Patents by Inventor Takashi Yanagi

Takashi Yanagi 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: 8494720
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle motion stability control system that combines the VSA and RTC devices in a favorable manner, and is able to effectively control the behavior of the vehicle over an entire operating range including an extreme operating region and a normal operating region. An output of the RTC is transformed by a certain transfer function, and the front wheel steering angle ?f inputted to the actual vehicle model for the first control device (VSA) is modified according to the output of the transfer function. It means that the input front wheel steering angle is modified according to the thrust angle or toe angle of the RTC. Thereby, a harmonized control of the VSA and RTC is enabled, and such a harmonized combination can be effected without making changes to the structure of an existing VSA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Horiuchi, Takashi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 8463506
    Abstract: Provided is a rear wheel toe angle control system that can prevent the impairment of the tracking performance of the electric actuator and enable the rear wheel toe angle control system to ensure the stability of the vehicle even when the electric actuator for steering the rear wheel according to the operating condition of the vehicle is subjected to an axial force. An ECU (12) serving as a rear wheel toe angle control unit for variably controlling the rear wheel toe angle (?r) of the motor vehicle (V) by using an electric actuator (11) is provided with a duty ratio correcting unit (25) that corrects the target duty ratio (Dtgt) for achieving the target rear wheel toe angle (?rtgt) according to the load condition of the electric actuator (11) that depends on the lateral acceleration (Gy) of the motor vehicle (V).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Yanagi, Akiyoshi Kobayashi, Shogo Nishizawa, Yutaka Horiuchi, Kohei Maruyama
  • Patent number: 8364350
    Abstract: A steering system for rear wheels of a vehicle without a dead zone in the vicinity of the steering wheel zero. The steering system includes a steering controller and control units that control the rear wheels to be steered in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel. The steering system performs a reduction control to provide a smaller steering control amount for the rear wheels in a range where a steering angle becomes smaller than a predetermined value, compared to a steering control amount for the rear wheels in the other ranges of the steering angle. When an angle speed of the steering angle becomes greater than a predetermined value, the steering system performs no reduction control or the reduction control with less reduced steering control amount for the rear wheels even in the range where the steering angle becomes smaller than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Yanagi, Yutaka Horiuchi, Hiroaki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8340867
    Abstract: A steering controller for an electric power steering device 110 includes a base signal computing part 51 for computing a base signal DT in accordance with at least the steering torque; a damper compensation signal computing part 52 for computing a damper compensation signal in accordance with an angular velocity of an electric motor 4 or a speed of steering wheel turn; and an inertia compensation signal computing part 53 for compensating inertia and viscosity in the steering unit. The electric motor is driven by a target signal IM1 obtained by compensating the base signal with a damper compensation signal and an inertia compensation signal, to provide a steering auxiliary force. The target signal of the auxiliary torque is compensated so that a difference between a reference self-aligning torque of front wheel in a front wheel steering vehicle and a self-aligning torque of front wheel in an all-wheel steering vehicle is provided to a driver as a responsive feeling from the steering torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouhei Maruyama, Yasuhiro Terada, Yutaka Horiuchi, Nobuo Sugitani, Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20120306721
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel shorted patch antenna device that a thickness of a conductor of an antenna, a location of a feeding point and a shape of an antenna element is easily adjustable and can be miniaturized, as well as a method therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokatsu Okegawa, Takanori Miyame, Takashi Iwakura, Yasuhiro Nishioka, Takashi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 8306701
    Abstract: It is possible to drive a motor (7) with a high output during a low-speed travel and perform steering with a high resolution during a high-speed travel. An electric power steering device (1) causes the motor (7) to generate an auxiliary torque based on the steering torque specified by a driver for operating steering wheels (9), thereby reducing the steering torque specified by the driver. A control device (10) uses the vehicle speed signal (Vs) from a vehicle speed sensor (11) so as to drive the motor (7) with a high output during a low-speed travel and perform steering with a high resolution during a high-speed travel without increasing the motor output. Moreover, during a low-speed travel, a large steering torque is required and during a high-speed travel, steering should be performed with a high resolution. Thus, the driver's feeling in steering is not affected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20120253624
    Abstract: An accelerator pedal device for a vehicle, performing a pedal reaction force control method. The accelerator pedal device is provided with an engine speed detection unit that detects the engine speed (Ne) and a reaction force control unit that controls, on the basis of the engine speed (Ne), a pedal reaction force (Fr) applied by a reaction force application unit. The reaction force control unit limits the reduction ratio of the pedal reaction force (Fr) when the reduction ratio of the engine speed (Ne) is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kohei Maruyama, Yutaka Horiuchi, Takashi Yanagi, Hiroaki Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20120041649
