Patents by Inventor Akio Matsunaga

Akio Matsunaga 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).

  • Publication number: 20190277242
    Abstract: The control device controls a control parameter based on values of operating parameters. The control device is configured to: acquire current values of the operating parameters; calculate, using a model, a probability distribution of an output parameter with respect to a value of the control parameter based on the acquired current values of the operating parameters; and set a target value of the control parameter based on the calculated probability distribution of an output parameter so that the probability of the value of the output parameter becoming equal to greater than a target value is most approached the target probability. The control parameter, operating parameters, and output parameter are parameters different from each other. The model is a model using a Gaussian process which outputs the probability distribution of an output parameter if values of the operating and control parameters are input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Sata, Akio MATSUNAGA, Masaki YAMAKITA, Hiroyuki OYAMA
  • Patent number: 8706385
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation device of an internal combustion engine (1) including a low-pressure EGR passage (20), a high-pressure EGR passage (21), a low-pressure EGR valve (23) and a high-pressure EGR valve (24) further includes an air-fuel ratio sensor (12) that is disposed in the exhaust passage (4) upstream of the position of its connection with the low-pressure EGR passage (20). In the case where a predetermined fuel-cut condition is satisfied, an ECU (30) estimates the flow amounts of exhaust gas flowing in the low-pressure EGR passage (20) and the high-pressure EGR passage (21), on the basis of the oxygen concentrations acquired by the air-fuel ratio sensor (12) at timings at which the exhaust gases recirculated into the intake passage (3) via the low-pressure EGR passage (20) and via the high-pressure EGR passage (21) reach the air-fuel ratio sensor (12), respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeki Nakayama, Akio Matsunaga, Tomomi Onishi, Akiyuki Iemura
  • Patent number: 8479494
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas sensor control system and control method, the exhaust pipe wall temperature is estimated based on the measured exhaust gas temperature measured, the exhaust gas flow rate, and the measured outside air temperature, with reference to a supplied heat quantity calculation map, wall temperature added value map, and a wall temperature subtracted value map. Then the dew-point of the exhaust pipe is calculated based on the air-fuel ratio of the air flow amount to the weight of fuel, and a condensed water added amount is calculated based on the relative wall temperature and the exhaust gas flow amount. The amount of condensed water is then estimated by summing the calculated condensed water added amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Enomoto, Akio Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 8453446
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control system for an internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger that includes a compressor arranged in an intake passage, and a turbine arranged in an exhaust passage; a low-pressure EGR unit that recirculates a portion of exhaust gas back to the internal combustion engine through a low-pressure EGR passage that provides communication between the exhaust passage, at a portion downstream of the turbine, and the intake passage, at a portion upstream of the compressor; a low-pressure EGR valve that is provided in the low-pressure EGR passage, and that changes the flow passage area of the low-pressure EGR passage; and a valve control unit that executes an opening/closing control over the low-pressure EGR valve. When it is determined that the internal combustion engine is under a predetermined low-temperature environment, the low-pressure EGR valve is kept closed while the internal combustion engine is in the fuel-supply cutoff operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomomi Onishi, Akio Matsunaga, Shigeki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 8428850
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a total fuel injection amount is calculated from a torque required by an engine. A division ratio of a pre-injection amount that achieves both suppression of ignition delay of fuel from a main injection and suppression of a peak value of a heat production ratio of combustion from the main injection is calculated. Upper and lower limit guards are given to the obtained divided amount, and the divided injection amount is calculated. The injection amount of the main injection is obtained by subtracting the divided injection amount from the total fuel injection amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nada, Akio Matsunaga, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Patent number: 8387586
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a determination is made of whether or not in a condition in which a compressed gas temperature will reach a fuel self-ignition temperature by only a compression operation in the compression stroke, and in a case where the compressed gas temperature will reach the fuel self-ignition temperature, pilot injection is judged to be unnecessary, so this pilot injection is prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Mitsuhiro Nada, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Patent number: 8307695
    Abstract: A cetane number estimation method is provided in which: the preliminary injection is preformed multiple times at different compression end temperatures with a fuel tank (26) containing fuel having a predetermined cetane number, and an engine torque increase caused by each preliminary injection is calculated and the relation between the compression end temperatures at the respective preliminary injections and the engine torque increases caused by the respective preliminary injections is determined; the compression end temperature and the engine torque increase at a predetermined reference point on the relation are recorded as a basic compression eng temperature and a basic engine toque increase; the preliminary injection is performed at the basic compression end temperature and an engine torque increase caused by this preliminary injection is calculated; and the cetane number of fuel is estimated based on the relation between the calculated engine torque increase and the basic engine torque increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Miyaura, Yasuyuki Terada, Akio Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 8108129
