Patents Assigned to Hitachi Automotive Engineering and Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 5503804
    Abstract: A catalyzer control apparatus for purifying exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine has an electrically heated catalyzer that is heated by a battery which battery is isolated from the conventionally provided engine battery. The temperature of the catalyzer is detected by a sensor and a control circuit located with an engine control unit selectively applies power to heat the catalyzer. The catalyzer is arranged to be pre-heated prior to engine start and by isolating the battery for heating the catalyzer from the normally provided engine battery so, because the catalyzer takes a great power, engine starting is enhanced by virtue of having separate batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakatsu Fujishita, Takeshi Atago, Keiichi Mashino, Suetaro Shibukawa, Shigeyuki Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 5495908
    Abstract: A control system for an electric car includes a motor connected to a battery as a main power source for driving the electric car, a strong electricity unit having high voltage devices including an inverter for driving the motor based on power supplied thereto from the battery, a weak electricity unit having low voltage circuits including a microcomputer for data processing, and connection devices for connecting the strong and weak electricity units in such a relationship that a signal path is connected between the units as electrically isolated therefrom, wherein signal transmission between the strong and weak electricity units is carried out with use of the signals isolated between the units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sanshiro Obara, Hiroyuki Yamada, Shigeyuki Yoshihara, Nobunori Matsudaira
  • Patent number: 5481460
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a controller for an electric vehicle in which right and left drive wheels are respectively driven by drive motors which are individually provided. The controller for an electric vehicle comprises motors for driving right and left wheels, means for detecting rotating speeds or rotation torques of the wheels, and a facility for taking a rotation deviation between output signals from the detection means close to zero. As a result, the vehicle is always operated in safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoso Masaki, Shigeki Morinaga, Kazuo Tahara, Hirohisa Yamamura, Kenzo Kajiwara, Hiroyuki Yamada, Nobuo Inoue, Toshio Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5467648
    Abstract: An air flow rate measuring device for measuring intake air flow rate in an automotive engine, improved to reduce any error attributable to variation in the configurations of air cleaner and/or duct forming air passage upstream of the flow rate measuring device, thus offering high accuracy of the flow rate measurement. In one aspect of the invention, the inlet opening of a sub-air passage is disposed to contain the axis of a main air passage, while the outlet opening of the sub-air passage is disposed in the vicinity of a wall defining the main air passage. In order to cause a local reduction of the pressure of the principal of the air flow at the outlet opening, a protrusion or a flat surface which causes impediment to the flow if air in the main air passage is provided immediately upstream of the outlet opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Igarashi, Hiroshi Hirayama, Chihiro Kobayashi, Mitsukuni Tsutsui, Yukio Kato
  • Patent number: 5460031
    Abstract: An engine knocking detection method for detecting a knocking from a plurality of characteristic frequency components indicative of a knocking condition is provided. False information indicating a false knock occurrence due to an abnormal drop of the background level to be compared with the characteristic components is eliminated. Information indicating an occurrence of a knocking is extracted through comparison of the characteristic components and corresponding background levels. The background levels are compared with corresponding lower limiters when no knocking is taking place. When any one of the background levels is smaller than a lower limiter corresponding thereto, the lower limiter is adopted and set as a new background levels drops abnormally, a corresponding lower limiter thereof is effected to replace the faulty background level, thereby false information indicating the occurrence of a false knocking is prevented from being generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakatsu Fujishita, Masahiro Sato
  • Patent number: 5452697
    Abstract: A throttle valve control arrangement for an internal combustion engine comprising: a throttle valve; an electrical motor for actuating the throttle valve; mechanical links for coupling and decoupling the electrical motor with the throttle valve; a throttle position sensor for detecting a position of the throttle valve; and a control unit which compares an output signal from the throttle position sensor representing a detected throttle position with a signal representing a target throttle valve opening degree and generates a feed-back control signal for the electrical motor based on the comparison result, wherein the throttle position sensor shows a first output voltage characteristic with respect to throttle valve opening degrees for a first region covering ISC and FIC and a voltage gradient of the first output voltage characteristic is selected larger than that of an unmodified output voltage characteristic of the throttle position sensor, thereby a high resolution of the throttle position sensor is obtained
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Sasaki, Yoshikatu Hashimoto, Teruhiko Minegishi, Tatsuya Yoshida, Mitsuru Kon'i, Norihiro Isozaki
  • Patent number: 5445133
    Abstract: A fuel injection control device for an internal combustion engine includes a canister which temporarily collects fuel vapor purge gas generated in a fuel tank and a canister purge gas control system which introduces the collected fuel vapor purge gas into the internal combustion engine during the operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mamoru Nemoto
