Patents by Inventor Hironobu Waki

Hironobu Waki 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: 7651422
    Abstract: When a speed of a vehicle is less than 8 km/h, an upshift determination condition is established, an idle switch signal is turned off, and a downshift is detected, an operating speed of the step motor is limited. Thereby, since the operating speed of the step motor is limited even when the vehicle is rapidly decelerated and re-accelerated before a pulley ratio is returned to a lowest value Lo, a shift speed of the downshift performed in the re-acceleration is lowered, and no slippage occurs in a V-belt between pulleys.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamamoto, Midori Yamaguchi, Shigeki Shimanaka, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Hironobu Waki
  • Patent number: 7140990
    Abstract: In a belt drive continuously-variable transmission control apparatus, a line pressure control section controls a line pressure to be supplied to a shift control valve for controlling a fluid pressure to a primary pulley, and a secondary pulley, in accordance with an estimated input torque to the continuously-variable transmission, and an input torque estimating section to determine the estimated input torque in accordance with a speed ratio and a torque ratio of the torque converter. The input torque estimating section includes a speed ratio monitoring subsection to examine whether the speed ratio is in an increasing state; and a torque ratio setting subsection to decrease the torque ratio when the speed ratio is in the increasing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Makoto Sawada, Hironobu Waki
  • Patent number: 6960153
    Abstract: A clutch engagement control device controls the engagement of a forward clutch (32) and reverse clutch (33) in an automatic transmission connected to an engine (70) in a vehicle. An inhibitor switch (56) outputs a range signal in accordance with a position range of a select lever (51). A manual valve (57) supplies oil pressure selectively to one of the forward clutch (32) and the reverse clutch (33) by changing position in accordance with the position range of the select lever (51). A controller (60) of the clutch engagement control device determines whether an unmatching range condition occurs in which the range of the select lever (51) indicated by the range signal and the range of the manual valve (57) do not match, when the range of the select lever (51) indicated by the range signal is a drive range or reverse range; and suppress an increase in engine rotation speed prior to engagement of the forward clutch or reverse clutch when the unmatching range condition occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Tatsuo Ochiai, Yusuke Kimura, Yoshichika Hagiwara, Hironobu Waki, Katsumi Doihara, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Hirofumi Okahara
  • Publication number: 20040220016
    Abstract: A clutch engagement control device controls the engagement of a forward clutch (32) and reverse clutch (33) in an automatic transmission connected to an engine (70) in a vehicle. An inhibitor switch (56) outputs a range signal in accordance with a position range of a select lever (51). A manual valve (57) supplies oil pressure selectively to one of the forward clutch (32) and the reverse clutch (33) by changing position in accordance with the position range of the select lever (51). A controller (60) of the clutch engagement control device determines whether an unmatching range condition occurs in which the range of the select lever (51) indicated by the range signal and the range of the manual valve (57) do not match, when the range of the select lever (51) indicated by the range signal is a drive range or reverse range; and suppress an increase in engine rotation speed prior to engagement of the forward clutch or reverse clutch when the unmatching range condition occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Tatsuo Ochiai, Yusuke Kimura, Yoshichika Hagiwara, Hironobu Waki, Katsumi Doihara, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Hirofumi Okahara
  • Publication number: 20040171445
    Abstract: When a speed of a vehicle is less than 8 km/h, an upshift determination condition is established, an idle switch signal is turned off, and a downshift is detected, an operating speed of the step motor is limited. Thereby, since the operating speed of the step motor is limited even when the vehicle is rapidly decelerated and re-accelerated before a pulley ratio is returned to a lowest value Lo, a shift speed of the downshift performed in the re-acceleration is lowered, and no slippage occurs in a V-belt between pulleys.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamamoto, Midori Yamaguchi, Shigeki Shimanaka, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Hironobu Waki
  • Publication number: 20040127331
    Abstract: In a belt drive continuously-variable transmission control apparatus, a line pressure control section controls a line pressure to be supplied to a shift control valve for controlling a fluid pressure to a primary pulley, and a secondary pulley, in accordance with an estimated input torque to the continuously-variable transmission, and an input torque estimating section to determine the estimated input torque in accordance with a speed ratio and a torque ratio of the torque converter. The input torque estimating section includes a speed ratio monitoring subsection to examine whether the speed ratio is in an increasing state; and a torque ratio setting subsection to decrease the torque ratio when the speed ratio is in the increasing state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Makoto Sawada, Hironobu Waki
  • Publication number: 20040116220
    Abstract: A shift control system for a V-belt type CVT is constructed to input a target torque signal obtained by estimating engine torque in accordance with vehicle operating conditions and a target shift ratio of the CVT, input an actual torque signal obtained by detecting actual engine torque, synthesize the target and actual torque signals to provide an estimated-torque signal, and control the line pressure in accordance with the estimated-torque signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Masahiro Yamamoto, Yoshihisa Kodama, Hironobu Waki, Donggyun Park, Makoto Sawada
  • Patent number: 6663533
    Abstract: A lock-up control system for a torque converter which includes a lock-up clutch engageable under control of an engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch to thereby lock up input and output elements of the torque converter. The control system is operative during coasting in a lock-up region requiring engagement of the lock-up clutch, so as to bring the engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch to a coast lockup capacity smaller than a lock-up capacity under a driving condition at the same vehicle speed. The control system is further operative when an engine braking range is selected during coasting in the lock-up region, so as to bring the engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch to a value greater than the coast lock-up capacity, preferably to a controlling maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Shinya Toyoda, Hironobu Waki
  • Publication number: 20020193202
    Abstract: A lock-up control system for a torque converter which includes a lock-up clutch engageable under control of an engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch to thereby lock up input and output elements of the torque converter. The control system is operative during coasting in a lock-up region requiring engagement of the lock-up clutch, so as to bring the engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch to a coast lockup capacity smaller than a lock-up capacity under a driving condition at the same vehicle speed. The control system is further operative when an engine braking range is selected during coasting in the lock-up region, so as to bring the engaging capacity of the lock-up clutch to a value greater than the coast lock-up capacity, preferably to a controlling maximum value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: JATCO Ltd
    Inventors: Shinya Toyoda, Hironobu Waki