Patents by Inventor Hideo Matsunaga

Hideo 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: 20240317212
    Abstract: A control device for a hybrid vehicle determines whether an EGR valve has an opening failure, and performs a pre-operation in which the engine is operated at a load smaller than a load in a series mode for a certain period of time while the vehicle is driven by a motor immediately before switching from an EV mode to the series mode. The pre-operation has a normal pre-mode in which the engine is operated at a first load when it is determined that the EGR valve does not have an opening failure, and a small failure pre-mode and a large failure pre-mode in which the engine is operated at a second load larger than the first load when it is determined that the EGR valve has the opening failure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazumichi TAKAHASHI, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Yoshikazu MATSUDA, Masanori AIHARA
  • Patent number: 12078130
    Abstract: A control unit diagnoses a failure of a fuel storage unit that seals a fuel tank and a processing unit that processes fuel evaporative gas in the fuel tank. A first pressure detection unit of the fuel storage unit detects the pressure of the fuel tank. A second pressure detection unit of the fuel storage unit is disposed at a position different from the first pressure detection unit, and detects the pressure of the fuel tank. The control unit specifies a failure portion of the fuel storage unit and the processing unit based on a change in either one or both of a first pressure value detected by the first pressure detection unit and a second pressure value detected by the second pressure detection unit when the pressure of the fuel tank is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke Uematsu, Takuya Ohshima, Hideo Matsunaga, Atsushi Wakamatsu, Takahiro Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 11719197
    Abstract: In a fuel tank system, a control unit diagnoses a failure of a fuel storage unit and a processing unit. The fuel storage unit includes a vapor passage through which a fuel tank and a sealing valve are communicated with each other, a first pressure detection unit, and a second pressure detection unit disposed at a position different from the first pressure detection unit. The control unit specifies a presence or an absence of a clogging of the vapor passage based on a first pressure value detected by the first pressure detection unit and a second pressure value detected by the second pressure detection unit when the pressure in the fuel tank is changed by the pressure generation unit in a condition that the sealing valve is controlled to be opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke Uematsu, Takuya Ohshima, Hideo Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 11698044
    Abstract: A fuel tank system includes a fuel storage unit, a processing unit, and a control unit. The control unit performs a first failure diagnosis of diagnosing a failure of the fuel storage unit in a state where the sealing valve is closed. When the control unit diagnoses that the fuel storage unit is normal, the control unit performs a second failure diagnosis of diagnosing a failure of a purge valve and a bypass valve by causing a pressure generation unit to generate pressure in a state where the sealing valve is closed. When there is a possibility that the purge valve and the bypass valve are in closed-sticking, the control unit performs a third failure diagnosis of specifying a failure in any one of closed-sticking of the purge valve and closed-sticking of the bypass valve by opening the sealing valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHTKT KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke Uematsu, Takuya Ohshima, Hideo Matsunaga
  • Publication number: 20220316429
    Abstract: A control unit diagnoses a failure of a fuel storage unit that seals a fuel tank and a processing unit that processes fuel evaporative gas in the fuel tank. A first pressure detection unit of the fuel storage unit detects the pressure of the fuel tank. A second pressure detection unit of the fuel storage unit is disposed at a position different from the first pressure detection unit, and detects the pressure of the fuel tank. The control unit specifies a failure portion of the fuel storage unit and the processing unit based on a change in either one or both of a first pressure value detected by the first pressure detection unit and a second pressure value detected by the second pressure detection unit when the pressure of the fuel tank is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke UEMATSU, Takuya OHSHIMA, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Atsushi WAKAMATSU, Takahiro TSUTSUI
  • Publication number: 20220268241
    Abstract: A fuel tank system includes a fuel storage unit, a processing unit, and a control unit. The control unit performs a first failure diagnosis of diagnosing a failure of the fuel storage unit in a state where the sealing valve is closed. When the control unit diagnoses that the fuel storage unit is normal, the control unit performs a second failure diagnosis of diagnosing a failure of a purge valve and a bypass valve by causing a pressure generation unit to generate pressure in a state where the sealing valve is closed. When there is a possibility that the purge valve and the bypass valve are in closed-sticking, the control unit performs a third failure diagnosis of specifying a failure in any one of closed-sticking of the purge valve and closed-sticking of the bypass valve by opening the sealing valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke UEMATSU, Takuya OHSHIMA, Hideo MATSUNAGA
  • Publication number: 20220252024
    Abstract: In a fuel tank system, a control unit diagnoses a failure of a fuel storage unit and a processing unit. The fuel storage unit includes a vapor passage through which a fuel tank and a sealing valve are communicated with each other, a first pressure detection unit, and a second pressure detection unit disposed at a position different from the first pressure detection unit. The control unit specifies a presence or an absence of a clogging of the vapor passage based on a first pressure value detected by the first pressure detection unit and a second pressure value detected by the second pressure detection unit when the pressure in the fuel tank is changed by the pressure generation unit in a condition that the sealing valve is controlled to be opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kyosuke UEMATSU, Takuya OHSHIMA, Hideo MATSUNAGA
