Patents Examined by Edwin A. Young
  • Patent number: 11453383
    Abstract: Disclosed are a hybrid vehicle and a method of calculating driving load therefor for determining a more effective gear shift reference in consideration of a driving mode. The method of controlling gear shift of a hybrid vehicle includes predicting required power of a forward driving path, determining a representative driving mode based on mode switch power as a reference of switch between a first driving mode using only an electric motor and a second driving mode using at least an engine and the predicted required power, and applying any one of a first gear shift map corresponding to the first driving mode based on the determined representative driving mode or a second gear shift map corresponding to the second driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jea Mun Lee
  • Patent number: 11453389
    Abstract: A method of parking control for a vehicle equipped with an electric motor independent from a transmission includes calculating external force applied to wheels when predetermined conditions including shifting to a parking (P) stage are satisfied, determining whether a drive shaft fixing apparatus activated according to shifting to the P stage is combined, and controlling the electric motor such that a torque having a magnitude less than the external force is applied to the wheels in a direction opposite to the external force when the drive shaft fixing apparatus is determined to be combined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Kyeom Cho, Sung Bae Jeon, Hui Un Son
  • Patent number: 11447125
    Abstract: A vehicle control system that ensures a sufficient distance to empty in the event of a failure of a clutch for changing an operating mode of a vehicle. The control system is configured to: determine a reduction in performance of the clutch based on a value of a parameter for determining a performance of the clutch; and select the operating mode in which a distance to empty is longer and inhibit to actuate the engagement device, when a reduction in performance of the engagement device is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoichiro Isami
  • Patent number: 11448314
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for determining at least one shift parameter of a vehicle transmission (3), the vehicle transmission (3) comprising a first clutching device (8a) and a first speed ratio (9a); a second clutching device (8b) and a second speed ratio (9b); an input; and an output, wherein the input and the output of the transmission are connectable by the engaging first clutching device (8a) or the second clutching device (8b). The method comprises the steps: performing a shift by disengaging the first clutching device (8a) and/or engaging the second clutching device (8b), wherein the first clutching device (8a) stops transferring torque through the transmission at a first time point, wherein the second clutching device (8b) starts transferring torque through the transmission at a second time point, and determining the shift parameter at the first time point and/or at the second time point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Dana Belgium N.V.
    Inventors: Keivan Shariatmadar, Arnout R. L. De Mare, Mark Versteyhe
  • Patent number: 11440536
    Abstract: For use in all wheel drive vehicles with a rear electronic differential, a device containing a switch for making and breaking an electrical connection in a ground line of a differential harness. When the circuit is broken and the rear electronic differential is not powered, the rear electronic differential does not power the rear axles. A wireless remote control has buttons that when pressed send a wireless signal to a receiver connected to the switch. When the first button in the remote control is pressed, the switch breaks the connection in the ground line. When the second button in the remote control is pressed, the switch completes the connection in the ground line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: USP Motorsports Inc
    Inventors: Jonathan Leao, Christopher Green
  • Patent number: 11440548
    Abstract: A four-wheel drive vehicle includes: (a) main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels; (b) a rotating machine as a drive power source; (c) a drive-power distribution clutch configured to allocate a part of a drive power outputted to the main drive wheels from the drive power source, to the auxiliary drive wheels, so as to distribute the drive power to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels with a drive-power distribution ratio between the auxiliary drive wheels and the main drive wheels, such that the drive-power distribution ratio is variable with an engaging force of the drive-power distribution clutch being controlled; and (d) a control apparatus configured, when determining that a heat load of the drive-power distribution clutch is large during deceleration running of the vehicle, to limit a regenerative torque of the rotating machine, as compared with when determining that the heat load is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11434800
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed towards controlling uncontrolled release of ammonia from an engine of a vehicle. An estimated status of the engine is determined prior to an event, such as an estimated load on the engine prior to the vehicle going up a hill. A predictive model of uncontrolled ammonia release is generated for the estimated status. At least one engine-related countermeasure is selected based on the predictive model. If the predictive model of uncontrolled ammonia release with the selected countermeasures satisfies a threshold condition, then the selected engine-related countermeasure is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: PACCAR INC
    Inventors: Jorge Rafael Lozada Ramirez, Carl Anders Hergart, Cynthia Chaffin Webb, Christopher S. Balton
  • Patent number: 11434995
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a transmission of a vehicle includes a processor configured to identify a location of a speed bump based on collected information about a specified section of a front road and determine whether the vehicle enters a section of the speed bump, and to set an oil pressure of the transmission to a first oil pressure in a normal driving section and set the oil pressure of the transmission to a second oil pressure when the vehicle enters the section of the speed bump, and a controller that controls the oil pressure of the transmission corresponding to a setting of the processor for each driving section of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwang Hee Park, Sang Jun Park, Seung Jun Shin, Byeong Wook Jeon, Jae Chang Kook
  • Patent number: 11421780
    Abstract: A system and method are presented that measure the temperature of a component in a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system. An infrared temperature sensor is mounted in a thermally insulating sensor housing such that the sensor is located within the interior of a CVT housing and aimed at the component. The component can be a belt in the CVT system or a stationary sheave in one of the two clutches of the CVT system. The sensor housing can have a cup and a stem with the sensor being positioned within that portion of the sensor housing positioned within the interior of the CVT housing. When the stem is in the interior of the CVT housing, a nut can be used to secure the sensor housing to the CVT housing while protecting the infrared sensor from damage. An air temperature sensor in the exhaust port can provide supplemental temperature readings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: High Performance Harry's Inc.
