Patents by Inventor Youji Yokota

Youji Yokota 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: 8215102
    Abstract: The particulate filter regeneration apparatus includes a driving function for driving an exhaust pipe injector to inject fuel into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine by energizing an actuator of the exhaust pipe injector in order to regenerate a particulate filter provided in the exhaust pipe for collecting particulate matter contained in exhaust gas of the engine, a shutoff function for shutting off fuel supply to the exhaust pipe injector, and a diagnosis function of performing a diagnostic process in which the fuel shutoff function is caused to shut off fuel supply to the exhaust pipe injector, and the driving function is caused to energize the actuator in a state of fuel supply to the exhaust pipe injector being shut off by the shutoff function in order to make a determination whether the actuator is energized normally by the driving function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Youji Yokota
  • Patent number: 7964986
    Abstract: A drive control apparatus automatically stops a drive power source operation of a vehicle under a predetermined operation condition. When a predetermined time period lapses after the automatic stop operation of the drive power source under a condition that a key switch is still held operated, a power supply from a battery to the drive control apparatus is also automatically stopped. The predetermined time period is set to a time period that is supposed necessary until a driver or the like notices the stop of the drive power source and turns off the key switch. Thus, after the drive power source is forced to stop, the battery is protected from unnecessary power consumption by various devices in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Youji Yokota
  • Patent number: 7719217
    Abstract: A drive device for a brushless motor executes an abnormality diagnosis (disconnection/short-circuit) of a motor side circuit. In detecting abnormality of the motor side circuit, the drive device includes a terminal voltage monitor circuit that monitors a terminal voltage of an output terminal that is connected to a motor terminal of respective phases. A microcomputer starts abnormality diagnosis under a condition where the motor is stopped, and an object to be driven has normally operated at the time of driving the motor. For executing the abnormality diagnosis, the microcomputer turns on/off only a transistor of the drive circuit of one phase in a state where all of transistors are turned off, and acquires monitor signals to execute the abnormality diagnosis based on signal levels of the monitor signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Youji Yokota, Azuma Kimura
  • Publication number: 20100011748
    Abstract: The particulate filter regeneration apparatus includes a driving function for driving an exhaust pipe injector to inject fuel into an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine by energizing an actuator of the exhaust pipe injector in order to regenerate a particulate filter provided in the exhaust pipe for collecting particulate matter contained in exhaust gas of the engine, a shutoff function for shutting off fuel supply to the exhaust pipe injector, and a diagnosis function of performing a diagnostic process in which the fuel shutoff function is caused to shut off fuel supply to the exhaust pipe injector, and the driving function is caused to energize the actuator in a state of fuel supply to the exhaust pipe injector being shut off by the shutoff function in order to make a determination whether the actuator is energized normally by the driving function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Youji Yokota
  • Publication number: 20080211439
    Abstract: A drive device for a brushless motor executes an abnormality diagnosis (disconnection/short-circuit) of a motor side circuit. In detecting abnormality of the motor side circuit, the drive device includes a terminal voltage monitor circuit that monitors a terminal voltage of an output terminal that is connected to a motor terminal of respective phases. A microcomputer starts abnormality diagnosis under a condition where the motor is stopped, and an object to be driven has normally operated at the time of driving the motor. For executing the abnormality diagnosis, the microcomputer turns on/off only a transistor of the drive circuit of one phase in a state where all of transistors are turned off, and acquires monitor signals to execute the abnormality diagnosis based on signal levels of the monitor signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youji YOKOTA, Azuma KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20070279949
    Abstract: A drive control apparatus automatically stops a drive power source operation of a vehicle under a predetermined operation condition. When a predetermined time period lapses after the automatic stop operation of the drive power source under a condition that a key switch is still held operated, a power supply from a battery to the drive control apparatus is also automatically stopped. The predetermined time period is set to a time period that is supposed necessary until a driver or the like notices the stop of the drive power source and turns off the key switch. Thus, after the drive power source is forced to stop, the battery is protected from unnecessary power consumption by various devices in the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Youji Yokota