Patents by Inventor Takao Inoue

Takao Inoue 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: 7153342
    Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying system of a diesel engine comprises a PM filter installed in an exhaust passage line of the engine to collect particulate matter (PM) in the exhaust gas from the engine; a pressure difference sensor for detecting a pressure difference between upstream and downstream portions of the PM filter; a control unit which comprises a collected PM amount estimating section that estimates an amount of collected PM in the PM filter based on the pressure difference; and a reactivation timing judging section that, based on the estimated amount of the collected PM, judges a reactivation time when the reactivation of the PM filter is needed; and a reactivation carrying out system that, upon judgment of the reactivation time, carries out a predetermined operation to increases the temperature of the PM filter thereby to burn the collected PM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimasa Koga, Junichi Kawashima, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Terunori Kondou, Makoto Otake, Takao Inoue
  • Patent number: 7146805
    Abstract: To regenerate a diesel particulate filter (10) which traps particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas of a diesel engine (20), a controller (16) raises the temperature of the exhaust gas through fuel injection control of a fuel injector (23), and thus burns the particulate matter trapped in the filter (10). The controller (16) cumulatively calculates the time during which the temperature of the filter (10) exceeds a target temperature as an effective regeneration time. By estimating the amount of particulate matter remaining in the filter (10) on the basis of the effective regeneration time, the controller (16) estimates the amount of remaining particulate matter with a high degree of precision and without consuming energy, whereupon regeneration of the filter (10) through fuel injection control ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Otake, Junichi Kawashima, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Terunori Kondou, Takao Inoue, Shouichirou Ueno, Toshimasa Koga
  • Patent number: 7147688
    Abstract: A map which defines a relationship of an exhaust gas pressure P2 at the outlet of a filter (13) to a load Q and rotation speed Ne of an engine (1) is prepared, and an exhaust gas pressure P1 at the inlet to the filter (13) is determined from a differential pressure ?P between the front and rear of the filter and the outlet pressure P2 obtained by referring to the map. The inlet pressure P1 determined in this manner is used to determine an exhaust gas volumetric flow rate Q1, and thus an accurate particulate accumulation SM, which is required to determine the need for regeneration of the filter (13), can be calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Terunori Kondou, Junichi Kawashima, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Takao Inoue, Toshimasa Koga, Makoto Otake
  • Patent number: 7147693
    Abstract: An engine exhaust gas purification device is disclosed. The purification device has a filter (13) which traps particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas from an engine; a differential pressure detection sensor (16) which detects a differential pressure of the filter; a sensor (14, 15, 21, 31, 33) which detects an engine running state, and a microcomputer (22). The microcomputer (22) is programmed to compute an estimated ash amount ASH_a of the filter based on the detected differential pressure; compute an oil consumption amount OC_total based on the detected engine running state; compute an ash density DENS_ASH from the oil consumption amount OC_total and estimated ash amount ASH_a, and compute an ash amount ASH of the filter based on the oil consumption amount OC_total and ash density DENS_ASH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takao Inoue, Junichi Kawashima, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Makoto Otake, Terunori Kondou, Toshimasa Koga
  • Patent number: 7137247
    Abstract: In regeneration apparatus and method for a particulate filter that collects a particulate in exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine, a timing at which an accumulated particulate is combusted to regenerate the particulate filter is determined and a control is performed for a combustion of the particulate, during the control for the combustion of the particulate, a temperature of the engine exhaust gas is raised to a first target temperature set at a temperature equal to or higher than a criterion temperature which provides a criterion of whether the particulate is combusted to regenerate the particulate filter when the engine falls in a first driving region, and the engine exhaust gas temperature is raised to a second target temperature set at a temperature lower than the criterion temperature when the engine falls in a second driving region different from the first driving region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimasa Koga, Junichi Kawashima, Makoto Otake, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Terunori Kondou, Takao Inoue
  • Patent number: 7134275
    Abstract: A diesel particulate filter (41) traps particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas of a diesel engine (1) for a vehicle. The filter (41) is regenerated by raising the exhaust gas temperature so that the trapped particulate matter burns. A controller (31) calculates a particulate matter combustion amount PMr during regeneration, and in accordance with increases in the combustion amount PMr, raises the oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas by operating an intake throttle (42) and/or a variable nozzle (24) of a turbocharger (21). As a result, the filter (41) is held at an optimum temperature for regeneration regardless of the residual particulate matter amount, and hence the time required for regeneration can be shortened without damaging the heat resistance performance of the filter (41).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoya Tsutsumoto, Junichi Kawashima, Makoto Otake, Terunori Kondou, Takao Inoue, Shouichirou Ueno, Toshimasa Koga
  • Publication number: 20060236682
