Patents by Inventor Shoji Inagaki

Shoji Inagaki 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: 20050005691
    Abstract: A SAT estimating portion supplies a grip degree estimating portion with the estimated SAT value. A summing device sums a front wheel slip angle on which high pass filter processing has been performed and a front wheel slip angle on which low pass filter processing has been performed so as to obtain an integrated slip angle. A grip degree estimating portion estimates a grip degree of a tire, by calculating a SAT reference value which is based on the integrated slip angle, and calculating a ratio between the SAT reference value and the estimated SAT value. A road surface ? value estimating portion estimates a road surface ? value when the grip degree becomes equal to or lower than a reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiichi Ono, Shoji Inagaki
  • Publication number: 20040210593
    Abstract: A data recording apparatus recording data of a CD on an HDD in a manner such that the content of record in the CD is faithfully accounted for and shortening an operation time for a synchronized ripping operation. When the data recording apparatus reads, from the CD, track data managed by track, according to TOC, and records the track data onto the HDD, the data recording apparatus recognizes data unrecorded on the HDD, from among the track data recorded on the CD. This recognition process is automatically performed based on the TOC read from the CD, and album information replayed using the TOC and held by the HDD. The recording apparatus reproduces and outputs only the unrecorded data from the CD based on the recognition result concerning the unrecorded data. In this way, the data already recorded on the HDD is not transferred from the CD to the HDD. The operation time for the synchronized ripping operation is reduced accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Koji Hirano, Shoji Inagaki, Ryuichiro Togashi
  • Publication number: 20040133330
    Abstract: A SAT estimating portion obtains an estimated SAT value based on a sum of steering torque and assist torque. A SAT model value calculating portion calculates a SAT model value based on a slip angle. A SAT ratio calculating portion calculates a ratio between the estimated SAT value and the SAT model value. A SAT reference value calculating portion determines that a contact length between a tire and a road surface increases due to an increase in a load of a vehicle or a reduction in a tire pressure, and a SAT inclination increases, and obtains a SAT reference value by upwardly adjusting the SAT model value when a maximum value of the SAT ratio exceeds a threshold value in a predetermined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eiichi Ono, Shoji Inagaki
  • Publication number: 20040117099
    Abstract: In a vehicular brake force control apparatus, an engine brake force Feb is calculated; a road surface friction coefficient &mgr; and a rear wheel degree of grip &egr;r is calculated ; and a threshold value Ke is calculated such that the threshold value Ke increases as the road surface friction coefficient &mgr; becomes smaller. When the rear wheel degree of grip &egr;r is smaller than the threshold value Ke, it is determined that vehicle behavior of a vehicle is liable to become unstable when the engine brake force Feb acts. In this case, a sum of the engine brake force Feb and a target friction brake force Fbv based upon a steering operation amount of a driver is distributed to each wheel in accordance with a distribution that stabilizes the vehicle behavior of the vehicle. Based on this distribution result, a friction brake force and an output torque of the engine are controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Kenji Asano
  • Publication number: 20040093140
    Abstract: A vehicular motion control apparatus uses a steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor capable of detecting an absolute rotational angle. This control apparatus has a yaw rate sensor. If a reference rotational position of the steering angle sensor has not been determined, the control apparatus calculates a plurality of target yaw rates on the basis of a plurality of steering angles estimated from a steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor, and controls motion of a vehicle on the basis of the minimum one of differences between the target yaw rates and an actual yaw rate. The control apparatus determines a reference rotational position of the steering angle sensor on the basis of a steering angle corresponding to the minimum one of the differences, and then calculates a steering angle for motion control on the basis of the detected steering angle and the determined reference rotational position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 6582034
    Abstract: A vehicular brake control method and apparatus having a controller that controls a pressure of a supplied operating fluid to the wheels. The vehicle brake control apparatus includes brakes that apply braking forces corresponding to the pressure of the operating fluid to the wheels. A pump is provided that force-feeds the operating fluid. A valve is disposed to adjust the pressure of the operating fluid that is force-fed from the pump. The controller performs an operation control of the pump and the valve to control the pressure of the operating fluid to be supplied to the brakes when the controller determines that the braking forces are to be applied to the vehicle. The controller controls a pressure-increasing gradient of a fluid pressure by controlling both the pump and the valve during a pressure-increasing control for increasing the pressure in the brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichi Hara, Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 6539298
    Abstract: A driving control device and methods including controllers for independently controlling a steering angle, and braking and driving force of each wheel. The device includes detectors that detect driver input including a steering operation amount, a driving force operation amount, and a braking force operation amount. Moreover, the device includes calculators that calculate a vehicle target longitudinal and lateral force, and a vehicle target yaw moment based on the inputs by the driver, a target generating force of each wheel based on the detected amounts, and a target steering angle and target braking and driving torque of each wheel based on the target generating force of each wheel. Finally, a controller controls the device so that a steering angle and the braking and driving torque of each wheel are determined to be the target steering angle and the target braking and driving torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Yoshikazu Hattori
