Patents by Inventor Sunao HORITAKE

Sunao HORITAKE 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: 11789085
    Abstract: A battery diagnosis device mounted on a vehicle includes a processor that acquires information about a battery and executes diagnosis of the state of the battery. The processor is configured to determine whether there is abnormality about a first item based on a result of a determination of whether a first state is matched, and the determination of whether the first state is matched is based on the information about the battery. The processor is configured to end the diagnosis of the battery, when the processor determines that there is no abnormality about the first item. The processor is configured to continue the diagnosis of the battery and determine whether there is abnormality about the first item, as a second determination, when the processor determines that there is abnormality about the first item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Kohei Takahashi, Takayuki Akaishi, Sunao Horitake, Yuhki Shiozumi
  • Patent number: 11518437
    Abstract: A vehicular control device includes a determining unit configured to determine whether an absolute value of a steering angle as a rotation angle of a steering wheel exceeds a first threshold value, an estimating unit configured to estimate a lithium deposition amount as an amount of lithium metal deposited on the lithium-ion battery by regenerative current flowing into the lithium-ion battery, based on vehicle information obtained from the vehicle, when the determining unit determines that the absolute value of the steering angle exceeds the first threshold value, and a reporting command unit configured to give a command to report that the vehicle is in a first state, based on the lithium deposition amount estimated by the estimating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Saeko Kurachi, Sunao Horitake
  • Publication number: 20220385078
    Abstract: A charging control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to control charging of a plurality of battery cells that configure an assembled battery, during charging, in a case in which a voltage value of a battery cell having a highest voltage among the plurality of battery cells is equal to or greater than a threshold value and a current value is equal to or less than a set value, measure a closed circuit voltage (CCV) of the plurality of battery cells, and for a battery cell for which a potential difference with respect to a voltage of a battery cell with a lowest measured CCV is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, execute discharging processing so as to eliminate the potential difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Sunao HORITAKE, Kohei TAKAHASHI, Toshiki SHINOHARA, Hiroki ONOYAMA, Takaya KOSHII, Yuki SHIOZUMI
  • Patent number: 11508997
    Abstract: A battery control device, which controls a battery, including cell blocks connected in series in which battery cells are connected in parallel, to execute voltage equalization of the cell blocks, includes a detection unit that detects voltage between positive and negative electrodes of each cell block, a voltage equalization circuit that includes a plurality of discharge units in which at least one discharge element and a switching element are connected in series, and a control unit that controls the switching elements to equalize the voltages of the cell blocks. The discharge units are connected between the positive and negative electrodes of the cell blocks, respectively. The control unit controls the switching elements at a predetermined timing to execute discharge of the cell blocks, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the cell blocks based on voltage differences between the cell blocks before and after the discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Akaishi, Sunao Horitake
  • Patent number: 11396242
    Abstract: A vehicle control device configured to control charge and discharge of a battery mounted on a vehicle includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a parking time of the vehicle, a setting unit configured to derive a charge voltage of the battery based on at least the parking time obtained by the obtaining unit, and a voltage control unit configured to control charge of the battery based on the charge voltage of the battery derived by the setting unit when the vehicle is traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Takayuki Akaishi, Sunao Horitake, Kohei Takahashi, Yuhki Shiozumi
  • Publication number: 20220155382
    Abstract: A battery monitoring device monitoring a battery includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a physical quantity indicating a state of the battery, a decision unit configured to decide whether the battery is in a first state based on the physical quantity acquired by the acquisition unit, and a controller configured to control switching of a relay provided between the battery and a predetermined device connected to the battery and transition between a first mode in which the decision by the decision unit is performed and a second mode in which the decision by the decision unit is not performed as a control mode of the battery. The controller is configured to, when the decision unit decides that the battery is in the first state in the first mode, prohibit transition from the first mode to the second mode and control the relay to a non-conductive state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei TAKAHASHI, Sunao HORITAKE
  • Patent number: 11203378
    Abstract: A control device performs steering control of a vehicle by electric power of a first battery and a second battery and includes a calculation unit that calculates a total torque to be produced and a distribution controller that controls output of the first motor and the second motor such that a sum of a first torque produced by the first motor and a second torque produced by the second motor is the total torque. When neither the first system nor the second system is defective, the distribution controller sets the first torque and the second torque based on a state of the first battery and a state of the second battery such that predetermined performance of the first battery and the second battery is within an allowable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sunao Horitake