    Inventor: Harold Desautel
  • Patent number: 11421779
    Abstract: A vehicle transmission can perform predictive shifting. Road grade and vehicle path data can be employed to identify a future change in road grade such as a hill. A change in speed relative to a vehicle cruise speed can be estimated or predicted in view of the change in road grade and a current gear. If the change of speed is determined to be outside a performance bound, shift recommendation can be determined to maintain vehicle cruise speed within the performance bound. A controller can alter default gear selection of the transmission in response to receipt of the shift recommendation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: EATON CUMMINS AUTOMATED TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Sujay Kawale, Eric R. Von Hoene, Justin Keith Griffiths, Cory Snowdin, Terry Nostrant, Nicholas Jelen
  • Patent number: 11420618
    Abstract: A driving force control device 1 for a vehicle V comprises: a D-? map M1 defining a linear correlation between a driving stiffness D and a maximum road surface ?; a slip ratio calculation circuit 21 for calculating a slip ratio S of one of a pair of front road wheels 10L, 10R; a DS calculation circuit 22 for calculating the driving stiffness D corresponding to a value the slip ratio S calculated by the slip ratio calculation circuit 21; a maximum road surface ? calculation circuit 23 for assigning a value of the driving stiffness D calculated by the DS calculation circuit 22 to the D-? map M1 to calculate the maximum road surface ?; and a driving force distribution circuit 24 for controlling a driving force, using a value of the maximum road surface ? calculated by the maximum road surface ? calculation circuit 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasumasa Imamura, Yasushi Yagi, Tetsushi Marutani, Naoki Nobutani, Daisuke Kofu, Akihiro Tatara
  • Patent number: 11415218
    Abstract: A working fluid supply device is provided with: a first oil pump and a second oil pump driven by an engine; a third oil pump driven by an electric motor; a first unloading valve configured to shift the second oil pump to a no-load operation state; and a controller configured to control a supply state of working oil to an automatic transmission. The controller sets the supply state to a supply state selected from: a first supply state in which the working oil is supplied only from the first oil pump; a second supply state in which the working oil is supplied from the first oil pump and the third oil pump; a third supply state in which the working oil is supplied from the first oil pump and the second oil pump; and a fourth supply state in which the working oil is supplied from the first oil pump, the second oil pump, and the third oil pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: KYB CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuya Murota
  • Patent number: 11415215
    Abstract: A driver is enabled to, even if a range selected by the driver and an actual range of the vehicle are different from each other, correctly recognize the actual range of the vehicle without occurrence of disagreement between an indicated range and the actual range of the vehicle. A display means is capable of indicating a range irrespective of a rotation operation of a shift member, and a range of the vehicle is capable of being switched to the range irrespective of the rotation operation of the shift member; and an instruction to the display means and an instruction to switch the range of the vehicle are provided from either one of first control means for indication control or second control means for vehicle range switching control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kono, Fumitaka Abe
  • Patent number: 11408504
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vehicle includes a transmission, a brake pedal, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to an upshift of the transmission, a driver-demanded torque being zero, and the brake pedal being released, command a first pressure, that is greater than zero, to an oncoming shift element associated with the upshift such that the oncoming shift element has a torque capacity of zero, in response to the brake pedal being applied during the upshift of the transmission, command a second, larger pressure to the oncoming shift element to increase the torque capacity to a non-zero value, and, in response to expiration of a threshold time from the brake pedal being applied, command a series of sequentially ramping pressures to the oncoming shift element to further increase the torque capacity and lock the oncoming shift element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mehran Namazkar, Stephen Michael Cicala, Cory Benson LaRoche, Benjamin Rupley, Spencer Johnson
  • Patent number: 11400946
