Patents by Inventor Yuta NIWA

Yuta NIWA 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: 10214107
    Abstract: An ECU includes: a control section for controlling an engine such that the engine is operated in an intermediate load state during electric power feed to the outside of a vehicle; a learning section for learning a control parameter based on a detected state quantity; and a determination section for determining whether a learning condition that the learning section learns the control parameter is established. When the learning condition is established during the electric power feed from the electric power feed section to the outside of the vehicle, the engine is controlled such that a state thereof is changed from the intermediate load state to either an idle state or a low load state, and the control parameter regarding the engine in the idle state or the low load state is learned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Fushiki, Toshio Inoue, Keita Fukui, Tomoaki Honda, Hidekazu Nawata, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa
  • Patent number: 10155451
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a battery, and is configured to perform external power feeding of supplying electric power to the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an MG that generates electric power by using an output from the engine, and an ECU that controls the engine and the MG such that an SOC of the battery is maintained at a prescribed control center value. When an amount of remaining fuel of the engine falls below a prescribed reference amount during execution of the external power feeding, the ECU sets the control center value to a smaller value than when the amount of remaining fuel is not below the reference amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Nawata, Toshio Inoue, Keita Fukui, Tomoaki Honda, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa, Shunsuke Fushiki
  • Patent number: 10005450
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a filter, an electrical storage device, a rotating electric machine, and a controller. The filter is configured to trap particulate matter in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. The rotating electric machine is configured to generate electric power using power from the internal combustion engine so as to charge the electrical storage device, and drive the internal combustion engine using electric power from the electrical storage device. The controller is configured to control the internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine, so as to warm up the electrical storage device when regeneration control needs to be performed and when the temperature of the electrical storage device is lower than a reference value. The regeneration control is control for raising the temperature of the filter to a predetermined temperature so as to burn the particulate matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Nawata, Toshio Inoue, Keita Fukui, Tomoaki Honda, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa
  • Patent number: 10005447
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a first motor generator that is configured to generate electric power using the power of the engine, an electric storage device that is configured to store the electric power that is generated by the first motor generator, a connection part through which the electric power that has been stored in the electric storage device is supplied to the outside of the vehicle; and an ECU that is configured to start the engine when the SOC of the electric storage device reaches a predetermined starting threshold value. The ECU sets a starting threshold value ON2 that is used when the vehicle is in an undrivable condition and electric power is being supplied to the outside of the vehicle through the connection part to a value smaller than a starting threshold value ON1 that is used when the vehicle is in a drivable condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Shunsuke Fushiki, Tomoaki Honda, Keita Fukui, Hidekazu Nawata, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 9896087
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to perform external power supply which supplies electric power to outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a battery, an engine, a first MG configured to generate electric power using motive power of the engine, a fuel supply port for supplying a fuel for the engine, and an ECU for controlling an external power supply operation. When fuel supply into the fuel supply port is performed during the external power supply, the ECU prohibits driving of the engine, and supplies electric power stored in the battery to the outside of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Fukui, Toshio Inoue, Shunsuke Fushiki, Tomoaki Honda, Hidekazu Nawata, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa
  • Patent number: 9821795
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a rotary electric machine, a filter and an ECU. The engine includes an exhaust passage. The rotary electric machine is a driving source of the vehicle. The filter traps particulate matter flowing through the exhaust passage. The ECU is configured to control the hybrid vehicle in any one of a plurality of control modes. The plurality of control modes include a first control mode and a second control mode. The number of opportunities for the engine to operate when the control mode is the second control mode is larger than the number of opportunities for the engine to operate when the control mode is the first control mode. The ECU is configured to, when the filter is regenerated, control the hybrid vehicle in the second control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Nawata, Tsukasa Abe, Toshio Inoue, Keita Fukui, Tomoaki Honda, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa
  • Patent number: 9821796
    Abstract: When reproduction of a filter is required, and a filter temperature is within a first temperature range, an ECU executes a control process including the steps of executing a successive motoring control, determining an intermittent motoring period, an intermittent stopping period, and an intermittence number when the filter temperature is within a second temperature range, and executing an intermittent motoring control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Tsukasa Abe, Tomoaki Honda, Keita Fukui, Hidekazu Nawata, Taichi Ohsawa, Yuta Niwa