    Abstract: An exhaust system for an internal-combustion engine comprises an exhaust bypass in parallel with an upstream portion of a main exhaust path having a main catalytic converter in a downstream portion thereof, an exhaust bypass catalytic converter provided in the exhaust bypass; and a flow path switching valve for blocking the main exhaust path at the upstream portion thereof. The exhaust system includes an ignition timing adjustment mechanism for adjusting ignition timing to delay sparking when the flow path switching valve is switched from the closed condition to the open condition thereof. A control method for the exhaust system is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Inventors: Sunki I, Takao Inoue, Kouichi Mori
  • Publication number: 20060232708
    Abstract: The present invention allows a device to easily convert an on-screen image in HD format or SD format without increasing the processing load. The device according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the on-screen image D3 in which the number of horizontal pixels is set between horizontal pixel counts of HD format and horizontal pixel counts of SD format. Therefore, the device can utilize a relatively simple conversion ratio when converting the image in HD and SD format. This tremendously reduces the computational processing load. In addition, since the device uses the simple conversion ration, the device can maintain the quality of the on-screen image D3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Kawa, Takao Inoue
  • Publication number: 20060225408
    Abstract: An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The exhaust system includes at least one main exhaust path connected to at least one cylinder, an exhaust recirculation path that is branched out from the main exhaust path so that part of exhaust gas is recirculated to an inlet system, a bypass that is branched out from the exhaust recirculation path in which the bypass has a higher path resistance than that of the exhaust recirculation path and a bypass catalytic converter that is provided in the bypass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Inventors: Takao Inoue, Kouichi Mori, Sunki I
  • Publication number: 20060222953
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte battery wherein the per-volume capacity of positive electrode active material layer can be increased over that exhibited in the use of carbon as a conducting material. This nonaqueous electrolyte battery comprises positive electrode (1) containing a positive electrode active material layer, negative electrode (2) containing a negative electrode active material layer, nonaqueous electrolyte (5) and a conducting material contained in the positive electrode active material layer and constituted of at least one non-carbon material selected from the group consisting of nitrides, carbides and borides, which conducting material is in the form of particles of 0.2 to 5 ?m average diameter easily dispersed in the positive electrode active material layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Takao Inoue, Kumiko Kanai, Kazunori Donoue, Masahisa Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 7106184
    Abstract: A rear entertainment system has a voice synthesis circuit, an OSD unit, a video camera, a DVD playback unit, a rear monitor, a navigation unit, a mixer, an IR circuit, and headphones. The voice synthesis circuit and the OSD unit receive driving information from a handle, a brake, a winker, and so on. The voice synthesis circuit presents the driving condition in an audio form, while the OSD unit presents the driving condition in a video form. The video camera takes a scene in a forward direction. The navigation unit supports the driving of the vehicle. The mixer synthesizes the voice output of the voice synthesis circuit, audio signals from the DVD playback unit and audio signals from the navigation unit. The IR circuit converts the synthesized audio signals into IR signals. The headphones receive the IR signals from the IR circuit and convert the IR signals into audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Kaminaga, Takao Inoue
  • Patent number: 7100104
    Abstract: An error correction decoding unit performs error correction decoding of an inputted data series. A first memory is written with the data series subjected to error correction decoding by the error correction decoding unit. When the data series undergoing error correction decoding is written to the first memory, an address generator supplies write addresses and when the data series written to the first memory is read out of the first memory at random, the address generator supplies random read addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Inventors: Yukio Yamamoto, Shiro Mazawa, Takao Inoue
  • Publication number: 20060174607
    Abstract: An exhaust system for an internal combustion engine includes a catalytic device within an exhaust path of the engine, wherein the catalytic device includes a housing with a catalyst carrier. A length of the catalyst carrier along a longitudinal axis, measured along a downstream flow direction of exhaust gas within the exhaust path, is substantially the same or a shorter than the upstream distance traveled by a reverse flow of exhaust gas during an exhaust gas pulsation within the housing. With this type of configuration, due to reciprocating movements of the exhaust gas caused by the pulsations, the same exhaust gas passes through the catalyst carrier multiple times. Thus, an increased number of heat exchanges take place within the catalyst carrier, which rapidly increases the catalyst temperature after a cold engine start.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Mori, Takao Inoue, Sunki I, Shunichi Mitsuishi
  • Patent number: 7082754
    Abstract: This invention relates to regeneration of a filter (41) which traps particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas of a diesel engine (1) for a vehicle. A programmable controller (31) performs filter regeneration appropriately in accordance with the running pattern of the vehicle by calculating a first parameter indicating the frequency with which the diesel engine (1) performs an idling operation over a predetermined time period up to the present (S7), calculating a second parameter indicating the temperature environment of the filter (41) over a predetermined time period up to the present (S3), and determining whether or not the filter (41) can be regenerated completely on the basis of the first parameter and second parameter (S13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Otake, Junichi Kawashima, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Terunori Kondou, Shouichirou Ueno, Takao Inoue, Toshimasa Koga
