Patents by Inventor Atsushi Matsubara

Atsushi Matsubara 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: 20020112902
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided which comprises an all cylinder deactivated operation execution flag F_ALCS for executing the all cylinders deactivated operation, when it is determined that the all cylinders deactivated operation is appropriate by the all cylinders deactivation standby flag F_ALCSSTB for determining the appropriateness of the all cylinders deactivated operation and the all cylinders deactivation release conditions realization flag F_F_ALCSSTP for determining the appropriateness of releasing the all cylinders deactivated operation, based on the all cylinders deactivation solenoid flag F_ALCSSOL for operating a spool valve, steps S110 and S117 for determining an appropriateness of the operation of the solenoid valve, the all cylinder deactivation standby flag F_ALCSSTB, the all cylinder deactivation conditions realization flag F_ALCSSTP, the all cylinder deactivation solenoid flag F_ALCSSOL, and steps S110 and S112.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune, Shinichi Kitajima, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20020115532
    Abstract: The invention provides a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle for generating an appropriate amount of regeneration energy during deceleration. A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising an engine and electric motor for driving the hybrid vehicle wherein the engine comprises cylinders capable of deactivated operations and the motor executes regenerative braking when the vehicle is decelerating. The control apparatus of the present invention comprises a cylinder deactivation determination device for determining whether or not the vehicle speed is appropriate for executing the cylinder deactivated operation, a regeneration amount calculating device for detecting whether the vehicle state is appropriate for regeneration and calculates the amount of regeneration; and further comprises a compensation amount calculating device that compensates the amount of regeneration based on an all cylinder deactivated operation and the engine rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune, Toshinari Shinohara
  • Publication number: 20020112903
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as a driving source, the control apparatus stops fuel supply to the engine by a fuel supply stop device during deceleration, and performs regenerative braking by the motor depending on the deceleration state, wherein the engine is a type of engine capable of executing cylinders deactivated operation for at least one cylinder, and the control apparatus comprises the cylinders deactivated operation execution flag F_ALCS for determining whether it is appropriate for cylinders to enters into the deactivated operation based on the traveling conditions of a vehicle and a variable valve timing mechanism for deactivating the operation of the cylinders of the engine when the cylinders deactivated operation is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune
  • Publication number: 20020115526
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus is provided which can improve fuel consumption. There is provided: a cylinder cut-off determination section for determining whether all cylinders should be cut off; a cylinder cut-off cancellation determination section for determining whether cylinder cut-off cancellation conditions have been satisfied; a cylinder cut-off execution section for operating a spool valve when the cylinder cut-off determination section determines that cylinder cut-off is possible; and a cylinder cut-off control section for cutting off the cylinders of the engine based on the operating conditions of the cylinder cut-off determination section, the cylinder cut-off cancellation determination section and the cylinder cut-off execution section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Toshinari Shinohara, Yasuo Nakamoto, Shigeo Hidai
  • Patent number: 6435171
    Abstract: The present invention increases the frequency of the LAF sensor deterioration determination in the case that air-fuel ratio control is being carried out while the deterioration of the LAF sensor is being monitored. When the monitor conditions are no longer satisfied during the deterioration determination of the LAF sensor (as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6), the LAF prohibition timer is operated (as shown in (c) of FIG. 6), and switching to a lean burn is prohibited for a predetermined time interval (for example, 7 seconds), and in addition, after the LAF sensor deterioration determination has completed, after passage of a time interval shorter than this predetermined time interval (for example, 2 seconds) (as shown in figures (c) and (d) of FIG. 6), a lean burn is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Asao Ukai, Hideyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6434453
    Abstract: An engine control system for a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as driving force sources, for permitting stopping and restarting of the engine in accordance with predetermined drive conditions. The engine control system includes a fuel cutter for cutting fuel supply to the engine when the vehicle decelerates and an engine speed detector for detecting an engine speed. Stopping of the engine is initiated by cutting the fuel supply by the fuel cutter, and when the engine speed becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, the engine is stopped by operating the motor as a generator and by cutting the fuel supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Takashi Kiyomiya, Hideyuki Oki
