Patents by Inventor Yutaka Takamura
Yutaka Takamura 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).
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Patent number: 9623867Abstract: A hybrid vehicle clutch control device includes an engine, a motor generator, a first clutch, a second clutch and at least one controller. The first clutch interrupts a torque transmission between the engine and the motor generator. The second clutch interrupts the torque transmission between the motor generator and driving wheels. The controller starts the engine using torque from the motor generator, when switching from an electric vehicle mode to a hybrid mode. When starting the engine accompanying an accelerator depression, the allocation of the transmission torque capacity of the second clutch is increased when the accelerator position opening amount is equal to or less than a predetermined accelerator position opening amount, as compared to when exceeding the predetermined accelerator position opening amount.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2014Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Yutaka Takamura
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Publication number: 20160272192Abstract: A hybrid vehicle clutch control device includes an engine, a motor generator, a first clutch, a second clutch and at least one controller. The first clutch interrupts a torque transmission between the engine and the motor generator. The second clutch interrupts the torque transmission between the motor generator and driving wheels. The controller starts the engine using torque from the motor generator, when switching from an electric vehicle mode to a hybrid mode. When starting the engine accompanying an accelerator depression, the allocation of the transmission torque capacity of the second clutch is increased when the accelerator position opening amount is equal to or less than a predetermined accelerator position opening amount, as compared to when exceeding the predetermined accelerator position opening amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2014Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventors: Hiroyuki ASHIZAWA, Yutaka TAKAMURA
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Patent number: 9321456Abstract: Provided is a control device for a hybrid vehicle, capable of suppressing a drive torque variation during engine start control. The hybrid vehicle has an engine (Eng) and a motor/generator (MG). The control device has: an engine start control part that performs engine start control to start the engine (Eng) from an EV mode by increasing a motor rotation speed of the motor/generator (MG), while allowing slippage of a second clutch (CL2), and bringing a first clutch (CL1) into slip engagement; and a drive torque upper limit setting part (600) that sets a drive torque upper limit value (Tdrlim) in the EV mode based on an added motor rotation speed (Nad), which is given by adding an additional rotation speed (N+) to the motor rotation speed (Nmot), as an upper limit of a drive torque transmitted to drive wheels through the second clutch CL2.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2013Date of Patent: April 26, 2016Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Munetoshi Ueno
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Patent number: 9267481Abstract: When there is a requirement on switching from the electrically driven drive mode to the hybrid drive mode by changing an accelerator position opening, the torque capacity is generated for the first clutch to start the engine. However, as torque capacity is at ?1, the engine rotational speed is quickly increased to the high-speed region free of the influence of the compressive reactive force of the engine; once the engine rotational speed becomes the high-speed region, the engine rotational speed is decreased as torque capacity and is at ?2. Consequently, it is possible to quickly pass through the low engine rotational speed region as the engine rotational speed torque is increased under the influence of the compressive reactive force, and avoiding the poor acceleration, as can be seen from the smooth variation of the time sequence increase of the transmission output rotational speed as indicated by ?3, is possible.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2011Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Yoshinori Yamamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Jun Amemiya
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Patent number: 9205833Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device includes an engine start control section that begins an engine start control when a mode transition request to change to a hybrid vehicle mode occurs due to an accelerator operation while traveling in an electric vehicle mode in which a first clutch is opened. The engine start control section begins engagement of the first clutch after slip engagement of a second clutch is determined and starting the engine using a motor as a starter motor. A negative slip detecting/predicting section detects/predicts if a slip polarity of the second clutch has transitioned from positive slip to negative slip after the engine start control has begun and before the engine has started. A forced backup start control section starts the engine with the second clutch in a fully engaged state when a transition of the second clutch to negative slip has been detected or predicted.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2012Date of Patent: December 8, 2015Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Kawamura, Kaori Tanishima, Fumihiro Yamanaka, Yutaka Takamura, Munetoshi Ueno, Noboru Kudo
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Publication number: 20150329104Abstract: Provided is a control device for a hybrid vehicle, capable of suppressing a drive torque variation during engine start control. The hybrid vehicle has an engine (Eng) and a motor/generator (MG). The control device has: an engine start control part that performs engine start control to start the engine (Eng) from an EV mode by increasing a motor rotation speed of the motor/generator (MG), while allowing slippage of a second clutch (CL2), and bringing a first clutch (CL1) into slip engagement; and a drive torque upper limit setting part (600) that sets a drive torque upper limit value (Tdrlim) in the EV mode based on an added motor rotation speed (Nad), which is given by adding an additional rotation speed (N+) to the motor rotation speed (Nmot), as an upper limit of a drive torque transmitted to drive wheels through the second clutch CL2.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: November 19, 2015Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yutaka TAKAMURA, Hiroyuki ASHIZAWA, Munetoshi UENO
