Patents by Inventor Yasuo Hirata

Yasuo Hirata 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: 9002618
    Abstract: A variable valve timing control apparatus includes a variable valve timing device and a valve timing controller to control the variable valve timing device in a manner that an actual VCT phase coincides with a target VCT phase. When the target VCT phase is set into a predetermined phase, learning means learn the predetermined phase as a reference phase. When determining means determine that there is a learning requirement of the reference phase, enlarging means enlarge an engine operation area where the target VCT phase is set into the reference phase by shifting the target VCT phase to the reference phase in an area where the target VCT phase is close to the reference phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Publication number: 20140069362
    Abstract: When a cam shaft phase is changed during engine operation is stopped, a power supply increase control to an electric motor is carried out, according to which a power-supply duty ratio to the electric motor is increased to a predetermined power increase value which is necessary for moving a VVT apparatus during the stop of the engine operation. Then, the power-supply duty ratio is feedback controlled so that an actual changing speed of the cam shaft phase becomes equal to a target changing speed. As a result, the cam shaft phase can be surely changed and operating sound can be reduced by preventing the changing speed of the cam shaft phase from becoming too fast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo HIRATA
  • Patent number: 8437944
    Abstract: A learning value for correcting a basic injection pulse such that an actual air-fuel ratio approximates to a target air-fuel ratio is calculated individually for each injection time number, which is decided according to an operation state of an engine. Thus, even if the number of occurrence(s) of invalid injection time changes with the injection time number and the invalid injection time changes with time, the appropriate learning value can be calculated for each injection time number. If injection from an injector is performed according to an injection pulse corrected with the learning value, the change of the invalid injection time can be absorbed and accuracy of a fuel injection quantity can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 8400500
    Abstract: An endoscope that has an insertion portion that is inserted into an interior of an object and an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion, and that observes the interior of the object via the image pickup device, includes: a first LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; a second LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; and an alternating conduction control unit that conducts power alternatingly to the first LED unit and the second LED unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Publication number: 20120046851
    Abstract: A variable valve timing control apparatus includes a variable valve timing device and a valve timing controller to control the variable valve timing device in a manner that an actual VCT phase coincides with a target VCT phase. When the target VCT phase is set into a predetermined phase, learning means learn the predetermined phase as a reference phase. When determining means determine that there is a learning requirement of the reference phase, enlarging means enlarge an engine operation area where the target VCT phase is set into the reference phase by shifting the target VCT phase to the reference phase in an area where the target VCT phase is close to the reference phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo HIRATA
  • Patent number: 8043211
    Abstract: This endoscope device includes: an LED adaptor that has a plurality of LED chips and that can be removably fitted onto a distal end of an insertion portion that is inserted into a body cavity of an endoscopy subject; an LED supporting block that is provided on the LED adaptor and that supports the plurality of LED chips; and a heat removal portion that removes heat from the LED supporting block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Publication number: 20110100312
    Abstract: When a cam shaft phase is changed during engine operation is stopped, a power supply increase control to an electric motor is carried out, according to which a power-supply duty ratio to the electric motor is increased to a predetermined power increase value which is necessary for moving a VVT apparatus during the stop of the engine operation. Then, the power-supply duty ratio is feedback controlled so that an actual changing speed of the cam shaft phase becomes equal to a target changing speed. As a result, the cam shaft phase can be surely changed and operating sound can be reduced by preventing the changing speed of the cam shaft phase from becoming too fast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20110060515
    Abstract: A learning value for correcting a basic injection pulse such that an actual air-fuel ratio approximates to a target air-fuel ratio is calculated individually for each injection time number, which is decided according to an operation state of an engine. Thus, even if the number of occurrence(s) of invalid injection time changes with the injection time number and the invalid injection time changes with time, the appropriate learning value can be calculated for each injection time number. If injection from an injector is performed according to an injection pulse corrected with the learning value, the change of the invalid injection time can be absorbed and accuracy of a fuel injection quantity can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7810468
    Abstract: A requested injection time InjT that is necessary for a fuel injector to inject a fuel per one combustion cycle is computed in response to variables of an accelerator manipulated by a driver. An injectable time InjMax per one combustion cycle is computed on the basis of an engine speed, and whether the requested injection time InjT is larger than the injectable time InjMax is determined. Then, when it is positively determined that the requested injection time InjT is larger than the injectable time InjMax, the fuel pump is subjected to load-up operation so as to increase a fuel feed pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7801666
