Patents by Inventor Hirohiko Totsuka

Hirohiko Totsuka 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: 9057438
    Abstract: A compression control device for a continuously variable transmission is provided in which when estimating the torque ratio, which is the ratio of the actually transmitted torque relative to the maximum transmittable torque of the continuously variable transmission, based on the transmission characteristics for transmitting the given variable component of the input shaft to the output shaft via an endless belt, a slip identifier, which is an indicator for the ratio of the amplitude of the variable component between the input shaft and the output shaft, or a phase lag, which is an indicator for difference in phase of the variable component, is used. It is possible to improve the control responsiveness and reduce the computation load of the control device and to improve the power transmission efficiency of the continuously variable transmission while preventing the endless belt thereof from slipping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyohei Sakagami, Hirohiko Totsuka, Masato Shigenaga
  • Patent number: 9008903
    Abstract: The present disclosure presents a wheel diameter variation-detecting device capable of properly detecting relative variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle. The wheel diameter variation-detecting device can detect variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle, can detect rotational speeds of the respective wheels, and can calculate a variation parameter indicative of variation in diameter between the wheels using one of the wheels as a reference wheel, based on a result of comparison between the rotational speed of the reference wheel and that of one of the wheels other than the reference wheel. Further, the wheel diameter variation-detecting device can learn the variation parameter based on a value obtained by averaging a plurality of values of the variation parameter obtained before the detected travelled distance reaches a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurata, Takahiro Eguchi, Shuichi Fujimoto, Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Patent number: 8812206
    Abstract: Surplus pressure is obtained from a difference between a hydraulic pressure value detected by a hydraulic pressure sensor and a target supplied hydraulic pressure. A determination is made about whether or not a possible hydraulic pressure in a prescribed time will become lower than a minimum required hydraulic pressure based on a current surplus pressure and a changing rate of the surplus pressure. If the possible hydraulic pressure is lower than the minimum required hydraulic pressure, correction is conducted to increase supplied hydraulic pressure. Accordingly, control is conducted so that the regularly required surplus pressure can be reduced to a minimum required amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Hitoshi Takayama
  • Publication number: 20140172254
    Abstract: A compression control device for a continuously variable transmission is provided in which when estimating the torque ratio, which is the ratio of the actually transmitted torque relative to the maximum transmittable torque of the continuously variable transmission, based on the transmission characteristics for transmitting the given variable component of the input shaft to the output shaft via an endless belt, a slip identifier, which is an indicator for the ratio of the amplitude of the variable component between the input shaft and the output shaft, or a phase lag, which is an indicator for difference in phase of the variable component, is used. It is possible to improve the control responsiveness and reduce the computation load of the control device and to improve the power transmission efficiency of the continuously variable transmission while preventing the endless belt thereof from slipping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyohei Sakagami, Hirohiko Totsuka, Masato Shigenaga
  • Patent number: 8744708
    Abstract: Surplus pressure is obtained from a difference between a hydraulic pressure value detected by a hydraulic pressure sensor and a target supplied hydraulic pressure. A determination is made about whether or not a possible hydraulic pressure in a prescribed time will become lower than a minimum required hydraulic pressure based on a current surplus pressure and a changing rate of the surplus pressure. If the possible hydraulic pressure is lower than the minimum required hydraulic pressure, correction is conducted to increase supplied hydraulic pressure. Accordingly, control is conducted so that the regularly required surplus pressure can be reduced to a minimum required amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Hitoshi Takayama
  • Patent number: 8744715
    Abstract: In a skid detecting apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a CVT changing an output of the engine in speed to drive front wheels and rear wheels, it is configured to detect rotational speeds of one of the front and rear wheels, sequentially calculate accelerations (wheel accelerations var1, var2) of the one of the wheels based on the detected rotational speeds, calculate a ratio (var1/var2) between two accelerations of the same wheel calculated at different time points among the sequentially-calculated accelerations (S10), compare the ratio between the two accelerations with a predetermined value (S16) and determine that the one of the wheels has skidded or some or all of the wheels including the one have skidded when the calculated ratio between the two accelerations exceeds the predetermined value (S18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Takemori, Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Patent number: 8594898