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Patent number: 9180878Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device basically includes an engine, a motor/generator, a first clutch, a second clutch and an engine start control section. The first clutch is disposed between the engine and the motor/generator. The second clutch is disposed between the motor/generator and a drive wheel. The engine start control section has a second clutch slip transition control section that is configured to control a transition of the second clutch to slip engagement when an engine start control is begun based on a mode transition request resulting from an accelerator depression operation, by increasing the torque transmission capacity of the second clutch according to a prescribed slope after dropping the torque transmission capacity of the second clutch to a value smaller than a target drive force.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2012Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroki Matsui, Hiroki Shimoyama, Yutaka Takamura
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Patent number: 8989936Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control system includes an engine, a motor/generator, a start clutch and a controller. The motor/generator is connected to the engine to carry out power driving and electric power regeneration. The start clutch is arranged in a driving force transmission path from the motor/generator to a drive wheel, and is engaged under an input rotational speed control. The controller includes a transient control mode switching section that when the input rotational speed control of the start clutch is switched from motor rotational speed control to engine rotational speed control, the motor rotational speed control is maintained on and both the motor rotational speed control and the engine rotational speed control are simultaneously carried out until determining engine torque is stable, and, after determining that the engine torque is stable, the control is switched from the motor rotational speed control to a motor torque control.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Yoshinori Yamamura
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Publication number: 20150051766Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device basically includes an engine, a motor/generator, a first clutch, a second clutch and an engine start control section. The first clutch is disposed between the engine and the motor/generator. The second clutch is disposed between the motor/generator and a drive wheel. The engine start control section has a second clutch slip transition control section that is configured to control a transition of the second clutch to slip engagement when an engine start control is begun based on a mode transition request resulting from an accelerator depression operation, by increasing the torque transmission capacity of the second clutch according to a prescribed slope after dropping the torque transmission capacity of the second clutch to a value smaller than a target drive force.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2012Publication date: February 19, 2015Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroki Matsui, Hiroki Shimoyama, Yutaka Takamura
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Patent number: 8903585Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle includes a mode selection unit for start request of an engine; a slip determination unit for determining whether or not a second clutch is allowed to slip; and a start determination unit for determining whether or not to allow the engine to start. The start determination unit prevents the engine from starting when an input rotation speed or an output rotation speed of an automatic transmission is less than a predetermined value in the presence of the start request of the engine from the mode selection unit and the slip determination unit determines that the second clutch is not allowed to slip.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2011Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kaori Tanishima, Haruhisa Tsuchikawa, Yutaka Takamura, Takeshi Ohno, Tomoyuk Kodawara
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Patent number: 8897944Abstract: Provided herein is a vehicle drive force control. When a driver requests to start the vehicle with the brake OFF and depresses the accelerator pedal, a target drive torque exceeds a gradient load. To avoid excess current being supplied to the motor, the upper limit of motor speed, which is the input speed of a second clutch, is set to a value less than a slip detectable limit value at which it becomes possible to detect slip rotation, i.e. the difference over the output side rotation speed. When the target drive torque exceeds the gradient load, the lower limit of the input speed of the second clutch (the motor speed) is set to a value equal to or greater than the slip detectable limit value so that the required driving force can be achieved by the gradient load corresponding driving force control.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2011Date of Patent: November 25, 2014Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroshi Arita, Haruhisa Tsuchikawa, Hiroki Shimoyama, Hiroyuki Ashizawa
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Publication number: 20140303822Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device includes an engine start control section that begins an engine start control when a mode transition request to change to a hybrid vehicle mode occurs due to an accelerator operation while traveling in an electric vehicle mode in which a first clutch is opened. The engine start control section begins engagement of the first clutch after slip engagement of a second clutch is determined and starting the engine using a motor as a starter motor. A negative slip detecting/predicting section detects/predicts if a slip polarity of the second clutch has transitioned from positive slip to negative slip after the engine start control has begun and before the engine has started. A forced backup start control section starts the engine with the second clutch in a fully engaged state when a transition of the second clutch to negative slip has been detected or predicted.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2012Publication date: October 9, 2014Inventors: Hiroaki Kawamura, Kaori Tanishima, Fumihiro Yamanaka, Yutaka Takamura, Munetoshi Ueno, Noboru Kudo
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Patent number: 8825253Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided that is capable of achieving stable input torque control and torque capacity control of the clutch. When transitioning between a slip drive mode, in which the vehicle travels by controlling the rotation speed of the drive source and controlling the slip state of a starting clutch, and an engagement drive mode, in which the vehicle travels by controlling the torque of the drive source and completely engaging the starting clutch, the torque of the inertia component of the drive source side is deducted from the target drive torque set on the basis of the acceleration opening degree set as the starting clutch transfer torque capacity in the slip state.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Haruhisa Tsuchikawa
