Patents by Inventor Seiji Kuwahara
Seiji Kuwahara 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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Publication number: 20160298758Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2016Publication date: October 13, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tadashi FUJIYOSHI, Kazumi HOSHIYA, Yoshio ITO, Norimi ASAHARA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Takahito ENDO, Kazuya ARAKAWA
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Publication number: 20160297444Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2016Publication date: October 13, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takahito ENDO, Kazumi HOSHIYA, Yoshio ITO, Norimi ASAHARA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Tadashi FUJIYOSHI, Yuji IWASE
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Patent number: 9460163Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for accessing and processing social media content. An extraction configuration comprising definitions for keywords, social networks, extraction times, and/or actions to be initiated upon a detection of a condition may be defined by a user of a site monitoring system. The defined social networks may be accessed at the defined extraction times to obtain data from a post comprising the defined keyword. The presence of some data in association with the post may initiate an action defined by the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2013Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Colin Kieron Toal, Catherine Ann Champion, Jacqueline Joanne van der Net, Olivier Suritz, William Alfred Nagel, Daniel Seiji Kuwahara
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Publication number: 20160281792Abstract: A translational force Fh to one side in a rotational axis direction is caused to act from a hydraulic piston to a sleeve when an engaged stage between an engagement tooth and an engaged tooth is maintained, so that translation of the sleeve to the other side in the rotational axis direction and consequent disengagement of the engagement tooth and the engaged tooth can be prevented. Therefore, the engaged state between the engagement member and the engaged member can be stably maintained regardless of the condition of the torque acting from the drive source to the engagement member.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2015Publication date: September 29, 2016Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Isamu SHIOTSU, Hirotsugu YOSHINO, Motoki TABUCHI, Fusahiro TSUKANO, Takaho KAWAKAMI, Atsushi HONDA, Seiji KUWAHARA
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Publication number: 20160281804Abstract: A control device of a lock-up clutch according to the disclosure is mounted on a vehicle including an engine, a transmission, a fluid-type power transmitting device interposed between the engine and the transmission, and the lock-up clutch provided on the fluid-type power transmitting device. The control device includes: a controller configured to slip-engage the lock-up clutch when accelerator opening of the vehicle changes in an accelerating direction, and configured to make a slip-engagement amount larger when a state of the fluid-type power transmitting device when the accelerator opening of the vehicle changes in the accelerating direction is a driven state than the slip-engagement amount when the state of the fluid-type power transmitting device is a driving state.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takayuki ANDO, Seiji KUWAHARA, Seiji MASUNAGA, Tsubasa KATO, Yuki ARATSU
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Publication number: 20160272213Abstract: A driving force control system of a vehicle installed with an automatic transmission that transmits torque generated by an engine to drive wheels while changing the speed is provided for controlling driving force based on the vehicle speed and the accelerator operation amount. In the driving force control, an acceleration characteristic that defines the relationship between re-acceleration-time acceleration as a control index used when the vehicle travels while being re-accelerated after deceleration traveling, and the vehicle speed, is stored, and the re-acceleration-time acceleration corresponding to the current vehicle speed is obtained, based on traveling data of the vehicle obtained before the deceleration traveling, and the acceleration characteristic. Then, the speed ratio of the automatic transmission which can realize the obtained re-acceleration-time acceleration is set, before the re-acceleration traveling is started.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2016Publication date: September 22, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoshi YAMANAKA, Seiji KUWAHARA
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Publication number: 20160258529Abstract: A control system for a transmission includes first and second engagement devices and a controller. The first engagement device brings first dog teeth of a first member into engagement with second dog teeth of a second member to enable torque transmission therebetween. The second engagement device connects a third member and a fourth member while changing a torque transmitting capacity therebetween. The transmission establishes a predetermined gear stage by bringing into engagement the first engagement device and the second engagement device. The controller is configured to bring the first engagement device into engagement while reducing a torque transmitting capacity of the second engagement device and then to increase the torque transmitting capacity of the second engagement device, when shifting a gear stage from another gear stage established by bringing the first engagement device into disengagement while bringing the second engagement device into engagement to said predetermined gear stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji KUWAHARA, Hirotsugu YOSHINO
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Publication number: 20160258492Abstract: A meshing-type engagement device includes a first member, a second member, a pressing mechanism, and a reaction force mechanism. The first member is provided with a plurality of first dog teeth. The second member is provided with a plurality of second dog teeth. The pressing mechanism is configured to press the first member to the second member side. The reaction force mechanism is configured to generate a reaction force with respect to a pressing force pressing the first member for the first dog teeth and the second dog teeth to mesh with each other such that the amount of increase in the reaction force with respect to a movement of the first member is larger at a position further on the second member side than a predetermined position compared to the amount of increase to the predetermined position when the first member is pressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hirotsugu YOSHINO, Motoki TABUCHI, Takaho KAWAKAMI, Seiji KUWAHARA, Isamu SHIOTSU