  • Patent number: 11325461
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a radiator that cools cooling water; a grille shutter that is provided on a vehicle front side of the radiator and opens or closes a grille provided in a vehicle; a first flow path in which the cooling water passes through the radiator; a second flow path in which the cooling water does not pass through the radiator; a thermostat that switches a path between the first flow path and the second flow path; and a failure determiner that performs failure determination of the thermostat based on an actual temperature of the cooling water and an estimated temperature of the cooling water, the estimated temperature being calculated based on a temperature change of the cooling water caused by an open or close state of the grille shutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Hideo Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10927795
    Abstract: A controller has a leak determiner determining the presence or absence of an evaporative gas leak in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressing device, based on a first pressure which is the pressure of a canister when a first predetermined period has elapsed in a state where a first opening/closing section and a second opening/closing section are closed, a third opening/closing section is opened, a fourth opening/closing section is closed, and a pressure generating section is operated; and a second pressure which is the pressure within the canister when, after a lapse of the first predetermined period, a second predetermined period has elapsed in a state where the third opening/closing section is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISH
    Inventors: Hideo Matsunaga, Kyosuke Uematsu, Katsuhiro Furuta
  • Publication number: 20200191097
    Abstract: A controller has a leak determiner determining the presence or absence of an evaporative gas leak in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressing device, based on a first pressure which is the pressure of a canister when a first predetermined period has elapsed in a state where a first opening/closing section and a second opening/closing section are closed, a third opening/closing section is opened, a fourth opening/closing section is closed, and a pressure generating section is operated; and a second pressure which is the pressure within the canister when, after a lapse of the first predetermined period, a second predetermined period has elapsed in a state where the third opening/closing section is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo MATSUNAGA, Kyosuke UEMATSU, Katsuhiro FURUTA
  • Patent number: 10683003
    Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle that selects a series mode in which an engine drives a motor generator to generate electric power and a driving motor drives drive wheels, the series mode is suspended to temporarily stop fuel supply to the engine, and the motor generator forcedly drives the engine using electric power supplied from a driving battery to perform motoring, and failure determination of the O2 sensors is performed based on oxygen concentrations of an exhaust gas from the engine detected by a front O2 sensor and a rear O2 sensor when the fuel supply to the engine is stopped and when the fuel supply is restarted after finish of the motoring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Matsunaga, Hisakazu Ikedaya, Hitoshi Kamura
  • Patent number: 10612484
    Abstract: Control apparatus for an engine includes a failure determination unit which determines whether there is a failure in an operating engine, and an A/F (air-fuel ratio) feedback control unit which performs feedback control to bring actual A/F in the engine to a target set in advance. The failure determination unit includes a failure determination section, a failure code storing section, a similar operating condition recording section, and a return-to-normal control section. The A/F feedback control unit includes an A/F target setting section, and the target set is stored in the similar operating condition recording section as a factor defining the operating condition of the engine. The return-to-normal control section eliminates the failure code if the failure determination section does not determine that there is a failure when the engine is operating in an operating condition similar to that recorded in the similar operating condition recording section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Maeda, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta
  • Publication number: 20190389302
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: a radiator that cools cooling water; a grille shutter that is provided on a vehicle front side of the radiator and opens or closes a grille provided in a vehicle; a first flow path in which the cooling water passes through the radiator; a second flow path in which the cooling water does not pass through the radiator; a thermostat that switches a path between the first flow path and the second flow path; and a failure determiner that performs failure determination of the thermostat based on an actual temperature of the cooling water and an estimated temperature of the cooling water, the estimated temperature being calculated based on a temperature change of the cooling water caused by an open or close state of the grille shutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro FURUTA, Hideo MATSUNAGA
  • Patent number: 10495015
    Abstract: A diagnostic device incorporates a processor and a memory and diagnoses a failure related to a fuel injection system for an engine whose air-fuel ratio of is feedback-controlled. The diagnostic device includes a calculation unit which calculates a corrected value of a fuel injection amount according to a difference between a target value and a measured value of the air-fuel ratio. The diagnostic device includes a setting unit which sets a mask period in which a failure diagnosis is suspended, according to the corrected value upon switchover of a fuel injection mode. The diagnostic device includes a diagnostic unit which does not carry out the diagnosis in the mask period and carries out the diagnosis outside the mask period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga, Satoshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 10487765
