Patents by Inventor Shigetaka Kuroda

Shigetaka Kuroda 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: 6414401
    Abstract: A regeneration control system and method applied to a hybrid vehicle is disclosed, by which sufficient energy can be stored during deceleration regeneration, and engine stall can be prevented when the amount of load imposed on the engine increases during deceleration regeneration. The method includes (i) determining a quantity of regeneration performed using the motor during deceleration of the vehicle, and for making the motor execute regeneration based on the determined quantity; (ii) detecting a variation (decrement) of the engine speed; (iii) detecting the engine speed, and (iv) stopping regeneration executed by the motor during deceleration of the vehicle if the detected variation of the engine speed is larger than a predetermined value, or if the detected engine speed is equal to or below a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Teruo Wakashiro, Kazutomo Sawamura
  • Patent number: 6397585
    Abstract: A catalyst temperature estimating apparatus is provided, capable of estimating the temperature of the catalyst installed in an internal combustion engine on a vehicle by providing various catalyst temperature estimating parameters, when the internal combustion engine is in an idle stop. When it is determined that the internal combustion engine is stopped by determining whether the internal combustion engine is stopped, the temperature of the catalyst is estimated based on temperature coefficients during the engine stop. Estimation of the catalyst temperature even when the engine is in an idle stop makes it possible to accurately and promptly estimate the catalyst temperature when the engine is restarted from the idle stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 6390214
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving sources for the vehicle, in which when it is detected that an air-fuel ratio of a supply air-fuel mixture to the engine changed to the lean side value (S44˜S46), the electric motor (2) is made operative as a motor in order to assist an output of the engine just after the detection (S47, S48). When it is detected that the air-fuel ratio of the supply air-fuel mixture changed to the rich side value (S44, S52, S53), the electric motor (2) is made operative as a generator for the purpose of the regeneration braking just after the detection (S54, S55). An output torque difference of the engine, therefore, when the air-fuel ratio of the supply air-fuel mixture changes can be sufficiently compensated without a time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Takahashi, Kenji Nakano, Shigetaka Kuroda, Teruo Wakashiro, Youichi Iwata
  • Patent number: 6371889
    Abstract: The engine automatic start stop control apparatus that controls an engine to be automatically stopped or started in response to driving conditions of a vehicle, comprises: a clutch detector for detecting depression of a clutch pedal; an accelerator detector for detecting depression of an accelerator pedal; an automatic stop detector for detecting an automatic stop of the engine; a stop history checker for checking a history of stopping of the vehicle when the automatic stop detector detects the stop of the vehicle; and an automatic start device for terminating the automatic stop of the engine and starting the engine when the automatic stop detector detects the automatic stop, when the clutch detector detects the depression of the clutch pedal, when the stop history checker finds no stop history, and when the accelerator detector detects depression of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Izumiura, Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 6366059
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the storage battery, when the residual capacity of the storage battery is decreasing and when a predetermined amount of the initial residual capacity is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Takashi Iwamoto, Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Matsubara
  • Patent number: 6362536
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power generation control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle comprises an engine which outputs a driving force for the hybrid vehicle; a motor which outputs an assistant driving force so as to assist the driving force of the engine; a power storage unit; and a power generation control apparatus which controls the power generation by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Takashi Kiyomiya, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6358180
    Abstract: An engine control system and method is disclosed, which reduces driver's feeling of unease relating to the operation of driving a vehicle which is idle-controlled so as to reduce the exhaust gas discharge, thereby improving the driving operability. The method comprising the steps of detecting a switch of the driving mode of the vehicle from a first normal driving range to a second normal driving range different from the first normal driving range; detecting whether the engine is currently in a stopped state due to an automatic stop operation; detecting whether a brake for stopping the vehicle is currently being operated; and automatically starting the engine if it is determined that the engine is currently in a stopped state due to the automatic stop operation, and that the driving mode has been switched to the second normal driving range, and that the brake is not currently being operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Izumiura, Kazutomo Sawamura, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune, Takashi Kiyomiya
  • Patent number: 6356818
