Patents by Inventor Masayuki Baba
Masayuki Baba 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: 10569640Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a shift control portion is configured, when determining that a shift-down action to establish one of gear positions in a transmission mechanism by release of an engagement device and engagement of a one-way clutch, is to be executed during decelerating run of the vehicle, to initiate execution of the shift-down action to establish the one of the of gear positions after an input torque inputted to the transmission mechanism becomes not lower than a predetermined negative value. The predetermined negative value is a predetermined minimum value that becomes not lower than a certain value at a point of time at which the release of the engagement device is completed in process of the shift-down action. The certain value is a value of the input torque enabling the one-way clutch to be automatically engaged.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2018Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki Baba, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Masato Yoshikawa, Kenta Kumazaki, Jun Goto
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Patent number: 10543831Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with a motor/generator functioning as a drive power source, and a mechanically operated transmission mechanism which constitutes a part of a power transmitting path between the motor/generator and drive wheels, the control apparatus including a motor/generator control portion configured to implement a regenerative torque control of the motor/generator so as to generate a regenerative torque according to a braking operation by an operator of the vehicle in a decelerating run of the vehicle, and a transmission shifting control portion configured to initiate a shift-down action of the mechanically operated transmission mechanism after a rate of change of the regenerative torque has been held within a predetermined range for at least a predetermined length of time, where a determination to implement the shift-down action is made in the process of the regenerative torque control of the motor/generator according to the braking operation.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Kumazaki, Hiromichi Kimura, Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tooru Matsubara, Takeshi Kitahata, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Masato Yoshikawa, Masayuki Baba, Shun Sato, Takahiro Kawaguchi
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Patent number: 10471949Abstract: With a motor in rotation, 0 is set as each of a d-axis current command and a q-axis current command, and offset learning is carried out. Then, in carrying out offset learning, a transmission is controlled such that a shift stage of the transmission falls within a low vehicle speed-side predetermined shift stage range. Thus, the rotational speed of the motor can be more reliably made high to a certain extent, and offset learning can be carried out. As a result, the accuracy of offset learning can be restrained from decreasing.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2017Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryoji Sato, Masayuki Baba, Shogo Tanaka, Takuya Shimaji
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Patent number: 10449949Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes: a transmission shifting control portion configured to implement a shifting action of a step-variable transmission, by controlling a releasing action of a releasing coupling device and an engaging action of an engaging coupling device; a torque control portion configured, during the shifting action of the step-variable transmission, to implement a feedback control to control an input torque inputted to the step-variable transmission, such that a value representing a state of a rotary motion of an input rotary member of the step-variable transmission coincides with a target value dependent on a degree of progress of the shifting action; and a backup control portion configured, when it is determined that the drive wheels are slipped, to inhibit the feedback control, and to compensate a transmitted torque to be transmitted through an initiative coupling device, such that the shifting action is facilitated by compensation of the transmitted torque.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2017Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobufusa Kobayashi, Masato Yoshikawa, Masayuki Baba, Takeshi Kitahata
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Patent number: 10359110Abstract: A controller for a vehicle including a continuously variable transmission mechanism, a mechanical stepped transmission mechanism, and a drive wheel is provided. The controller includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute gear change control of the mechanical stepped transmission mechanism so as to establish any simulated gear stage of a plurality of simulated gear stages and to change a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission mechanism stepwise. When determining that the mechanical stepped transmission mechanism has failed, the electronic control unit is configured to fix the mechanical stepped transmission mechanism at a limp-home mode mechanical gear stage, prohibit a stepped gear change of the continuously variable transmission mechanism, and change the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission mechanism in a stepless manner on the basis of a vehicle state.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2017Date of Patent: July 23, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobufusa Kobayashi, Koki Minamikawa, Masayuki Baba, Toru Matsubara, Munehiro Katsumata
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Publication number: 20190211922Abstract: A shift device of the present disclosure includes a shift body that is moved to change a shift position, a restriction body that is moved toward one side to restrict movement of the shift body from a predetermined shift position, and that is moved toward another side to release restriction of the movement of the shift body from the predetermined shift position, a moving gear that is capable of rotating, and a sliding body that meshes with the moving gear, and that slides by the moving gear being rotated so as to move the restriction body.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 26, 2018Publication date: July 11, 2019Inventor: Masayuki BABA
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Publication number: 20190039450Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a shift control portion is configured, when determining that a shift-down action to establish one of gear positions in a transmission mechanism by release of an engagement device and engagement of a one-way clutch, is to be executed during decelerating run of the vehicle, to initiate execution of the shift-down action to establish the one of the of gear positions after an input torque inputted to the transmission mechanism becomes not lower than a predetermined negative value. The predetermined negative value is a predetermined minimum value that becomes not lower than a certain value at a point of time at which the release of the engagement device is completed in process of the shift-down action. The certain value is a value of the input torque enabling the one-way clutch to be automatically engaged.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2018Publication date: February 7, 2019Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki BABA, Nobufusa KOBAYASHI, Masato YOSHIKAWA, Kenta KUMAZAKI, Jun GOTO