    Abstract: A technique is provided which, in an exhaust gas recirculation apparatus for an internal combustion engine, can calculate a low-pressure EGR rate and a high-pressure EGR rate in an accurate manner, and control the flow rates of both a low pressure EGR passage and a high pressure EGR passage in a closed-loop control manner, thereby to make the temperature of intake air and a supercharging pressure stable and to suppress the deterioration of exhaust emissions as well as the deterioration of power performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeki Nakayama, Tomomi Onishi, Akio Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 8073576
    Abstract: The present invention provides an acceleration sensation evaluating device that evaluates a sensory acceleration of a driver with respect to an expectation value of acceleration, and a vehicle controller that controls a vehicle according to the evaluation results. The evaluation device detects an amount of operation of the vehicle by the driver of when the vehicle is accelerated, detects an amount of vehicle behavior, computes a physical quantity of an expectation value indicating the expectation value of an acceleration performance which the driver expects based on the detected values, computes a sensory physical quantity indicating a sensation of the acceleration which the driver senses, and computes an evaluation value of the acceleration sensation based on difference or ratio between the physical quantity of the expectation value and the sensory physical quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Yusuke Nozaki, Masanori Shimada, Eiichi Yasuda, Masahiko Mizuno, Kazukata Takei, Eiichi Ono, Noriyoshi Terazawa, Mitsuteru Kokubun
  • Publication number: 20110054762
    Abstract: A technique is provided which, in an exhaust gas recirculation apparatus for an internal combustion engine, can calculate a low-pressure EGR rate and a high-pressure EGR rate in an accurate manner, and control the flow rates of both a low pressure EGR passage and a high pressure EGR passage in a closed-loop control manner, thereby to make the temperature of intake air and a supercharging pressure stable and to suppress the deterioration of exhaust emissions as well as the deterioration of power performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shigeki Nakayama, Tomomi Onishi, Akio Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20110005491
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a total pilot injection amount is calculated from the difference between a compressed gas temperature in a cylinder and a fuel self-ignition temperature. As pilot injection, a plurality of instances of divided pilot injection are performed, and by setting the injection amount per one instance of divided pilot injection to an injector minimum limit injection amount, each divided pilot injection amount is suppressed, and the penetration of fuel is suppressed to a low level so that attachment of fuel to a wall face is avoided, and also, fuel is caused to accumulate in the center portion of the cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Terada, Mitsuhiro Nada, Akio Matsunaga, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100319444
    Abstract: A cetane number estimation method is provided in which: the preliminary injection is preformed multiple times at different compression end temperatures with a fuel tank (26) containing fuel having a predetermined cetane number, and an engine torque increase caused by each preliminary injection is calculated and the relation between the compression end temperatures at the respective preliminary injections and the engine torque increases caused by the respective preliminary injections is determined; the compression end temperature and the engine torque increase at a predetermined reference point on the relation are recorded as a basic compression eng temperature and a basic engine toque increase; the preliminary injection is performed at the basic compression end temperature and an engine torque increase caused by this preliminary injection is calculated; and the cetane number of fuel is estimated based on the relation between the calculated engine torque increase and the basic engine torque increase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Miyaura, Yasuyuki Terada, Akio Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20100312454
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a total fuel injection amount is calculated from a torque required by an engine. A division ratio of a pre-injection amount that achieves both suppression of ignition delay of fuel from a main injection and suppression of a peak value of a heat production ratio of combustion from the main injection is calculated. Upper and lower limit guards are given to the obtained divided amount, and the divided injection amount is calculated. The injection amount of the main injection is obtained by subtracting the divided injection amount from the total fuel injection amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nada, Akio Matsunaga, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100305833
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a determination is made of whether or not in a condition in which a compressed gas temperature will reach a fuel self-ignition temperature by only a compression operation in the compression stroke, and in a case where the compressed gas temperature will reach the fuel self-ignition temperature, pilot injection is judged to be unnecessary, so this pilot injection is prohibited.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Mitsuhiro Nada, Yasuyuki Terada, Makio Tsuchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100300068