  • Patent number: 6430482
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle which increases electric power supply to a power storage unit to reduce the discharge amount from the power storage unit in the case where electric power consumption of the low voltage system is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Izumiura, Hideyuki Oki
  • Publication number: 20020095932
    Abstract: A control system for an internal combustion engine having an intake system and an exhaust system is disclosed. The exhaust system includes a catalyst, and the intake system includes a throttle valve. The engine is mounted on a vehicle having a brake booster to which an intake pressure at downstream of the throttle valve is introduced. The catalyst temperature rise control in which the intake air amount is increased after starting of the engine and the ignition timing is retarded according to a rotational speed of the engine is performed. When a pressure difference between the detected intake pressure and the atmospheric pressure during the catalyst temperature raising control is less than a predetermined pressure, the increased intake air amount and the retard amount of the ignition timing is gradually decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Katsuhiro Kumagai, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kan Nakaune
  • Patent number: 6424053
    Abstract: The control apparatus for the hybrid vehicle is provided with a combustion engine for outputting a driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, a power storage unit for storing electric energy generated by the motor acting as a generator using the output from the engine and electric energy regenerated by the motor when the vehicle decelerates. The control apparatus including: an engine temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the engine; and a generated energy increasing device for increasing the energy generated by the motor acting as a generator when the vehicle is traveling by the driving force from the engine without the assistance of the motor, and when the engine temperature measuring device determines that the temperature of the engine is equal to or below a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Takashi Kiyomiya, Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Yasuo Nakamoto, Atsushi Izumiura
  • Patent number: 6414401
    Abstract: A regeneration control system and method applied to a hybrid vehicle is disclosed, by which sufficient energy can be stored during deceleration regeneration, and engine stall can be prevented when the amount of load imposed on the engine increases during deceleration regeneration. The method includes (i) determining a quantity of regeneration performed using the motor during deceleration of the vehicle, and for making the motor execute regeneration based on the determined quantity; (ii) detecting a variation (decrement) of the engine speed; (iii) detecting the engine speed, and (iv) stopping regeneration executed by the motor during deceleration of the vehicle if the detected variation of the engine speed is larger than a predetermined value, or if the detected engine speed is equal to or below a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Atsushi Izumiura, Shinichi Kitajima, Teruo Wakashiro, Kazutomo Sawamura
  • Patent number: 6408968
    Abstract: In vehicle operation under cruise mode, the battery, which is in a low temperature state, is caused to rise in temperature at an early stage, and the assistance amount and the regeneration power generation amount by means of the motor are caused to increase. During vehicle operation in cruise mode, in the case in which one or the other of the battery temperature and the engine water temperature have failed to reach a predetermined temperature, the cruise power generation amount is raised to a predetermined level, and charging of the battery is continued until both the battery temperature and the engine water temperature have reached predetermined temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kan Nakaune, Morio Kayano, Kazunori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6397585
    Abstract: A catalyst temperature estimating apparatus is provided, capable of estimating the temperature of the catalyst installed in an internal combustion engine on a vehicle by providing various catalyst temperature estimating parameters, when the internal combustion engine is in an idle stop. When it is determined that the internal combustion engine is stopped by determining whether the internal combustion engine is stopped, the temperature of the catalyst is estimated based on temperature coefficients during the engine stop. Estimation of the catalyst temperature even when the engine is in an idle stop makes it possible to accurately and promptly estimate the catalyst temperature when the engine is restarted from the idle stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Matsubara, Shigetaka Kuroda, Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 6390083
    Abstract: The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine of the present invention comprises: a fuel supply device for supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine; a fuel tank for retaining fuel; a purge device for purging fuel vapor, produced in the fuel tank, into an intake system of the internal combustion engine; a purge correction amount updating device for calculating a purge correction amount for correcting an amount of fuel to be supplied by the fuel supply device, depending on the amount of fuel vapor purged by the purge device; a target air-fuel ratio setting device for setting a target air-fuel ratio depending on a running state of the internal combustion engine; and an update amount setting device for updating the purge correction amount depending on the target air-fuel ratio set by the target air-fuel ratio setting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Fumihiko Konno, Atsushi Matsubara, Teruo Wakashiro, Hideyuki Takahashi, Hironao Fukuchi, Yasuo Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 6382192
