Patents by Inventor Hirotaka Saitoh

Hirotaka Saitoh 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: 10958196
    Abstract: A powertrain system includes an electric motor for driving a vehicle; a battery; an internal combustion engine; an electric generator; a motor inverter connected in parallel to the battery, and converting DC electric power of the battery into AC electric power and supplying it to the electric motor; a generator inverter connected in parallel to the battery, and converting AC electric power generated by the electric generator into DC electric power and supplying it to the battery; and a control device. The control device is configured, where a charging rate of the battery is not greater than a first threshold value, and a ripple current that is generated in association with an operation of the motor inverter and flows into the battery is not less than a second threshold value, not to start up the internal combustion engine for electric power generation using the electric generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saitoh, Shuichi Iwata, Atsushi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10890092
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine may include an electronic control unit configured to supply additives to an exhaust gas cleaning catalyst having a temperature not more than a predetermined temperature. The electronic control unit may execute abnormality diagnosis of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst based on an ability for cleaning exhaust gas of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst. When preforming abnormality diagnosis of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst having the temperature not more than the predetermined temperature, the electronic control unit may reduce the amount of the additives supplied to the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst to less than the amount supplied when abnormality diagnosis of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst having the temperature not more than the predetermined temperature is not executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saitoh, Hiromasa Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20200161997
    Abstract: A powertrain system includes an electric motor for driving a vehicle; a battery; an internal combustion engine; an electric generator; a motor inverter connected in parallel to the battery, and converting DC electric power of the battery into AC electric power and supplying it to the electric motor; a generator inverter connected in parallel to the battery, and converting AC electric power generated by the electric generator into DC electric power and supplying it to the battery; and a control device. The control device is configured, where a charging rate of the battery is not greater than a first threshold value, and a ripple current that is generated in association with an operation of the motor inverter and flows into the battery is not less than a second threshold value, not to start up the internal combustion engine for electric power generation using the electric generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITOH, Shuichi IWATA, Atsushi HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10260393
    Abstract: An object is to prevent abrasion inside an addition valve and clogging of the addition valve due to an increase in the particle diameter of precipitates. A first control is performed by which a pump is caused to operate in such a way as to return urea solution contained in the addition valve and a urea solution channel to a tank by a predetermined quantity. After the lapse of a certain time after the end of the first control, a second control is performed by which the pump is caused to operate in such a way as to return the urea solution remaining in the addition valve and the urea solution channel thoroughly to the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Tsukamoto, Hirotaka Saitoh, Yuriko Hagimoto, Junichi Matsuo, Yasumasa Notake
  • Patent number: 10119446
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas purification apparatus according to the invention performs an induction process when an internal combustion engine is operating at a lean air-fuel ratio, measures the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing out of the SCR catalyst by the air-fuel ratio sensor during the period through which the induction process is performed, and diagnoses deterioration of the SCR catalyst based on the difference between the air-fuel ratios thus measured. The diagnosis apparatus adjusts the quantity of reducing agent supplied to a hydrogen production catalyst during the period through which the induction process is performed, taking account of the degree of deterioration of the hydrogen production catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Hagiwara, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki, Hirotaka Saitoh, Yuji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10087807
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas purification apparatus according to the invention performs an induction process when an internal combustion engine is operating at a lean air-fuel ratio, measures the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing out of the SCR catalyst by the air-fuel ratio sensor during the period through which the induction process is performed, and diagnoses deterioration of the SCR catalyst based on the difference between the air-fuel ratios thus measured. The diagnosis apparatus adjusts the quantity of reducing agent supplied to a hydrogen production catalyst during the period through which the induction process is performed, taking account of the degree of deterioration of the hydrogen production catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Hagiwara, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki, Hirotaka Saitoh, Yuji Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10072544
