Patents by Inventor Tomokuni Kusunoki

Tomokuni Kusunoki 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: 9394836
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes a pseudo knock determination unit that determines whether or not a pseudo knock has been produced in a knock detection window, based on at least one of the frequency, a status amount indicating a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine, a status amount indicating a load of the internal combustion engine, and a status amount indicating an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine; and a moving-average processing unit that sets a second period to a period that is approximately the same as a first period, in the case where it has been determined that the pseudo knock was not produced, and that does not implement moving-averaging or sets the second period to a period that is narrower than the first period, in the case where it has been determined that a pseudo knock was produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Toshikatsu Saito, Takahiko Ono, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Atsushi Inoue, Hiroki Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8965666
    Abstract: A knock control device is provided in which erroneous knock detection can be reduced by suppressing sudden knock signal changes due to noise, without causing any increase in the number of matching steps, deterioration in the S/N in knock detection and decrease in detection performing frequency. In the knock control device, an open gain is applied to the detected signal only during a knock detection window set in advance by a knock window setting means. The window corresponds to a period in which vibration due to knock arises. During other periods, either a closed gain or an interpolated gain value is applied to the detected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8949006
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus for internal combustion engine includes: a knock signal normalization unit that normalizes a knock signal extracted from an output signal of a knock sensor; a knock determination threshold setting unit that sets a knock determination threshold on the basis of the normalized knock signal; a knock intensity computation unit that calculates knock intensity on the basis of the normalized knock signal and the set knock determination threshold; a knock determination unit that determines a presence or absence of a knock on the basis of the calculated knock intensity; and a knock correction amount computation unit that calculates a knock correction amount to correct the calculated knock intensity in a case where an occurrence of a knock is determined. The knock signal normalization unit normalizes a standard deviation of the knock signal by dividing the knock signal by an average value of the knock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Matsushima, Hideki Hagari, Toshikatsu Saito, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8924134
    Abstract: In a knock control device of an internal combustion engine equipped with a control unit which updates a background level based on an output signal from a knock sensor and detects the generation of a knock by comparing a variation of the background level with a knock determination value, a determination as to whether the knock is generated is performed by ((variation of first filter value of peak hold value)>((1?filter coefficient)/(1+filter coefficient)×(predetermined value larger than maximum value of variation of peak hold value in case where knock is not generated))).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Tanaka, Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Atsushi Inoue, Hiroki Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8924135
    Abstract: There are provided a combustion start determination unit that determines whether or not the inner-cylinder state of an internal combustion engine has changed from a non-combustion state to a combustion state; and a filter coefficient changing demand unit that outputs a filter coefficient changing demand until a predetermined filter coefficient changing period elapses from the time instant when the combustion start determination unit determines that the inner-cylinder state of the internal combustion engine has changed from the non-combustion state to the combustion state to the time instant. Based on the filter coefficient changing demand, at least one of a background level calculation unit and a standard deviation calculation unit changes the value of a filter coefficient utilized in a filtering operation to the one with which a filtering effect is weakened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Ono, Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Atsushi Inoue, Hiroki Morimoto
  • Patent number: 8909459
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a knock signal normalization portion that normalizes a knock signal using base statistics calculated on the basis of the knock signal. The knock signal normalization portion calculates base statistics on the basis of a last value and a current value of the knock signal and normalizes the knock signal using a base statistic interpolated according to an operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Atsushi Inoue, Hiroki Morimoto
  • Publication number: 20140251252
    Abstract: A compression self-ignition engine is provided. The engine includes an engine body and an intake passage, and CI combustion is performable in a part of an engine operating range. The intake passage includes a high-temperature passage provided with a heater for heating intake air, a low-temperature passage provided with a cooler for cooling the intake air, a manifold section where the high-temperature and low-temperature passages merge together, and a downstream passage connecting the manifold section with the engine body. A throttle valve for adjusting a flow rate of the intake air is provided in each of the high-temperature and low-temperature passages. At least in an engine operating range where the CI combustion is performed, openings of the throttle valves are controlled to bring a temperature of the intake air within the manifold section into a predetermined temperature range, based on temperature conditions of the heater and the cooler, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsunori Wasada, Naoyuki Yamagata, Tomokuni Kusunoki, Takuya Hamada