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus for improving fuel consumption ratio by making appropriate the deceleration perception of the hybrid vehicle is provided. It is determined whether the flag setting of a brake ON determination flag is “1”. If the brake is OFF, a brake OFF regeneration amount is obtained, and is assigned to the deceleration regeneration computed value. It is determined whether a remaining batter charge is greater than or equal to a predetermined normal power generation mode execution upper limit remaining charge. In the case where the determination result is yes, it is determined whether a control vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined high speed deceleration regeneration reduction lower limit vehicle speed. In the case where the determination result is yes, the value obtained by multiplying the deceleration regeneration computed value by a predetermined high speed deceleration regeneration reduction coefficient, for example 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura
  • Patent number: 6352489
    Abstract: The engine control system for a hybrid vehicle, according to the present invention, having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving force sources, comprises: a clutch, provided between the engine and a transmission system, for disabling and enabling driving force transmission between the engine and the transmission system; clutch disengagement detector for detecting engagement/disengagement of the clutch; engine speed detector for detecting an engine speed; and fuel cutter for permitting stopping and restarting of the engine in accordance with at least a result of detection by the clutch disengagement detector among predetermined drive conditions, and cutting fuel supply to the engine when the vehicle decelerates, a fuel-supply restart engine speed at which fuel supply is resumed being set in the fuel cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Yoichi Iwata, Keisuke Uchida, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20020017261
    Abstract: A system for automatically stopping and starting an engine of a vehicle which enables proper determination of whether the stopping of the engine is possible, in accordance with the state of a battery. A power brought out from the battery by auxiliaries is subtracted from a power generated by a generator, thereby calculating a difference corresponding to a power for actually charging the battery. By sequentially adding the value, an integrated value of power charged in the battery is calculated. Meanwhile, a value of a known power WBRK consumed by a brake lamp plus a current power consumed by the auxiliaries is multiplied by a beforehand determined target value of idling-stoppage duration, thereby evaluating an evaluated integrated value of power consumed by the battery during stoppage of an idling. If the integrated value is not less than the evaluated integrated value, the stopping of the engine E is permitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Shigeru Aoki, Masaaki Kaizuka, Shunichi Tsuzuki
  • Publication number: 20020007626
    Abstract: A catalyst temperature estimating apparatus is provided, capable of estimating the temperature of the catalyst installed in an internal combustion engine on a vehicle by providing various catalyst temperature estimating parameters, when the internal combustion engine is in an idle stop. When it is determined that the internal combustion engine is stopped by determining whether the internal combustion engine is stopped, the temperature of the catalyst is estimated based on temperature coefficients during the engine stop. Estimation of the catalyst temperature even when the engine is in an idle stop makes it possible to accurately and promptly estimate the catalyst temperature when the engine is restarted from the idle stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 6334499
    Abstract: An output control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of preventing stopping of the engine at the time of recovering from a deceleration fuel cut and improving the acceleration capability. In a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, a motor for assisting the driving power of the engine, and a battery for supplying electric power for the motor, the output control apparatus comprises an engine speed sensor, an idle stop execution judgement flag F_FCEX, and a motor ECU for judging whether the output assistance by the motor is to be executed, and the motor ECU comprises a deceleration fuel cut returning time permission judgement device (S026) for permitting the output assistance by the motor, when it is judged to return from the deceleration fuel cut by the flag value of the idle stop execution judgement flag F_FCEX, and when it is detected that the engine speed at the time of returning from the deceleration fuel cut is lower than a predetermined engine speed #NEMGMOT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Asao Ukai, Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune
  • Patent number: 6334079
    Abstract: A determination method and apparatus for permitting deceleration regeneration or charge of a hybrid vehicle, by which erroneous determination relating to the clutch operation can be prevented. The method includes a first determination step of detecting clutch operation performed by a driver and determining a connection state of the clutch; a second determination step of determining a connection state of the clutch based on a correspondence relationship between vehicle speed and engine speed; and a permission determining step of permitting the deceleration regeneration or charge by the motor when it is determined that the clutch is connected both in the first and second determination steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda, Kan Nakaune, Takashi Iwamoto, Kazutomo Sawamura
  • Patent number: 6316842
    Abstract: The engine control system, according to the present invention, for a hybrid vehicle, which has an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving force sources, and permits stopping and starting of the engine in accordance with predetermined drive conditions, the engine control system comprises: power-consumption detector for detecting an amount of power consumption by predetermined device; first power storage unit for supplying electric energy to the motor and storing energy generated when the electric motor is operated as a generator by the internal combustion engine and energy regenerated by regeneration; second power storage unit for supplying electric energy to the predetermined device; remaining-amount detector for detecting a remaining charge of said first power storage unit; stop/start determination device for determining whether to permit stopping or starting of the engine in accordance with the amount of power consumption by the predetermined device and the remaining charge of the first