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a belt type CVT connected to an engine (prime mover) mounted on a vehicle through a forward clutch to change power of the engine in speed and transmit the power to a driven wheel of the vehicle, it is configured to determine whether it is in a predetermined operating condition where an operator is likely to apply a panic brake or the like, set a first value as a friction coefficient ? of the clutch to calculate and control a desired supply hydraulic pressure based on the first value when the determination result is negative, and set a second value greater than the first value to calculate and control the desired supply hydraulic pressure based on the second value when the determination result is affirmative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Patent number: 8527178
    Abstract: In apparatus for controlling operation of a four-wheel drive vehicle having a prime mover (engine), drive wheels driven by the prime mover and free wheels, a VC (viscous coupling; torque transferring device) installed between the drive wheels and free wheels to transfer torque generated in response to a difference between inputted and outputted rotation thereof, output of the prime mover is decreased based on a desired rotational speed of the drive wheels driven by the prime mover when calculated difference between inputted and outputted rotation of the VC is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby enabling to control the driving force effectively so as to achieve required vehicle driving performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Noguchi, Hirohiko Totsuka, Yuji Okamura
  • Publication number: 20130110317
    Abstract: In a skid detecting apparatus for a vehicle having an engine and a CVT changing an output of the engine in speed to drive front wheels and rear wheels, it is configured to detect rotational speeds of one of the front and rear wheels, sequentially calculate accelerations (wheel accelerations var1, var2) of the one of the wheels based on the detected rotational speeds, calculate a ratio (var1/var2) between two accelerations of the same wheel calculated at different time points among the sequentially-calculated accelerations (S10), compare the ratio between the two accelerations with a predetermined value (S16) and determine that the one of the wheels has skidded or some or all of the wheels including the one have skidded when the calculated ratio between the two accelerations exceeds the predetermined value (S18).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichiro Takemori, Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Publication number: 20120259521
    Abstract: Surplus pressure is obtained from a difference between a hydraulic pressure value detected by a hydraulic pressure sensor and a target supplied hydraulic pressure. A determination is made about whether or not a possible hydraulic pressure in a prescribed time will become lower than a minimum required hydraulic pressure based on a current surplus pressure and a changing rate of the surplus pressure. If the possible hydraulic pressure is lower than the minimum required hydraulic pressure, correction is conducted to increase supplied hydraulic pressure. Accordingly, control is conducted so that the regularly required surplus pressure can be reduced to a minimum required amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Hitoshi Takayama
  • Publication number: 20120116637
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a belt type CVT connected to an engine (prime mover) mounted on a vehicle through a forward clutch to change power of the engine in speed and transmit the power to a driven wheel of the vehicle, it is configured to determine whether it is in a predetermined operating condition where an operator is likely to apply a panic brake or the like, set a first value as a friction coefficient ? of the clutch to calculate and control a desired supply hydraulic pressure based on the first value when the determination result is negative, and set a second value greater than the first value to calculate and control the desired supply hydraulic pressure based on the second value when the determination result is affirmative.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2010
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Publication number: 20110137531
    Abstract: In apparatus for controlling operation of a four-wheel drive vehicle having a prime mover (engine), drive wheels driven by the prime mover and free wheels, a VC (viscous coupling; torque transferring device) installed between the drive wheels and free wheels to transfer torque generated in response to a difference between inputted and outputted rotation thereof, output of the prime mover is decreased based on a desired rotational speed of the drive wheels driven by the prime mover when calculated difference between inputted and outputted rotation of the VC is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby enabling to control the driving force effectively so as to achieve required vehicle driving performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi NOGUCHI, Hirohiko Totsuka, Yuji Okamura
  • Publication number: 20100114428
    Abstract: There is provided a wheel diameter variation-detecting device which is capable of properly detecting relative variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels of a vehicle. The wheel diameter variation-detecting device 1 for detecting variation in diameter between a plurality of wheels WFL, WFR, WRL, WRR of a vehicle V which rotate independently of each other detects rotational speeds NFL, NFR, NRL, NRR of the respective wheels WFL, WFR, WRL, WRR, and calculates a variation parameter RDR indicative of variation in diameter between the wheels WFL, WFR, WRL, WRR, using one of the wheels WFL, WFR, WRL, WRR as a reference wheel WRL, based on a result of comparison between the rotational speed NRL, NRR of the reference wheel and that of one of the wheels other than the reference wheel (step 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kurata, Takahiro Eguchi, Shuichi Fujimoto, Hirohiko Totsuka
