Patents by Inventor Azusa Kobayashi

Azusa Kobayashi 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: 12202466
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes: a generator configured to charge a battery by using power of an engine; an electric motor configured to drive a driving wheel by electric power of the battery; and a particulate filter configured to collect particulate matter contained in exhaust gas from the engine. In the control method, the engine is driven to raise a temperature of the particulate filter when a first temperature rise condition is satisfied in which a first predetermined amount or more of the particulate matter is accumulated in the particulate filter and the temperature of the particulate filter is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Drive of the engine is prohibited, when a predetermined first condition that a driver does not intend to drive the engine is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Kenichi Gotou, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20250001890
    Abstract: A charge control method according to an embodiment controls charge of a battery that includes a lithium-ion battery and is disposed in a vehicle and: calculates a long-term chargeable power as a power that allows charging the battery for a long term; calculates a short-term chargeable power as a power that allows charging the battery for a short term and is larger than the long-term chargeable power; calculates a continuous chargeable power that allows continuously charging the battery based on the short-term chargeable power and the long-term chargeable power; and restricts an upper limit of a charge power of the battery to the continuous chargeable power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Ikuhiro Taniguchi, Toyoki Iguchi, Hiroyuki Sano, Azusa Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Shibui
  • Publication number: 20240416918
    Abstract: This is a control method for a vehicle, the vehicle including an electric generator, an engine coupled to the electric generator, a drive motor configured to drive the vehicle, and a battery electrically connected to the electric generator and the drive motor, electric power generated by the electric generator being configured to be supplied to at least one of the battery and the drive motor. The control method is including: calculating, when a temperature of the battery is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, a drive torque target value based on required electric power of the vehicle and a state of the battery, controlling a torque of the electric generator based on the drive torque target value, and controlling a rotation speed of the engine based on a predetermined reference low rotation speed, thereby performing a low electric power generation control for causing the electric generator to generate electric power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshihiro TERAI, Tomohiro ITO, Azusa KOBAYASHI, Kentaro FUSE, Keisuke NISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20240326777
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a generator, a drive motor, and a filter that collects particulate matter in exhaust gas of the engine. The generator is driven by the engine to generate power. The drive motor is driven with the power generated by the generator. A method for controlling the vehicle includes performing motoring by driving the engine in an operation stop state with the generator, thereby performing fuel cut of the engine and consuming power; prohibiting fuel cut of the engine based on a temperature of the filter; and when a discharge request is made while the fuel cut of the engine is prohibited, performing a power consumption operation in which a negative engine torque is generated in the engine by driving the engine with the generator while performing combustion in the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Yoshihiko Misao, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12084039
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a generator, a drive motor, and a filter that collects particulate matter in exhaust gas of the engine, in which the generator is driven by the engine to generate power, and the drive motor is driven with the power generated by the generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Yoshihiko Misao, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12077148
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes: a power generator that charges a battery using power of an engine; an electric motor that drives a driving wheel by electric power of the battery; a particulate filter that collects particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine. In the control method, electric power is supplied from the battery to the power generator to perform a motoring operation of rotating the engine by the power generator to supply air to the particulate filter when particulate matters of a first predetermined amount or more are accumulated in the particulate filter. And motoring operation is prohibited even if the particulate filter is accumulated with particulate matters of the first predetermined amount or more when a predetermined first condition that a driver does not intend a motoring operation is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Kenichi Gotou, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12077149
    Abstract: A vehicle is a series hybrid vehicle that drives drive wheels using a travel motor by utilizing power of a power generation motor, which generates power by being driven by motive power of an internal combustion engine provided with a turbo charger. A method for controlling the vehicle includes executing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine when excess power is greater than at least power that can be inputted in the system and the internal combustion engine is being supercharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuma Iwasaki, Azusa Kobayashi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Ryo Onogawa
  • Publication number: 20240270229
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a generator, a drive motor, and a filter that collects particulate matter in exhaust gas of the engine, in which the generator is driven by the engine to generate power, and the drive motor is driven with the power generated by the generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2021
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Applicant: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Yoshihiko Misao, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20240227777
    Abstract: A vehicle is a series hybrid vehicle that drives drive wheels using a travel motor by utilizing power of a power generation motor, which generates power by being driven by motive power of an internal combustion engine provided with a turbo charger. A method for controlling the vehicle includes executing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine when excess power is greater than at least power that can be inputted in the system and the internal combustion engine is being supercharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Kazuma Iwasaki, Azusa Kobayashi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Ryo Onogawa
  • Patent number: 12025069
    Abstract: A hybrid control method controls a hybrid vehicle. A control unit sets a rotational speed threshold value at which a continuous gear tooth striking sound occurring in a gear mechanism connecting an electric power generation motor to the internal combustion engine is not a problem in terms of vehicle quality. The control unit generates negative pressure while maintaining the engine rotational speed in the firing state where the engine rotational speed is equal to or greater than the rotational speed threshold value. Also, the control unit generates negative pressure after switching from the firing state to a motoring state where the internal combustion engine is rotated by the electric power generation motor and where the engine rotational speed is less than the rotational speed threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsukasa Ichiba, Makoto Kozuka, Tomohiro Ito, Azusa Kobayashi, Kenichi Goto
  • Patent number: 11993248