  • Patent number: 8695411
    Abstract: A state of an oil pressure is determined based on combination of activation of an oil pressure switch and information of the temperature detected by a temperature sensor and an engine speed detected by an engine speed sensor such that determination of the oil-pressure state is conducted from a lower engine-speed range in a case in which the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is relatively low, compared with a case in which the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is relatively high. Accordingly, the oil-pressure state can be properly determined not only in a high engine-speed range but in a low engine-speed range, by utilizing the simple oil pressure switch activated to the conductive state in response to the oil pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hisashi Okazawa, Masaaki Sato, Hirofumi Ohmori, Nobuhiro Fujii, Yuji Wakida, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8694229
    Abstract: A knock correction amount computation portion computes, on the basis of intensity of a knock in a case where the presence of an occurrence of the knock is determined, a knock correction amount by which to move a spark timing of the internal combustion engine to be on a retard side and returns the knock correction amount to be back on an advance side in a case where the absence of an occurrence of a knock is determined. In a case where a value of the knock correction amount to be on the retard side becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined value, the knock correction amount computation portion limits and holds the knock correction amount at the predetermined value and returns the limited knock correction amount to be back on the advance side in a case where the absence of an occurrence of a knock is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Hagari, Yuhei Matsushima, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8635005
    Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine includes a filter processing portion which performs a filter processing on the vibration level extracted by the vibration level extraction portion, and calculates a vibration level after the filter processing; and an abnormal ignition suppression control portion which compares the vibration level after the filter processing to the abnormal ignition determination value when a retard correction equal to or greater than a predetermined value is performed by the knock control portion, in a case where it is determined that the vibration level after the filter processing is equal to or greater than the abnormal ignition determination value, determines that the abnormal ignition is generated in the internal combustion engine, corrects and controls the combustion control portion in a direction of suppressing the abnormal ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Hagari, Tomokazu Makino, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20130218443
    Abstract: In a knock control device of an internal combustion engine equipped with a control unit which updates a background level based on an output signal from a knock sensor and detects the generation of a knock by comparing a variation of the background level with a knock determination value, a determination as to whether the knock is generated is performed by ((variation of first filter value of peak hold value)>((1?filter coefficient)/(1+filter coefficient)×(predetermined value larger than maximum value of variation of peak hold value in case where knock is not generated))).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru TANAKA, Yuhei MATSUSHIMA, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Hiroki MORIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130192343
    Abstract: In order to obtain a knock detection device of an internal combustion engine which satisfies two objects of following capability and separation from a continuous knock generation state, when a background level is calculated by ((current background level)=(filter coefficient)×(previous background level)+(1?filter coefficient)×(output signal from knock sensor)), updating quantity of the background level is limited by ((1?filter coefficient)×(value not lower than maximum value of output signal from knock sensor at time when knock is not generated)).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru TANAKA, Yuhei MATSUSHIMA, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Hiroki MORIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130166183
    Abstract: A knock control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a knock signal normalization portion that normalizes a knock signal using base statistics calculated on the basis of the knock signal. The knock signal normalization portion calculates base statistics on the basis of a last value and a current value of the knock signal and normalizes the knock signal using a base statistic interpolated according to an operating state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuhei MATSUSHIMA, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Hiroki MORIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130151128
    Abstract: There are provided a combustion start determination unit that determines whether or not the inner-cylinder state of an internal combustion engine has changed from a non-combustion state to a combustion state; and a filter coefficient changing demand unit that outputs a filter coefficient changing demand until a predetermined filter coefficient changing period elapses from the time instant when the combustion start determination unit determines that the inner-cylinder state of the internal combustion engine has changed from the non-combustion state to the combustion state to the time instant. Based on the filter coefficient changing demand, at least one of a background level calculation unit and a standard deviation calculation unit changes the value of a filter coefficient utilized in a filtering operation to the one with which a filtering effect is weakened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiko ONO, Yuhei MATSUSHIMA, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Hiroki MORIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130151127
