Patents by Inventor Norimi Asahara

Norimi Asahara 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: 20160297444
    Abstract: A vehicle control system is provided to improve energy efficiency of a vehicle that can be operated not only manually but also autonomously. The vehicle control system is configured to deliver oil to an oil requiring site in a first feeding amount under the manual mode, and to deliver oil to the oil requiring site in a second feeding amount that is smaller than the first feeding amount during propulsion under the autonomous mode in line with a travel plan. When a required amount of oil delivered to the oil requiring site is expected to be increased based on the travel plan under the autonomous mode, the controller increases an oil feeding amount to the oil requiring site from the second feeding amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahito ENDO, Kazumi HOSHIYA, Yoshio ITO, Norimi ASAHARA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Tadashi FUJIYOSHI, Yuji IWASE
  • Publication number: 20160298758
    Abstract: A vehicle control system to prevent a vehicle stopped in the autonomous mode from being started undesirably is provided. The vehicle control system is configured to select an operating mode from an autonomous mode and a manual mode, and to select a drive range from a drivable range and a non-drivable range. A controller is configured to detect a fact that a door is opened, that a door lock is unlocked, or that a seatbelt is unfastened. If at least any of those facts is detected, the controller shifts the drive range to the non-drivable range or shifts the operating mode to the manual mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tadashi FUJIYOSHI, Kazumi HOSHIYA, Yoshio ITO, Norimi ASAHARA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Takahito ENDO, Kazuya ARAKAWA
  • Patent number: 9206760
    Abstract: When a state in which fuel supply to a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine is cut is recovered, since a vehicle control device starts the fuel supply by controlling the internal combustion engine at the time that a requested driving force that is being requested becomes the same as an actual driving force that is being actually generated, the vehicle control device can appropriately start the fuel supply when the fuel cut state is recovered. When, for example, the deviation between the requested driving force and the actual driving force becomes within a preset and predetermined range, as the time at which the requested driving force that is being requested becomes the same as the actual driving force that is being actually generated, the vehicle control device starts the fuel supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Mitsuyasu, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 9067604
    Abstract: In a control device for a vehicle that controls a revolution speed of a drive power source or a gear ratio of a transmission coupled to an output side of the drive power source in the vehicle equipped with the drive power source and the transmission, the control device is configured to determine an index that is based on a running state of the vehicle, and to control a required revolution speed of the drive power source or a required gear ratio for the transmission on the basis of the index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Kaiji Itabashi, Ken Koibuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8930106
    Abstract: A braking/driving force control device includes an operating unit that executes an acceleration operation and a deceleration operation by an integral pedal, a stroke sensor that detects a stroke amount due to an operation of the operating unit, a load sensor that detects a load due to an operation of the operating unit, and a control unit that controls acceleration of a vehicle based on a stroke amount detected by the stroke sensor and further controls deceleration of a vehicle based on a load detected by the load sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Mitsuyasu, Katsumi Kono, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8909386
    Abstract: In a vehicle control system, an index used to set a running characteristic of a vehicle is obtained based on a running condition of the vehicle. A change of the index that makes behavior of the vehicle crisper is more likely to occur than a change of the index that makes the behavior of the vehicle milder. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a turning condition, the change of the index or a change of the miming characteristic based on the index is less likely to occur than when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the turning condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Takeuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Kaiji Itabashi, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8903619
    Abstract: In a vehicle control system that obtains an index based on a running condition of a vehicle and changes a running characteristic of the vehicle according to the index, includes index setting means for making a change in the index in response to a change in the running condition in a direction toward crisp running of the vehicle, faster than a change in the index in response to a change in the running condition in such a direction as to reduce crispness with which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Kaiji Itabashi, Toshio Tanahashi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8825339
    Abstract: A vehicular drive control apparatus provided with pulse-driving and gliding means for setting upper limit Vhi and lower limit Vlo of running speed V of a vehicle according to an upper and lower vehicle speed limit maps, and on the basis of target running speed Vt which is the running speed V at a time when control initiating conditions have been satisfied, and running the vehicle in P & G running mode by alternately repeating pulse-driving run (accelerating run) and gliding run (decelerating run) of the vehicle at the running speed V varying between the set upper and lower limits Vhi and Vlo, the control initiating conditions including a condition that the vehicle is in a steady running state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Shono, Yoshikazu Motozono, Masafumi Uchihara, Akihiro Ueda, JongGap Kim, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8775040
    Abstract: A vehicle control system obtains an index indicating a running condition of a vehicle on the basis of a vehicle parameter indicating a motion of the vehicle and then sets a running characteristic of the vehicle in accordance with the index. The vehicle control system includes a noise reduction unit that is configured to obtain the index on the basis of the vehicle parameter of which a fluctuating component that fluctuates because of a driver's driving operation or the influence of a running road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara, Kaiji Itabashi
  • Publication number: 20140156171
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is a vehicle control device for a vehicle capable of coasting, in which when there is no acceleration or deceleration request to the vehicle while traveling, power transmission between an engine and drive wheels is cut off and the vehicle is allowed to travel by inertia, wherein in a state in which there is no acceleration or deceleration request to the vehicle while traveling and power is transmitted between the engine and the drive wheels, whether or not to implement the coasting is determined by comparing a required deceleration rate Dt which is estimated as a deceleration rate to be later required of the vehicle and a coasting deceleration rate Dn which is estimated as a deceleration rate during the coasting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsumi Kono, Norimi Asahara, Jonggap Kim
  • Publication number: 20130253805
