Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Tabuchi
Hiroaki Tabuchi 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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Patent number: 9850836Abstract: An automatic control apparatus for an engine detects an operation position of a mechanical shift lever for shifting gears of a transmission, automatically stops the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the case where the operation position is at a first specific range, and automatically restarts the engine in the case where, after the operation position is switched from the first specific range to a second specific range while the engine is stopped, the second specific range is maintained for a predetermined time. When the operation position is switched from the first specific range to the second specific range while the engine is stopped, it is determined whether or not the driver has an intention to start the vehicle, and if YES, the predetermined time is set to be shorter than when it is determined that there is no intention to start the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yasutaka Oda, Hiroaki Tabuchi, Yu Sakai
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Patent number: 9790884Abstract: A control system of a vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to (a) measure characteristics of a battery installed on the vehicle, (b) determine whether the battery is a designated battery or a non-designated battery, based on at least one of the characteristics, and (c) determine whether an idling stop function of the vehicle is permitted to be executed, based on a threshold value of at least one of the characteristics of the battery. The threshold value is set to a first threshold value when the battery is determined as the designated battery, and set to a second threshold value that is different from the first threshold value when the battery is determined as the non-designated battery.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2014Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroshi Sato, Hiroaki Tabuchi
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Publication number: 20170074189Abstract: An automatic control apparatus for an engine detects an operation position of a mechanical shift lever for shifting gears of a transmission, automatically stops the engine when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the case where the operation position is at a first specific range, and automatically restarts the engine in the case where, after the operation position is switched from the first specific range to a second specific range while the engine is stopped, the second specific range is maintained for a pre-determined time. When the operation position is switched from the first specific range to the second specific range while the engine is stopped, it is determined whether or not the driver has an intention to start the vehicle, and if YES, the predetermined time is set to be shorter than when it is determined that there is no intention to start the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2015Publication date: March 16, 2017Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yasutaka ODA, Hiroaki TABUCHI, Yu SAKAI
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Publication number: 20160311437Abstract: The invention relates to an idling stop control device of a vehicle. The control device starts an execution of a decompression control at an engine-speed-decreasing-period timing within an engine-speed-decreasing period when an inclination gradient is a downward slope gradient smaller than a predetermined gradient. The period corresponds to a period between a timing when the engine speed reaches a peak engine speed after the engine speed exceeds a complete explosion engine speed after the execution of the engine restart process is started and a timing when the engine speed decreases to a stable idling engine speed. On the other hand, the control device starts the execution of the decompression control at a complete-explosion-achievement timing when the inclination gradient is a downward slope gradient equal to or larger than the predetermined gradient.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2016Publication date: October 27, 2016Inventor: Hiroaki TABUCHI
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Publication number: 20160290270Abstract: A control system of a vehicle includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to (a) measure characteristics of a battery installed on the vehicle, (b) determine whether the battery is a designated battery or a non-designated battery, based on at least one of the characteristics, and (c) determine whether an idling stop function of the vehicle is permitted to be executed, based on a threshold value of at least one of the characteristics of the battery. The threshold value is set to a first threshold value when the battery is determined as the designated battery, and set to a second threshold value that is different from the first threshold value when the battery is determined as the non-designated battery.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2014Publication date: October 6, 2016Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroshi SATO, Hiroaki TABUCHI
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Patent number: 9254758Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle having an idle stop function includes a measurement unit that measures the characteristic of a battery provided in the vehicle, an identification unit that identifies the type of the battery based on the measured characteristic, and a control unit that stops the idle stop function in a case where the identified type of the battery indicates that the battery is not for an idle-stop vehicle, and permits execution of the idle stop function in a case where the execution of the idle stop function is permitted by an input of a predetermined signal from an external terminal even when the identified type of the battery indicates that the battery is not for the idle-stop vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2013Date of Patent: February 9, 2016Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hiroshi Sato, Hiroaki Tabuchi, Ken Koibuchi, Masato Chiba, Kazuhiko Sakakibara, Nobuyuki Okabe