  • Publication number: 20020147532
    Abstract: A driving control device and methods including controllers for independently controlling a steering angle, and braking and driving force of each wheel. The device includes detectors that detect driver input including a steering operation amount, a driving force operation amount, and a braking force operation amount. Moreover, the device includes calculators that calculate a vehicle target longitudinal and lateral force, and a vehicle target yaw moment based on the inputs by the driver, a target generating force of each wheel based on the detected amounts, and a target steering angle and target braking and driving torque of each wheel based on the target generating force of each wheel. Finally, a controller controls the device so that a steering angle and the braking and driving torque of each wheel are determined to be the target steering angle and the target braking and driving torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Yoshikazu Hattori
  • Publication number: 20020021044
    Abstract: A vehicular brake control method and apparatus having a controller that controls a pressure of a supplied operating fluid to the wheels. The vehicle brake control apparatus includes brakes that apply braking forces corresponding to the pressure of the operating fluid to the wheels. A pump is provided that force-feeds the operating fluid. A valve is disposed to adjust the pressure of the operating fluid that is force-fed from the pump. The controller performs an operation control of the pump and the valve to control the pressure of the operating fluid to be supplied to the brakes when the controller determines that the braking forces are to be applied to the vehicle. The controller controls a pressure-increasing gradient of a fluid pressure by controlling both the pump and the valve during a pressure-increasing control for increasing the pressure in the brakes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kouichi Hara, Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 6291815
    Abstract: A device for measuring a rotation angle of a rotary element has first, second and third photo-electric sensors, and a rotary disk having first and second circular arrays of openings, each radial edge of the first array of openings being adapted to be detectable by the first photo-electric sensor so as to generate a first electric signal alternating between “on” and “off” each time when the rotary disk rotates each five times of a unit angle, each radial edge of the second array of openings being adapted to be detectable by the second and third photo-electric sensors so as to generate second and third electric signals, respectively, the second and third signals each alternating between either “on” and “off” or “off” and “on” each time when the rotary disk rotates alternately two times and three times of the unit angle, the “on” and “off” alternations of the first, second and third signals being shifted from one anot
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mizuho Sugiyama, Shoji Inagaki, Takashi Kondo
  • Patent number: 5839798
    Abstract: A spin suppress control device of a vehicle makes a first spin state estimation of the vehicle body and a second spin state estimation of the vehicle body in close time proximity to the first spin state estimation, and applies a braking force to one of the front left and right wheels at the outside of the turn such that a first braking force is applied according to the first spin state estimation and a second braking force is applied according to the second spin state estimation to be at least either stronger than the first braking force or with a greater advancement relative to an actual spin state of the vehicle than the first braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shirou Monzaki, Shoji Inagaki, Akio Okada, Hiroshi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 5837155
    Abstract: An insulating resin composition for the build-up of multilayer circuits by the procedure of copper foil lamination and a method for the production of a multilayer printed circuit board by the use of the insulating resin composition are disclosed. The insulating resin composition comprises at least one species of epoxy resin having a softening point of not more than 110.degree. C., a monomer or an oligomer possessing an unsaturated double bond, an epoxy resin curing agent, and a photopolymerization initiator. The insulating resin composition is applied to a printed circuit board throughout the entire area thereof so as to cover conductor patterns formed thereon and then irradiated with UV light. Subsequently a copper foil is superposed on the applied layer of the insulating resin composition on the printed circuit board by means of a heated pressure roller to effect lamination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Taiyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Eiji Takehara
  • Patent number: 5813732
    Abstract: A stability control device of a vehicle has a unit for estimating a liability of the vehicle body to spin for producing a spin quantity which generally increases along with increase of the spin liability; a unit for estimating a liability of the vehicle body to drift-out for producing a drift-out quantity which generally increases along with increase of the drift-out liability; a brake for selectively applying a variable braking force to each of wheels; and a control unit for controlling the brake so as to apply a variable braking force to a selected one or ones of the wheels for suppressing the vehicle body against spin and/or drift-out when the vehicle is driven along a curved course, wherein the control unit controls the brake such that a first braking force is applied to one of the front wheels located at the outside of turn of the vehicle along the curved course according to an increase of the spin quantity, and a second braking force is applied to at least one of the rear wheels according to an increase
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shirou Monzaki, Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 5707120