  • Patent number: 5444354
    Abstract: Electric generator control for a motor vehicle in which the field current IF provided to the field coil of the generator is variable between two values in response to variations in the load applied to the battery. The output voltage of the battery is compared to a predetermined reference value, and a signal representing the difference is supplied to a voltage divider and to an integrator circuit. The outputs of the voltage divider and the integrator are then provided to respective, comparators. A reference signal provided by a time variable signal generator is supplied to both comparators, the respective outputs of which are connected to the inputs of an AND gate which controls a gating element which in turn controls the field current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Takahashi, Yuuji Maeda, Shouju Masumoto, Atsushi Kanke
  • Patent number: 5443550
    Abstract: A noise removing apparatus wherein a .pi. filter is constructed by a pair of feedthrough ceramic capacitors and a lead for connecting the feedthrough ceramic capacitors to each other to improve the radio wave trouble resistance of an electronic equipment and remove a shielding casing. Electrodes are formed on the both sides of a dielectric plate having a plurality of through holes by plating or the like, the electrode on one side is divided into plural ones in correspondence to the number of the through holes, resist portions are formed on the electrode on the other side so as to be in one-to-one correspondence to the through holes to provide a plurality of feedthrough ceramic capacitors, and an arbitrary pair of electrodes on one side are connected to each other through an inductive lead passing through the associated through holes, thereby to construct a .pi. filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi AUtomotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yoneda, Kaoru Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 5440924
    Abstract: A flow rate of air flowing through an air inlet pipe is detected by a heating resistor disposed therein and converted into an electric signal. A digital processing unit carries out calculation to judge whether or not the converted signal coincides with a predetermined temperature value and to correct the converted signal so that the same is caused to coincide with the predetermined value if both the values do not coincide with each other. The corrected signal is used to keep the heating resistor at the predetermined temperature. The digital processing unit is integrated with the air inlet pipe independently of a digital processing unit for engine control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Itsuji, Kaoru Uchiyama, Mitsukuni Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 5434780
    Abstract: An automatic transmission control system for a transmission which is installed in a vehicle and whose torque converter is provided with a lockup mechanism; comprising a vehicle weight estimation device for estimating the weight of the vehicle; a gradient estimation device for estimating a gradient on which the vehicle is running; a standard lockup line selector for storing therein standard lockup lines which correspond respectively to the specified gear shift ratios of a speed change gear included in the transmission, and for selecting that one of the stored standard lockup lines which corresponds to the gear shift ratio in the present state of the vehicle; a lockup line corrector for correcting the selected standard lockup line in accordance with the estimated vehicle weight and the estimated gradient; and a lockup signal output device for deciding a timing of lockup "ON" or lockup "OFF" by the use of the corrected lockup line, and for delivering a lockup signal to the lockup mechanism (a lockup solenoid) at
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Kume, Junichi Ishii
  • Patent number: 5431141
    Abstract: On one side of a valve shaft, there are provided an accelerator drum connected to an accelerator pedal by an accelerator wire, a return spring for urging the accelerator drum in a valve closing direction, and an accelerator sensor for detecting rotation of the accelerator drum and transmitting a detected signal to a host system. On the other side of the valve shaft, there are provided a large-diameter gear and an opening sensor. An armature of a solenoid clutch is attached to the gear and held on a motor shaft via a slide bearing. Thus, the motor, the solenoid clutch and the throttle valve are arranged into a U-shaped form for interconnection through four gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kanazawa, Fumio Tajima, Yasuhiko Honda, Yasushi Sasaki, Teruhiko Minegishi, Yoshikatu Hashimoto, Tatsuya Yoshida, Yuzo Kadomukai
  • Patent number: 5414470
    Abstract: A sync signal generator of a television receiver for use in a vehicle has a phase reset detector for gradually absorbing a phase fluctuation of an input sync signal which occurs due to a ghost phenomenon or a fading phenomenon and reducing a phase fluctuation. The sync signal generator provides a sync signal synchronized with an output signal of the phase reset signal detector. Thus, a stable sync signal without a sudden change in phase can be obtained although it is synchronized with the input sync signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Video Engineering, Incorporated, Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Hotta, Kazuhiro Ooyagi, Keiro Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 5400039