  • Patent number: 9796376
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a rotating electric machine, an electric storage device, a power supply device, and a controller. The controller executes switching control to switch from a first electric power supply to a second electric power supply by starting the internal combustion engine. The first electric power supply is the supply of electric power from the electric storage device to the electric device. The second electric power supply is the supply of electric power from the rotating electric machine to the electric device. The controller controls the power supply device and the internal combustion engine such that the internal combustion engine is started with the first electric power supply being continued during the switching control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Shunsuke Fushiki, Tomoaki Honda, Keita Fukui, Hidekazu Nawata, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 9751519
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a battery, and is configured to perform external power feeding of supplying electric power to the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an MG that generates electric power by using motive power of the engine, and an ECU that controls the engine and the MG. When an outside air temperature is below a reference temperature and an amount of remaining fuel of the engine is below a reference amount in a case where the external power feeding is to be performed, the ECU limits the driving of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Nawata, Toshio Inoue, Keita Fukui, Tomoaki Honda, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa, Shunsuke Fushiki
  • Publication number: 20170101023
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a battery, and is configured to perform external power feeding of supplying electric power to the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an MG that generates electric power by using an output from the engine, and an ECU that controls the engine and the MG such that an SOC of the battery is maintained at a prescribed control center value. When an amount of remaining fuel of the engine falls below a prescribed reference amount during execution of the external power feeding, the ECU sets the control center value to a smaller value than when the amount of remaining fuel is not below the reference amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu NAWATA, Toshio INOUE, Keita FUKUI, Tomoaki HONDA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OSAWA, Shunsuke FUSHIKI
  • Publication number: 20170096136
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a filter, an electrical storage device, a rotating electric machine, and a controller. The filter is configured to trap particulate matter in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. The rotating electric machine is configured to generate electric power using power from the internal combustion engine so as to charge the electrical storage device, and drive the internal combustion engine using electric power from the electrical storage device. The controller is configured to control the internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine, so as to warm up the electrical storage device when regeneration control needs to be performed and when the temperature of the electrical storage device is lower than a reference value. The regeneration control is control for raising the temperature of the filter to a predetermined temperature so as to burn the particulate matter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu NAWATA, Toshio INOUE, Keita FUKUI, Tomoaki HONDA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OSAWA
  • Publication number: 20170088114
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a battery, and is configured to perform external power feeding of supplying electric power to the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an MG that generates electric power by using motive power of the engine, and an ECU that controls the engine and the MG. When an outside air temperature is below a reference temperature and an amount of remaining fuel of the engine is below a reference amount in a case where the external power feeding is to be performed, the ECU limits the driving of the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu NAWATA, Toshio INOUE, Keita FUKUI, Tomoaki HONDA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OSAWA, Shunsuke FUSHIKI
  • Patent number: 9545847
    Abstract: Vehicle is configured to supply power to outside of a vehicle. Vehicle includes an engine, a battery, a first MG configured to generate power with use of motive power of the engine, a switching unit configured to switch power supplied to outside of the vehicle between power generated by the first MG and power stored in the battery, an ECU configured to control the switching unit, and a detection unit configured to allow the ECU to determine whether or not the vehicle is located indoors. When the ECU determines that the vehicle is located indoors based on an output from the detection unit, it controls the switching unit so that the power supplied to outside of the vehicle to be switched from power generated by the first MG to power stored in the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoaki Honda, Toshio Inoue, Shunsuke Fushiki, Keita Fukui, Hidekazu Nawata, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa
  • Publication number: 20170008511
    Abstract: A vehicle is configured to perform external power supply which supplies electric power to outside of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a battery, an engine, a first MG configured to generate electric power using motive power of the engine, a fuel supply port for supplying a fuel for the engine, and an ECU for controlling an external power supply operation. When fuel supply into the fuel supply port is performed during the external power supply, the ECU prohibits driving of the engine, and supplies electric power stored in the battery to the outside of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita FUKUI, Toshio INOUE, Shunsuke FUSHIKI, Tomoaki HONDA, Hidekazu NAWATA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OSAWA
