Patents Assigned to Honda Motors Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 9855913
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus includes airbag having a vent hole formed therein, an inflator configured to emit gas for inflating the airbag, and a chamber configured to accommodate the inflator therein inside the airbag, the chamber having at least one discharge aperture for discharging gas emitted from the inflator to an inside of the airbag, and having a wall part configured to guide the emitted gas to the discharge aperture, wherein an external surface of the wall part is configured to partially cover the vent hole upon collapse of the chamber toward the vent hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignees: TAKATA CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Maruoka, Masaru Iwazato, Munetoshi Nakashima, Kazuaki Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9855576
    Abstract: A masking system and method for painting a vehicle with parts made of dissimilar materials is provided. The masking system includes a masking gasket temporarily mounted between a mounting surface of a first part and a mounting surface of a second part. The masking gasket further includes a plurality of links, thermal expansion joints linking together the plurality of links, and mounting locations for securing the masking gasket to the first and second parts of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Edward W Bach, Masahiro Ishikawa, Christos Agouridis, Jr., Joseph M Riggsby
  • Patent number: 9856766
    Abstract: An exhaust muffler in which the anti-scattering property of a sound deadening element is high and for which shaping is not required and a sound deadening element for use with the exhaust muffler. An exhaust muffler includes an expansion chamber into which exhaust gas of an engine is introduced, and a sound deadening element in which the expansion chamber is inserted. The sound deadening element is configured from a knitted article formed by knitting continuous fibers of glass fiber. The exhaust muffler further includes an inner pipe inserted in a spaced relationship from an inner circumferential wall of the expansion chamber in the expansion chamber and configured to introduce the exhaust gas therethrough. The sound deadening element is disposed between an outer circumferential wall of the inner pipe and the inner circumferential wall of the expansion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kase, Satoshi Ishihara
  • Patent number: 9856798
    Abstract: A control device for an internal combustion engine includes an in-cylinder pressure detector, an output shaft torque calculator, a target torque calculator, an input torque parameter calculator, and a controller. The output shaft torque calculator is to calculate an output shaft torque of an output shaft of the internal combustion engine based on an in-cylinder pressure. The target torque calculator is to calculate a target torque of the output shaft torque. The input torque parameter calculator is to calculate an input torque parameter representing an input torque such that the output shaft torque becomes equal to the target torque using a feedback control algorithm which is based on a controlled object model which models a controlled object that receives the input torque parameter as input and produces the output shaft torque as output. The controller is to control the output shaft torque using the input torque parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shusuke Akazaki, Taisuke Inoue
  • Patent number: 9861018
    Abstract: A wiring protective cover structure for an electric drive vehicle is provided that can be used to cool a battery while effectively blocking noise that is generated from wiring for connecting an electric power converter and the battery disposed on a floor panel. A DC line cable 23 and a control line cable 25 that connect a battery 21 and an electric power converter 22 are disposed on a top surface of a center tunnel 37 of a vehicle 1, and a metallic wiring protective cover 35 has a cooling passage 30 disposed therein and is disposed on a floor panel 36 so as to cover the DC line cable 23 and the control line cable 25.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidemi Seki, Keisuke Itou
  • Patent number: 9857273
    Abstract: A misfire detecting apparatus is provided wherein a misfire is detected based on a rotational speed parameter indicative of a rotational speed of an internal combustion engine. An average change amount of the rotational speed parameter in a first predetermined period and an inertia speed changing component which is generated with rotation of the engine are calculated, and a first corrected rotational speed parameter is calculated by correcting the rotational speed parameter according to the average change amount and the inertia speed changing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Hozumi, Masaaki Nagashima, Kiyonari Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9855989
    Abstract: A saddle type vehicle wherein restrictions in the weight and the layout are reduced for slimmer and lighter vehicle. Pivot plates are provided as separate bodies from seat rails. An upper end of a shock absorber is received by a cross member located between left and right seat rails. The cross member is a separate body from the seat rails. Both ends of the cross member are supported by recesses provided in the left and right seat rails at inner sides of the seat rails so as to face each other. The cross member is fastened to the seat rails by cross member fastening members. The seat rail is attached to a main frame at its one front-side end and to the pivot plate at its other front-side end. The main frame and the seat rail are fastened to each other in the vertical direction by a first fastening member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Hariu, Daisuke Umikawa, Akihiro Yamashita, Yuzuru Ishikawa, Shunichi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 9855866