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Patent number: 8798836Abstract: A control device is provided to reduce an engine start shock when there is a request to start the engine in response to the accelerator pedal depression and the slip polarity of the second clutch is negative. The control device for a hybrid vehicle has an engine, a motor/generator, a first clutch, a second clutch, and a mechanism for an engine start permission controlling operation. The first clutch is selectively engaged during engine start in which the motor generator is operated as the starter motor. The second clutch is interposed between the motor/generator and tires, and is slip-engaged when the engine is started. The mechanism for the engine start permission controlling operation delays starting the engine until the slip polarity becomes positive when the engine start request is produced and the slip polarity of the second clutch is negative.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2011Date of Patent: August 5, 2014Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Kaori Tanishima
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Publication number: 20140195082Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided that is capable of achieving stable input torque control and torque capacity control of the clutch. When transitioning between a slip drive mode, in which the vehicle travels by controlling the rotation speed of the drive source and controlling the slip state of a starting clutch, and an engagement drive mode, in which the vehicle travels by controlling the torque of the drive source and completely engaging the starting clutch, the torque of the inertia component of the drive source side is deducted from the target drive torque set on the basis of the acceleration opening degree set as the starting clutch transfer torque capacity in the slip state.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2011Publication date: July 10, 2014Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Haruhisa Tsuchikawa
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Publication number: 20130297127Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control system includes an engine, a motor/generator, a start clutch and a controller. The motor/generator is connected to the engine to carry out power driving and electric power regeneration. The start clutch is arranged in a driving force transmission path from the motor/generator to a drive wheel, and is engaged under an input rotational speed control. The controller includes a transient control mode switching section that when the input rotational speed control of the start clutch is switched from motor rotational speed control to engine rotational speed control, the motor rotational speed control is maintained on and both the motor rotational speed control and the engine rotational speed control are simultaneously carried out until determining engine torque is stable, and, after determining that the engine torque is stable, the control is switched from the motor rotational speed control to a motor torque control.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2011Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Yoshinori Yamamura
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Publication number: 20130297128Abstract: When there is a requirement on switching from the electrically driven drive mode to the hybrid drive mode by changing an accelerator position opening, the torque capacity is generated for the first clutch to start the engine. However, as torque capacity is at ?1, the engine rotational speed is quickly increased to the high-speed region free of the influence of the compressive reactive force of the engine; once the engine rotational speed becomes the high-speed region, the engine rotational speed is decreased as torque capacity and is at ?2. Consequently, it is possible to quickly pass through the low engine rotational speed region as the engine rotational speed torque is increased under the influence of the compressive reactive force, and avoiding the poor acceleration, as can be seen from the smooth variation of the time sequence increase of the transmission output rotational speed as indicated by ?3, is possible.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2011Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Yoshinori Yamamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Jun Amemiya
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Publication number: 20130274980Abstract: Provided herein is a vehicle drive force control. When a driver requests to start the vehicle with the brake OFF and depresses the accelerator pedal, a target drive torque exceeds a gradient load. To avoid excess current being supplied to the motor, the upper limit of motor speed, which is the input speed of a second clutch, is set to a value less than a slip detectable limit value at which it becomes possible to detect slip rotation, i.e. the difference over the output side rotation speed. When the target drive torque exceeds the gradient load, the lower limit of the input speed of the second clutch (the motor speed) is set to a value equal to or greater than the slip detectable limit value so that the required driving force can be achieved by the gradient load corresponding driving force control.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2011Publication date: October 17, 2013Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroshi Arita, Harushisa Tsuchikawa, Hiroki Shimoyama
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Publication number: 20130218389Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle includes a mode selection unit for start request of an engine; a slip determination unit for determining whether or not a second clutch is allowed to slip; and a start determination unit for determining whether or not to allow the engine to start. The start determination unit prevents the engine from starting when an input rotation speed or an output rotation speed of an automatic transmission is less than a predetermined value in the presence of the start request of the engine from the mode selection unit and the slip determination unit determines that the second clutch is not allowed to slip.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2011Publication date: August 22, 2013Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kaori Tanishima, Haruhisa Tsuchikawa, Yutaka Takamura, Takeshi Ohno, Tomoyuk Kodawara
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Publication number: 20130204479Abstract: A control device is provided to reduce an engine start shock when there is a request to start the engine in response to the accelerator pedal depression and the slip polarity of the second clutch is negative. The control device for a hybrid vehicle has an engine, a motor/generator, a first clutch, a second clutch, and a mechanism for an engine start permission controlling operation. The first clutch is selectively engaged during engine start in which the motor generator is operated as the starter motor. The second clutch is interposed between the motor/generator and tires, and is slip-engaged when the engine is started. The mechanism for the engine start permission controlling operation delays starting the engine until the slip polarity becomes positive when the engine start request is produced and the slip polarity of the second clutch is negative.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2011Publication date: August 8, 2013Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Yutaka Takamura, Hiroyuki Ashizawa, Kaori Tanishima