    Abstract: A stability control device of a vehicle having an estimator for estimating a liability of the vehicle body to a turn running instability for producing an instability quantity which generally increases along with an increase of the liability; a brake system for selectively applying a variable braking force to each of the wheels; and a controller for controlling the brake system so as variably to apply a braking force to a selected one or ones of the wheels at a rate calculated based upon the instability quantity for suppressing the vehicle body against the turn running instability, wherein the controller sets a maximum possible value of the rate so that the maximum possible value being lowered along with increase of time of applying the braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shirou Monzaki, Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 5676433
    Abstract: A device for estimating side slide velocity of a vehicle, comprising: a component for detecting longitudinal velocity of the vehicle body; a component for detecting yaw rate of the vehicle body about its center of gravity; a component for detecting lateral acceleration of the vehicle body at the center of gravity; and a component for integrating on time basis difference between the lateral acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration detection component and product of the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate detection component and the longitudinal velocity detected by the longitudinal velocity detection component such that only high frequency components thereof are integrated to produce a side slide velocity signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Mizuho Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 5640324
    Abstract: A dynamic behavior control apparatus of an automotive vehicle wherein a side slip angle and its angular velocity are detected to determine whether a dynamic state of the vehicle defined by the detected side slip angle and its angular velocity is in a stable region or an unstable region, and wherein an unstable degree of the dynamic state of the vehicle is calculated. As a result of the detection and calculation, each target braking force of front and rear road wheels of the vehicle is calculated for correction of unstable behavior of the vehicle. A boundary line of the stable and unstable regions is varied in accordance with a driving condition amount of the vehicle such as a vehicle speed, a steering angle and a steering angle velocity and a travel circumstance amount such as a road surface frictional coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 5627756
    Abstract: To control turn behavior of a vehicle such as an automobile more effectively and desirably by presuming the turn behaving of the vehicle at higher precision, a turn behavior control device detects lateral acceleration Gy of a vehicle body, vehicle speed V and yaw rate r of the vehicle body, then calculates lateral slide velocity Vy of the vehicle by integrating deviation Gy-Vr according to a predetermined integration time constant, then presumes the turn behavior of the vehicle based upon at least the lateral slide velocity Vy, and then controls the turn behavior of the vehicle based upon the presumed turn behavior. When the turn behavior of the vehicle is presumed to be stable, the integration time constant is made small to decrease accumulation of errors, whereas when the turn behavior of the vehicle is presumed to be unstable, the integration time constant is made large so as to definitely execute the behavior control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiki Fukada, Shoji Inagaki
  • Patent number: 5560690
    Abstract: A brake force distribution control system comprising wheel speed sensing means S1, S3 which detect wheel speeds VWFR, VWRR of a front right wheel FR and a rear right wheel RR respectively, standard speed calculating means M1 calculating first speed value B and second speed value C from each of the wheel speeds VWFR, VWRR, and figuring out front medium value of VWFR, B and C and rear medium value of VWFR, B and C as standard wheel speeds VWSFR, VWSRR respectively, comparison means M2 calculating a difference between the standard wheel speeds VWSRR and VWSFR and driving means M3 operating a pressure control valve unit FV depending on the differences so as to modulate brake force of the rear right wheel RR relative to that of the front right wheel FR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriaki Hattori, Kenji Tozu, Jun Mihara, Takayuki Itoh, Shingo Sugiura, Norio Yamazaki, Shoji Inagaki, Masaki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 5494345
    Abstract: In an electric control apparatus for a hydraulic brake control system of a vehicle, a feedback control portion is provided to produce a feedback control pulse signal indicative of a difference between a target slip ratio and an actual slip ratio. A feedforward control portion is provided to successively convert the target slip ratio in relation to a required braking force, a hydraulic braking pressure and an amount of hydraulic braking fluid, in sequence, and to convert the amount of hydraulic braking fluid into a feedforward control pulse signal. A pulse mixing circuit is connected to control portions to mix the control pulse signals for producing a mixed control pulse signal as a distinct control pulse signal. A driving circuit is connected to the pulse mixing circuit to control a hydraulic braking pressure applied to each wheel of the vehicle in accordance with the control pulse signal, regardless of the extent to which a brake pedal of the vehicle is depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1996
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Masaki Yamamoto, Noriaki Hattori, Kenji Tozu, Jun Mihara, Takayuki Itoh, Shingo Sugiura, Norio Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 5384705
    Abstract: In order to prevent an inverse rolling or an unnatural rolling of a vehicle body during a turning of the vehicle on a low friction road, in an active suspension having an actuator adapted to increase or decrease vehicle height at the corresponding portion so that the rolling of the vehicle body is suppressed by a control of the actuator carried out in response to a control amount based upon an actual transverse acceleration of the vehicle body and a control amount based upon an estimated transverse acceleration deduced from a steering angle and vehicle speed, the control amount based upon the estimated transverse acceleration is reduced relative to the control amount based upon the actual transverse acceleration when a discrepancy between the estimated transverse acceleration and the actual transverse acceleration increases beyond a predetermined limit of relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoji Inagaki, Shinichi Tagawa