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Patent number: 10166974Abstract: A control system of a power transmission system of a vehicle is provided. The power transmission system includes an electric motor for running the vehicle, and a mechanical speed change mechanism. The control system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: perform regeneration control of the electric motor for running the vehicle during coasting of the vehicle, such that regenerative torque of the electric motor for running the vehicle provides regenerative torque produced according to braking operation; perform shift control of the mechanical speed change mechanism according to a predetermined relationship; determine whether a rate of change of the regenerative torque is within a predetermined range; and when a downshift of the mechanical speed change mechanism is determined during coasting, execute the downshift under a condition that the rate of change of the regenerative torque is within the predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2016Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Kumazaki, Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tooru Matsubara, Nobufusa Kobayashi, Masato Yoshikawa, Masayuki Baba, Shun Sato
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Publication number: 20180354495Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with a motor/generator functioning as a drive power source, and a mechanically operated transmission mechanism which constitutes a part of a power transmitting path between the motor/generator and drive wheels, the control apparatus including a motor/generator control portion configured to implement a regenerative torque control of the motor/generator so as to generate a regenerative torque according to a braking operation by an operator of the vehicle in a decelerating run of the vehicle, and a transmission shifting control portion configured to initiate a shift-down action of the mechanically operated transmission mechanism after a rate of change of the regenerative torque has been held within a predetermined range for at least a predetermined length of time, where a determination to implement the shift-down action is made in the process of the regenerative torque control of the motor/generator according to the braking operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2018Publication date: December 13, 2018Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta KUMAZAKI, Hiromichi KIMURA, Kazuyuki SHIIBA, Tooru MATSUBARA, Takeshi KITAHATA, Nobufusa KOBAYASHI, Masato YOSHIKAWA, Masayuki BABA, Shun SATO, Takahiro KAWAGUCHI
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Publication number: 20180300864Abstract: A judging method including: obtaining an image of a subject for judgement as a subject image by using an imaging device; judging, by comparing the subject image with a registered image, whether a difference between the subject image and the registered image is greater than or equal to a first threshold; extracting a feature quantity from the subject image and a feature quantity from the registered image if the difference is judged to be greater than or equal to the first threshold; extracting a region of the subject image where a difference in the feature quantity between the region and an associated region of the registered image is greater than or equal to a second threshold; and displaying by a display device the extracted region in the subject image.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITEDInventors: Masayuki Baba, Susumu HAGA
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Patent number: 10012309Abstract: An electronic control unit is configured to, when the electronic control unit determines that any one of a first condition and a second condition is satisfied, preferentially execute lower limit speed ratio control. The first condition is a condition that, after the electronic control unit starts shift prohibition control, a wheel lock has occurred before a condition for cancelling the shift prohibition control is satisfied. The second condition is a condition that, after the electronic control unit starts the lower limit speed ratio control, a wheel spin has occurred before a condition for cancelling the lower limit speed ratio control is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2016Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenta Kumazaki, Kazuyuki Shiiba, Tooru Matsubara, Hideharu Nohara, Masayuki Baba
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Publication number: 20180170355Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes: a transmission shifting control portion configured to implement a shifting action of a step-variable transmission, by controlling a releasing action of a releasing coupling device and an engaging action of an engaging coupling device; a torque control portion configured, during the shifting action of the step-variable transmission, to implement a feedback control to control an input torque inputted to the step-variable transmission, such that a value representing a state of a rotary motion of an input rotary member of the step-variable transmission coincides with a target value dependent on a degree of progress of the shifting action; and a backup control portion configured, when it is determined that the drive wheels are slipped, to inhibit the feedback control, and to compensate a transmitted torque to be transmitted through an initiative coupling device, such that the shifting action is facilitated by compensation of the transmitted torque.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2017Publication date: June 21, 2018Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Nobufusa KOBAYASHI, Masato YOSHIKAWA, Masayuki BABA, Takeshi KITAHATA
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Publication number: 20180163859Abstract: A controller for a vehicle including a continuously variable transmission mechanism, a mechanical stepped transmission mechanism, and a drive wheel is provided. The controller includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute gear change control of the mechanical stepped transmission mechanism so as to establish any simulated gear stage of a plurality of simulated gear stages and to change a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission mechanism stepwise. When determining that the mechanical stepped transmission mechanism has failed, the electronic control unit is configured to fix the mechanical stepped transmission mechanism at a limp-home mode mechanical gear stage, prohibit a stepped gear change of the continuously variable transmission mechanism, and change the gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission mechanism in a stepless manner on the basis of a vehicle state.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2017Publication date: June 14, 2018Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Nobufusa KOBAYASHI, Koki MINAMIKAWA, Masayuki BABA, Toru MATSUBARA, Munehiro KATSUMATA