  • Patent number: 6945906
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for a vehicle, which is capable of increasing the service life of a transmission belt while preventing slippage thereof, and at the same time improving fuel economy and drivability. The control system for a vehicle sets a transmission transfer torque to be transmitted from a drive pulley of a continuously variable transmission to a driven pulley of the same, and a clutch transfer torque to be transferred by a clutch. When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a bad road, the clutch transfer torque is reduced, and the transmission transfer torque is set to a larger value as the clutch transfer torque is larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Eguchi, Hirohiko Totsuka, Eiji Suzuki, Satoru Miyata
  • Publication number: 20040209732
    Abstract: There is provided a control system for a vehicle, which is capable of increasing the service life of a transmission belt while preventing slippage thereof, and at the same time improving fuel economy and drivability. The control system for a vehicle sets a transmission transfer torque to be transmitted from a drive pulley of a continuously variable transmission to a driven pulley of the same, and a clutch transfer torque to be transferred by a clutch. When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on a bad road, the clutch transfer torque is reduced, and the transmission transfer torque is set to a larger value as the clutch transfer torque is larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Takahiro Eguchi, Hirohiko Totsuka, Eiji Suzuki, Satoru Miyata
  • Patent number: 6547344
    Abstract: A braking apparatus for vehicles BU, in which plurality systems of individually separated brake fluid pressure passages BC(A), BC(B) are arranged, and each passage is provided with at least one brake fluid pressure retaining means RU(A), RU(B) for continuously retaining brake fluid pressure within a wheel cylinder WC(A), WC(B) arranged in the brake fluid pressure passage after a depression of a brake pedal BP is released and for releasing the retained brake fluid pressure in response to an increase of a starting driving force of the vehicle, wherein the release of the retained brake fluid pressure is carried out in a time differential manner at each brake fluid pressure retaining means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Hada, Keisuke Katsuta, Hirohiko Totsuka, Shohei Matsuda, Tetsuro Yamaguchi, Kazuaki Fukami
  • Patent number: 6533081
    Abstract: A brake fluid pressure retaining apparatus RU is mounted on a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission CVT and a driving motor control unit DCU. The driving motor control unit switches the magnitude of creep driving force between a greater condition and a smaller condition in accordance with a depression of the brake pedal, so that the driving force is made smaller at a depression of the brake pedal than at a release of the brake pedal. The brake fluid pressure retaining apparatus continuously retains brake fluid pressure within a wheel cylinder WC after releasing a brake pedal BP. The retained brake fluid pressure is released after the driving force increases to the greater condition and when a first setting time TM1 passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Masaaki Yamaguchi, Keisuke Katsuta
  • Patent number: 6527669
    Abstract: Leak oil from a regulator 24 for regulating the pressure of oil supplied to a lubricating system (the lubricating pressure) is supplied to an oil cooler 23. An electromagnetic valve 25 is connected to a pressure controlling and regulating oil chamber 24a of the regulator 24 so that the lubricating pressure can be controlled to be increased or decreased. The lubricating pressure is decreased while an engine is running in a low load state during a high-speed running to thereby increase the volume of oil to be supplied to the oil cooler 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Eiji Ohyama, Masaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshimichi Tsubata
  • Publication number: 20020029943
    Abstract: A brake fluid pressure retaining apparatus RU is mounted on a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission CVT and a driving motor control unit DCU. The driving motor control unit switches the magnitude of creep driving force between a greater condition and a smaller condition in accordance with a depression of the brake pedal, so that the driving force is made smaller at a depression of the brake pedal than at a release of the brake pedal. The brake fluid pressure retaining apparatus continuously retains brake fluid pressure within a wheel cylinder WC after releasing a brake pedal BP. The retained brake fluid pressure is released after the driving force increases to the greater condition and when a first setting time TM1 passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Applicant: HONDA GIKEN KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA Tokyo, Japan
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Masaaki Yamaguchi, Keisuke Katsuta
  • Publication number: 20020028725
    Abstract: Leak oil from a regulator 24 for regulating the pressure of oil supplied to a lubricating system (the lubricating pressure) is supplied to an oil cooler 23. An electromagnetic valve 25 is connected to a pressure controlling and regulating oil chamber 24a of the regulator 24 so that the lubricating pressure can be controlled to be increased or decreased. The lubricating pressure is decreased while an engine is running in a low load state during a high-speed running to thereby increase the volume of oil to be supplied to the oil cooler 23.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Applicant: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Eiji Ohyama, Masaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshimichi Tsubata