    Abstract: In a multi-cylinder engine, to compute the air-fuel ratio of each cylinder by an air-fuel ratio sensor disposed in an exhaust pipe, a cylinder is determined by a crank angle detected by a crank angle sensor. A deviation in the air-fuel ratio of each cylinder is detected on the basis of the output signal of the air-fuel ratio sensor disposed in the exhaust pipe and the forcibly changed quantity of the air-fuel ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuji Mitsuda, Yasuo Sagisaka, Yasuo Hirata, Eijirou Yamada
  • Patent number: 7762948
    Abstract: In this invention, a drum around which an insertion portion is wound is integrally housed in a carrying case, and a cylinder for supplying a fluid to a hydropneumatic actuator and a solenoid valve unit for controlling the application of a hydropneumatic pressure are housed in the carrying case or drum. In addition, a joystick for operating the controlled variables of the solenoid valve unit can be housed in the carrying case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7762950
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an adaptor detachably mounted on a distal end of an insertion section; a mounting base provided in said adaptor; illumination section attached to the front of said mounting base; front electrode terminals provided at the front end of the mounting base and connected to the illumination section; rear electrode terminals provided at the back of the mounting base, connected to the front electrode terminals, and abutting electrode terminals provided at the distal end of the insertion section when the adaptor is mounted on the distal end of the insertion section; and insulating plates where the front and rear electrode terminals are provided in a manner such that they are exposed from the surface and coupling lines to couple the front and rear electrode terminals are embedded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7749160
    Abstract: An endoscope device includes an objective lens group that is provided at a distal end of an insertion portion that is inserted into a lumen of a subject and is used to observe or photograph the subject, and an illumination device that is provided at a distal end of the insertion portion and illuminates the subject using LED. The illumination device is provided with LED chips and an LED chip supporting block that supports these LED chips, and at least a portion of the objective lens group is mounted on the LED supporting block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7691056
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus including: an elongated insertion section; an adaptor, which has an illuminating section including optical elements, and an observation optical system, that are attached to and removed from a tip of the insertion section; a sensor provided in the adaptor; and electrical contacts for the illumination section, and electrical contacts for the sensor, provided in the adaptor and the tip of the insertion section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Publication number: 20100043754
    Abstract: In a direct fuel injection, a fuel is pressurized by a high-pressure pump and is supplied to a fuel injector. The pressurized fuel is directly injected into a cylinder through a fuel injector. When it is determined that demand fuel discharge amount of the high-pressure pump is greater than a specified value, an energization period of a fuel pressure control valve is prolonged by a specified time period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7630824
    Abstract: A requested injection time InjT necessary for a fuel injector to inject a fuel per one combustion cycle is computed in response to a position of an accelerator manipulated by a driver, an injectable time InjMax per one combustion cycle is computed on the basis of an engine speed, and whether or not the requested injection time InjT is larger than the injectable time InjMax is determined. Then, when it is positively determined that the requested injection time InjT is larger than the injectable time InjMax, it is estimated that an alternate fuel (for example an alcohol fuel) other than a regular fuel (for example gasoline) is blended with a fuel in a fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Publication number: 20090259103
    Abstract: The endoscope cooling device for cooling an insertion portion having a bending portion that can be bent is provided with a guide tube into which the insertion portion including the bending portion is inserted to form a flow path of a cooling fluid between the insertion portion and the guide tube. The guide tube is provided with a cover portion for covering the bending portion, and other portions of the guide tube excluding the cover portion are more rigid than the cover portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventor: Yasuo HIRATA
  • Patent number: 7591781
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an endoscope and an insertion unit guide member. The endoscope has an elongated insertion unit whose bending section adjoins a distal section thereof. The insertion unit guide member comprises a plurality of tubular members to be placed in a pipe. Each of the tubular members has a guide channel having a predetermined diameter that permits other tubular member or the insertion unit to smoothly pass through the guide channel. The plurality of tubular members has predetermined degrees of flexibility and predetermined lengths. At least one of the tubular members has a member that changes the advancing direction in which the insertion unit is advanced through the guide channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7549958
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes a light emitting diode provided at a tip end of an insertion part, and an electrical power supplying circuit of the light emitting diode which is detachably connected to a main power supply, the electrical power supplying circuit having an energizing controlling device of the light emitting diode, which operates upon being connected and disconnected to the main power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirata
  • Patent number: 7513233
    Abstract: In a case of switching the control mode between the reference timing control mode and the F/B control mode, when an engine speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed, and when target advanced amount of intake valve timing is lower than a switching threshold (vicinity of the most retarded timing), an intake VCT is switched into the reference timing control mode. And when engine speed is more than the predetermined rotating speed, and when the target retarded amount of exhaust valve timing is less than the switching threshold (vicinity of the most advanced timing), an exhaust VCT is switched to the reference timing control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuki Ichimura, Yasuo Hirata