Patents by Inventor Takahiko Inada

Takahiko Inada 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: 20080281504
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus for an internal combustion engine can avoid an incorrect knock determination thereby to prevent output power reduction and suppress knocks occurring in succession. A knock detection section outputs a knock detection signal based on an ionic current, and a threshold setting section sets a knock determination threshold. A knock determination section determines the occurrence of a knock based on the threshold and the knock detection signal. A required correction amount setting section sets a required correction amount for ignition timing based on a knock determination result, and a control parameter correction section corrects ignition timing based on the required correction amount. A noise determination section determines the occurrence of noise based on whether said knock detection signal or said control parameter correction amount is within a set level range, and a noise removal period setting section sets a noise removal period based on the noise determination result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiko INADA, Kimihiko Tanaya
  • Publication number: 20080276689
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a knocking detecting device for an internal combustion engine, for controlling a timing at which an ignition coil is actuated according to a knocking occurrence intensity, the knocking detecting device including the signal processing module for processing a signal attributable to knocking occurring in the operation of the internal combustion engine to determine a knocking occurrence intensity, in which the signal processing module includes: signal detecting means for detecting a signal attributable to knocking; frequency intensity calculating means for selecting a plurality of frequencies extracted from an output of the signal detecting means to calculate a frequency intensity; and knocking intensity determining means for finally determining that knocking occurs in a case where it is determined that at least two primary determination results of among a plurality of primary knocking determination results based on the outputs of the frequency intensity calculating means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kimihiko Tanaya, Takahiko Inada
  • Patent number: 7444232
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus for an internal combustion engine can avoid an incorrect knock determination thereby to prevent output power reduction and suppress knocks occurring in succession. A knock detection section outputs a knock detection signal based on an ionic current, and a threshold setting section sets a knock determination threshold. A knock determination section determines the occurrence of a knock based on the threshold and the knock detection signal. A required correction amount setting section sets a required correction amount for ignition timing based on a knock determination result, and a control parameter correction section corrects ignition timing based on the required correction amount. A noise determination section determines the occurrence of noise based on whether said knock detection signal or said control parameter correction amount is within a set level range, and a noise removal period setting section sets a noise removal period based on the noise determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Inada, Kimihiko Tanaya
  • Publication number: 20080257018
    Abstract: A knock detection apparatus for an internal combustion engine can accurately detect the occurrence of a knock without an influence of a noise component even if the noise component having the same frequency as a knock vibration superposes on an ionic current signal. The apparatus includes an ionic current detection section, a knock signal detection section for detecting a knock signal based on an ionic current, a crank angle sensor for detecting a crank angle corresponding to a rotational position of the engine, a window setting section for setting a noise detection window, a noise component detection section for detecting a noise component in the window, and a knock determination section for determining the occurrence of a knock based on a relation between the noise component and the knock signal. The window setting section sets the window after a predetermined crank angle corresponding to an end of a combustion stroke of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiko Inada, Kimihiko Tanaya
  • Patent number: 6752004
    Abstract: A misfire detection apparatus for an internal combustion engine is capable of accurately determining an occurrence of combustion or misfiring in each cylinder of the engine even when an ionic current superposed on a leakage current decreases monotonously to provide no period or range in which the ionic current increases. An ionic current detector 3 detects an ionic current signal corresponding to an ionic current generated when an air fuel mixture in each combustion chamber of the engine is combusted. A gradient detector 6, 7, 8 detects, after firing of the air fuel mixture, a first gradient of the ionic current signal at first detection intervals and a second gradient of the ionic current signal at second detection intervals longer than the first detection intervals. A determination of combustion or misfiring in each combustion chamber is made based on the first and second gradients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiko Inada, Kimihiko Tanaya
  • Publication number: 20030217587
    Abstract: A misfire detection apparatus for an internal combustion engine is capable of accurately determining an occurrence of combustion or misfiring in each cylinder of the engine even when an ionic current superposed on a leakage current decreases monotonously to provide no period or range in which the ionic current increases. An ionic current detector 3 detects an ionic current signal corresponding to an ionic current generated when an air fuel mixture in each combustion chamber of the engine is combusted. A gradient detector 6, 7, 8 detects, after firing of the air fuel mixture, a first gradient of the ionic current signal at first detection intervals and a second gradient of the ionic current signal at second detection intervals longer than the first detection intervals. A determination of combustion or misfiring in each combustion chamber is made based on the first and second gradients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2002
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko Inada, Kimihiko Tanaya