    Abstract: In an exhaust gas sensor control system and control method, the exhaust pipe wall temperature is estimated based on the measured exhaust gas temperature measured, the exhaust gas flowrate, and the measured outside air temperature, with reference to a supplied heat quantity calculation map, wall temperature added value map, and a wall temperature subtracted value map. Then the dew-point of the exhaust pipe is calculated based on the air-fuel ratio of the air flow amount to the weight of fuel, and a condensed water added amount is calculated based on the relative wall temperature and the exhaust gas flow amount. The amount of condensed water is then estimated by summing the calculated condensed water added amounts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Enomoto, Akio Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20100199639
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas recirculation apparatus for an internal combustion engine has a high-pressure EGR passage (20), a low-pressure EGR passage (21), a high-pressure EGR valve (22), and a low-pressure EGR valve (24) and performs open-loop control to the low-pressure EGR valve (24). The flow rate (Ghpl) of EGR gas flowing in the high-pressure EGR passage (20) and the flow rate (Glpl) of EGR gas flowing in the low-pressure EGR gas (21) are estimated based on the oxygen concentration (O2s) in the gas at the portion of the intake passage (3) downstream of the portion to which exhaust gas is delivered from the high-pressure EGR passage (2), the flow rate (Gdpf) of the gas passing through an exhaust-gas purifying catalyst unit (11) provided in the exhaust passage between the exhaust-gas inlets of the high-pressure EGR passage (20) and the low-pressure EGR passage (21), the flow rate (Gafm) of fresh air, and the fuel amount (Q) supplied to the cylinders (2) of the internal combustion engine per unit time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Shigeki Nakayama, Tomomi Onishi, Akiyuki Iemura
  • Publication number: 20100179745
    Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation device of an internal combustion engine (1) including a low-pressure EGR passage (20), a high-pressure EGR passage (21), a low-pressure EGR valve (23) and a high-pressure EGR valve (24) further includes an air-fuel ratio sensor (12) that is disposed in the exhaust passage (4) upstream of the position of its connection with the low-pressure EGR passage (20). In the case where a predetermined fuel-cut condition is satisfied, an ECU (30) estimates the flow amounts of exhaust gas flowing in the low-pressure EGR passage (20) and the high-pressure EGR passage (21), on the basis of the oxygen concentrations acquired by the air-fuel ratio sensor (12) at timings at which the exhaust gases recirculated into the intake passage (3) via the low-pressure EGR passage (20) and via the high-pressure EGR passage (21) reach the air-fuel ratio sensor (12), respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Shigeki Nakayama, Akio Matsunaga, Tomomi Onishi, Akiyuki Iemura
  • Publication number: 20100000213
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control system for an internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger that includes a compressor arranged in an intake passage, and a turbine arranged in an exhaust passage; a low-pressure EGR unit that recirculates a portion of exhaust gas back to the internal combustion engine through a low-pressure EGR passage that provides communication between the exhaust passage, at a portion downstream of the turbine, and the intake passage, at a portion upstream of the compressor; a low-pressure EGR valve that is provided in the low-pressure EGR passage, and that changes the flow passage area of the low-pressure EGR passage; and a valve control unit that executes an opening/closing control over the low-pressure EGR valve. When it is determined that the internal combustion engine is under a predetermined low-temperature environment, the low-pressure EGR valve is kept closed while the internal combustion engine is in the fuel-supply cutoff operation mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Tomomi Onishi, Akio Matsunaga, Shigeki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7620490
    Abstract: The invention provides a fuel injection control device for an internal combustion engine that can improve the accuracy of combustion control regarding smoke suppression. The fuel injection control device is applied to an engine provided with an EGR device for returning, as a part of an intake gas flown into the cylinder, an EGR gas, withdrawn from an exhaust passage, to an air intake passage. The amount of oxygen OXM contained in the intake gas and the concentration of oxygen OXC contained in the intake gas are detected (steps S1 and S2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akio Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20090043428
    Abstract: The present invention provides an acceleration sensation evaluating device that evaluates a sensory acceleration of a driver with respect to an expectation value of acceleration, and a vehicle controller that controls a vehicle according to the evaluation results. The evaluation device detects an amount of operation of the vehicle by the driver of when the vehicle is accelerated, detects an amount of vehicle behavior, computes a physical quantity of an expectation value indicating the expectation value of an acceleration performance which the driver expects based on the detected values, computes a sensory physical quantity indicating a sensation of the acceleration which the driver senses, and computes an evaluation value of the acceleration sensation based on difference or ratio between the physical quantity of the expectation value and the sensory physical quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2006
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akio Matsunaga, Yusuke Nozaki, Masanori Shimada, Eiichi Yasuda, Masahiko Mizuno, Kazukata Takei, Eiichi Ono, Noriyoshi Terazawa, Mitsuteru Kokubun