    Abstract: A method for managing a powertrain (3) of a motor vehicle (1) comprises the following steps: (a) determining a predictive rolling resistance coefficient (Crr) for at least one tyre (10) of the motor vehicle (1); and (b) adapting the operation of the powertrain (3) according to the predictive rolling resistance coefficient (Crr) in order notably to optimize the energy consumption of the motor vehicle (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventors: Francois-Jacques Cordonnier, Frederic Domprobst
  • Patent number: 11402017
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine and a transmission having an input shaft operably coupled to the engine, an output shaft operably coupled to wheels of the vehicle, a primary pump, and a secondary pump. The primary and secondary pumps are each configured to supply pressurized fluid to a valve body of the transmission. A controller is programmed to, in response to a loss of pressure of the primary pump and a speed of the output shaft exceeding a first threshold, shift the transmission to a neutral state, energize the secondary pump once the transmission is in the neutral state, and command the engine to idle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Richard Reynolds Hathaway, Edward Katynski, Jerry Lee Aeschliman, Jr., David Gilewski, Stephen John Bettley, Kurt Howard Nickerson, Robert E. Meyer
  • Patent number: 11401986
    Abstract: A controller for a vehicle driven by transmitting a torque generated by a torque generator to driving wheels corrects the torque generated by the torque generator according to a torsion rate of an elastic torsion element present in a torque transmission system extending from the torque generator to the driving wheels to reduce the torsional vibration of the elastic torsion element. The torque generator may include an engine and a clutch to transmit a rotation of the engine to the torque transmission system. The controller may include a clutch controller to correct the torque generated by the torque generator by controlling the transmission torque of the clutch according to the torsion rate of the elastic torsion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shota Yoshitake, Kengo Minami
  • Patent number: 11396231
    Abstract: Overload protection systems and methods are provided for controlling the amount of energy delivered to the drivetrain of work vehicles including axles, transmission, and other components thereof including for vehicles using power boost. A sensor in operative communication with a primary power equipment unit driving a transmission of a work vehicle generates a torque signal representative of torque delivered to the transmission by the primary power equipment unit. The overload protection method and system uses the torque signal to control the torque delivered to the transmission of a work vehicle by the primary power equipment unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Roger W. Burjes, Rainer Gugel, David Mueller, Adam J. Faucher, Marcus L. Kuhl, Clayton P. Neumann, Jacob Pence
  • Patent number: 11396944
    Abstract: A transmission system configured to perform a gear change based on a shift operation by an operator is provided, which includes a power transmission system including a transmission and configured to transmit an engine driving force to wheels, a shift operation detecting module, and a transmission controlling module adapted to be executable of a manual rotation synchronizing mode having first and second steps. In the first step, when a first shift operation for changing the transmission to a lower-speed side is detected, the transmission controlling module sends a control signal to a connecting-and-disconnecting mechanism provided to the power transmission system to suspend the transmission of the driving force. In the second step, when a second shift operation is detected, the transmission controlling module sends a control signal to the connecting-and-disconnecting mechanism to resume the transmission of the driving force while the transmission is switched to the lower-speed side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Oyama, Kenji Sasaki, Takeo Moriuchi, Yasuhiko Shinya, Tomonari Itagaki
  • Patent number: 11396295
    Abstract: This work vehicle is provided with an emergency brake function for quickly bringing said work vehicle to an emergency stop when an abnormality has occurred inside of the vehicle. The work vehicle comprises: a foot brake for braking left and right rear wheels; an autonomous travel unit that enables autonomous travel of the vehicle; and an electric actuator for switching the foot brake between a braking state and a release state. The autonomous travel unit comprises a control unit that controls the operation of the electric actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Yanmar Power Technology Inc., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenta Ikenori