  • Patent number: 7071930
    Abstract: An active matrix display device includes a pixel array unit having pixels arranged in a matrix pattern, a scanning circuit which sequentially selects pixels in unit of rows, and a signal circuit which receives a video signal containing serial dot data corresponding to each pixel and which writes the dot data into a selected pixel. The signal circuit receives a video signal which includes dot data corresponding to pixels to be rewritten but does not include dot data corresponding to pixels not to be rewritten and which includes skip data defining a skip amount. The signal circuit sequentially processes the dot data and skip data so as to write the corresponding dot data into pixels to be rewritten by skipping pixels not to be rewritten based on the skip data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsujiro Kondo, Hideo Nakaya, Tsutomu Ichikawa, Takao Inoue
  • Publication number: 20060137330
    Abstract: An exhaust system of an internal combustion engine having at least one cylinder comprises a main exhaust passage connected to the cylinder; a main catalytic converter disposed in the main exhaust passage; a bypass exhaust passage that diverges from the main exhaust passage, the bypass exhaust passage having a gas flow resistance larger than that of the main exhaust passage and having a downstream end connected to the main exhaust passage at a position upstream of the main catalytic converter; an auxiliary catalytic converter disposed in the bypass exhaust passage; and a gas flow switching device that is capable of forcing exhaust gas from the cylinder of the engine to flow toward the bypass exhaust passage when assuming a given operation position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Publication date: June 29, 2006
    Inventors: Sungi I, Takao Inoue, Kimiyoshi Nishizawa
  • Patent number: 7065959
    Abstract: A regeneration control device, which regenerates a filter (13) for trapping particulate matter in exhaust gas from an engine (1), is disclosed. The filter (13) supports a catalyst which oxidizes unburnt components in the exhaust gas. The regeneration control device has a temperature sensor (14) which detects a filter inlet exhaust gas temperature (Tdpf_in_mea); and a microcomputer (22). The microcomputer (22) is programmed to compute a filter outlet exhaust gas temperature (Tdpf_out_cal), not including temperature rise due to oxidation reaction of unburnt components based on the detected inlet exhaust gas temperature; compute the filter bed temperature (Tbed_cal) based on the detected inlet exhaust gas temperature and computed outlet exhaust gas temperature; compute a temperature rise (?Thc1) due to oxidation reaction of unburnt components; correct the bed temperature based on the computed temperature rise (?Thc1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shouichirou Ueno, Junichi Kawashima, Makoto Otake, Terunori Kondou, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Takao Inoue, Toshimasa Koga
  • Patent number: 7062906
    Abstract: A regeneration device for a filter (13) which traps particulate matter in an exhaust gas of an engine (1) is disclosed. The regeneration device has a sensor (25) which detects an engine running point containing an engine load and a controller (22) storing a map which defines a low load region (A) relating to engine running points. The controller (22) determines whether or not the detected engine running point is in the low load region referring to the map, when the deposition amount of particulate matter is more than a first reference amount (PMn). Further, the controller (22) immediately start a first filter regeneration control by raising a temperature of the exhaust gas, when the detected engine running point is not in the low load region, and start a second filter regeneration control by raising the temperature of the exhaust gas after the deposition amount of particulate matter exceeds a second reference amount (PMe), when the detected engine running point is in the low load region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Otake, Junichi Kawashima, Takao Inoue, Terunori Kondou, Toshimasa Koga, Naoya Tsutsumoto
  • Patent number: 7028466
    Abstract: A filter (41) traps particulate matter in the exhaust gas of a vehicle diesel engine (1). A vehicle speed sensor (51) detects a vehicle speed, and a controller (31) determines a vehicle running pattern from the vehicle speed. In the regeneration of the filter (41) to eliminate trapped particulate matter by burning, the controller (31) controls the exhaust gas temperature of the diesel engine (1) to a different target temperature according to the running pattern. As a result, there are less opportunities for regeneration of the filter (41) to be interrupted due to exhaust gas temperature drop, and regeneration of the filter (41) is ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Terunori Kondou, Junichi Kawashima, Naoya Tsutsumoto, Makoto Otake, Takao Inoue, Toshimasa Koga
  • Publication number: 20060046145
    Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous electrolytic cell capable of inhibiting a positive electrode from cracking when the positive electrode is bent for cylindrically or angularly preparing the nonaqueous electrolytic cell despite employment of a conductive material having higher true density than carbon. This nonaqueous electrolytic cell comprises a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material layer, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material layer, a nonaqueous electrolyte, a conductive material, contained in the positive electrode active material layer, including at least one material selected from a group consisting of nitrides, carbides and borides other than carbon and a binder, contained in the positive electrode active material layer, including a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao Inoue, Masahisa Fujimoto