Patents by Inventor Atsushi Tabata

Atsushi Tabata 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: 20230322243
    Abstract: A vehicle program update system and a vehicle program update method are provided which update a vehicle program that is used to control a vehicle by an on-board control device mounted on the vehicle to an update program received by the vehicle from an external device separate from the vehicle via wireless communication. When the update of the vehicle program is completed, determination is made whether the updated vehicle program is normal. When determination is made that the updated vehicle program is not normal, control of the vehicle is switched from control that is performed by the on-board control device using the vehicle program to limp home control for performing a limp home operation in which the vehicle travels using a driving force from a vehicle driving force source without being controlled by the on-board control device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshito SEKIGUCHI, Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Masafumi YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11766928
    Abstract: A vehicle driving apparatus includes: an engine; a fluid transmission device; first and second rotary electric machines; an output shaft for receiving a power transmitted through a first power transmission path and outputting the power to one of a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels; and a control device for controlling an engine operation point by adjusting an electrical path amount between the first and second rotary electric machines. The second rotary electric machine outputs the power to the other of the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels, through a second power transmission path. The control device obtains a target electrical path amount enabling the engine operation point to become a target operation point, and causes a speed change device provided in the second power transmission path to establish a gear ratio enabling the target electrical path amount to be attainable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Takaira, Yohei Habata, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Masato Nakano
  • Patent number: 11762655
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including: a storage portion configured to store therein a vehicle control software for controlling a vehicle; a receiving portion configured to receive an update software from an external server; and an updating portion configured to update the vehicle control software stored in the storage portion, to the update software received by the receiving portion. The updating portion is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in a long-time requiring state that requires a long time for making a repair of the vehicle which is needed in case update of the vehicle control software is not successfully completed. The updating portion is configured to execute the update of the vehicle control software when determining that the vehicle is not in the long-time requiring state, and is configured to withhold the update of the vehicle control software when determining that the vehicle is in the long-time requiring state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata, Masafumi Yamamoto, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11740892
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including: a storage portion configured to store therein a vehicle control software for controlling a vehicle; an updating portion configured to update the vehicle control software stored in the storage portion, to an update software, and an operation check portion configured, when the update software is stored in the storage portion, to make an operation check as to whether the vehicle operates normally or not, by executing processing of the update software on condition that the vehicle is in a vehicle stopped state in which the vehicle is suppressed from being moved in forward and reverse directions. When it is checked by the operation check portion that the vehicle operates normally with the processing of the update software, the updating portion is configured to update the vehicle control software to the update software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiaki Tamachi, Yuuki Makino, Masafumi Yamamoto, Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata
  • Patent number: 11725726
    Abstract: A vehicle anomaly analysis apparatus for analyzing an anomaly having occurred in a shift control operation executed in an automatic transmission of a vehicle, by using a rotational speed changed in process of the shift control operation. The vehicle anomaly analysis apparatus specifies cause of the anomaly in the shift control operation, by applying an anomaly-cause specifying model that indicates a relationship between a manner of chronological change of a racing amount and the cause of the anomaly in the shift control operation, to the manner of the chronological change of the racing amount upon occurrence of the anomaly in the shift control operation. The racing amount is an amount of increase of the rotational speed in the process of the shift control operation, relative to a reference rotational speed that is based on a gear ratio and an output rotational speed of the automatic transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Hiromasa Tatsushiro, Kota Fujii
  • Publication number: 20230252901
    Abstract: A platooning system executes automatic follow-up running in line with a predetermined intervehicle distance between adjacent vehicles from a leading vehicle, the platoon participating vehicles each comprising a driving force source, an automatic transmission capable of shifting to a plurality of gear stages each having a different gear ratio, and an in-vehicle control device automatically controlling output of the driving force source and the gear stages of the automatic transmission, the platooning system comprising a platoon control device connected via wireless communication to the platoon participating vehicles, for managing at least shifting of the automatic transmission, the platoon control device executing platoon shift control that shifts the automatic transmission via the in-vehicle control device in order from vehicles on tail side among the platoon participating vehicles in case of satisfying shift conditions previously defined to allow the driving force source to work in a proper working range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi OKUDA, Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Yoshito SEKIGUCHI, Yuuki MAKINO, Atsushi TABATA
  • Patent number: 11702063
    Abstract: Since a maximum rotation speed of a second rotary machine is set to a lower value when a supercharging pressure is high than when the supercharging pressure is low, an engine torque decreases with an rotation speed of the second rotary machine which is relatively low and the rotation speed is less likely to fall into a high-rotation state. When the supercharging pressure is relatively low and the rotation speed is less likely to reach an upper-limit rotation speed of the second rotary machine, the maximum rotation speed is set to a relatively high value. Accordingly, the engine torque does not decrease to the rotation speed which is relatively high and power performance can be easily secured. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in power performance due to the decrease in the engine torque and to prevent the rotation speed from falling into a high-rotation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yasuhiro Hiasa, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11694492
    Abstract: A cause for a malfunction in a vehicle is identified using a preset malfunction cause identifying model indicating a relation between the cause for the malfunction identified based on a detection value of an experimental vehicle sensor such as an oil pressure sensor, which is a detection value allowing the cause for the malfunction to be identified more easily than a detection value of an in-vehicle sensor group that is the same as an in-vehicle sensor group equipped in the vehicle, and the detection value of the in-vehicle sensor group, and the detection value of the in-vehicle sensor group when the malfunction has occurred in the vehicle. Therefore, in the case where the vehicle is not equipped with the experimental vehicle sensor, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the identification of the cause for the malfunction in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Miyasaka, Atsushi Tabata, Takeshi Kitahata, Koichi Okuda
  • Patent number: 11692894
    Abstract: An oil pressure estimation device for calculating an estimated differential pressure that is an estimated value of a differential pressure between two oil chambers generated in a torque converter including the two oil chambers and a lockup clutch includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device stores mapping data defining a mapping, the mapping outputting as an output variable an estimated differential pressure variable indicating the estimated differential pressure, in response to input of an input variable, and the mapping having been trained by machine learning. The mapping includes an instruction differential pressure variable indicating the instruction differential pressure as one of a plurality of the input variables. The execution device executes an acquisition process of acquiring a value of the input variable and a calculation process of inputting the value of the input variable into the mapping to calculate a value of the output variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Ken Imamura
  • Patent number: 11674946
    Abstract: An oil condition estimation apparatus to be applied to a vehicle in which oil is agitated by a rotator includes a storage device and an execution device. The storage device stores mapping data for defining mapping. The mapping includes, as input variables, a speed variable indicating a rotation speed of the rotator, and a pressure variable indicating a pressure of the oil, and includes, as an output variable, an air bubble variable related to air bubbles contained in the oil. The execution device executes an acquisition process for acquiring values of the input variables, and a calculation process for calculating a value of the output variable by inputting, to the mapping, the values of the input variables acquired through the acquisition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata, Kota Fujii, Ken Imamura
  • Patent number: 11649892
    Abstract: A hydraulic pressure calculation apparatus is applied to a gear shifting system including a transmission configured to switch between a connected state and a disconnected state of a friction engagement element depending on a hydraulic pressure supplied from a hydraulic circuit, and a hydraulic controller configured to control the hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic pressure calculation apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores pieces of mapping data of a plurality of phases obtained by dividing a period from a start to an end of switching between the connected state and the disconnected state of the friction engagement element. Each piece of the mapping data defines a mapping. The processor is configured to output, as an output variable, an estimated hydraulic pressure variable indicating an estimated value of an actual hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic circuit to the friction engagement element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Fujii, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Ken Imamura, Hideaki Bunazawa, Keita Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11628842
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive device, a second power source is connected to a first rotating element of a differential mechanism, and the other output shaft of a first output shaft and a second output shaft is connected to a third rotating element so as to be disconnectable and connectable by a disconnection-connection mechanism. A control device places the disconnection-connection mechanism in a disconnected state. When a second traveling mode in which the third rotating element is fixed to a fixing member through engagement of an engaging element is switched to a first traveling mode in which the disconnection-connection mechanism is placed in a connected state, the control device disengages the engaging element, executes synchronous control in which rotational speeds of the other output shaft and the third rotating element are synchronized by a second power source, and switches the disconnection-connection mechanism from the disconnected state to the connected state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Koji Takaira, Akinori Homan, Yosuke Akiyama, Akira Ijichi, Kunihiko Usui
  • Patent number: 11631282
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a remaining life of a vehicle component included in a vehicle, based on various kinds of remaining-life-related data that influence the remaining life. The apparatus includes: a data transmitting portion provided in the vehicle, and configured to correlate the remaining-life-related data with running of the vehicle and to transmit the remaining-life-related data correlated with the running of the vehicle, to a data management center provided outside the vehicle, via a wireless communication; a data-unobtained running-section specifying portion configured to specify a data-unobtained running section in which the remaining-life-related data has been unobtainable by the data management center; and a remaining-life calculating portion configured to estimate the remaining life, by taking account of a reduction of the remaining life of the vehicle component in the data-unobtained running section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Masafumi Yamamoto, Yoshito Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 11628821