    Abstract: A control method controls a series hybrid vehicle in which a drive motor and an internal combustion engine are supported in a vehicle body via a plurality of mount members in an integrated state. The control method using a controller generates electric power using an electric power generation motor, and drives the electric power generation motor using motive power of the internal combustion engine. The control method drives a drive wheel with the drive motor using the generated electric power, and causes the drive motor to generate regenerative torque during deceleration. In the control method, the regenerative torque is generated by the drive motor such that an upper limit of the regenerative torque is restricted to a magnitude at which an engine rotational speed where resonance occurs on the vehicle body floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Yohei Nakamura, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20240132050
    Abstract: A vehicle is a series hybrid vehicle that drives drive wheels using a travel motor by utilizing power of a power generation motor, which generates power by being driven by motive power of an internal combustion engine provided with a turbo charger. A method for controlling the vehicle includes executing a fuel cut of the internal combustion engine when excess power is greater than at least power that can be inputted in the system and the internal combustion engine is being supercharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Kazuma Iwasaki, Azusa Kobayashi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Hirofumi Miyauchi, Ryo Onogawa
  • Patent number: 11851045
    Abstract: A series hybrid vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle that has a battery, an electric power generating motor, a drive motor and an internal combustion engine. The battery charged with the electric power from the electric power generating motor that generates electric power by being driven by the internal combustion engine, and charged with the electric power regenerated by regenerative braking of the drive motor. The drive motor drives a drive wheel. The electric power consumption for motoring is greater in a B range than in a D range. The control method sets deceleration caused by regenerative braking of the drive motor to be greater in the B range than in the D range, and starts motoring of the internal combustion engine in the B range at a lower SOC of the battery than the SOC of the battery in the D range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Hiroko Katayama, Azusa Kobayashi, Hiroyasu Fujita, Hiromu Morishita
  • Publication number: 20230347866
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes: a power generator that charges a battery using power of an engine; an electric motor that drives a driving wheel by electric power of the battery; a particulate filter that collects particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine. In the control method, electric power is supplied from the battery to the power generator to perform a motoring operation of rotating the engine by the power generator to supply air to the particulate filter when particulate matters of a first predetermined amount or more are accumulated in the particulate filter. And motoring operation is prohibited even if the particulate filter is accumulated with particulate matters of the first predetermined amount or more when a predetermined first condition that a driver does not intend a motoring operation is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi HOSHI, Kenichi GOTOU, Azusa KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20230339452
    Abstract: In a control method of a vehicle, an electric power consumption, which is an electric power consumed by the motoring, includes a friction electric power consumption, which is an electric power consumption of the motoring determined according to friction of the internal combustion engine, and an inertia electric power, which is an electric power consumed for an inertia torque for changing a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Hiroko Katayama, Azusa Kobayashi, Hiroyasu Fujita, Hiromu Morishita
  • Publication number: 20230303059
    Abstract: A series hybrid vehicle control method for controlling a vehicle that has a battery, an electric power generating motor, a drive motor and an internal combustion engine. The battery charged with the electric power from the electric power generating motor that generates electric power by being driven by the internal combustion engine, and charged with the electric power regenerated by regenerative braking of the drive motor. The drive motor drives a drive wheel. The electric power consumption for motoring is greater in a B range than in a D range. The control method sets deceleration caused by regenerative braking of the drive motor to be greater in the B range than in the D range, and starts motoring of the internal combustion engine in the B range at a lower SOC of the battery than the SOC of the battery in the D range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Kiyoshi HOSHI, Hiroko KATAYAMA, Azusa KOBAYASHI, Hiroyasu FUJITA, Hiromu MORISHITA
  • Publication number: 20230271598
    Abstract: A vehicle control system increases the travel distance of a vehicle by inhibiting reduction in the SOC of a battery even when the output of an engine is limited. The control system is characterized by comprising: an electric motor that drives a vehicle: an engine that drives a power generator that generates electric power to be supplied to the electric motor; a battery that is configured to be chargeable by the power generator and that is electrically connected to the electric motor; and a controller that controls the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Publication date: August 31, 2023
    Inventors: Ryo Onogawa, Azusa Kobayashi, Yoshihiro Terai
  • Patent number: 11577713
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle including a battery charged with electric power generated by an engine, including a motor as a drive source, and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation, the running modes including a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state, and a charge mode configured to perform electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising: setting a range of charge amount that allows for charging of the battery based on the electric power generated; and setting an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of the range of charge amount in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11529944
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle including a generator and an electric motor, the generator being configured to charge a battery by use of power of an engine, the electric motor being configured to drive driving wheels by electric power of the battery, is provided, is provided. The control method having controlling the generator and the electric motor and accepting mode setting to set any of a normal mode, a regeneration driving mode, and a silent mode, the regeneration driving mode being a mode in which a regenerative braking force caused by the electric motor is larger than that in the normal mode, the silent mode being a mode in which charging by the engine is inhibited, wherein: when the normal mode is set, setting of the silent mode is not accepted; and when the regeneration driving mode is set, setting of the silent mode is accepted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai
  • Patent number: 11518363
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a battery charged with electric power generated by the engine, and a motor as a drive source and having multiple running modes that can be selected through a mode operation. As the running mode, the method for controlling a hybrid vehicle includes a normal mode configured to perform charging of the battery according to a running state; and a charge mode configured to electric power generation by the engine according to a mode operation, the method comprising setting an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the charge mode to be lower than an upper limit of charging electric power based on the generated electric power in the normal mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Higuchi, Hidekatsu Akiyama, Azusa Kobayashi, Keisuke Kawai