Patents by Inventor Hirofumi YABE

Hirofumi YABE 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: 12065122
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is capable of switching a traveling mode of the electric vehicle between a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode that applies driving-force maps for enhancing a rough-road capability from a rough-road capability in the first traveling mode. The vehicle controller is capable of switching the traveling mode to the second traveling mode in forward traveling and in backward traveling and is configured to apply, to the backward traveling in the second traveling mode, a first driving-force map of the driving-force maps, the first driving-force map having gentler characteristics than a second driving-force map of the driving-force map applied to the forward traveling in the second traveling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Atsushi Doki, Hirofumi Yabe, Takumi Hoshi, Masaki Komuro, Tetsu Matsuzaki, Jun Oosawa
  • Patent number: 11926338
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes an automatic-driving processor and an engine processor. The automatic-driving processor is configured to perform an automatic-driving control to stop a vehicle in accordance with detection of an abnormal state of a driver who drives the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. When the vehicle is in a standby state after stopping of the vehicle by the automatic-driving control, the engine processor is configured to perform an engine driving control to reduce how frequently an engine of the vehicle is started, compared with when the vehicle is in a normal traveling state. The standby state is a state in which an operation control of an air conditioner of the vehicle is allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Patent number: 11801872
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a driving-assist control unit and a remote control unit. The driving-assist control unit is configured to perform an automatic driving control of stopping a vehicle in accordance with detection of an abnormal state of a driver of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. The remote control unit is configured to perform a control of transmitting remote control permission notification after the vehicle is stopped by the automatic driving control. The remote control permission notification permits a remote control of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Patent number: 11710858
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply apparatus includes first and second device batteries, first and second power supply lines, a current path, first and second switches, and a second diode. The current path is coupled between the first and second power supply lines through a first diode. The first diode is provided on the current path and directed to make a current flow toward the second power supply line. The first switch is interposed between the first device battery and the first power supply line. The second diode and the second switch are interposed between the second device battery and the second power supply line. The second diode is directed to make a current flow toward the second power supply line, and the second switch is coupled in parallel to the second diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Daisuke Kato, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Patent number: 11584247
    Abstract: A wireless power feeding control apparatus for a vehicle includes a positioning unit and an examination unit. The vehicle is provided with a power receiving coil that wirelessly receives electrical power from a power transmitting coil of a power transmission facility, a parking lock mechanism, and a parking lock sensor that outputs an electrical signal corresponding to a locked state of a wheel established by the parking lock mechanism. The positioning unit positions the power transmitting coil or assists in positioning the power transmitting coil on the basis of a quantity of electricity generated by the power receiving coil receiving a magnetic field from the power transmitting coil subjected to weak excitation weaker than excitation during electrical power transmission. The examination unit checks the locked state of the wheel after the weak excitation is stopped and before the electrical power transmission is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daigo Tateishi, Ryohei Hoshi, Hirofumi Yabe, Fumiyuki Moriya, Hidehiro Takagi
  • Patent number: 11565689
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a condition determining unit, a mode switching controller, and a notification controller. The condition determining unit is configured to determine whether enabling conditions set to enable a switching control to an engine stop mode are satisfied. The engine stop mode stops an engine of a vehicle in a driving state. The mode switching controller is configured to perform the switching control to the engine stop mode in response to that the condition determining unit determines that the enabling conditions are satisfied. The notification controller is configured to compare a measured time value and a threshold both related to the enabling condition which the condition determining unit determines as not being satisfied. The notification controller is configured to perform, in response to that the measured time value exceeds the threshold, a control of making notification that the switching control is in a disabled state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Patent number: 11541896
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes an abnormality detection unit, a notification control unit, and an automatic stop control unit. The abnormality detection unit detects an abnormal condition of a driver who drives the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. The notification control unit performs notification control to make a notification of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormality detection unit. The automatic stop control unit starts first vehicle stop control of the vehicle when detecting no operation to cancel the notification control within a predetermined period of time after the notification control unit starts the notification control. The automatic stop control unit starts second vehicle stop control of the vehicle without waiting for an elapse of the predetermined period of time when detecting a vehicle stop request operation performed by a passenger in the vehicle within the predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe, Atsuhi Doki