    Abstract: A failure detection apparatus for fuel systems of an engine includes a first failure determiner executing, while the engine is in each of a first injection form and a second injection form, a failure determination process on the corresponding fuel system, a second failure determiner executing, when the first failure determiner determines occurrence of a failure in one of the injection forms, a failure determination process on the fuel system corresponding to the other injection form, a failure locator determining whether or not the failure has occurred, for each of the fuel systems responsible for the first and second injection forms, based on a result by the second failure determiner, and a purge process prohibiter prohibiting execution of a purge process for the engine. The second failure determiner causes the purge process prohibiter to prohibit execution of the purge process, when executing the failure determination process on the fuel system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Maeda, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10393000
    Abstract: A failure determination apparatus for an oxygen concentration sensor disposed downstream of a catalyst provided in an exhaust system is provided for detecting a failure in the oxygen concentration sensor. The failure determination apparatus comprises: a failure determination device for determining a failure in the oxygen concentration sensor based on the length of a period when the output of the oxygen concentration sensor passes through a predetermined output section during enrichment control after a fuel cut mode of the internal combustion engine is released; a rich fuel supply amount calculation device for calculating the time average of an enriching fuel supply amount, relative to a fuel supply amount necessary for stoichiometric combustion, based on an actual fuel supply amount during the enrichment control; and a failure determination restriction device for restricting failure determination of the failure determination device based on the time average of the enriching fuel supply amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenta Imaoka, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 10233872
    Abstract: After an engine is started, pump monitoring is performed as follows: a canister is opened to the atmosphere; a negative pressure pump is activated; and abnormality of the negative pressure pump is evaluated on the basis of canister pressure Pc detected with a pressure sensor in an evaporative leakage check module, and after the pump monitoring is completed, a switching valve is closed so that the negative pressure pump communicates with the canister for purge any fuel evaporative gas into an intake passage of the engine, and whether or not leakage has occurred in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressor is evaluated based on the canister pressure Pc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyosuke Uematsu, Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta
  • Publication number: 20190040811
    Abstract: A failure detection apparatus for fuel systems of an engine includes a first failure determiner executing, while the engine is in each of a first injection form and a second injection form, a failure determination process on the corresponding fuel system, a second failure determiner executing, when the first failure determiner determines occurrence of a failure in one of the injection forms, a failure determination process on the fuel system corresponding to the other injection form, a failure locator determining whether or not the failure has occurred, for each of the fuel systems responsible for the first and second injection forms, based on a result by the second failure determiner, and a purge process prohibiter prohibiting execution of a purge process for the engine. The second failure determiner causes the purge process prohibiter to prohibit execution of the purge process, when executing the failure determination process on the fuel system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi MAEDA, Junya KITADA, Hideo MATSUNAGA
  • Patent number: 10190562
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a dynamo-electric machine driving an engine, and a calculator calculating an increment in a crank angular acceleration of the engine every certain period from a base time after the driving of the engine by the dynamo-electric machine. The apparatus further includes a determiner determining that the engine has started by the dynamo-electric machine on a condition that the increment calculated by the calculator exceeds a standard value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Maeda, Hideo Matsunaga, Hitoshi Kamura, Koetsu Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 10190469
    Abstract: A deterioration determination unit determines whether a catalyst in an exhaust passage of an engine is deteriorated; a first determination unit determines whether there is an air-fuel ratio variation among cylinders of the engine on the basis of distortion in waveform of the air-fuel ratio on the upstream side of the catalyst; and a second determination unit determines whether there is an air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders on the basis that the air-fuel ratio on the downstream side of the catalyst remains on the lean side. A determination mode switching unit makes the first determination unit execute a determination process concurrently with determination by the deterioration determination unit, and it is determined by the determination process that there is an air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders, makes the second determination unit execute a determination process in priority to determination of deterioration of the catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Kazumichi Takahashi, Yuji Sato, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga