Patents by Inventor Yasuo Nakamoto

Yasuo Nakamoto 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: 6611115
    Abstract: In order to effectively prevent generation of a counter electromotive voltage during cruising, the present invention provides a control system of a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, motor, and a capacitor, including an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting the engine rotational speed NE, a target voltage setting device for setting a charge target voltage (target capacitor voltage), and a motor ECU for controlling the charge of said power storage unit. A target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD is set based on the detected engine rotational speed NE (step S300), and when the capacitor voltage VCAP<the target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD (step S311 is “YES”), a charging operation is executed until the target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD≦the capacitor voltage VCAP. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the counter electromotive voltage<the capacitor voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20030102175
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided that can prevent fuel consumption from deteriorating by preventing a battery from tending to discharge if a failure such as being unable to operate a deceleration cylinder deactivation system occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20030054919
    Abstract: An engine control system for hybrid vehicles, so as to smoothly switch the driving operation from the cylinder-deactivated engine operation, in which at least a part of the total number of cylinders of the engine is deactivated, to the all-cylinder-activated engine operation while considering the driver's intention. When the vehicle is decelerated, the cylinder-deactivated engine operation is performed and regeneration using the motor is performed. The system includes a cylinder deactivation release determining section for releasing the cylinder-deactivated engine operation when an engine speed decreases to a reference engine speed with respect to the cylinder-deactivated engine operation; and a brake operation detecting section for detecting whether a brake pedal is depressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Hironao Fukuchi, Kan Nakaune, Shigeo Hidai, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6523626
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided, which executes charging of a capacitor when a depth-of-discharge of a capacitor exceeds a predetermined depth-of-discharge which is set based on a vehicle speed. The control device of the hybrid vehicle, provided with an engine, a motor for assisting the output of the engine, and a capacitor for supplying electric power to the motor and for storing regenerative energy, comprises a depth-of-discharge detecting device (S063) for detecting a depth-of-discharge DOD of the capacitor, wherein when the depth-of-discharge DOD of the capacitor falls below the depth-of-discharge limit value DODLMT (053), the capacitor is charged so as to recover the depth-of-discharge of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto, Hideyuki Oki
  • Patent number: 6522959
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle that can improve the fuel consumption ratio while providing a good drivability is provided. It is determined whether the temperature of a catalyst in an exhaust system is equal to or below a predetermined temperature, and if this condition is satisfied, a Wide Open Throttle determination degree of throttle opening value for determining whether to carry out the Wide Open Throttle control is looked up in a table. Next, it is determined whether a degree of throttle opening is above the Wide Open Throttle determination degree of throttle opening value, and if this condition is satisfied, it is determined whether a remaining battery charge is equal to or above one within the normal use region. If this condition is satisfied, it is determined whether an engine speed is equal to or above a degree of throttle opening Wide Open Throttle prohibiting upper limit engine speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazutomo Sawamura, Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20030028295
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an actual intake gas negative pressure detection unit which detects an intake air negative pressure for the engine, an estimated intake gas negative pressure calculation unit which estimates an intake air negative pressure based on a revolution number of the engine and an opening degree of a throttle, and an engine control unit which compares an actual intake gas negative pressure obtained by the actual intake gas negative pressure detection unit with an estimated intake gas negative pressure obtained by the estimated intake gas negative pressure calculation unit. The engine control unit prohibits a fuel supply to the engine until the actual intake gas negative pressure matches the estimated intake gas negative pressure, and carries out the fuel supply to the engine when the actual intake gas negative pressure matches the estimated intake gas negative pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Tomoharu Kamo, Kan Nakaune, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6516254
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an actual intake gas negative pressure detection unit which detects an intake air negative pressure for the engine, an estimated intake gas negative pressure calculation unit which estimates an intake air negative pressure based on a revolution number of the engine and an opening degree of a throttle, and an engine control unit which compares an actual intake gas negative pressure obtained by the actual intake gas negative pressure detection unit with an estimated intake gas negative pressure obtained by the estimated intake gas negative pressure calculation unit. The engine control unit prohibits a fuel supply to the engine until the actual intake gas negative pressure matches the estimated intake gas negative pressure, and carries out the fuel supply to the engine when the actual intake gas negative pressure matches the estimated intake gas negative pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Tomoharu Kamo, Kan Nakaune, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6450274
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle powered from an engine and an assist motor for supplying electric power in an amount predetermined according to running conditions of the vehicle further includes means for detecting a catalyzer temperature and correcting the predetermined assist power value according to the detected catalyzer temperature when accelerating and means for preventing the idling engine from being cut off when detected catalyzer temperature is lower than a preset temperature. This control device thus realizes rapid heating of the catalyzer device to a temperature necessary for activating the catalyzer therein by adequately correcting the assist power value of the motor according to the current catalyzer temperature when accelerating and by preventing the idling engine from being cut off while the catalyzer device has a low temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumihiko Konno, Shigetaka Kuroda, Youichi Iwata, Asao Ukai, Takashi Kiyomiya, Kenji Nakano, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20020116112
    Abstract: In an assist control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine as a drive source of the vehicle, and a motor assisting drive of the engine in accordance with driving conditions of the vehicle, the engine is a cylinder deactivating engine switchable between a normal operation and a cylinder deactivating operation, and there is provided a cylinder resumption assist judgment device which judges whether the drive of the engine should be assisted by the motor, when the engine shifts from the cylinder deactivating operation to the normal operation, and when the cylinder resumption assist judgment device judges a resumption from the cylinder deactivated condition, and judges that a throttle opening is larger than a predetermined value, drive of the engine is assisted by the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
  • Publication number: 20020112902
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided which comprises an all cylinder deactivated operation execution flag F_ALCS for executing the all cylinders deactivated operation, when it is determined that the all cylinders deactivated operation is appropriate by the all cylinders deactivation standby flag F_ALCSSTB for determining the appropriateness of the all cylinders deactivated operation and the all cylinders deactivation release conditions realization flag F_F_ALCSSTP for determining the appropriateness of releasing the all cylinders deactivated operation, based on the all cylinders deactivation solenoid flag F_ALCSSOL for operating a spool valve, steps S110 and S117 for determining an appropriateness of the operation of the solenoid valve, the all cylinder deactivation standby flag F_ALCSSTB, the all cylinder deactivation conditions realization flag F_ALCSSTP, the all cylinder deactivation solenoid flag F_ALCSSOL, and steps S110 and S112.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20020112903
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as a driving source, the control apparatus stops fuel supply to the engine by a fuel supply stop device during deceleration, and performs regenerative braking by the motor depending on the deceleration state, wherein the engine is a type of engine capable of executing cylinders deactivated operation for at least one cylinder, and the control apparatus comprises the cylinders deactivated operation execution flag F_ALCS for determining whether it is appropriate for cylinders to enters into the deactivated operation based on the traveling conditions of a vehicle and a variable valve timing mechanism for deactivating the operation of the cylinders of the engine when the cylinders deactivated operation is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune
  • Publication number: 20020115526
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus is provided which can improve fuel consumption. There is provided: a cylinder cut-off determination section for determining whether all cylinders should be cut off; a cylinder cut-off cancellation determination section for determining whether cylinder cut-off cancellation conditions have been satisfied; a cylinder cut-off execution section for operating a spool valve when the cylinder cut-off determination section determines that cylinder cut-off is possible; and a cylinder cut-off control section for cutting off the cylinders of the engine based on the operating conditions of the cylinder cut-off determination section, the cylinder cut-off cancellation determination section and the cylinder cut-off execution section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
  • Publication number: 20020108794
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the battery device when the state of charge of the battery device tends to decrease and the initial state of charge of the battery device is reduced by a predetermined amount. The present device comprises a lower limit threshold value setting device S060, an upper limit threshold value setting device for setting the lower limit and upper limit threshold values of the discharge amount of the battery device, a mode setting device S054 for increasing the state of charge when the state of charge is reduced to the lower limit threshold value, a mode setting release device S062 for releasing the mode setting changed by the mode setting device, and a discharge depth detecting device S063 for detecting the discharge amount of the present state of charge by comparison with the initial state of charge. The threshold value for determining whether it is necessary for the motor to assist the engine is modified depending upon the discharge depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Izumiura, Yasuo Nakamoto, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune
  • Patent number: 6424053
    Abstract: The control apparatus for the hybrid vehicle is provided with a combustion engine for outputting a driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the motor acting as a generator using the output from the engine and electric energy regenerated by the motor when the vehicle decelerates. The control apparatus including: an engine temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the engine; and a generated energy increasing device for increasing the energy generated by the motor acting as a generator when the vehicle is traveling by the driving force from the engine without the assistance of the motor, and when the engine temperature measuring device determines that the temperature of the engine is equal to or below a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Yasuo Nakamoto, Atsushi Izumiura
  • Patent number: 6390083
    Abstract: The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine of the present invention comprises: a fuel supply device for supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine; a fuel tank for retaining fuel; a purge device for purging fuel vapor, produced in the fuel tank, into an intake system of the internal combustion engine; a purge correction amount updating device for calculating a purge correction amount for correcting an amount of fuel to be supplied by the fuel supply device, depending on the amount of fuel vapor purged by the purge device; a target air-fuel ratio setting device for setting a target air-fuel ratio depending on a running state of the internal combustion engine; and an update amount setting device for updating the purge correction amount depending on the target air-fuel ratio set by the target air-fuel ratio setting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Fumihiko Konno, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Hideyuki Takahashi, Hironao Fukuchi, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6352489
    Abstract: The engine control system for a hybrid vehicle, according to the present invention, having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving force sources, comprises: a clutch, provided between the engine and a transmission system, for disabling and enabling driving force transmission between the engine and the transmission system; clutch disengagement detector for detecting engagement/disengagement of the clutch; engine speed detector for detecting an engine speed; and fuel cutter for permitting stopping and restarting of the engine in accordance with at least a result of detection by the clutch disengagement detector among predetermined drive conditions, and cutting fuel supply to the engine when the vehicle decelerates, a fuel-supply restart engine speed at which fuel supply is resumed being set in the fuel cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Yoichi Iwata, Keisuke Uchida, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20010042648
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided, which executes charging of a capacitor when a depth-of-discharge of a capacitor exceeds a predetermined depth-of-discharge which is set based on a vehicle speed. The control device of the hybrid vehicle, provided with an engine, a motor for assisting the output of the engine, and a capacitor for supplying electric power to the motor and for storing regenerative energy, comprises a depth-of-discharge detecting device (S063) for detecting a depth-of-discharge DOD of the capacitor, wherein when the depth-of-discharge DOD of the capacitor falls below the depth-of-discharge limit value DODLMT (053), the capacitor is charged so as to recover the depth-of-discharge of the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Publication date: November 22, 2001
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto, Hideyuki Oki
  • Publication number: 20010040437
    Abstract: In order to effectively prevent generation of a counter electromotive voltage during cruising, the present invention provides a control system of a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine, motor, and a capacitor, including an engine rotational speed sensor for detecting the engine rotational speed NE, a target voltage setting device for setting a charge target voltage (target capacitor voltage), and a motor ECU for controlling the charge of said power storage unit. A target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD is set based on the detected engine rotational speed NE (step S300), and when the capacitor voltage VCAP<the target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD (step S311 is “YES”), a charging operation is executed until the target capacitor voltage VCAPCMD≦the capacitor voltage VCAP. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the counter electromotive voltage<the capacitor voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20010004888
    Abstract: An engine idling control device includes a secondary air supply device, an intake gauge pressure detecting unit and a secondary air supply control unit. The secondary air supply device is disposed on a bypass intake passage communicating with an intake pipe and bypassing a throttle valve. The intake gauge pressure detecting unit detects an intake gauge pressure on the intake pipe side. The secondary air supply control unit controls the secondary air supply device so as to open and close the bypass intake passage when an engine is in an idling state. The secondary air supply device is controlled to obtain the optional opening value. The secondary air supply control unit controls such that the secondary air supply device increases the opening value when the intake gauge pressure becomes higher than a predetermined low load condition in an idling state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Publication date: June 28, 2001
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Atsushi Izumiura, Asao Ukai, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20010003982
    Abstract: The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine of the present invention comprises: a fuel supply device for supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine; a fuel tank for retaining fuel; a purge device for purging fuel vapor, produced in the fuel tank, into an intake system of the internal combustion engine; a purge correction amount updating device for calculating a purge correction amount for correcting an amount of fuel to be supplied by the fuel supply device, depending on the amount of fuel vapor purged by the purge device; a target air-fuel ratio setting device for setting a target air-fuel ratio depending on a running state of the internal combustion engine; and an update amount setting device for updating the purge correction amount depending on the target air-fuel ratio set by the target air-fuel ratio setting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: June 21, 2001
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Fumihiko Konno, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Hideyuki Takahashi, Hironao Fukuchi, Yasuo Nakamoto