Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Aizawa
Hiroaki Aizawa 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).
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Publication number: 20080255744Abstract: A brake control apparatus for a vehicle includes four wheel braking apparatuses, a first hydraulic pressure generating apparatus, a front-wheel hydraulic circuit connecting the hydraulic pressure generating apparatus to the two of the wheel braking apparatuses, a rear-wheel hydraulic circuit connecting the hydraulic pressure generating apparatus to the other two of the wheel braking apparatuses, a second hydraulic pressure generating apparatus generating an auxiliary pressure, a braking operation variable detecting means, a reference amount determining means for determining a reference amount of auxiliary hydraulic pressure, an obtaining means for obtaining at least one of state quantities indicating a load condition, a driving condition and slipperiness of wheel, a target amount determining means determining a target amount of auxiliary hydraulic pressure of each hydraulic circuit to be equal to or greater than the corresponding reference amount of auxiliary hydraulic pressure, and a pressure regulating meanType: ApplicationFiled: April 9, 2008Publication date: October 16, 2008Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroaki Aizawa, Motoshi Suzuki
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Patent number: 7398145Abstract: A grip factor estimating apparatus includes a steering torque detecting unit M1, and an assist torque detecting unit M2. When a self-aligning torque estimating unit M6 estimates self-aligning torque generated in front wheels on the basis of detection result of the detecting unit, the quantity of influence of longitudinal force on self-aligning torque is removed on the basis of longitudinal force acting on the front wheels and estimated by a longitudinal force estimating unit M15 and a front wheel slip angle estimated by a front wheel slip angle estimating unit M9y. A grip factor estimating unit M12 estimates the grip factor of the front wheels on the basis of change in self-aligning torque in accordance with the side force.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: July 8, 2008Assignees: Jtekt Corporation, Advics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Minekazu Momiyama, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Yuji Muragishi, Yuzo Imoto, Hiroaki Aizawa
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Publication number: 20080119988Abstract: A steering angle control apparatus for a vehicle includes a first calculating means calculating a longitudinal force, a second calculating device calculating a longitudinal force difference between at least one of right side wheels and at least one of left side wheels based on the longitudinal force, a third calculating device calculating a contribution rate of front wheels at a steering angle control and a contribution rate of rear wheels at the steering angle control, a fourth calculating device calculating a front wheel correction steering angle and a rear wheel correction steering angle based on the contribution rate of the front wheel, the contribution rate of the rear wheel, and a state quantity including the longitudinal force difference, and a driving device outputting a control command value based on the front wheel correction steering angle and the rear wheel correction steering angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2007Publication date: May 22, 2008Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroaki Aizawa
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Patent number: 7337873Abstract: A steering control apparatus is provided for controlling a steered wheel angle of a wheel to be steered. On the basis of a road coefficient of friction estimated between right and left wheels, a braking force difference between the right and left wheels is calculated. A slip angle—total lateral force characteristic indicative of a relationship between a slip angle and a total lateral force of a wheel to be steered is provided on the basis of the estimated coefficient of friction. Then, a steered wheel angle of the wheel to be steered is set on the basis of the braking force difference and the slip angle—total lateral force characteristic.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2005Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
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Patent number: 7317980Abstract: When a vehicle stops, a brake control unit maintains a braking force applied on a wheel by a braking-force application unit for maintaining a halted state. In this state, if a driver depresses the accelerator pedal to execute starting of the vehicle, the braking force is gradually decreased, and the vehicle starts at a speed that accords with a degree of accelerator opening and a gradient of a road on which the vehicle is stopped. When a movement direction at this time is the same as a movement direction intended by the driver, the braking force is decreased to zero for smooth starting. When the movement direction is opposite to the intended movement direction, the braking force is increased to control the movement in the opposite direction, such that the movement changes from the opposite direction to the same direction, and finally, smooth starting in the desired direction is executed.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2003Date of Patent: January 8, 2008Assignee: Adivics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Aizawa, Shinsuke Sakane, Masashi Kishimoto, Yuzo Imoto
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Patent number: 7302328Abstract: A steering control apparatus obtains a steered amount by which a steered wheel is steered based on a left-and-right braking force difference control amount, a vehicle state control amount, and a steering control amount. The apparatus changes the magnitude of the braking force difference control amount and the magnitude of the vehicle state control amount according to a vehicle speed or to time elapsed from when braking started to be applied to the left and right wheels. Accordingly, the vehicle driving on a ?-split road is prevented from being deflected toward a side of higher friction coefficient due to the left-and-right braking force difference when the braking is applied.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2004Date of Patent: November 27, 2007Assignees: JTEKT Corporation, Advics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Minekazu Momiyama, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino
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Patent number: 7212903Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided with an anti-skid control device and a steering angle adjusting device, which adjusts the steering angle of at least one of the front and rear wheels to cancel a yaw deviation between a desired yaw factor and an actual yaw factor, to be substantially zero. An incompatibility between the devices is determined on the basis of a state of the wheel adjusted by the steering angle adjusting device to cancel the yaw deviation. And, a predetermined parameter provided between a vehicle stability directive parameter and a brake directive parameter is set on the basis of the incompatibility. Then, the anti-skid control device controls the braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle on the basis of the predetermined parameter. Consequently, the anti-skid control giving importance to the braking force can be performed, as long as the steering angle adjusting device is operative.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2004Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Niino, Hiroaki Aizawa, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
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Patent number: 7191048Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided for performing a vehicle stability control on the basis of a parameter indicative of lateral margin for a tire on a road. The apparatus includes a steering control device for controlling a relationship between a steering angle and a tire angle to be varied, and a decelerating control device for controlling a vehicle speed to be decreased. The parameter indicative of lateral margin for the tire is monitored, and the steering control device and the decelerating control device are controlled on the basis of the monitored parameter.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2004Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato, Eiichi Ono, Yuji Muragishi, Yoshiyuki Yasui
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Patent number: 7164974Abstract: In vehicle roll sensing of the present invention, a self-aligning torque (SAT) estimator estimates a composite value of SATs generated on tire contact patch of right and left wheels. A slip angle computer detects a vehicle speed and a steering angle and computes a slip angle of the wheel from the measured vehicle speed and steering angle. An SAT model value computer estimates an SAT model value as a composite value of SATs of the right and left wheels when no load shifts between the right and left wheels on the basis of the slip angle. A load shift ratio estimator estimates a load shift state of the right and left wheels on the basis of the composite value of the SATs of the wheels and the SAT model value. A vehicle rollover estimator estimates a rollover of the vehicle on the basis of the estimated load-shift state.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2004Date of Patent: January 16, 2007Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Eiichi Ono, Yuji Muragishi, Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
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Publication number: 20050205346Abstract: A steering control apparatus is provided for controlling a steered wheel angle of a wheel to be steered. On the basis of a road coefficient of friction estimated between right and left wheels, a braking force difference between the right and left wheels is calculated. A slip angle—total lateral force characteristic indicative of a relationship between a slip angle and a total lateral force of a wheel to be steered is provided on the basis of the estimated coefficient of friction. Then, a steered wheel angle of the wheel to be steered is set on the basis of the braking force difference and the slip angle—total lateral force characteristic.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2005Publication date: September 22, 2005Inventors: Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
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Publication number: 20050205339Abstract: A steering control apparatus is provided for controlling a steered wheel angle of a wheel to be steered, wherein braking force applied to each of at least a pair of right and left wheels of the vehicle is estimated, and the braking force is modified on the basis of a variation of braking force resulted from a varying load applied to each of the wheels, when the vehicle is turning. And, a steered wheel angle of the wheel to be steered, or steering torque, is provided to cancel a moment about a gravity center of the vehicle, on the basis of the modified braking force.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2005Publication date: September 22, 2005Inventors: Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
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Patent number: 6941213Abstract: The present invention is directed to a road condition estimation apparatus for estimating a road condition for use in a vehicle having steering control unit for actuating a device mechanically independent of a manually operated steering member to steer each wheel.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2003Date of Patent: September 6, 2005Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Eiichi Ono, Yuji Muragishi, Shinji Takeuchi, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato, Yuzo Imoto, Hiroaki Aizawa
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Patent number: 6931313Abstract: A first ECU 30 detects a steering torque applied to a steering system, estimates a self-aligning torque generated in a front wheel on the basis of the steering torque, and estimates a side force for the front wheel on the basis of lateral acceleration and a yaw rate. The first ECU 30 estimates a grip factor ? for the front wheel on the basis of a change of the self-aligning torque to the side force. The first ECU 30 judges whether the grip factor is below a second OS (oversteer) start threshold value. A second ECU 40 controls the transfer ratio according to the vehicle state when the grip factor is less than the second OS start threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2004Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Assignees: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Minekazu Momiyama, Takayuki Ohta, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Yuzo Imoto, Hiroaki Aizawa, Eiichi Ono, Yuji Muragishi