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Patent number: 9988052Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a continuously variable transmission device and an electric control unit controlling an engine, a motor generator, and the continuously variable transmission device. The electric control unit selects any one of a plurality of operation modes, having different correlations between a driver's accelerator operation amount and a control throttle opening, to suit driver's requests, and performs a number-of-revolutions increase control for increasing an engine rotation speed according to at least one of elapsed time from a time point of a vehicle speed increase and elapsed time from a time point of an acceleration request in a case where the control throttle opening exceeds a predetermined threshold. The electric control unit controls the engine to suppress the engine rotation speed change due to a change of the operation mode in a case where the control throttle opening is changed across the predetermined threshold in response to the change of the operation mode.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2014Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiaki Tsuruta, Masayuki Baba
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Patent number: 9944274Abstract: On simultaneous shifts in which shift control of virtual gear positions overlaps shift control of mechanical gear positions, an electronic control unit is configured to delay output of a shift command on the virtual gear position such that shifts of the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are performed in synchronization. Therefore, the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are shifted in synchronization, irrespective of a difference between the shift response times, and the feeling of strangeness given to the driver due to shift shock, or the like, is suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki Baba, Ichiro Isobe
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Patent number: 9878705Abstract: A plurality of virtual gear positions are established by an electric continuously variable transmission, and the number of speeds of the virtual gear positions is equal to or larger than the number of speeds of mechanical gear positions of a mechanical stepwise variable transmission. One virtual gear position or two or more virtual gear positions is/are assigned to each mechanical gear position, and the mechanical gear position is shifted in the same timing as shift timing of the virtual gear position. The virtual gear positions assigned to each mechanical gear position when the mechanical gear position is upshifted are different from the virtual gear positions assigned to each mechanical gear position when the mechanical gear position is downshifted. Thus, the amount of heat generated in frictional engagement elements of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission is prevented from being increased.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki Baba, Ichiro Isobe
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Patent number: 9873423Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor driven by a battery output, and a continuously variable transmission, when acceleration is requested, an ECU executes feeling-of-acceleration producing control for gradually increasing an engine rotation speed from an initial value NEini lower than an optimum rotation speed. With the battery output, the ECU makes up for a shortfall of engine output caused by the feeling-of-acceleration producing control. When starting the feeling-of-acceleration producing control, the ECU calculates a basic initial value NEini_base lower than the optimum rotation speed, and calculates, based on an atmospheric pressure, a lower limit value NEmin that allows the battery output to be maintained to be equal to or lower than prescribed electric power. The ECU selects a larger one of basic initial value NEini_base and lower limit value NEmin as initial value NEini.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2014Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masayuki Baba, Yoshiaki Tsuruta
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Publication number: 20170313301Abstract: On simultaneous shifts in which shift control of virtual gear positions overlaps shift control of mechanical gear positions, an electronic control unit is configured to delay output of a shift command on the virtual gear position such that shifts of the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are performed in synchronization. Therefore, the virtual gear position and the mechanical gear position are shifted in synchronization, irrespective of a difference between the shift response times, and the feeling of strangeness given to the driver due to shift shock, or the like, is suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2017Publication date: November 2, 2017Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki BABA, Ichiro ISOBE
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Publication number: 20170313300Abstract: A plurality of virtual gear positions are established by an electric continuously variable transmission, and the number of speeds of the virtual gear positions is equal to or larger than the number of speeds of mechanical gear positions of a mechanical stepwise variable transmission. One virtual gear position or two or more virtual gear positions is/are assigned to each mechanical gear position, and the mechanical gear position is shifted in the same timing as shift timing of the virtual gear position. The virtual gear positions assigned to each mechanical gear position when the mechanical gear position is upshifted are different from the virtual gear positions assigned to each mechanical gear position when the mechanical gear position is downshifted. Thus, the amount of heat generated in frictional engagement elements of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission is prevented from being increased.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2017Publication date: November 2, 2017Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masayuki BABA, Ichiro ISOBE
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Publication number: 20170297559Abstract: A plurality of virtual gear positions are established by an electric continuously variable transmission, and the number of speeds of the virtual gear positions is equal to or larger than the number of speeds of mechanical gear positions of a mechanical stepwise variable transmission. One or two or more virtual gear positions is/are assigned to each mechanical gear position, and shifts among the mechanical gear positions are performed in the same timing as the shift timing of the virtual gear positions. Thus, shifting of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission is accompanied by change of the engine speed Ne, and the driver is less likely to feel uncomfortable even if shift shock occurs during shifting of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koki MINAMIKAWA, Masayuki BABA, Munehiro KATSUMATA