  • Patent number: 11530674
    Abstract: Provided is a start-stop control apparatus to be mounted in a vehicle including an engine, a starter motor configured to restart the engine, and an auxiliary battery configured to supply electric power to the starter motor. The start-stop control apparatus includes a stop processing unit and an engine measuring unit. The stop processing unit stops idling of the engine while the vehicle is being stopped. The engine measuring unit measures an internal loss of the engine. The stop processing unit determines whether to stop the idling of the engine on the basis of the internal loss measured by the engine measuring unit and the state of charge of the auxiliary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Atsushi Doki, Hirofumi Yabe, Takumi Hoshi, Kazutaka Hara
  • Patent number: 11524677
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a battery, a coupling mechanism, an electric power generating mechanism, and a vehicle controller. The engine and motor drive driving wheels. The battery supplies electric power for running to the motor. The coupling mechanism switches coupling of the engine and the driving wheels between direct coupling and buffering coupling. The electric power generating mechanism generates electric power. The vehicle controller switches a running mode of the hybrid electric vehicle between a first running mode and a second running mode with higher running performance. The vehicle controller limits the electric power generation under a first condition when the buffering coupling is applied during the first running mode and limits the electric power generation under a second condition less limited than the first condition when the buffering coupling is applied during the second running mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Masatoshi Kishikawa, Atsushi Doki, Hirofumi Yabe, Takumi Hoshi, Masaki Komuro, Tetsu Matsuzaki, Jun Oosawa
  • Patent number: 11505085
    Abstract: A power supply system for a vehicle including a driving battery, first and second device batteries, a DC-to-DC converter, a control system device, and a specific device includes first and second power lines, first and second switches, and a coupling line. The first power line transmits power from the first device battery to the control system device. The second power line transmits power from the second device battery to the specific device. The first switch is coupled between the DC-to-DC converter and the first power line. The first switch includes a diode disposed in a direction to flow a current to the first power line. The coupling line is configured to transmit power from a node between the DC-to-DC converter and the first switch to the second power line. The second switch selectively opens and closes an electric circuit of the coupling line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe, Atsushi Doki
  • Patent number: 11302937
    Abstract: The electric power supply control apparatus for a vehicle executes a driving prioritizing mode in which a supply of driving electric power is prioritized over a supply of temperature controlling electric power, and a temperature control prioritizing mode in which the supply of the temperature controlling electric power is prioritized over the supply of the driving electric power. While the modes are switched over, the apparatus controls the driving electric power or the temperature controlling electric power so that a sum of the powers stays at an upper limit value or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Watanabe, Ryohei Hoshi, Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Publication number: 20220063633
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus to be applied to a vehicle includes an abnormality detection unit, a notification control unit, and an automatic stop control unit. The abnormality detection unit detects an abnormal condition of a driver who drives the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. The notification control unit performs notification control to make a notification of the abnormal condition detected by the abnormality detection unit. The automatic stop control unit starts first vehicle stop control of the vehicle when detecting no operation to cancel the notification control within a predetermined period of time after the notification control unit starts the notification control. The automatic stop control unit starts second vehicle stop control of the vehicle without waiting for an elapse of the predetermined period of time when detecting a vehicle stop request operation performed by a passenger in the vehicle within the predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe, Atsuhi Doki
  • Publication number: 20220055499
    Abstract: A power supply system for a vehicle including a driving battery, first and second device batteries, a DC-to-DC converter, a control system device, and a specific device includes first and second power lines, first and second switches, and a coupling line. The first power line transmits power from the first device battery to the control system device. The second power line transmits power from the second device battery to the specific device. The first switch is coupled between the DC-to-DC converter and the first power line. The first switch includes a diode disposed in a direction to flow a current to the first power line. The coupling line is configured to transmit power from a node between the DC-to-DC converter and the first switch to the second power line. The second switch selectively opens and closes an electric circuit of the coupling line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Fumiyuki MORIYA, Hirofumi YABE, Atsushi DOKI
  • Publication number: 20220056875
