Patents by Inventor Shintaro Hotta

Shintaro Hotta 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: 20170276082
    Abstract: The control apparatus operates an engine water temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of cooling water that passes through an engine head enters a first temperature region in a lean mode, and operates the engine water temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of the cooling water enters a second temperature region that is lower than the first temperature region in a stoichiometric mode. When knocking is detected after switching is started from the stoichiometric mode to the lean mode, the control apparatus performs any one of a first operation to operate a variable valve apparatus so as to retard the closing timing of an intake valve, a second operation to operate an oil jet apparatus so as to increase an oil jet amount, and a third operation to operate an EGR apparatus so as to increase an EGR amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro HOTTA, Hiroyuki TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20170276059
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes an intake air temperature adjustment apparatus that adjusts the temperature of intake air, and a control apparatus that operates at least the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus. When the internal combustion engine operates in a stoichiometric EGR mode, the control apparatus operates the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of intake air entering a combustion chamber enters a first temperature region. When the internal combustion engine operates in a lean mode, the control apparatus operates the intake air temperature adjustment apparatus so that the temperature of intake air entering a combustion chamber enters a second temperature region that is a lower temperature region than the first temperature region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro HOTTA, Yasuyuki IRISAWA, Hiroyuki TANAKA, Shinichiro NOGAWA
  • Patent number: 9695771
    Abstract: An engine control device controls control amounts of a variable valve mechanism and a spark plug, the control amounts in a homogeneous lean operation region set in a first load region are different from that in a non-lean operation region which is a stoichiometric or rich operation region set in a second load region higher than the first load region. The control device performs control, in other operation region set in a third load region between the first and second load region, so that an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is equal to that of non-lean operation region, the control amount of the variable valve mechanism is equal to that of homogeneous lean operation region and the control amount of the spark plug is equal to that of the non-lean operation region in accordance with an operation amount of an accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Patent number: 9670831
    Abstract: Production of condensed water in an intercooler is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Patent number: 9624865
    Abstract: A control method takes an internal combustion engine including a port injection valve that injects fuel into an intake port and a cylinder injection valve that directly injects fuel into a combustion chamber as a control target. In the control method, when request torque to the internal combustion engine is in a first torque range, lean combustion is realized by port asynchronous injection. When the request torque is increased from the first torque range to a second torque range which is higher than the first torque range, fuel injection is switched to port synchronous injection from port asynchronous injection, and lean combustion is realized by the port synchronous injection. When the request torque is increased from the second torque range to a third torque range that is higher than the second torque range, the port synchronous injection is stopped, and lean combustion is realize by cylinder injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Patent number: 9561802
    Abstract: If operation mode of an engine is transitioned from natural aspiration lean-burn operation mode to supercharged lean-burn operation mode, an engine control portion temporarily changes an air-fuel ratio from a lean air-fuel ratio to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or a rich air-fuel ratio. When the air-fuel ratio is changed from the lean air-fuel ratio to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or the rich air-fuel ratio by the engine control portion, a transmission control portion switches a gear ratio of the automatic transmission to a gear ratio that provides an engine rotational speed at which the engine output becomes equal to an engine output before the air-fuel ratio is changed and also at which an intake pipe pressure becomes equal to or closest to an intake pipe pressure before the air-fuel ratio is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Publication number: 20160363070
    Abstract: When switching an operation mode from a stoichiometric mode to a lean mode, a rich spike that supplies excessive fuel relative to a theoretical air-fuel ratio is executed. If the temperature of the SCR is greater than or equal to an upper limit temperature at a time of the switching, after execution of the rich spike, the switching to the lean mode is executed after executing transient control that makes the EGR rate higher than EGR rate in the lean mode and makes the in-cylinder air-fuel ratio an air-fuel ratio between the theoretical air-fuel ratio and the air-fuel ratio in the lean mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20160273494
    Abstract: A controller for an internal combustion engine is provided. The engine includes a compressor, a three way catalyst, a canister, an evaporated fuel passage, an ejector, and a purge control valve. The controller includes an ECU. The ECU is configured to decrease an opening degree of the purge control valve in response to an increase in pressure on the downstream side of the compressor in a lean supercharging range. The is a range in which an operation air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is leaner than a theoretical air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine, and in which the pressure on the downstream side of the compressor is higher than pressure on the upstream side of the compressor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20160222896
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purification system of an internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes: processing means for executing at least one of a process of increasing an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture burned in the internal combustion engine and a process of increasing EGR gas recirculated by an EGR apparatus, when increasing a NO2 proportion in exhaust gas; and control means for controlling the processing means so that an increase in the air-fuel ratio becomes larger, and an increase in the EGR gas becomes smaller when a temperature of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is high as compared to when the temperature of the exhaust gas purification apparatus is low.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2013