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes a pseudo knock determination unit that determines whether or not a pseudo knock has been produced in a knock detection window, based on at least one of the frequency, a status amount indicating a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine, a status amount indicating a load of the internal combustion engine, and a status amount indicating an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine; and a moving-average processing unit that sets a second period to a period that is approximately the same as a first period, in the case where it has been determined that the pseudo knock was not produced, and that does not implement moving-averaging or sets the second period to a period that is narrower than the first period, in the case where it has been determined that a pseudo knock was produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshikatsu SAITO, Takahiko ONO, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI, Atsushi INOUE, Hiroki MORIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8392094
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: an abnormal combustion detection unit for detecting an abnormal combustion due to self-ignition occurring; a pre-ignition determination unit for detecting abnormal combustion occurrence timing based on abnormal combustion detection information to determine whether or not the abnormal combustion is the pre-ignition based on comparison between pre-ignition determination timing and the abnormal combustion occurrence timing; a heat-source pre-ignition determination unit for determining whether the pre-ignition is the heat-source pre-ignition or the compression pre-ignition based on comparison between the abnormal combustion occurrence timing set by the pre-ignition determination timing and heat-source pre-ignition determination timing; a first avoidance unit for avoiding the heat-source pre-ignition in a case where the pre-ignition is determined as the heat-source pre-ignition; and a second avoidance unit for avoiding the compression pre-ignition in
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Tomokazu Makino, Hideki Hagari, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8316824
    Abstract: Control apparatus for an internal combustion engine including: a second knock detection unit for detecting occurrence of a second knock due to an effective compression ratio when ignition timing is on a retard side of a predetermined value in the case where a first knock is detected; a second knock suppression unit for suppressing the second knock when the second knock is detected; a first abnormal ignition detection means for detecting occurrence of first abnormal ignition due to the pre-ignition or the post-ignition when a knock intensity of the second knock is equal to or larger than a predetermined value; and a first abnormal ignition suppression unit for suppressing the first abnormal ignition by performing fuel control for the internal combustion engine when the first abnormal ignition is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Hagari, Tomokazu Makino, Keitaro Ezumi, Tomokuni Kusunoki
  • Publication number: 20120291536
    Abstract: A state of an oil pressure is determined based on combination of activation of an oil pressure switch and information of the temperature detected by a temperature sensor and an engine speed detected by an engine speed sensor such that determination of the oil-pressure state is conducted from a lower engine-speed range in a case in which the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is relatively low, compared with a case in which the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is relatively high. Accordingly, the oil-pressure state can be properly determined not only in a high engine-speed range but in a low engine-speed range, by utilizing the simple oil pressure switch activated to the conductive state in response to the oil pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hisashi OKAZAWA, Masaaki SATO, Hirofumi OHMORI, Nobuhiro FUJII, Yuji WAKIDA, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI
  • Publication number: 20120266844
    Abstract: A control device of an internal combustion engine includes a filter processing portion which performs a filter processing on the vibration level extracted by the vibration level extraction portion, and calculates a vibration level after the filter processing; and an abnormal ignition suppression control portion which compares the vibration level after the filter processing to the abnormal ignition determination value when a retard correction equal to or greater than a predetermined value is performed by the knock control portion, in a case where it is determined that the vibration level after the filter processing is equal to or greater than the abnormal ignition determination value, determines that the abnormal ignition is generated in the internal combustion engine, corrects and controls the combustion control portion in a direction of suppressing the abnormal ignition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki HAGARI, Tomokazu MAKINO, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI
  • Publication number: 20120192835
    Abstract: A knock control device is provided in which erroneous knock detection can be reduced by suppressing sudden knock signal changes due to noise, without causing any increase in the number of matching steps, deterioration in the S/N in knock detection and decrease in detection performing frequency. In the knock control device, an open gain is applied to the detected signal only during a knock detection window set in advance by a knock window setting means. The window corresponds to a period in which vibration due to knock arises. During other periods, either a closed gain or an interpolated gain value is applied to the detected signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicants: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuhei MATSUSHIMA, Keitaro EZUMI, Tomokuni KUSUNOKI