    Abstract: When an acceleration request is issued, an electronic control unit for a hybrid vehicle performs control for producing an acceleration feeling of setting a target engine rotation speed to an initial rotation speed (=basic initial value+initial value correction value) which is lower than an optimal-fuel-efficiency rotation speed at which required engine power is able to be most efficiently output and increasing the engine rotation speed from the initial rotation speed to the optimal-fuel-efficiency rotation speed at a rotation speed increase rate (=basic increase rate+increase rate correction value) based on the elapse of time. When the target supercharging pressure is high, the initial value correction value is set to a greater value and the increase rate correction value is set to a greater value than when the target supercharging pressure is low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yasuhiro Hiasa, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11618311
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes: a brake that is provided with a plurality of friction plates, a first piston and a second piston, and a first piston hydraulic chamber and a second piston hydraulic chamber, and selectively fixes the third rotating element to a fixing member; a hydraulic control circuit that controls supply of the hydraulic pressure to the first piston hydraulic chamber and the second piston hydraulic chamber; and a control device. The control device controls the hydraulic control circuit such that the hydraulic pressure is supplied to the first piston hydraulic chamber and the second piston hydraulic chamber when the first traveling mode is set, and controls the hydraulic control circuit such that the hydraulic pressure is supplied only to one of the first piston hydraulic chamber and the second piston hydraulic chamber when the second traveling mode is set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Koji Takaira, Yuki Makino, Akinori Homan, Yosuke Akiyama, Akira Ijichi, Kunihiko Usui
  • Patent number: 11614131
    Abstract: An apparatus to be applied to a vehicle including a transmission configured to execute a gear shifting operation for changing a gear ratio by engaging or disengaging friction engagement elements having friction members pushed by a piston that moves through hydraulic pressure supply to an oil chamber, the apparatus including: a memory storing mapping data for defining mapping, the mapping including a pressure variable and a period variable as input variables, the mapping including a stroke amount as an output variable, the pressure variable indicating a waiting pressure, the period variable indicating a waiting period; and a processor configured to: acquire values of the input variables, and calculate a value of the output variable by inputting, to the mapping, the acquired values of the input variables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Kota Fujii, Ken Imamura
  • Publication number: 20230082123
    Abstract: A software update system includes: a vehicle data acquiring unit configured to acquire data on a state of a vehicle including data of a predetermined performance of the vehicle; an effect predicting unit configured to predict an effect on the predetermined performance which is obtained when update data of software used in the vehicle for improvement of the predetermined performance is applied to the vehicle based on the data acquired by the vehicle data acquiring unit; and a delivery unit configured to deliver the update data to the vehicle when the effect predicted by the effect predicting unit satisfies a predetermined reference and to withhold delivery of the update data to the vehicle when the effect predicted by the effect predicting unit does not satisfy the predetermined reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Yuki MAKINO, Yoshito SEKIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11597398
    Abstract: When a required download time is equal to or shorter than a communication-enabled time on a running route, an update program is received from an external device via wireless communication, so a vehicular program is appropriately updated. Besides, when the required download time is longer than the communication-enabled time on the running route, a driving method ensuring the communication-enabled time that is equal to or longer than the required download time is suggested to a driver, so the update program is easy to receive via wireless communication. In consequence, the opportunities to update the vehicular program can be ensured. That is, the vehicular program can be restrained or prevented from being updated with a delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata, Masafumi Yamamoto, Yoshito Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 11586985
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle through a control program using at least one parameter. The at least one parameter is corrected by respective at least one correction value that is obtained after start of execution of a learning operation. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a learning-data storage portion configured to store, as learning data, the at least one correction value obtained after the start of the execution of the learning operation; and a learning-data rewrite portion configured, when the control program is updated, to execute a rewriting operation for rewriting the at least one correction value as the learning data from a pre-update correction value to a post-update correction value, such that the post-update correction value has the same sign as the pre-update correction value, and an absolute value of the post-update correction value is smaller than an absolute value of the pre-update correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Hiromasa Tatsushiro, Kota Fujii, Yuuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11572057
    Abstract: It is determined whether chargeable and dischargeable electric power of a battery which is a power storage device are limited. When it is determined that the chargeable and dischargeable electric power of the battery is limited, an electric power balance target value of the battery during gear shifting control in a stepped gear shifting unit which is a mechanical gear shifting mechanism is calculated. A smaller value is calculated as a change rate limit value when the chargeable and dischargeable electric power is small than when the chargeable and dischargeable electric power is great, and the calculated change rate limit value is used to perform gear shifting control in the stepped gear shifting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yasutaka Tsuchida