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Yasuyuki Irisawa
  • Publication number: 20160061140
    Abstract: A control method takes an internal combustion engine including a port injection valve that injects fuel into an intake port and a cylinder injection valve that directly injects fuel into a combustion chamber as a control target. In the control method, when request torque to the internal combustion engine is in a first torque range, lean combustion is realized by port asynchronous injection. When the request torque is increased from the first torque range to a second torque range which is higher than the first torque range, fuel injection is switched to port synchronous injection from port asynchronous injection, and lean combustion is realized by the port synchronous injection. When the request torque is increased from the second torque range to a third torque range that is higher than the second torque range, the port synchronous injection is stopped, and lean combustion is realize by cylinder injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Publication number: 20150369179
    Abstract: Production of condensed water in an intercooler is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro HOTTA
  • Publication number: 20150353092
    Abstract: If operation mode of an engine is transitioned from natural aspiration lean-burn operation mode to supercharged lean-burn operation mode, an engine control portion temporarily changes an air-fuel ratio from a lean air-fuel ratio to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or a rich air-fuel ratio. When the air-fuel ratio is changed from the lean air-fuel ratio to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or the rich air-fuel ratio by the engine control portion, a transmission control portion switches a gear ratio of the automatic transmission to a gear ratio that provides an engine rotational speed at which the engine output becomes equal to an engine output before the air-fuel ratio is changed and also at which an intake pipe pressure becomes equal to or closest to an intake pipe pressure before the air-fuel ratio is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Patent number: 9206734
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes: a turbocharger having a turbine disposed in an exhaust path and a compressor disposed in an intake path; a waste gate valve that opens and closes a bypass channel that connects a part of the exhaust path upstream of the turbine and a part of the exhaust path downstream of the turbine to each other; a drive mechanism that drives the waste gate valve; and waste gate valve opening controlling means that controls the drive mechanism so that the opening of the waste gate valve agrees with a saturation minimum opening when the drive mechanism opens the waste gate valve, the saturation minimum opening being the minimum opening at which the flow rate of an exhaust gas passing through the bypass channel is saturated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Akira Eiraku
  • Publication number: 20150167578
    Abstract: An engine control device controls control amounts of a variable valve mechanism and a spark plug, the control amounts in a homogeneous lean operation region set in a first load region are different from that in a non-lean operation region which is a stoichiometric or rich operation region set in a second load region higher than the first load region. The control device performs control, in other operation region set in a third load region between the first and second load region, so that an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine is equal to that of non-lean operation region, the control amount of the variable valve mechanism is equal to that of homogeneous lean operation region and the control amount of the spark plug is equal to that of the non-lean operation region in accordance with an operation amount of an accelerator pedal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Patent number: 8960167
    Abstract: A ventilation control apparatus for a supercharged internal combustion engine that can perform crankcase ventilation favorably. A system includes a supercharging system, an EGR mechanism, and a blow-by gas reflux mechanism. The EGR mechanism includes an ejector between an EGR valve and an EGR cooler. A suction port is connected to a cylinder head cover via a PCV passage. A nozzle portion is connected to an EGR passage on the EGR cooler side. A diffuser portion is connected to the EGR passage on the EGR valve side. By making EGR gas flow through the EGR passage, gas in the crankcase can be drawn through the PCV passage to thereby be burned, together with the EGR gas or fresh air, in an engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Publication number: 20140224232
    Abstract: A ventilation control apparatus for a supercharged internal combustion engine that can perform crankcase ventilation favorably. A system includes a supercharging system, an EGR mechanism, and a blow-by gas reflux mechanism. The EGR mechanism includes an ejector between an EGR valve and an EGR cooler. A suction port is connected to a cylinder head cover via a PCV passage. A nozzle portion is connected to an EGR passage on the EGR cooler side. A diffuser portion is connected to the EGR passage on the EGR valve side. By making EGR gas flow through the EGR passage, gas in the crankcase can be drawn through the PCV passage to thereby be burned, together with the EGR gas or fresh air, in an engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shintaro Hotta
  • Publication number: 20120085092
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes: a turbocharger having a turbine disposed in an exhaust path and a compressor disposed in an intake path; a waist gate valve that opens and closes a bypass channel that connects a part of the exhaust path upstream of the turbine and a part of the exhaust path downstream of the turbine to each other; a drive mechanism that drives the waist gate valve; and waist gate valve opening controlling means that controls the drive mechanism so that the opening of the waist gate valve agrees with a saturation minimum opening when the drive mechanism opens the waist gate valve, the saturation minimum opening being the minimum opening at which the flow rate of an exhaust gas passing through the bypass channel is saturated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Hotta, Akira Eiraku
  • Patent number: 4614144
    Abstract: A plastic card mounting an IC memory of a credit card size called a music card stores encoded digital music information including tone, musical interval, musical length and loudness of each musical note and pause, and said music information actuates a synthesizer which generates music sound signal. The music card also stores a character code for indicating title of music on said synthesizer. As music note is encoded and stored in a digital form, a small capacity of IC memory is enough for storing a long play music.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1986
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Iwao Sagara, Koichi Nakagawa, Shintaro Hotta