    Abstract: An electric actuator (electric motor) is thermally protected without causing any unfamiliar impression in steering a vehicle. A temperature compensation gain computing unit (25) reduces the manipulated variable of the electric actuator (40L, 40R) by using a gain that diminishes with the rise in the temperature of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20110313624
    Abstract: Provided is a rear wheel toe angle control system that can prevent the impairment of the tracking performance of the electric actuator and enable the rear wheel toe angle control system to ensure the stability of the vehicle even when the electric actuator for steering the rear wheel according to the operating condition of the vehicle is subjected to an axial force. An ECU (12) serving as a rear wheel toe angle control unit for variably controlling the rear wheel toe angle (?r) of the motor vehicle (V) by using an electric actuator (11) is provided with a duty ratio correcting unit (25) that corrects the target duty ratio (Dtgt) for achieving the target rear wheel toe angle (?rtgt) according to the load condition of the electric actuator (11) that depends on the lateral acceleration (Gy) of the motor vehicle (V).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yanagi, Akiyoshi Kobayashi, Shogo Nishizawa, Yutaka Horiuchi, Kohei Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20110307142
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle motion control system that comprises a plurality of vehicle behavior control units that are controlled in a mutually coordinated manner, and is configured to operate as designed even when one of the vehicle motion control units should fail. If a RTC-ECU (61) has ceased a control action thereof owing to a failure thereof, a VSA-ECU (31) retains the last received coordination control signal from the RTC-ECU in EEPROM (37) so that the VSA-ECU (31) is enabled to continue the coordinated control according to the retained coordination control signal. At the same time, the VSA-ECU (31) transmits the coordination control signal retained in the EEPROM onto a CAN so that the transmitted coordination control signal may be used by other ECUS of other vehicle behavior control units such as an ATTS-ECU (41) and a STG-ECU (51). In this manner, the behavior of the vehicle may be optimized by the coordination control of the VSA unit and other vehicle behavior control units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: December 15, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yanagi, Kiyoshi Wakamatsu, Takayuki Seki
  • Patent number: 8068955
    Abstract: In a vehicle provided with a rear wheel toe angle varying device for individually varying toe angles of rear wheels, upon detection of a failure to steer one of the rear wheels, the rear wheel of a healthy side is steered to a zero angle. Whereby, when a straight travel determining unit determines that the vehicle is traveling straight, a toe angle estimating unit estimates a steering angle of the rear wheel which has failed to steer based upon the steering angle of the front wheels of the vehicle as determined by a steering angle sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 8051942
    Abstract: The present invention improves response characteristics in turning traveling of a vehicle while traveling stability at the time of turning is kept. The present invention provides a system in which toe angles of left and right rear wheels are controlled based on a steering angular velocity, not a steering angle of a steering. In a steering system in which toe angles of left and right rear wheels are controlled independently, a steering angular velocity is calculated from a steering angle, and toe angle changers are controlled to tilt the toe angle of the right rear wheel to the left when the steering angular velocity is on the left side, and is controlled to tilt the toe angle of the left rear wheel to the left when the steering angular velocity is on the right side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Sasaki, Yutaka Horiuchi, Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20110202239
    Abstract: A steering controller for an electric power steering device 110 includes a base signal computing part 51 for computing a base signal DT in accordance with at least the steering torque; a damper compensation signal computing part 52 for computing a damper compensation signal in accordance with an angular velocity of an electric motor 4 or a speed of steering wheel turn; and an inertia compensation signal computing part 53 for compensating inertia and viscosity in the steering unit. The electric motor is driven by a target signal IM1 obtained by compensating the base signal with a damper compensation signal and an inertia compensation signal, to provide a steering auxiliary force. The target signal of the auxiliary torque is compensated so that a difference between a reference self-aligning torque of front wheel in a front wheel steering vehicle and a self-aligning torque of front wheel in an all-wheel steering vehicle is provided to a driver as a responsive feeling from the steering torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kouhei Maruyama, Yasuhiro Terada, Yutaka Horiuchi, Nobuo Sugitani, Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20110175790
    Abstract: A wireless communication device whose impedance can be matched with an arbitrary load impedance and that can be broadened in operating frequency band even when choosing an input impedance of an IC chip freely is not possible. The wireless communication device includes: a first conductor; a second conductor disposed substantially parallel to the first conductor; a hole formed in the second conductor; a capacitive coupling mechanism disposed adjacent to the hole; and a communication circuit which has at least one of a radio wave transmitting function and a radio wave receiving function. The communication circuit is connected through the capacitive coupling mechanism to two sites on the second conductor that are near borders between the second conductor and the hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Takashi Yanagi, Yasuhiro Nishioka, Toru Fukasawa, Hiroaki Miyashita, Tomohiro Mizuno, Takuro Sasaki, Hirokatsu Okegawa