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Hideyuki Takahashi, Hironao Fukuchi, Teruo Wakashiro
  • Patent number: 6267706
    Abstract: When the shift position is an N position or a P position during deceleration of a vehicle, or when a brake pedal is depressed even if the shift position is a D position or an R position, an engine E is stopped to prohibit an unnecessary idling operation by prohibiting the restarting of the supplying of fuel subsequent to the fuel cut by a command from an electronic control unit. If the supplying of fuel is restarted when the engine is in stoppage, a starter motor is driven automatically to start the engine. Thus, in a vehicle including an automatic transmission, the time of stoppage of the engine can be prolonged as much as possible in a range in which the operability of the vehicle is injured, thereby providing a reduction in amount of fuel consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kenji Nakano, Teruo Wakashiro, Youichi Iwata
  • Publication number: 20010003979
    Abstract: In order to prevent an occurrence of dieseling phenomenon, and to prevent engine rotation speed from decreasing during idle operation or the idle operation from being stopped, in step S111, it is determined whether the flag value of an idle stop flag F_IDLSTP is “1” or not. If it is determined that the determination result is “YES”, that is, if it is determined that the internal combustion engine body is stopped, 0% is set to a target purge control valve drive duty value PGCMD (step S105), and 0 is set to the target purge flow rate QPGC (step S106). If it is determined that the determination result is “NO”, that is, when the internal combustion engine body is in operation, PGCMD calculation processing is executed (step S112).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Publication date: June 21, 2001
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Hironao Fukuchi, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Izumiura
  • Patent number: 6234932
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having a dynamotor which operates as a motor for assisting the output of an internal combustion engine and which operates as a generator for regenerating the running energy of the vehicle. The control apparatus, in accordance with operating conditions of the vehicle, controls an assist operation for supplying electric power from a storage device to the dynamotor and a regenerative operation for charging the storage device by the generated power of the dynamotor, and determines an acceleration mode for performing an assist operation or a cruising mode for selectively performing the assist operation and a regenerative operation, in accordance with an engine rotational speed and a throttle valve opening degree, or a vehicle speed of the vehicle and the throttle valve opening degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Kenji Nakano, Hideyuki Takahashi, Takashi Kiyomiya, Teruo Wakashiro, Youichi Iwata, Keisuke Uchida, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Yasuo Nakamoto, Fumihiko Konno
  • Patent number: 6216465
    Abstract: A control system is provided for a hybrid vehicle with an engine, a motor, and a power storage unit. The control system comprises: an assist trigger threshold value setting device for setting a throttle opening state when the motor starts assist for the output from the engine; a throttle opening state lower limit setting device for setting a lower limit by subtracting a predetermined value from the threshold value obtained by the assist trigger threshold value setting device; a generation reduction device for gradually reducing the generation by the motor between the lower limit and the threshold value so that the generation finally becomes zero when the present throttle opening state reaches the threshold value, when the vehicle shifts from a generation state, in which the motor acts as a generator and the output is supplied only from the engine, to an output assist state in which the motor assists the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6190284
    Abstract: When the shift position is an N position or a P position during deceleration of a vehicle, or when a brake pedal is depressed even if the shift position is a D position or an R position, an engine E is stopped to prohibit an unnecessary idling operation by prohibiting the restarting of the supplying of fuel subsequent to the fuel cut by a command from an electronic control unit. If the supplying of fuel is restarted when the engine is in stoppage, a starter motor is driven automatically to start the engine. Thus, in a vehicle including an automatic transmission, the time of stoppage of the engine can be prolonged as much as possible in a range in which the operability of the vehicle is injured, thereby providing a reduction in amount of fuel consumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kenji Nakano, Teruo Wakashiro, Youichi Iwata
  • Patent number: 6177773
    Abstract: A regeneration control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, driving wheels drivable by the internal combustion engine, a motor for additionally supplying electric power for driving the driving wheels, a transmission between the engine, motor and driving wheels and an accumulator for supplying electric power to the motor, which causes the motor to work, while braking the vehicle, as a generator whose output is returned to the accumulator which in turn stores electric energy regenerated depending upon the deceleration degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Nakano, Shigetaka Kuroda, Teruo Wakashiro