    Abstract: An integrated multi-layered microwave circuit includes a substrate which is constituted by dielectric layers and conductive layers laminated alternately. The conductive layer disposed at one major surface of the substrate forms a micro strip line which constitutes an antenna portion. The conductive layer disposed at the other major surface of the substrate forms a circuit pattern including a grounding line and a power source line, and then the circuit pattern forms a communication portion together with discrete parts incorporated in the circuit pattern. One of the intermediate conductive layers of the substrate constitutes a grounding layer and the other thereof constitutes a power source layer. In the substrate, a feeding via hole, a via hole for a power source, and a grounding via hole are formed so as to penetrate the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Araki, Akira Endo
  • Patent number: 5390493
    Abstract: A catalyst heating control device for cleaning automotive engine exhaust gases, comprising a generator, at least one battery, a catalyst heating control apparatus, a battery charging device and an electronic fuel injector. Before starting the engine, the catalyst is preheated. At the start of the engine, the catalyst preheat control is curtailed according to the state of the batteries. The catalyst current control is performed by detecting the catalyst activation temperature. The catalyst is heated usually to about 350.degree. C., at which point the current supply for heating is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakatsu Fujishita, Takeshi Atago, Keiichi Mashino, Suetaro Shibukawa, Shigeyuki Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 5389198
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing structures such as a pressure gauge, an accelerometer and the like with a single crystal material such as silicon uses etching techniques where the shape of a part subjected to stress concentration has a curvature, another part is formed in a plane body and a polyhedron is constituted by combining both.To attain the above constitution, a wafer of single crystal material is formed with a stepped surface having a value corresponding to at least the depth of the curvature in a first anisotropic etching process using a prescribed etching mask, and in a second anisotropic etching process, an etching mask is used by removing at least a part of the etching mask used in the first anisotropic etching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Koide, Kazuo Sato, Seiko Suzuki, Norio Ichikawa, Hidehito Obayashi, Masahide Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5369580
    Abstract: A novel yawing-momentum detecting apparatus, and yawing-detecting method for a vehicle, and also a motion controlling apparatus for the vehicle with employment of this yawing-momentum detecting apparatus. The yawing-momentum detecting apparatus for the vehicle comprises: a plurality of acceleration sensors disposed at symmetrical positions on said vehicle with respect to a vertical axis passing through a gravity center of the vehicle within a plane perpendicular the vertical axis; units for calculating yawing momentum of the vehicle occurring around the vertical axis based upon outputs from the plural acceleration sensors; and characteristic correcting units for correcting output characteristics of the plural acceleration sensors under known acceleration values to coincide with reference output characteristic values when the known acceleration values are obtained under a certain vehicle operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Monji, Shigeru Horikoshi, Kousaku Shimada, Hayato Sugawara
  • Patent number: 5367429
    Abstract: An electrostatic type micro accelerometer comprising means for preventing permanent sticking between a movable electrode and a stationary electrode due to residual dielectric polarization, resisual electric charges and water adsorption and condensation around possible contacting portions therebetween when the movable electrode excessively displaces. The sticking preventing means is realized by disposing one of electric field reducing means, water adsorption and condensation reducing means and contacting area limiting means around the possible contacting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd, Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Tsuchitani, Seiko Suzuki, Satoshi Shimada, Masayuki Miki, Masahiro Matsumoto, Susumu Murakami, Akira Koide, Masahiro Kurita, Hiromichi Ebine
  • Patent number: 5345155
    Abstract: An electric vehicle control system, according to the present invention, comprises at least two electric motors for independently driving left and right wheels of the vehicle, power supply unit for supplying power to the motors, unit for detecting command entered by a driver of the vehicle and driving operational amount provided for the vehicle, unit for detecting output torques of the two motors, unit for calculating a motor speed difference command signal for making the two output torques consistent with each other, unit for calculating a vehicle speed command signal for the vehicle on the basis of detected command and the driving operational amount, unit for calculating motor speed command signals for respective of the motors on the basis of calculated motor speed difference command signal and the vehicle speed command signal, unit for detecting actual speeds of the two motors, and control unit for voltage controlling supply power from the power supply unit to the motors so that the detected actual speeds o
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoso Masaki, Yuusuke Takamoto, Sanshiro Obara, Hirohisa Yamamura, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 5336046
    Abstract: A blower of an automotive air conditioner has a lower casing a part of which is formed is a plastic housing for a motor and a porous member in the form of a flat plate disposed at a position where the plastic housing and an upper casing of the blower abut against each other. An air layer is defined between the flat-plate porous member and the lower casing to add a muffling function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 9, 1994
    Assignees: Hatachi, Ltd., Hitachi Automotive Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Hashimoto, Yoshinori Fukasaku, Shinichi Fujino, Mitsuaki Mirumachi