  • Patent number: 7954827
    Abstract: A steering controller for an electric power steering device 110 includes a base signal computing part 51 for computing a base signal DT in accordance with at least the steering torque; a damper compensation signal computing part 52 for computing a damper compensation signal in accordance with an angular velocity of an electric motor 4 or a speed of steering wheel turn; and an inertia compensation signal computing part 53 for compensating inertia and viscosity in the steering unit. The electric motor is driven by a target signal IM1 obtained by compensating the base signal with a damper compensation signal and an inertia compensation signal, to provide a steering auxiliary force. The target signal of the auxiliary torque is compensated so that a difference between a reference self-aligning torque of front wheel in a front wheel steering vehicle and a self-aligning torque of front wheel in an all-wheel steering vehicle is provided to a driver as a responsive feeling from the steering torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouhei Maruyama, Yasuhiro Terada, Yutaka Horiuchi, Nobuo Sugitani, Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20110046851
    Abstract: In a rear wheel steering vehicle equipped with a vehicle motion stability control system that can be selectively switched on and off, the motion stability of the vehicle is prevented from being impaired when an abnormal condition should develop to a rear wheel steering device of the vehicle. In addition to the rear wheel steering device, the vehicle is provided with an abnormal condition processing unit that turns on the vehicle motion stability control system upon detection of the abnormal condition of the rear wheel rear wheel steering device while the vehicle motion stability control system is turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Onaya, Takashi Yanagi, Hiroaki Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20110035113
    Abstract: It is possible to drive a motor (7) with a high output during a low-speed travel and perform steering with a high resolution during a high-speed travel. An electric power steering device (1) causes the motor (7) to generate an auxiliary torque based on the steering torque specified by a driver for operating steering wheels (9), thereby reducing the steering torque specified by the driver. A control device (10) uses the vehicle speed signal (Vs) from a vehicle speed sensor (11) so as to drive the motor (7) with a high output during a low-speed travel and perform steering with a high resolution during a high-speed travel without increasing the motor output. Moreover, during a low-speed travel, a large steering torque is required and during a high-speed travel, steering should be performed with a high resolution. Thus, the driver's feeling in steering is not affected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20110029202
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle motion stability control system that combines the VSA and RTC devices in a favorable manner, and is able to effectively control the behavior of the vehicle over an entire operating range including an extreme operating region and a normal operating region. An output of the RTC is transformed by a certain transfer function, and the front wheel steering angle ?f inputted to the actual vehicle model for the first control device (VSA) is modified according to the output of the transfer function. It means that the input front wheel steering angle is modified according to the thrust angle or toe angle of the RTC. Thereby, a harmonized control of the VSA and RTC is enabled, and such a harmonized combination can be effected without making changes to the structure of an existing VSA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Horiuchi, Takashi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 7873440
    Abstract: A variable toe angle control system for a vehicle that can be incorporated with a fail-safe mechanism. When a fault of the system is detected, at least one of toe-angle actuators is actuated to make toe angles of two wheels agree with each other. When one of the wheels has become fixed in position without regard to a control signal supplied to the corresponding actuator, the actuator for the other wheel is actuated so as to make the toe angles of the two wheels equal to each other. When at least one toe-angle sensor is found faulty, the actuators are both actuated until the actuators reach positions corresponding to stoppers. When information for determining target values of the toe angles of the right and left wheels is found faulty, the actuators are both actuated until the actuators reach positions corresponding to prescribed reference toe positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Horiuchi, Akihko Koike, Hiroaki Sasaki, Takashi Yanagi
  • Publication number: 20100332083
    Abstract: A steering system for rear wheels of a vehicle without a dead zone in the vicinity of the steering wheel zero. The steering system includes a steering controller and control units that control the rear wheels to be steered in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel. The steering system performs a reduction control to provide a smaller steering control amount for the rear wheels in a range where a steering angle becomes smaller than a predetermined value, compared to a steering control amount for the rear wheels in the other ranges of the steering angle. When an angle speed of the steering angle becomes greater than a predetermined value, the steering system performs no reduction control or the reduction control with less reduced steering control amount for the rear wheels even in the range where the steering angle becomes smaller than the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yanagi, Yutaka Horiuchi, Hiroaki Sasaki