    Abstract: Provided is a start-stop control apparatus to be mounted in a vehicle including an engine, a starter motor configured to restart the engine, and an auxiliary battery configured to supply electric power to the starter motor. The start-stop control apparatus includes a stop processing unit and an engine measuring unit. The stop processing unit stops idling of the engine while the vehicle is being stopped. The engine measuring unit measures an internal loss of the engine. The stop processing unit determines whether to stop the idling of the engine on the basis of the internal loss measured by the engine measuring unit and the state of charge of the auxiliary battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Fumiyuki MORIYA, Atsushi DOKI, Hirofumi YABE, Takumi HOSHI, Kazutaka HARA
  • Patent number: 11247684
    Abstract: An electric power supply control apparatus for a vehicle decreases a first electric power prior to switching the modes, when a sum of a request value of a second electric power and the first electric power exceeds a total electric power upper limit value in the mode before the switching, and switches the modes after the sum of the decreased first electric power and the request value of the second electric power becomes equal to or smaller than the total electric power upper limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryohei Hoshi, Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe, Ken Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20220032897
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is capable of switching a traveling mode of the electric vehicle between a first traveling mode and a second traveling mode that applies driving-force maps for enhancing a rough-road capability from a rough-road capability in the first traveling mode. The vehicle controller is capable of switching the traveling mode to the second traveling mode in forward traveling and in backward traveling and is configured to apply, to the backward traveling in the second traveling mode, a first driving-force map of the driving-force maps, the first driving-force map having gentler characteristics than a second driving-force map of the driving-force map applied to the forward traveling in the second traveling mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Fumiyuki MORIYA, Atsushi DOKI, Hirofumi YABE, Takumi HOSHI, Masaki KOMURO, Tetsu MATSUZAKI, Jun OOSAWA
  • Publication number: 20220024443
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, a motor, a battery, a coupling mechanism, an electric power generating mechanism, and a vehicle controller. The engine and motor drive driving wheels. The battery supplies electric power for running to the motor. The coupling mechanism switches coupling of the engine and the driving wheels between direct coupling and buffering coupling. The electric power generating mechanism generates electric power. The vehicle controller switches a running mode of the hybrid electric vehicle between a first running mode and a second running mode with higher running performance. The vehicle controller limits the electric power generation under a first condition when the buffering coupling is applied during the first running mode and limits the electric power generation under a second condition less limited than the first condition when the buffering coupling is applied during the second running mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Fumiyuki MORIYA, Masatoshi KISHIKAWA, Atsushi DOKI, Hirofumi YABE, Takumi HOSHI, Masaki KOMURO, Tetsu MATSUZAKI, Jun OOSAWA
  • Patent number: 11161420
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply apparatus includes first and second power supply devices, an electrical conduction path, an accumulator, an electric device, and a power supply controller. In switching to a state with electric power supplied from the second power supply device to the electric device, the power supply controller determines whether a discharge state of the accumulator is normal, with a target voltage of the second power supply device lower than an inferior voltage, and with a target voltage of the first power supply device between the inferior voltage and a superior voltage. After determining that the discharge state of the accumulator is normal, the power supply controller allows the target voltage of the first power supply device to be lower than the inferior voltage, and allows the target voltage of the second power supply device to be higher than the superior voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe, Yusuke Komatsu
  • Patent number: 11161429
    Abstract: A vehicle power supply apparatus includes first and second device batteries, a power supply line, and a current path. The power supply line includes first, second, and third segments. The first segment is coupled between a first end of the power supply line and a first diode. The second segment is coupled between the first diode and a first switch. The third segment is coupled between the first switch and a second end of the power supply line. The current path is routed from the third segment to the first segment through a second diode, to bypass the second segment. An electric device of a vehicle is coupled to the first segment. The second device battery is coupled to the second segment. The first device battery is coupled to the third segment through a second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Moriya, Daisuke Kato, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Publication number: 20210331710
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a driving-assist control unit and a remote control unit. The driving-assist control unit is configured to perform an automatic driving control of stopping a vehicle in accordance with detection of an abnormal state of a driver of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. The remote control unit is configured to perform a control of transmitting remote control permission notification after the vehicle is stopped by the automatic driving control. The remote control permission notification permits a remote control of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fumiyuki MORIYA, Hirofumi YABE