  • Patent number: 11148546
    Abstract: A power supply control device that estimates a full charge capacity of a battery includes a determination unit that determines whether there is a need to correct a currently estimated full charge capacity when a state of charge of the battery is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value at a timing at which a power supply of the vehicle is turned OFF, a power transfer unit that transfers a predetermined power from the battery to another battery when the determination unit determines that there is a need to correct the currently estimated full charge capacity, and a capacity estimation unit that performs a predetermined full charge capacity estimating process on the battery at a timing at which the power supply of the vehicle is turned ON after power transfer by the power transfer unit or during the power transfer by the power transfer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Akaishi, Sunao Horitake
  • Publication number: 20210311124
    Abstract: A battery diagnosis device mounted on a vehicle includes a processor that acquires information about a battery and executes diagnosis of the state of the battery. The processor is configured to determine whether there is abnormality about a first item based on a result of a determination of whether a first state is matched, and the determination of whether the first state is matched is based on the information about the battery. The processor is configured to end the diagnosis of the battery, when the processor determines that there is no abnormality about the first item. The processor is configured to continue the diagnosis of the battery and determine whether there is abnormality about the first item, as a second determination, when the processor determines that there is abnormality about the first item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Kohei TAKAHASHI, Takayuki AKAISHI, Sunao HORITAKE, Yuhki SHIOZUMI
  • Patent number: 11137451
    Abstract: An auxiliary device battery sensor measures current and voltage of an auxiliary device battery. On the basis of a peak value and frequency of current measured by the auxiliary device battery sensor at a time when the current and the voltage of the auxiliary device battery change in accordance with requirements of a load, a monitoring ECU sets a waveform for measurement that is for measuring resistance of the auxiliary device battery. Further, the monitoring ECU controls a DDC that is connected to the auxiliary device battery, such that a waveform of the current of the auxiliary device battery becomes the waveform for measurement. The monitoring ECU estimates resistance of the auxiliary device battery on the basis of current and voltage measured by the auxiliary device battery sensor at a time of controlling the DDC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Takahashi, Sunao Horitake, Takayuki Akaishi
  • Publication number: 20210229744
    Abstract: A vehicular control device includes a determining unit configured to determine whether an absolute value of a steering angle as a rotation angle of a steering wheel exceeds a first threshold value, an estimating unit configured to estimate a lithium deposition amount as an amount of lithium metal deposited on the lithium-ion battery by regenerative current flowing into the lithium-ion battery, based on vehicle information obtained from the vehicle, when the determining unit determines that the absolute value of the steering angle exceeds the first threshold value, and a reporting command unit configured to give a command to report that the vehicle is in a first state, based on the lithium deposition amount estimated by the estimating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Saeko KURACHI, Sunao HORITAKE
  • Publication number: 20210135298
    Abstract: A battery control device, which controls a battery, including cell blocks connected in series in which battery cells are connected in parallel, to execute voltage equalization of the cell blocks, includes a detection unit that detects voltage between positive and negative electrodes of each cell block, a voltage equalization circuit that includes a plurality of discharge units in which at least one discharge element and a switching element are connected in series, and a control unit that controls the switching elements to equalize the voltages of the cell blocks. The discharge units are connected between the positive and negative electrodes of the cell blocks, respectively. The control unit controls the switching elements at a predetermined timing to execute discharge of the cell blocks, and determines whether there is an abnormality in the cell blocks based on voltage differences between the cell blocks before and after the discharge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki AKAISHI, Sunao HORITAKE
  • Publication number: 20210061119
    Abstract: A vehicle control device configured to control charge and discharge of a battery mounted on a vehicle includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a parking time of the vehicle, a setting unit configured to derive a charge voltage of the battery based on at least the parking time obtained by the obtaining unit, and a voltage control unit configured to control charge of the battery based on the charge voltage of the battery derived by the setting unit when the vehicle is traveling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO TEN Limited
    Inventors: Takayuki AKAISHI, Sunao HORITAKE, Kohei TAKAHASHI, Yuhki SHIOZUMI
  • Publication number: 20200341068