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Publication number: 20160221577Abstract: A control device includes a controller configured to perform control to increase a rotational speed of a power source when a brake is stepped on and accelerator opening becomes a predetermined value or larger while a vehicle stops, and thereafter, when the brake is stepped off, engage a plurality of engaging units to transmit a power, and start the vehicle. The controller includes: a parameter obtaining unit configured to obtain a parameter indicating requested acceleration when the vehicle starts; and a slip control unit configured to perform slip control on at least one of the plurality of engaging units such that difference in rotational speed occurs between frictionally engaging elements and set number of engaging units on which the slip control is performed according to a value of the obtained parameter when the vehicle starts.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2015Publication date: August 4, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji MASUNAGA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Takayuki ANDO, Yuki ARATSU
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Publication number: 20160208913Abstract: A slip control device includes a control unit configured to: calculate a difference value between a target value and a current value or an estimated value of a difference in a rotational speed between an input shaft and an output shaft of a fluid type power transmitting device, or a difference value being a difference between a target value and a current value or an estimated value of a speed of an engine; calculate an inclination of torque capacity of the fluid type power transmitting device with respect to an input parameter at a current value of the input parameter having correlative relationship with the torque capacity of the fluid type power transmitting device; calculate torque capacity of a lock-up clutch by multiplying the inclination by the difference value; and control a slip amount of the lock-up clutch by using the calculated torque capacity.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2015Publication date: July 21, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji KUWAHARA, Seiji MASUNAGA, Takayuki ANDO, Yuki ARATSU
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Patent number: 9382953Abstract: A hydraulic control circuit for a drive line includes first and second switching valves and first and second solenoid valves. Each switching valve is alternatively switched by a switching hydraulic pressure to connect any two of three ports. The first port of the first switching valve is connected to a hydraulic actuator. The first port of the second switching valve is connected to the second port of the first switching valve. The first solenoid valve supplies the switching hydraulic pressure to the switching valves. The second solenoid valve regulates a control hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic actuator. Any one of three oil paths is communicated with the hydraulic actuator by supplying the control hydraulic pressure via the third port of the first switching valve or the second or third port of the second switching valve and supplying the switching hydraulic pressure to at least one switching valve.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2014Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Seiji Kuwahara, Toshio Sugimura, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Masato Yoshikawa, Koki Minamikawa, Naoki Nakanishi
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Patent number: 9381801Abstract: Control device of hybrid vehicle including an engine connected via a clutch to power transmission path and a rotator acting at least as an electric motor, hybrid vehicle being configured to execute an engine running mode in which clutch is engaged to use at least engine as a drive force source for running and a motor running mode in which clutch is released to use rotator as drive force source for running, control device putting clutch into slip engagement to crank and start engine before clutch is completely engaged at time of switching to engine running mode during stop of engine with clutch released, control device of hybrid vehicle, when clutch temperature reaches predefined value at time of switching to the engine running mode, releasing clutch and causing rotator to generate drive force for running while controlling rotation speed of engine to synchronize rotation speeds before and after clutch.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2012Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Toshio Sugimura, Seiji Kuwahara, Takahiko Tsutsumi, Koki Minamikawa, Shun Sato
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Publication number: 20160144849Abstract: An upper limit charging rate is limited when a speed position of an automatic transmission is high as compared to when the speed position is low, so an engine is hard to enter a high torque state even when the speed position is high. Thus, it is possible to suppress vibrations and noise that tend to occur at the time when the engine is driven at a low rotation speed and high torque. On the other hand, the upper limit charging rate increases when the speed position is low as compared to when the speed position is high, with the result that a charging rate increases, so it is possible to keep a state of charge of a battery within an appropriate range.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2014Publication date: May 26, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Koki MINAMIKAWA, Toshio SUGIMURA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Takahiko TSUTSUMI, Masato YOSHIKAWA
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Patent number: 9333973Abstract: A speed change control system for reducing shift shocks of clutch-to-clutch shifting is provided. The control system is applied to a vehicle in which a transmission having engagement devices is connected to an output side of a prime mover, and in which a gear stage of the transmission is shifted among a plurality of stages by changing engagement states of the engagement devices. The speed change control system carries out a clutch-to-clutch shifting from a predetermined gear stage to another gear stage by reducing a torque capacity of the predetermined engagement device to be disengaged while increasing a torque capacity of another engagement device to be engaged.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2012Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Masunaga, Yoshio Hasegawa, Seiji Kuwahara, Nobufusa Kobayashi
