049412
    Abstract: When there is a shift command for the transmission (3) during or immediately after clutch touch point learning, a shift operation value for the transmission (3) is reduced compared to what it normally is (steps ST11 and ST12). Reducing the shift operation value in this way enables the change in the rotation speed of an input rotating body at the time of a gear shift operation to be gradual if that gear shift operation is during or immediately after clutch touch point learning. As a result, inertia torque, and thus shift shock, can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Otsubo
  • Patent number: 7540211
    Abstract: The ECU executes a program including the step of setting a threshold value A to be compared with a stroke amount of an actuator for determining whether gear shifting has completed or not, taking no account of a deflection amount C of the hardware due to the shift load, when the vehicle speed V is higher than a predetermined vehicle speed V(0), and the step of setting a threshold value B to be compared with the stroke amount of the actuator for determining whether gear shifting has completed or not, to a value obtained by adding the deflection amount C of the hardware due to the shift load to the threshold value A used when the vehicle speed V is not lower than V(0), when the vehicle speed V is lower than the predetermined vehicle speed V(0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20080248923
    Abstract: An ECU executes a program including a step of detecting a running speed of a vehicle and a current gear stage of the vehicle, a step of determining whether or not shifting is required, a step of calculating a required period T(D) for performing double clutch control if shifting is required, a step of calculating a required period T(S) for synchro-rotational synchronization, a step of determining whether or not the required period T(D) for double clutch control is equal to or shorter than the required period T(S) for synchro-rotational synchronization, and a step of carrying out shifting by performing double clutch control if the required period T(D) for double clutch control is equal to or shorter than the required period T(S) for synchro-rotational synchronization. A sense of incongruity felt by a driver during shifting is thereby suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Publication date: October 9, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaaki Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20070066441
    Abstract: The ECU executes a program including the step of setting a threshold value A to be compared with a stroke amount of an actuator for determining whether gear shifting has completed or not, taking no account of a deflection amount C of the hardware due to the shift load, when the vehicle speed V is higher than a predetermined vehicle speed V(0), and the step of setting a threshold value B to be compared with the stroke amount of the actuator for determining whether gear shifting has completed or not, to a value obtained by adding the deflection amount C of the hardware due to the shift load to the threshold value A used when the vehicle speed V is not lower than V(0), when the vehicle speed V is lower than the predetermined vehicle speed V(0).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaaki Otsubo
  • Publication number: 20020193048
    Abstract: Left and right cup portions and a base portion are separated at a bust perimeter position. A border frame made of a resin of a necessary rigidity and flexibility is attached along a separation edge of the base portion. A joining portion is provided unitarily on the border frame. A joiner portion is provided on the cup portion. The cup portion and the base portion are detachably connected by a female-male interconnection of the joiner portion with the joining portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Makoto Kato, Ranpei Kimura, Hiromi Yamauchi, Shuji Sakaki, Yasushi Hanida, Masaaki Otsubo, Masanori Sakamoto, Gen Kudo, Toru Hiruta, Teruo Fukumoto, Nobue Hiiragi