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Patent number: 6902241Abstract: A brake control apparatus for controlling at least three brake devices provided for braking respective at least three wheels of an automotive vehicle which includes two wheels located on respective left and right sides of the vehicle, wherein an emergency brake control portion is provided for controlling at least two normal brake devices when at least one of the at least three brake devices is defective, such that a difference between a total left-side braking force to be generated by at least one normal brake device located on the left side of the vehicle and a total right-side braking force to be generated by the other normal brake device or devices located on the right side is made larger when operations of all of the normal brake devices in a detected running condition of the vehicle are not likely to deteriorate the vehicle running stability, than when the operations of all of the normal brake devices in the detected running condition are likely to deteriorate the vehicle running stability.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2002Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso CorporationInventors: Takayuki Yamamoto, Seiichi Kojima, Hiroaki Aizawa, Naoki Sawada
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Publication number: 20050085986Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided for performing a vehicle stability control on the basis of a parameter indicative of lateral margin for a tire on a road. The apparatus includes a steering control device for controlling a relationship between a steering angle and a tire angle to be varied, and a decelerating control device for controlling a vehicle speed to be decreased. The parameter indicative of lateral margin for the tire is monitored, and the steering control device and the decelerating control device are controlled on the basis of the monitored parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2004Publication date: April 21, 2005Inventors: Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato, Eiichi Ono, Yuji Muragishi, Yoshiyuki Yasui
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Publication number: 20050080532Abstract: A steering control apparatus obtains a steered amount by which a steered wheel is steered based on a left-and-right braking force difference control amount, a vehicle state control amount, and a steering control amount. The apparatus changes the magnitude of the braking force difference control amount and the magnitude of the vehicle state control amount according to a vehicle speed or to time elapsed from when braking started to be applied to the left and right wheels. Accordingly, the vehicle driving on ?-split road is prevented from being deflected toward a side of higher friction coefficient due to the left-and-right braking force difference when the braking is applied.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2004Publication date: April 14, 2005Applicants: TOYODA KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Minekazu Momiyama, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroaki Aizawa, Hiroaki Niino
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Publication number: 20050067213Abstract: A suspension control device includes a wheel grip state estimation device for estimating grip state of vehicle wheels based on variations of aligning torque of wheels to be steered, a vehicle rolling control device for controlling vehicle rolling, and a control parameter setting device for setting a control parameter of the vehicle rolling control device based on at least estimated grip state of the wheel grip state estimation device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Applicants: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroaki Kato, Yuji Muragishi, Eiichi Ono, Hiroaki Aizawa
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Publication number: 20050071061Abstract: A first ECU 30 detects a steering torque applied to a steering system, estimates a self-aligning torque generated in a front wheel on the basis of the steering torque, and estimates a side force for the front wheel on the basis of lateral acceleration and a yaw rate. The first ECU 30 estimates a grip factor ? for the front wheel on the basis of a change of the self-aligning torque to the side force. The first ECU 30 judges whether the grip factor is below a second OS (oversteer) start threshold value. A second ECU 40 controls the transfer ratio according to the vehicle state when the grip factor is less than the second OS start threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2004Publication date: March 31, 2005Applicants: TOYODA KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Minekazu Momiyama, Takayuki Ohta, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Yuzo Imoto, Hiroaki Aizawa, Eiichi Ono, Yuji Muragishi
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Publication number: 20050065697Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided with an anti-skid control device and a steering angle adjusting device, which adjusts the steering angle of at least one of the front and rear wheels to cancel a yaw deviation between a desired yaw factor and an actual yaw factor, to be substantially zero. An incompatibility between the devices is determined on the basis of a state of the wheel adjusted by the steering angle adjusting device to cancel the yaw deviation. And, a predetermined parameter provided between a vehicle stability directive parameter and a brake directive parameter is set on the basis of the incompatibility. Then, the anti-skid control device controls the braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle on the basis of the predetermined parameter. Consequently, the anti-skid control giving importance to the braking force can be performed, as long as the steering angle adjusting device is operative.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2004Publication date: March 24, 2005Inventors: Hiroaki Niino, Hiroaki Aizawa, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
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Publication number: 20050055149Abstract: A grip factor estimating apparatus includes a steering torque detecting unit M1, and an assist torque detecting unit M2. When a self-aligning torque estimating unit M6 estimates self-aligning torque generated in front wheels on the basis of detection result of the detecting unit, the quantity of influence of longitudinal force on self-aligning torque is removed on the basis of longitudinal force acting on the front wheels and estimated by a longitudinal force estimating unit M15 and a front wheel slip angle estimated by a front wheel slip angle estimating unit M9y. A grip factor estimating unit M12 estimates the grip factor of the front wheels on the basis of change in self-aligning torque in accordance with the side force.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2004Publication date: March 10, 2005Applicants: TOYODA KOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, ADVICS CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroaki Kato, Minekazu Momiyama, Yoshiyuki Yasui, Yuji Muragishi, Yuzo Imoto, Hiroaki Aizawa