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Patent number: 9315193Abstract: A speed change control system for reducing shift shocks of clutch-to-clutch shifting is provided. The control system is applied to a vehicle in which a transmission having a plurality of engagement devices is connected to an output side of a prime mover, and in which a gear stage of the transmission is shifted among a plurality of stages by changing engagement states of the engagement devices. The speed change control system is configured to carry out a clutch-to-clutch shifting of the gear stage from a predetermined gear stage to another gear stage by gradually reducing a torque capacity of the predetermined engagement device to be disengaged while gradually increasing a torque capacity of another engagement device to be engaged.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2012Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji Masunaga, Yoshio Hasegawa, Seiji Kuwahara, Nobufusa Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20160023650Abstract: Systems for managing downshifts in hybrid-electric vehicles are disclosed. The systems include a multispeed transmission, an internal combustion engine selectively coupled to the multispeed transmission, an electric motor coupled to the multispeed transmission, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is programmed to evaluate a torque demand, start the internal combustion engine, and pre-stage a downshift shift sequence by partially disengaging a second shift clutch and partially engaging a first shift clutch. The electronic control unit is also programmed to interrupt the downshift shift sequence until a pre-determined torque supplemental event occurs and later complete the downshift shift sequence by modifying the hydraulic pressure through the valve body to completely disengage a second gear set from the input shaft with the second shift clutch and completely engage a first gear set and the input shaft with the first shift clutch.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2014Publication date: January 28, 2016Inventors: Hong Jiang, Roger Lyle Huffmaster, Marvin Paul Kraska, Bernard D. Nefcy, Seiji Kuwahara
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Patent number: 9238460Abstract: Systems for managing downshifts in hybrid-electric vehicles are disclosed. The systems include a multispeed transmission, an internal combustion engine selectively coupled to the multispeed transmission, an electric motor coupled to the multispeed transmission, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is programmed to evaluate a torque demand, start the internal combustion engine, and pre-stage a downshift shift sequence by partially disengaging a second shift clutch and partially engaging a first shift clutch. The electronic control unit is also programmed to interrupt the downshift shift sequence until a pre-determined torque supplemental event occurs and later complete the downshift shift sequence by modifying the hydraulic pressure through the valve body to completely disengage a second gear set from the input shaft with the second shift clutch and completely engage a first gear set and the input shaft with the first shift clutch.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2014Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Hong Jiang, Roger Lyle Huffmaster, Marvin Paul Kraska, Bernard D. Nefcy, Seiji Kuwahara
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Publication number: 20150377349Abstract: A control apparatus for an automatic transmission includes an ECU. The ECU stores a N?1 speed downshift/a N?2 speed downshift/a N?1 speed upshift/and a hysteresis lines. The hysteresis line is a predetermined distance above the N?1 speed upshift line, and is below the N?2 speed downshift line. The ECU controls the speed of the automatic transmission based on a quantity of state of a vehicle, and the plurality of stored shift lines, and execute, when an N speed is established, a first downshift that changes a speed from the N speed to an N?2 speed, when the quantity of state of the vehicle is in a region above the hysteresis line, after the quantity of state of the vehicle has risen above the N?1 speed downshift line.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2015Publication date: December 31, 2015Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koshiro KOSAKA, Seiji KUWAHARA, Takahiro KONDO
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Patent number: 9205832Abstract: The embodiments described herein relate to control apparatuses for hybrid vehicles which permit starting of an engine and a shift-down action of a transmission, while assuring a reduction of heat generated by a clutch and an improvement of a response of the hybrid vehicle to a vehicle operator's desire for high drivability. In one embodiment, the control apparatus controls the hybrid vehicle such that, when the transmission is required to be shifted down while the hybrid vehicle is switched from the motor drive mode to the engine drive mode, a rate of change of the input speed of said transmission is lower than when only the shift-down action is required to be performed, such that the rate of change of the input speed is relatively low when the input speed of the transmission to be established upon completion of the shift-down action is relatively high.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2014Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Takahiko Tsutsumi, Toshio Sugimura, Seiji Kuwahara, Koki Minamikawa, Shun Sato
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Publication number: 20150336571Abstract: An ECU executes control processing including a step of executing engagement control on a K0 clutch when a D?N operation is performed, a step of keeping the K0 clutch engaged until an N?D operation is performed, a step of executing engagement control on a C1 clutch when the N?D operation is performed, a step of keeping the K0 clutch engaged when a request to operate an engine is issued following the elapse of a predetermined time ?, and a step of executing disengagement control on the K0 clutch when a request to operate the engine has not been issued.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Seiji KUWAHARA, Yukihiko IDESHIO