    Abstract: An auxiliary device battery sensor measures current and voltage of an auxiliary device battery. On the basis of a peak value and frequency of current measured by the auxiliary device battery sensor at a time when the current and the voltage of the auxiliary device battery change in accordance with requirements of a load, a monitoring ECU sets a waveform for measurement that is for measuring resistance of the auxiliary device battery. Further, the monitoring ECU controls a DDC that is connected to the auxiliary device battery, such that a waveform of the current of the auxiliary device battery becomes the waveform for measurement. The monitoring ECU estimates resistance of the auxiliary device battery on the basis of current and voltage measured by the auxiliary device battery sensor at a time of controlling the DDC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei TAKAHASHI, Sunao HORITAKE, Takayuki AKAISHI
  • Patent number: 10601230
    Abstract: An electric power supply system for a vehicle includes a first battery, a second battery connected in parallel with the first battery, a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage value of the second battery, a current sensor configured to detect a current value of the second battery, an electronic control unit configured to make a voltage of the alternator fluctuate according to a predetermined voltage waveform, and calculate internal resistance of the second battery using the voltage value and the current value of the second battery respectively detected by the voltage sensor and the current sensor while the electronic control unit is making the voltage of the alternator fluctuate according to the predetermined voltage waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao Horitake, Hiroshi Nate, Yasuharu Terada
  • Publication number: 20200047634
    Abstract: A power supply control device that estimates a full charge capacity of a battery includes a determination unit that determines whether there is a need to correct a currently estimated full charge capacity when a state of charge of the battery is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value at a timing at which a power supply of the vehicle is turned OFF, a power transfer unit that transfers a predetermined power from the battery to another battery when the determination unit determines that there is a need to correct the currently estimated full charge capacity, and a capacity estimation unit that performs a predetermined full charge capacity estimating process on the battery at a timing at which the power supply of the vehicle is turned ON after power transfer by the power transfer unit or during the power transfer by the power transfer unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki AKAISHI, Sunao HORITAKE
  • Publication number: 20200023888
    Abstract: A control device performs steering control of a vehicle by electric power of a first battery and a second battery and includes a calculation unit that calculates a total torque to be produced and a distribution controller that controls output of the first motor and the second motor such that a sum of a first torque produced by the first motor and a second torque produced by the second motor is the total torque. When neither the first system nor the second system is defective, the distribution controller sets the first torque and the second torque based on a state of the first battery and a state of the second battery such that predetermined performance of the first battery and the second battery is within an allowable range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sunao HORITAKE
  • Publication number: 20190044344
    Abstract: An electric power supply system for a vehicle includes a first battery, a second battery connected in parallel with the first battery, a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage value of the second battery, a current sensor configured to detect a current value of the second battery, an electronic control unit configured to make a voltage of the alternator fluctuate according to a predetermined voltage waveform, and calculate internal resistance of the second battery using the voltage value and the current value of the second battery respectively detected by the voltage sensor and the current sensor while the electronic control unit is making the voltage of the alternator fluctuate according to the predetermined voltage waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao Horitake, Hiroshi Nate, Yasuharu Terada
  • Patent number: 10155491
    Abstract: An electric power supply device includes first and second batteries respectively supplying electric power to a plurality of load instruments mounted on a vehicle, an electric power generator capable of charging the first battery and the second battery by regenerative electric power generation, and control means for controlling the electric power generator so that a charging electric power amount of at least one of the first battery and the second battery based on the regenerative electric power generation is suppressed in a case where at least one of a high-load instrument and a backup target instrument is present among the plurality of load instruments and the electric power generator is performing the regenerative electric power generation during the deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeaki Suzuki, Michihiro Miyashita, Kazuhito Eshima, Hiroshi Nate, Sunao Horitake
  • Patent number: 10135264
    Abstract: An electric power supply system for a vehicle includes a first battery, a second battery connected in parallel with the first battery, a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage value of the second battery, a current sensor configured to detect a current value of the second battery, an electronic control unit configured to make a voltage of the alternator fluctuate according to a predetermined voltage waveform, and calculate internal resistance of the second battery using the voltage value and the current value of the second battery respectively detected by the voltage sensor and the current sensor while the electronic control unit is making the voltage of the alternator fluctuate according to the predetermined voltage waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao Horitake, Hiroshi Nate, Yasuharu Terada