  • Publication number: 20160375773
    Abstract: An ECU includes: a control section for controlling an engine such that the engine is operated in an intermediate load state during electric power feed from an electric power feed section to the outside of a vehicle; a learning section for learning a control parameter based on a state quantity detected by a detector, the control parameter being used by the ECU to control the engine; and a determination section for determining whether a learning condition that the learning section learns the control parameter is established. When the learning condition is established during the electric power feed from the electric power feed section to the outside of the vehicle, the determination section makes a control section control the engine such that a state thereof is changed from the intermediate load state to either an idle state or a low load state, and makes the learning section learn the control parameter regarding the engine in the idle state or the low load state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke FUSHIKI, Toshio INOUE, Keita FUKUI, Tomoaki HONDA, Hidekazu NAWATA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OSAWA
  • Publication number: 20160368483
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a rotary electric machine, a filter and an ECU. The engine includes an exhaust passage. The rotary electric machine is a driving source of the vehicle. The filter traps particulate matter flowing through the exhaust passage. The ECU is configured to control the hybrid vehicle in any one of a plurality of control modes. The plurality of control modes include a first control mode and a second control mode. The number of opportunities for the engine to operate when the control mode is the second control mode is larger than the number of opportunities for the engine to operate when the control mode is the first control mode. The ECU is configured to, when the filter is regenerated, control the hybrid vehicle in the second control mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu NAWATA, Tsukasa ABE, Toshio INOUE, Keita FUKUI, Tomoaki HONDA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OSAWA
  • Publication number: 20160339905
    Abstract: When reproduction of a filter is required, and a filter temperature is within a first temperature range, an ECU executes a control process including the steps of executing a successive motoring control, determining an intermittent motoring period, an intermittent stopping period, and an intermittence number when the filter temperature is within a second temperature range, and executing an intermittent motoring control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio INOUE, Tsukasa ABE, Tomoaki HONDA, Keita FUKUI, Hidekazu NAWATA, Taichi OHSAWA, Yuta NIWA
  • Patent number: 9499160
    Abstract: A control unit for a hybrid vehicle determines whether warming of an engine is insufficient in an outside electric power feed mode. When the warming of the engine is insufficient, it is determined whether current time is in an initial period of electric power feed. When the current time is in the initial period of the electric power feed, only electric power of an electric storage device is supplied to the outside in a state that the engine is off. When the current time is not in the initial period of the electric power feed, the engine is turned on, and only electric power generated in a motor is supplied to the outside. When the warming of the engine is sufficient, the electric power generated in the motor, the electric power of the electric storage device, or both of them are supplied to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Shunsuke Fushiki, Tomoaki Honda, Keita Fukui, Hidekazu Nawata, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Ohsawa
  • Publication number: 20160272194
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a rotating electric machine, an electric storage device, a power supply device, and a controller. The controller executes switching control to switch from a first electric power supply to a second electric power supply by starting the internal combustion engine. The first electric power supply is the supply of electric power from the electric storage device to the electric device. The second electric power supply is the supply of electric power from the rotating electric machine to the electric device. The controller controls the power supply device and the internal combustion engine such that the internal combustion engine is started with the first electric power supply being continued during the switching control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio INOUE, Shunsuke FUSHIKI, Tomoaki HONDA, Keita FUKUI, Hidekazu NAWATA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OHSAWA
  • Publication number: 20160272189
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a first motor generator that is configured to generate electric power using the power of the engine, an electric storage device that is configured to store the electric power that is generated by the first motor generator, a connection part through which the electric power that has been stored in the electric storage device is supplied to the outside of the vehicle; and an ECU that is configured to start the engine when the SOC of the electric storage device reaches a predetermined starting threshold value. The ECU sets a starting threshold value ON2 that is used when the vehicle is in an undrivable condition and electric power is being supplied to the outside of the vehicle through the connection part to a value smaller than a starting threshold value ON1 that is used when the vehicle is in a drivable condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshio INOUE, Shunsuke FUSHIKI, Tomoaki HONDA, Keita FUKUI, Hidekazu NAWATA, Yuta NIWA, Taichi OHSAWA