Patents by Inventor Masayuki Saruwatari

Masayuki Saruwatari 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: 20230250767
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to obtain a controller device for a variable valve timing apparatus capable of controlling a phase to an arbitrary fixed valve timing from immediately before an internal combustion engine stops until after the internal combustion engine has stopped. The controller device for the variable valve timing apparatus according to the present invention performs, during engine stop processing of the internal combustion engine, normal control of changing the relative rotational phase of a camshaft to a most advanced position or a most retarded position when the rotational speed of a crankshaft is equal to or more than a first threshold, and low-speed control of fixing a current or a voltage supplied to the motor to be constant to maintain the relative rotational phase of the camshaft at the most advanced position or the most retarded position in a period from when the rotational speed of the crankshaft is lower than the first threshold until the rotational speed becomes zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Yuta KOIKE, Masayuki SARUWATARI, Yuusuke KIHARA, Akihiro KOMORI
  • Patent number: 11703004
    Abstract: Provided is an internal combustion engine control device that is capable of accurately estimating a stable combustion state at low cost. An internal combustion engine control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a rotational speed calculation unit 122a that calculates a time-series value of a crank rotational speed of an internal combustion engine; a rotational, speed phase calculation unit 122b that calculates a phase of the crank rotational speed from the time-series value of the crank rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed calculation unit; and a cycle variation calculation unit 122c that calculates the magnitude of variation between cycles of the phase of the crank rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed phase calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Masayuki Saruwatari, Shinya Sato
  • Patent number: 11614064
    Abstract: Provided is a control device and a control method of a high-efficiency internal combustion engine capable of stabilizing combustion and suppressing NOx emissions without unnecessarily increasing a mounting load on an ECU. Therefore, the control device of the internal combustion engine for controlling the internal combustion engine includes an ignition plug that ignites an air-fuel mixture of fuel and air in the combustion chamber, a combustion pressure estimation sensor that detects a combustion pressure in the combustion chamber, and a crank angle sensor that detects a crank angle of a crankshaft. An MBT region is set based on an ignition delay period from an ignition timing of the ignition plug calculated from a detection value of the combustion pressure estimation sensor and a detection value of the crank angle sensor to a combustion start timing in the combustion chamber, and a combustion period from the combustion start timing to a set amount combustion end timing when a set amount of combustion ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Shimada, Toshihiro Aono, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11603819
    Abstract: In an engine including an auxiliary chamber having an ignition plug therein, an amount of heat generated in the auxiliary chamber tends to be large, and thus it is necessary to suppress abnormal combustion. However, when a sensor is added to the ignition plug, a manufacturing cost of the ignition plug tends to increase. An ECU 2 includes an auxiliary chamber temperature estimation unit 21 that estimates a temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42, and an ignition control unit 22 that delays an ignition timing at a first decrease degree defined in accordance with a change amount of the ignition timing with respect to the temperature of the auxiliary combustion chamber as the temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 increases in a case where the estimated temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 is included in a middle temperature region equal to or lower than a first set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Kazuhiro Oryoji, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Publication number: 20230067661
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to a control unit for controlling an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine includes at least one cylinder 100, at least one combustion chamber 90 within which a fuel is burned, at least one fuel injector 40, 50, at least one ignition device 60, and an oxygen determination unit 20 configured to determine the content of oxygen in the fuel, wherein the control unit 10 is configured to control the internal combustion engine based on the content of oxygen in the fuel detected by the oxygen determination unit 20.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Naoki YONEYA, Masayuki SARUWATARI, Yoshihito YASUKAWA, Maung Maung AYE
  • Publication number: 20230054131
    Abstract: To accurately estimate a combustion state even in a case where the combustion state in a combustion chamber greatly changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshihiro SUKEGAWA, Shinya SATO, Masayuki SARUWATARI, Atsushi SHIMADA
  • Publication number: 20230016942