    Abstract: An evaporating fuel processing apparatus of an internal combustion engine is disclosed, which can reliably determine the presence or absence of leakage even if stopping and restarting operations of the internal combustion engine are alternately repeated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Oki, Atsushi Matsubara
  • Patent number: 6380641
    Abstract: This invention relates to an engine stall prevention apparatus for a hybrid vehicle. This engine stall prevention apparatus comprises a clutch operation detection device which detects an operation of a clutch; a clutch state determination device which determines the state of the clutch based on the relationship between the vehicle speed and the engine speed; a throttle opening degree determination device which determines the degree of throttle opening of the engine; a first engine speed modification device (S010) which modifies a charging/regeneration allowing lower limit engine speed value above which deceleration regeneration by the electric motor is allowed; and a half-engaged clutch determination maintaining device (S008) which outputs a determination signal indicating that the clutch is half-engaged for a predetermined period of time when the throttle is completely closed and the clutch is determined to be half-engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Kazutomo Sawamura, Shinichi Kitajima, Atsushi Izumiura, Teruo Wakashiro
  • Patent number: 6371889
    Abstract: The engine automatic start stop control apparatus that controls an engine to be automatically stopped or started in response to driving conditions of a vehicle, comprises: a clutch detector for detecting depression of a clutch pedal; an accelerator detector for detecting depression of an accelerator pedal; an automatic stop detector for detecting an automatic stop of the engine; a stop history checker for checking a history of stopping of the vehicle when the automatic stop detector detects the stop of the vehicle; and an automatic start device for terminating the automatic stop of the engine and starting the engine when the automatic stop detector detects the automatic stop, when the clutch detector detects the depression of the clutch pedal, when the stop history checker finds no stop history, and when the accelerator detector detects depression of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Izumiura, Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 6366059
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a hybrid vehicle is provided, capable of charging the storage battery, when the residual capacity of the storage battery is decreasing and when a predetermined amount of the initial residual capacity is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Takashi Iwamoto, Shinichi Kitajima, Shigetaka Kuroda, Kazutomo Sawamura, Atsushi Matsubara
  • Patent number: 6362536
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power generation control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle comprises an engine which outputs a driving force for the hybrid vehicle; a motor which outputs an assistant driving force so as to assist the driving force of the engine; a power storage unit; and a power generation control apparatus which controls the power generation by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Izumiura, Takashi Kiyomiya, Hideyuki Oki, Kan Nakaune, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Hideyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6356818
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control apparatus for improving fuel consumption ratio by making appropriate the deceleration perception of the hybrid vehicle is provided. It is determined whether the flag setting of a brake ON determination flag is “1”. If the brake is OFF, a brake OFF regeneration amount is obtained, and is assigned to the deceleration regeneration computed value. It is determined whether a remaining batter charge is greater than or equal to a predetermined normal power generation mode execution upper limit remaining charge. In the case where the determination result is yes, it is determined whether a control vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined high speed deceleration regeneration reduction lower limit vehicle speed. In the case where the determination result is yes, the value obtained by multiplying the deceleration regeneration computed value by a predetermined high speed deceleration regeneration reduction coefficient, for example 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruo Wakashiro, Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Izumiura, Atsushi Matsubara, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura
  • Patent number: 6343246
    Abstract: A control system for a hybrid vehicle with a combustion engine is provided for outputting driving force, an electric motor for generating a force for assisting the output from the engine, and a power storage unit for supplying a power to the motor and for storing energy regenerated by the motor when the vehicle decelerates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Matsubara, Hideyuki Oki, Shinichi Kitajima, Kazutomo Sawamura, Hideyuki Takahashi, Kan Nakaune, Hiroyuki Makino, Teruo Wakashiro