    Abstract: A step garnish for a rail and carrier seat system for motor vehicle is disclosed. The rail and carrier seat system includes two rails fixedly attached to and positioned laterally along a floor of the motor vehicle, a carrier laterally slidable within the rails, a handle attached to a laterally exterior side of the carrier, and a seat attached to the carrier. The step garnish includes an inner step garnish portion, the inner step garnish portion being installed below the handle on the carrier, the inner step garnish having an exposed portion; and an outer step garnish portion, the outer step garnish portion including a cut out clearance shape for being installed from above the handle, the cut out clearance shape having a shape substantially similar to the exposed portion of the inner step garnish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Andrew Edward Barrow, Jason R Dilley, Jeffrey H Scheurer, II, Renata Massone Okawa
  • Patent number: 9857795
    Abstract: A trajectory planning system for an autonomous vehicle fits a jerk profile including a plurality of phases within a set of acceptable parameters, a jerk value being constant within each phase of the jerk profile. The system parameterizes the jerk profile based on an initial velocity, an initial acceleration, a final velocity, and a final acceleration for the first segment. The system then integrates the jerk profile to determine a first trajectory function, the first trajectory function including a speed for the vehicle at a given time. The system guides the vehicle along the first segment of the path according to the first trajectory function. The system detects an unplanned obstacle along the first segment of the path. The system plans a second trajectory function for a second segment of the path between a current location of the vehicle and a location on the path before the unplanned obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Rakesh Gupta, Robert Cofield
  • Patent number: 9855865
    Abstract: A removable seat of a motor vehicle includes first and second cross brackets laterally spaced apart and arranged perpendicular to first and second upper rails located in a floor of the motor vehicle, the first and second cross brackets being connected to the first and second upper rails, a cover connected to and extending between the first and second cross brackets, a handle extending laterally outward from the cover, a spring-loaded lock that holds the first upper rail in place with one of a first lower rail and second lower rail the floor, and a towel bar that releases the lock, enabling the first and second upper rails to slide within the first and second lower rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter A Supernavage, Jeffrey H Scheurer, II, Spyridon G Blatseas, Tetsuya Ishikawa, Fernando A Montijo, Isao Kashima
  • Patent number: 9858924
    Abstract: A voice processing apparatus includes: a sound input unit configured to acquire an audio signal; a voice recognition unit configured to perform voice recognition on the audio signal acquired by the sound input unit; an intention understanding unit configured to understand a user's intention on the basis of a recognition result recognized by the voice recognition unit; and a question unit configured to question the user on the basis of an understood result understood by the intention understanding unit. The question unit changes question content for the user according to the understood result and a predetermined priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Nakadai, Keisuke Nakamura, Shunichi Yamamoto, Hiroshi Kondo, Naoaki Sumida
  • Patent number: 9855853
    Abstract: A system and method of managing the operation of a remotely controllable control unit for an appliance in a building during peak power demand hours with an application on a mobile device further in communication with a vehicle having a rechargeable battery capable of providing power to a power grid is disclosed. The application determines a state-of-charge of the rechargeable battery in the vehicle, and determines a location of the vehicle and whether the vehicle is within a threshold distance to the building. The building is preconditioned using the appliance to a preferred state if the vehicle is within the threshold distance to the building. When the vehicle arrives at the building, it is electrically connected to the power grid to provide electricity from the rechargeable battery to the power grid to replace the power used during the preconditioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: David W Cun
  • Patent number: 9855971
    Abstract: A vehicle body structure includes a frame impact absorbing part extending from the side of a left front side frame in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The frame impact absorbing part includes first and second frame bending members that form a frame tubular body, upper and lower frame flanges projecting outward from the frame tubular body, upper and lower first fragile portions that divide the frame flanges in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and a plurality of frame rigid portions formed at a rear end of the frame tubular body on the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the first fragile portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Daido, Tatsuya Ishizaki, Akira Hojo
  • Patent number: 9856847
    Abstract: A vehicle power source device includes a first group that includes a first battery and a first load group which is connected with the first battery, a second group that includes a second battery or includes the second battery and a second load group which is connected with the second battery, a third group that includes a starting device which starts an internal combustion engine and a capacitor, a first switch that is provided between the first group and the second group, a second switch that is provided between the second group and the third group, a third switch that is provided between the first group and the third group, and a control unit that performs control to turn the first switch off, the second switch off, and the third switch on in a case where the internal combustion engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 9858815