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Publication number: 20150166046Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is disclosed, which includes: a sensor that obtains information representing a status of a degradation degree of a battery; a controller that permits at least one of a charge control and an idling stop control such that the degradation degree of the battery does not affect a way of performing the control, until a predetermined parameter that affects a life of the battery meets a control prevention condition, the charge control controlling an alternator according to a travel state of a vehicle, wherein the control prevention condition is varied according to the degradation degree of the battery such that the control prevention condition becomes more difficult to be met as the degradation degree of the battery becomes higher.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2014Publication date: June 18, 2015Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yumi KONDO, Hiroaki TABUCHI
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Publication number: 20140091739Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle having an idle stop function includes a measurement unit that measures the characteristic of a battery provided in the vehicle, an identification unit that identifies the type of the battery based on the measured characteristic, and a control unit that stops the idle stop function in a case where the identified type of the battery indicates that the battery is not for an idle-stop vehicle, and permits execution of the idle stop function in a case where the execution of the idle stop function is permitted by an input of a predetermined signal from an external terminal even when the identified type of the battery indicates that the battery is not for the idle-stop vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2013Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi SATO, Hiroaki TABUCHI, Ken KOIBUCHI, Masato CHIBA, Kazuhiko SAKAKIBARA, Nobuyuki OKABE
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Patent number: 5003482Abstract: An automotive constant speed cruise control system for a vehicle includes a controller for automatic speed change for automatically changing over a speed stage in a transmission in accordance with the relationship between a throttle valve opening degree and a car speed; a controller for constant speed traveling having a constant speed traveling control function for operating a car at a target car speed by controlling, based on a duty ratio, the throttle valve opening degree according to the actual car speed and a transmission limiting function for sending out a signal for prohibiting selection of the maximum speed stage in the transmission to the controller for automatic speed change for a specified time when the car speed lowers, and a transmission limiting function capable of being externally started by inputting a speed change signal representing that the transmission has been shifted down from a maximum speed to the controller for constant speed traveling.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1989Date of Patent: March 26, 1991Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Fujitsu Ten LimitedInventors: Tatsuo Teratani, Takeshi Tachibana, Shigetaka Akabori, Masumi Nagasaka, Hiroaki Tabuchi, Junji Takahashi, Akira Miyazaki, Masaki Hitotsuya, Minoru Takahashi
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Patent number: 4984166Abstract: An automotive constant speed cruise control system for a vehicle comprises a controller for automatic speed change for changing over automatically speed stage in a transmission by a relation between a throttle valve opening degree and a car speed, a controller for constant speed traveling having a constant speed traveling control function for cruising a car at a target car speed by controlling based on a duty ratio the throttle valve opening degree according to a traveling car speed and a transmission limiting function for sending out a signal for prohibiting selection of maximum speed stage in the transmission to the controller for automatic speed change for a specified time when the car speed lowers, and the transmission limiting function capable of being started from outside by inputting a speed change signal representing that the transmission is shifted down from a maximum speed to the controller for constant speed traveling.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1989Date of Patent: January 8, 1991Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Fujitsu Ten LimitedInventors: Tatsuo Teratani, Takeshi Tachibana, Shigetaka Akabori, Masumi Nagasaka, Hiroaki Tabuchi, Junji Takahashi, Akira Miyazaki, Masaki Hitotsuya, Minoru Takahashi
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Patent number: 4893243Abstract: A control device for maintaining a constant speed of an automobile, having an internal combustion engine with a throttle valve and an actuator for the throttle valve. A degree of opening of the throttle valve is decided to bring the speed of the automobile to a desired set speed, corrected in accordance with running conditions by cyclically repeating an integral calculation at a first pattern to provide an integral correction value when a difference exists between the detected speed and the set speed. This integral correcting value is quickly returned at a second pattern greater than the first pattern when the integral correction value becomes greater than a predetermined value and the relationship between the detected speed and the set speed is reversed.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 1988Date of Patent: January 9, 1990Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuya Tada, Hiroaki Tabuchi, Tatsuo Teratani
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Patent number: 4803637Abstract: A cruise control system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided with a throttle valve operated by a diaphragm actuator irrespective of a depression of an accelerator pedal by an operator of the vehicle. The system is provided with a control circuit for controlling an electric signal applied to the actuator. A fixed level signal is first applied to the actuator for a short period after a cruise mode operation has commenced, so that the diaphragm is quickly moved to prevent a temporary decrease in the vehicle speed. After the elapse of the predetermined time, the level of the electric signal is controlled by feedback so that the vehicle speed is controlled to a target speed. A feedback gain initially has a first value for a period after the feedback control is commenced and then has a second value which is smaller than the first value.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 1987Date of Patent: February 7, 1989Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tetsuya Tada, Masumi Nagasaka, Hiroaki Tabuchi, Tatsuo Teratani