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).

  • Patent number: 11479234
    Abstract: An MG1 torque at a time of decreasing an engine speed of an engine is made larger when a turbocharging pressure by a turbocharger is higher than when the turbocharging pressure is lower. In this way, even if the losses of pumps of the engine differ due to the remaining turbocharging pressure during a transition of stopping the engine in turbocharging, it is possible to appropriately reduce the engine speed. Therefore, when the engine is being brought to a stop, it is possible to appropriately suppress vibration generated in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yasuhiro Hiasa, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Patent number: 11479235
    Abstract: When a speed difference between a maximum rotation speed and an engine rotation speed, that is, an actual rotation speed difference, is equal to or less than a margin rotation speed difference, an engine operating point is changed such that the actual rotation speed difference becomes greater than the margin rotation speed difference. Accordingly, the speed difference between the maximum rotation speed and the engine rotation speed is prevented from becoming equal to or less than the margin rotation speed difference. As a result, since a relatively sufficient margin is secured in the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the engine rotation speed, it is possible to prevent the engine rotation speed from falling into a high-rotation state in which the engine rotation speed exceeds the maximum rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Takahiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 11472399
    Abstract: A controller for a hybrid vehicle predicts whether necessary discharging electric power from a power storage device which is required to perform downshift in a transmission exceeds upper-limit discharging electric power of the power storage device when downshift in the transmission is performed in a hybrid vehicle travel mode and controls a compressor rotation speed such that a rate of increase of the compressor rotation speed of a supercharger at the time of performing downshift in the transmission increases as the upper-limit discharging electric power decreases when it is predicted that the necessary discharging electric power exceeds the upper-limit discharging electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Omuro, Atsushi Tabata, Tetsuya Kono, Koichi Okuda
  • Publication number: 20220317991
    Abstract: A central ECU includes a download execution feasibility determination unit that determines whether or not execution of download of data from an external distribution server of a vehicle is feasible based on position information of the vehicle, a download execution unit that executes the download in a case where the download execution feasibility determination unit determines that the execution of the download is feasible, and a transmission unit that records execution failure result information including position information of the vehicle when the download is executed by the download execution unit and fails, in an external monitoring server of the vehicle, in which the download execution feasibility determination unit determines whether or not the execution of the download is feasible based on the execution failure result information recorded in the distribution server and the current position information of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Masafumi YAMAMOTO, Yuki MAKINO, Shotaro SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 11458952
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a first motor, a differential unit, a second motor, a driving force split device, and a controller, the controller is configured to control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that the hybrid vehicle travels with the engine rotating within a range of an allowable maximum rotational speed for control or less. In this case, the controller is configured to set the allowable maximum rotational speed such that the allowable maximum rotational speed is higher when a main-side ratio is lower than when the main-side ratio is higher. The main-side ratio is a ratio of a driving force that is transmitted to main drive wheels to the total driving force that is transmitted from a drive shaft to the main drive wheels and sub drive wheels via the driving force split device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Okuda, Atsushi Tabata, Yasutaka Tsuchida, Yuuki Makino
  • Publication number: 20220297545
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device and a control method therefor are provided. The vehicle drive device includes: a power source including a first rotating electrical machine; a second rotating electrical machine; a differential unit including three rotating elements to which a first output shaft, a second output shaft, and the second rotating electrical machine are connected; and an electronic control device. The electronic control device regeneratively controls the first rotating electrical machine and the second rotating electrical machine in such a manner that negative torque is applied to the first output shaft and the second output shaft, when performing regenerative control by the second rotating electrical machine in a drive mode in which torque from the power source is distributed to the first output shaft and the second output shaft by controlling torque of the second rotating electrical machine during deceleration of a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Yuki MAKINO, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Patent number: 11447110
    Abstract: When braking of the electric vehicle is performed, the braking is controlled based on a target braking split ratio which is a target value of the ratio of the braking force that is applied to the rear wheels to a total braking force that is applied to the front and rear wheels. In this case, an initial value of the target braking split ratio is set to a value within an allowable range about a transmission split ratio when braking of the electric vehicle is started while the electric vehicle is being braked by the motor, the transmission split ratio being the ratio of a braking force that is transmitted from a drive shaft to the rear wheels via a driving force split device to a total braking force that is transmitted from the drive shaft to the front and rear wheels via the driving force split device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yuuki Makino
  • 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: 11440531
    Abstract: An MG1 torque at a time of decreasing an engine speed of an engine is made larger when a turbocharging pressure by a turbocharger is higher than when the turbocharging pressure is lower. In this way, even if the losses of pumps of the engine differ due to the remaining turbocharging pressure during a transition of stopping the engine in turbocharging, it is possible to appropriately reduce the engine speed. Therefore, when the engine is being brought to a stop, it is possible to appropriately suppress vibration generated in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yasuhiro Hiasa, Yasutaka Tsuchida
  • Publication number: 20220281309
    Abstract: A drive system including first and second power sources, first and second output shafts, a differential mechanism, and an electronic control unit, and a control method therefor are provided. The differential mechanism is configured such that the second power source is connected to a first rotating element, one output shaft of a vehicle is connected to a second rotating element, and the other output shaft of the vehicle is connected to a third rotating element so as to be able to be connected to or disconnected from the third rotating element by a connect-disconnect mechanism, and includes at least one of an engagement element that selectively engages any two of the three rotating elements and an engagement element that selectively engages the third rotating element to a fixing member. The electronic control unit is configured to, during turning, prohibit switching between a first drive mode and a second drive mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Patent number: 11433912