    Abstract: Provided is an internal combustion engine control device that is capable of accurately estimating a stable combustion state at low cost. An internal combustion engine control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a rotational speed calculation unit 122a that calculates a time-series value of a crank rotational speed of an internal combustion engine; a rotational, speed phase calculation unit 122b that calculates a phase of the crank rotational speed from the time-series value of the crank rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed calculation unit; and a cycle variation calculation unit 122c that calculates the magnitude of variation between cycles of the phase of the crank rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed phase calculation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro SUKEGAWA, Masayuki SARUWATARI, Shinya SATO
  • Publication number: 20220325687
    Abstract: In an engine including an auxiliary chamber having an ignition plug therein, an amount of heat generated in the auxiliary chamber tends to be large, and thus it is necessary to suppress abnormal combustion. However, when a sensor is added to the ignition plug, a manufacturing cost of the ignition plug tends to increase. An ECU 2 includes an auxiliary chamber temperature estimation unit 21 that estimates a temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42, and an ignition control unit 22 that delays an ignition timing at a first decrease degree defined in accordance with a change amount of the ignition timing with respect to the temperature of the auxiliary combustion chamber as the temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 increases in a case where the estimated temperature of the auxiliary chamber 42 is included in a middle temperature region equal to or lower than a first set temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Kengo KUMANO, Kazuhiro ORYOJI, Masayuki SARUWATARI
  • Patent number: 11391226
    Abstract: To accurately evaluate combustion stability in consideration of the effect of the trend even at the time of the transient operation. The present invention is configured to have a combustion energy calculation unit that calculates a combustion energy W_t of one combustion cycle in an internal combustion engine, a trend calculation unit that calculates a trend Tr of change in the combustion energy W_t calculated by the combustion energy calculation unit in a plurality of the combustion cycles, and a combustion stability judgment unit that judges combustion stability based on the combustion energy W_t in the plurality of combustion cycles and the trend Tr of change calculated by the trend calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Aono, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Publication number: 20220220908
    Abstract: Provided is an internal combustion engine control unit that controls an engine by detecting combustion characteristics with a simple configuration robust to disturbance such as noise. Therefore, the internal combustion engine control unit (ECU 12) of the present embodiment includes a rotational speed calculation unit 122a that calculates a crank rotational speed of an internal combustion engine (engine 1); an extreme value timing calculation unit 122b that calculates an extreme value timing of the crank rotational speed calculated by the rotational speed calculation unit 122a; and a combustion state estimation unit (combustion phase calculation unit 122c) that estimates a combustion state based on the extreme value timing of the crank speed calculated by the extreme value timing calculation unit 122b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshihiro SUKEGAWA, Masayuki SARUWATARI, Shinya SATO, Yoshiaki NAGASAWA
  • Patent number: 11333060
    Abstract: When a coolant controlled to have a constant target temperature is used regardless of a traveling condition of a vehicle, a fuel efficiency of the vehicle may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Kumano, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11319892
    Abstract: Provided is a novel internal-combustion engine control device that can accurately determine a combustion state of an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber even in a case where operation is switched between a steady operation state and a transient operation state. For this purpose, the internal-combustion engine control device includes a physical quantity detection unit that detects a physical quantity that fluctuates output of the internal-combustion engine, an output fluctuation value calculation unit that calculates an output fluctuation value for each cylinder based on a detection result of the physical quantity detection unit, and a state determination unit that determines a transient operation state or a steady operation state based on a difference or a ratio between a first output fluctuation value of a predetermined first cylinder and a second output fluctuation value of a predetermined second cylinder calculated by the output fluctuation value calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Sukegawa, Toshihiro Aono, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Patent number: 11313300
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the start of an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine is equipped with an ignition device comprising a fuel-fed prechamber to ignite an air-fuel mixture in a main combustion chamber. In order to reduce the emissions of the internal combustion engine during engine start a prechamber heating operations is performed by injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the prechamber and igniting an air-fuel-mixture therein, while the main fuel injector is deactivated during at least a first engine cycle after engine start request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Yoneya, Masayuki Saruwatari
  • Publication number: 20220120249