    Abstract: A travel information acquisition section acquires travel information including at least a position, speed, and deceleration of the vehicle. An information generation section generates congestion location information indicating a position of a congestion tail based on the travel information. A transmission section transmits the congestion location information generated by the information generation section to another vehicle. The information generation section determines whether or not congestion is occurring at the current position of the vehicle based on an amount of reduction in speed from the maximum speed and the deceleration in a first time period of a specific length, and when determined that congestion is occurring, generates the congestion location information including position information containing the current position of the vehicle itself as information indicating the congestion tail position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takao Shimamori
  • Patent number: 9856683
    Abstract: A frame for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The frame includes a longitudinal side member, an A-pillar extending upward from the longitudinal side member and defining a front of the cockpit, a B-pillar extending upwardly and rearwardly from the longitudinal side member rearward of the A-pillar and defining a rear of the cockpit, a door positioned between the A-pillar and the B-pillar, and a hinge assembly attached to the B-pillar. The hinge assembly includes an upright hinge pipe that extends vertically through the door to reinforce the door, the upright hinge pipe having a top end and a bottom end, an upper hinge pipe pivotally attached to the top end of upright hinge pipe and fixedly attached to the B-pillar, and a lower pivot connecting the bottom end of the upright hinge pipe to the B-pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jacob O Borth, Tsuyoshi Kumasaka, Sebastian Osorio, Thomas Pollock
  • Patent number: 9855886
    Abstract: A tire track indicator system is provided that couples physical tire tracks to headlights of a vehicle. The tire track indicator system of the vehicle includes an angle monitor that determines a steering direction of the vehicle. The tire track indicator system also includes an illumination source and a lens that directs at least a portion of light in the steering direction and provides an indication of a travel path of the vehicle. A direction of at least the portion of light is altered based on a corresponding change to the steering direction. Further, the indication includes at least one lens that outputs respective colors based on a set of contexts of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hajime Yamada
  • Patent number: 9855807
    Abstract: In a rolling type vehicle including a pair of left and right front wheels wherein a vehicle body is capable of rolling, the spacing between left and right front wheels is maintained as a small spacing while providing an actuator for controlling the inclination angle (lean angle) of a vehicle body. The rolling type vehicle includes left and right upper arms, and lower arms for supporting the left and right front wheels on the vehicle body with a shock absorber support arm swingably supported by the vehicle body and connected to the left and right lower arms through shock absorber units. An actuator is capable of controlling the swinging of the shock absorber support arm. The actuator forms a front suspension frame body of a closed structure together with a vehicle body side frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yotaro Mori
  • Patent number: 9855945
    Abstract: Methods of assessing driver behavior include monitoring vehicle systems and driver monitoring systems to accommodate for a driver's slow reaction time, attention lapse and/or alertness. When it is determined that a driver is drowsy, for example, the response system may modify the operation of one or more vehicle systems. The systems that may be modified include: visual devices, audio devices, tactile devices, antilock brake systems, automatic brake prefill systems, brake assist systems, auto cruise control systems, electronic stability control systems, collision warning systems, lane keep assist systems, blind spot indicator systems, electronic pretensioning systems and climate control systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kin C. Fung, Timothy J. Dick
  • Patent number: 9856980
    Abstract: In a vehicular parking lock device, supplying a hydraulic pressure from pressure regulation of a line pressure by a linear solenoid valve to a hydraulic brake via a switching valve operated by a first solenoid valve enables a transmission to carry out a shift change. If desired that a parking lock is not operated when an engine stops, the hydraulic pressure stored under pressure in an accumulator is discharged to a drain oil passage by connecting the linear solenoid valve selectively to the drain oil passage by the first solenoid valve, thereby making it possible to prevent the hydraulic pressure stored under pressure in the accumulator from being supplied to a locking oil chamber at the other end of the hydraulic actuator. The first solenoid valve is used for both controlling the operation of the hydraulic brake and discharge of the hydraulic pressure stored under pressure in the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuya Tachibanada, Tetsuya Mochizuki, Yutaka Ishikawa, Shunsuke Yoshida, Tomoaki Mukai