    Abstract: A vehicle failure-factor specifying apparatus includes (a) a peculiarity-presence determining portion configured to determine, based on a pre-failure driving state in a stage prior to occurrence of a certain failure in a vehicle, whether a peculiarity was present or absent in the pre-failure driving state, and (b) a failure-causing-driving state specifying portion configured, when the peculiarity was present in the pre-failure driving state, to determine whether the peculiarity present in the pre-failure driving state of the vehicle is substantially identical with a peculiarity in the pre-failure driving state of other vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Kitahata, Atsushi Tabata, Kenji Miyasaka, Koichi Okuda
  • Patent number: 11433874
    Abstract: When a speed difference between a maximum rotation speed and an engine rotation speed, that is, an actual rotation speed difference, is equal to or less than a margin rotation speed difference, an engine operating point is changed such that the actual rotation speed difference becomes greater than the margin rotation speed difference. Accordingly, the speed difference between the maximum rotation speed and the engine rotation speed is prevented from becoming equal to or less than the margin rotation speed difference. As a result, since a relatively sufficient margin is secured in the difference between the maximum rotation speed and the engine rotation speed, it is possible to prevent the engine rotation speed from falling into a high-rotation state in which the engine rotation speed exceeds the maximum rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Takahiro Kimura
  • Publication number: 20220274478
    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: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Yuki MAKINO, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Publication number: 20220268347
    Abstract: In a vehicle drive device, a second power source is connected to a first rotating element of a differential mechanism. 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 a first 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 first engaging element, executes synchronous control in which rotational speeds of the other output shaft and the third rotating element are synchronized by a second engaging element, and switches the disconnection-connection mechanism from the disconnected state to the connected state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Publication number: 20220266687
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes a differential mechanism provided with a first rotating element connected to the first output shaft, a second rotating element connected to the second output shaft, and a third rotating element connected to the rotating electric machine and an engaging element that selectively engages any two of the first rotating element, the second rotating element, and the third rotating element. A control device controls torque from a rotating electric machine so as to change a torque distribution ratio at which torque from a power source is distributed to the first output shaft and the second output shaft, and changes the torque distribution ratio by controlling a torque capacity of the engaging element when the torque from an rotating electric machine is limited and thus a change in the torque distribution ratio is restricted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Publication number: 20220266832
    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: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi TABATA, Koichi OKUDA, Koji TAKAIRA, Akinori HOMAN, Yosuke AKIYAMA, Akira IJICHI, Kunihiko USUI
  • Patent number: 11420610
    Abstract: A vehicle includes driving wheels, driven wheels, a drive device connected to a drive shaft, a drive force distribution device, and an electronic control unit configured to execute a moderate change process on a required torque required for the drive shaft to set a target torque to be output to the drive shaft when the torque output to the drive shaft changes and crosses a value of zero. The electronic control unit is configured to control the drive device such that the target torque is output to the drive shaft, and set the target torque such that a change in the target torque with respect to a change in the required torque is more moderate when the driving side distribution ratio is small compared with the change in the target torque with respect to the change in the required torque when the driving side distribution ratio is large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Tooru Matsubara, Yuuki Makino, Keisuke Omuro
  • Patent number: 11421781
    Abstract: An oil pressure learning method of an automatic transmission includes acquiring a state of a vehicle in a state where relational regulation data is stored, supplying oil to the automatic transmission such that the value of the oil pressure is set to an oil pressure command value, calculating, as a specific variable, a variable representing an amount in which a detected input rotation speed exceeds a target input rotation speed, or the like, calculating a reward in a manner in which it has a larger value when the specific variable satisfies a criterion than when it does not satisfy the criterion, updating the relational regulation data by inputting, to an update mapping, the reward and the oil pressure command value, and calculating a torque variable having a value that is increased as an amount of change in an input torque is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideaki Bunazawa, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Ken Imamura, Kota Fujii, Keita Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11420644
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a storage device that stores relation-defining data that is data for defining a relation between a state of a vehicle and an action variable; and an executing device configured to acquire the state, operate a drivetrain device based on a value of the action variable, derive a reward such that the reward is larger when the state of the drivetrain device based on the acquired state satisfies a predetermined criterion, perform an updating of the relation-defining data using an updating map, and restrict the updating of the relation-defining data such that an updating amount of the relation-defining data is smaller when the drivetrain device is subject to a predetermined restriction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideaki Bunazawa, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Ken Imamura, Kota Fujii, Keita Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11415217
    Abstract: A device for a vehicle including: a memory configured to store mapping data including machine learning data defining a mapping that uses an estimation variable that is a variable indicating a vehicle operation status of the vehicle and a detection value of a sensor detecting an oil temperature of a power transmission device as input variables, and uses an element corresponding to the input variables as an output variable; and a processor configured to: acquire the input variables; use the mapping to acquire the element as the output variable of the mapping corresponding to the input variables; and determine based on the element whether the detection value becomes equal to or higher than a threshold value due to occurrence of an abnormality in the power transmission device or a mode of vehicle operation by the driver of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Fujii, Atsushi Tabata, Koichi Okuda, Ken Imamura