    Abstract: When a state in which fuel supply to a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine is cut is recovered, since a vehicle control device starts the fuel supply by controlling the internal combustion engine at the time that a requested driving force that is being requested becomes the same as an actual driving force that is being actually generated, the vehicle control device can appropriately start the fuel supply when the fuel cut state is recovered. When, for example, the deviation between the requested driving force and the actual driving force becomes within a preset and predetermined range, as the time at which the requested driving force that is being requested becomes the same as the actual driving force that is being actually generated, the vehicle control device starts the fuel supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Mitsuyasu, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8543302
    Abstract: A gear shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes: a gear-shift-state-determining unit for determining the presence or absence of a gear-shift-determination of the automatic transmission; a gear-shift-time-estimating unit, when there is the gear-shift-determination, for estimating gear-shift-completion-time since the present gear is shifted to another gear and, after that, further shifted to the present gear; a fuel-consumption-estimating unit for estimating a first fuel consumption in the case where the vehicle drives for the gear-shift-completion-time in the present gear and a second fuel consumption in the case where the present gear is shifted to another gear and, after that, further shifted to the present gear; and a fuel-consumption-determining unit for determining validity of the gear shift on the basis of fuel consumptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Yoshikawa, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8538651
    Abstract: A driving force control apparatus includes a driver model which is a functional block adjusting characteristics relevant to human senses and a powertrain manger which is a functional block adjusting vehicle's hardware characteristics. The driver model includes a target base driving force calculation unit (static characteristics) calculating a target driving force from an accelerator pedal position using a base driving force map or the like, and a target transient characteristics addition unit calculating a final target driving force from the target driving force using transient characteristics represented by a transfer function. The powertrain manager includes a target engine torque and AT gear calculation unit and a characteristics compensator compensating for response of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norimi Asahara, Katsumi Kono
  • Patent number: 8521338
    Abstract: A vehicle control system capable of improving drivability by reflecting driving environment and driving preference accurately on driving characteristics. The vehicle control system is configured to change an index for setting driving characteristics of the vehicle. When accelerations Gx and Gy are changed, a sportiness index is changed in a different manner depending on a detail of an operation for changing accelerations Gx and Gy executed by a driver, thereby reflecting the driving preference of the driver appearing on the operation can be reflected on sportiness of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Takeuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Ken Koibuchi, Kaiji Itabashi, Shin Noumura, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara
  • Publication number: 20130211686
    Abstract: A vehicular drive control apparatus provided with pulse-driving and gliding means 118 for setting upper limit Vhi and lower limit Vlo of running speed V of a vehicle according to an upper and lower vehicle speed limit maps, and on the basis of target running speed Vt which is the running speed V at a time when control initiating conditions have been satisfied, and running the vehicle in P & G running mode by alternately repeating pulse-driving run (accelerating run) and gliding run (decelerating run) of the vehicle at the running speed V varying between the set upper and lower limits Vhi and Vlo, the control initiating conditions including a condition that the vehicle is in a steady running state. Accordingly, the pulse-driving and gliding means 118 permits the vehicle to be run in the P & G running mode, independently of an automatic cruising control, making it possible to improve fuel economy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoichi Shono, Yoshikazu Motozono, Masafumi Uchihara, Akihiro Ueda, JongGap Kim, Norimi Asahara
  • Publication number: 20120221228
    Abstract: In a vehicle control system that obtains an index based on a running condition of a vehicle and changes a running characteristic of the vehicle according to the index, includes index setting means for making a change in the index in response to a change in the running condition in a direction toward crisp running of the vehicle, faster than a change in the index in response to a change in the running condition in such a direction as to reduce crispness with which the vehicle is running.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Kaiji Itabashi, Toshio Tanahashi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara
  • Patent number: 8222895
    Abstract: A compact sensing device capable of sensing a rotational angle and a rotational velocity, or a rectilinear moving distance and a moving velocity. A displacement sensing device that senses a rotational angle of a moving member rotation and a distance of a linear movement of the moving member, or senses an angular velocity of the moving member rotation and a velocity of a linear movement of the moving member, includes: a first movable member, moved together with the moving member by a linear movement of the moving member; a second movable member holding the first movable member in a rotatable manner, and rotated together with the moving member by rotation of the moving member; a first sensor outputting a signal in accordance with a linear movement of the first movable member; and a second sensor outputting a signal in accordance with a rotation of the second movable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Norimi Asahara, Yukiko Nishida, Masahisa Niwa
  • Publication number: 20120179342
    Abstract: In a control device for a vehicle that controls a revolution speed of a drive power source or a gear ratio of a transmission coupled to an output side of the drive power source in the vehicle equipped with the drive power source and the transmission, the control device is configured to determine an index that is based on a running state of the vehicle, and to control a required revolution speed of the drive power source or a required gear ratio for the transmission on the basis of the index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Kaiji Itabashi, Ken Koibuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara
  • Publication number: 20120143399
    Abstract: A vehicle control system obtains an index indicating a running condition of a vehicle on the basis of a vehicle parameter indicating a motion of the vehicle and then sets a running characteristic of the vehicle in accordance with the index. The vehicle control system includes a noise reduction unit that is configured to obtain the index on the basis of the vehicle parameter of which a fluctuating component that fluctuates because of a driver's driving operation or the influence of a running road surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Keisuke Takeuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara, Kaiji Itabashi
  • Publication number: 20120143398
    Abstract: In a vehicle control system, an index used to set a running characteristic of a vehicle is obtained based on a running condition of the vehicle. A change of the index that makes behavior of the vehicle crisper is more likely to occur than a change of the index that makes the behavior of the vehicle milder. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a turning condition, the change of the index or a change of the miming characteristic based on the index is less likely to occur than when it is determined that the vehicle is not in the turning condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Takeuchi, Toshio Tanahashi, Hiroyuki Hanamura, Shin Noumura, Ken Koibuchi, Kaiji Itabashi, Yoji Takanami, Norimi Asahara