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to enable forming of fuel sprays capable of suppressing discharge of PN, HC, and the like. Thus, in a fuel injection device 100 having a plurality of injection holes, the fuel injection device includes a first injection hole group 801 that is directed in a direction on an exhaust valve 211 side with respect to an intake valve 205 side, and a second injection hole group 802 that is directed in a direction on the intake valve 205 side with respect to the exhaust valve 211 side. A flow rate of the second injection hole group 802 is larger than a flow rate of the first injection hole group 801.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Ryo KUSAKABE, Yoshihiro SUKEGAWA, Masayuki SARUWATARI
  • Publication number: 20220112869
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a control unit for avoiding condensation of humidity in an intake system of an internal combustion engine after engine switch off. Condensed liquid in the intake system of the stopped engine can lead to icing, corrosion and a hydrostatic lock at the next engine start. To prevent such an engine damage, it is necessary to determine if and in which amount condensed liquid occurs in the cooled intake system and to initiate appropriate actions to eliminate the liquid therefrom. The present invention predicts the occurrence of condensation in the intake system of the cooled engine and initiates corrective measures at engine switch off and during the cooling down period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Andrea MARCHI, Masayuki SARUWATARI, Yoshihito YASUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20220106902
    Abstract: When a coolant controlled to have a constant target temperature is used regardless of a traveling condition of a vehicle, a fuel efficiency of the vehicle may be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Kengo KUMANO, Masayuki SARUWATARI
  • Publication number: 20220090552
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for controlling the start of an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine is equipped with an ignition device comprising a fuel-fed prechamber to ignite an air-fuel mixture in a main combustion chamber. In order to reduce the emissions of the internal combustion engine during engine start a prechamber heating operations is performed by injecting a predetermined amount of fuel into the prechamber and igniting an air-fuel-mixture therein, while the main fuel injector is deactivated during at least a first engine cycle after engine start request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Naoki YONEYA, Masayuki SARUWATARI
  • Publication number: 20220009479
    Abstract: Provided is a hybrid vehicle control device excellent in quietness while suppressing knocking within an allowable limit. The hybrid vehicle control device of an aspect of the invention is a hybrid vehicle control device that controls a hybrid vehicle including a motor that drives wheels, a generator that supplies electric power to the motor, and an engine configured by an internal combustion engine that drives the generator, and includes a control unit that calculates a knock index value indicating a knock degree of the engine at an engine operating point represented by a relationship between an engine rotational speed and an engine torque, and controls the engine rotational speed and the engine torque based on the knock index value. As the knock index value decreases, the control unit sets the target engine rotation speed to be lower and the target engine torque to be higher in the target power generation amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Yoshihiro SUKEGAWA, Masayuki SARUWATARI
  • Publication number: 20220001851
    Abstract: Provided is an internal combustion engine control device capable of maintaining an activation temperature of a catalyst while suppressing deterioration of an exhaust gas in a hybrid engine. To this end, the internal combustion engine control device of the present invention controls an internal combustion engine in an engine for a hybrid vehicle. The internal combustion engine has a catalyst that purifies the harmful substances in the exhaust gas and a catalyst temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the catalyst. Then, when the temperature of the catalyst detected by the catalyst temperature detection unit does not reach a predetermined temperature, the internal combustion engine control device performs a catalyst temperature rise control for increasing the temperature of the catalyst and performs motoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Inventors: Shogo NAMBA, Masayuki SARUWATARI
  • Publication number: 20210388790
    Abstract: A shot variation in injection quantity of a fuel injection device is reduced. A control device according to an aspect of the present invention performs a first current control for a solenoid by a first current waveform by applying a reverse voltage to the solenoid before a mover or a valve collides with a fixed portion, when an injection quantity of a fuel from opening to closing of the valve of the fuel injection device is a set value or more. In addition, the control device performs a second current control for the solenoid by a second current waveform so that a current larger than a holding current holding the mover or the valve in a state of being in contact with the fixed portion flows to the solenoid, until the mover or the valve collides with the fixed portion, when the injection quantity of the fuel from opening to closing of the valve is less than the set value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Ryo KUSAKABE, Yoshihiro SUKEGAWA, Masayuki SARUWATARI