    Abstract: Deterioration of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst can be diagnosed with sufficient accuracy, by making use of a sensor for measuring an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into an exhaust gas purification apparatus, which is equipped with the SCR catalyst, and a sensor for measuring an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the exhaust gas purification apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saitoh, Koji Hagiwara, Takahiko Fujiwara, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki
  • Publication number: 20180230879
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine may include an electronic control unit configured to supply additives to an exhaust gas cleaning catalyst having a temperature not more than a predetermined temperature. The electronic control unit may execute abnormality diagnosis of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst based on an ability for cleaning exhaust gas of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst. When preforming abnormality diagnosis of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst having the temperature not more than the predetermined temperature, the electronic control unit may reduce the amount of the additives supplied to the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst to less than the amount supplied when abnormality diagnosis of the exhaust gas cleaning catalyst having the temperature not more than the predetermined temperature is not executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITOH, Hiromasa NISHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20170234187
    Abstract: An object is to prevent abrasion inside an addition valve and clogging of the addition valve due to an increase in the particle diameter of precipitates. A first control is performed by which a pump is caused to operate in such a way as to return urea solution contained in the addition valve and a urea solution channel to a tank by a predetermined quantity. After the lapse of a certain time after the end of the first control, a second control is performed by which the pump is caused to operate in such a way as to return the urea solution remaining in the addition valve and the urea solution channel thoroughly to the tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihisa TSUKAMOTO, Hirotaka SAITOH, Yuriko HAGIMOTO, Junichi MATSUO, Yasumasa NOTAKE
  • Publication number: 20170234186
    Abstract: An exhaust gas control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an addition valve, a tank, a urea water passage, a pump, a nitrogen oxides catalyst, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: control the pump, as a first control, such that a specified amount of the urea water stored in the addition valve and the urea water passage is returned to the tank after the internal combustion engine is stopped; control the pump, as a second control, such that the specified amount or more of the urea water in the tank is discharged from the tank to the urea water passage after the first control is executed; and control the pump, as a third control, such that all the urea water stored in the addition valve and the urea water passage is returned to the tank after the second control is executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITOH, Yoshihisa TSUKAMOTO, Yuriko HAGIMOTO, Junichi MATSUO, Yasumasa NOTAKE
  • Patent number: 9617900
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnosis device for an exhaust gas purification apparatus which performs inducement processing when the internal combustion engine is operated at a lean air fuel ratio, measures, by means of air fuel ratio sensors, the air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and the air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the SCR catalyst during a period while the inducement processing is performed, and diagnoses deterioration of the SCR catalyst based on a difference between the measured values of these sensors, wherein an amount of hydrogen produced by each of a three-way catalyst and an NSR catalyst is estimated based on the deterioration degree thereof, and an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine is feedback-controlled so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into one of the three-way catalyst and the NSR catalyst in which the hydrogen production amount thus estimated is larger than that in the other becomes a target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Hagiwara, Hirotaka Saitoh, Yasushi Iwazaki
  • Patent number: 9611776
    Abstract: In an deterioration diagnosis device for the exhaust gas purification apparatus in which in a period of time in which inducement processing is carried out which is to induce a water-gas-shift-reaction in a catalyst disposed at the upstream side of the SCR catalyst, by changing an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine from a lean air fuel ratio into a predetermined rich air fuel ratio, an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the SCR catalyst are measured by the air fuel ratio sensors, respectively, so that deterioration of the SCR catalyst is diagnosed based on a difference between the measured values of these sensors, wherein an end time of the execution of the inducement processing is adjusted in such a manner that an amount of hydrogen oxidized in the SCR catalyst during the period of the execution of the inducement processing becomes constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Hagiwara, Hirotaka Saitoh, Toru Kidokoro, Yasushi Iwazaki, Takahiko Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20170009626
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust gas purification apparatus according to the invention performs an induction process when an internal combustion engine is operating at a lean air-fuel ratio, measures the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing out of the SCR catalyst by the air-fuel ratio sensor during the period through which the induction process is performed, and diagnoses deterioration of the SCR catalyst based on the difference between the air-fuel ratios thus measured. The diagnosis apparatus adjusts the quantity of reducing agent supplied to a hydrogen production catalyst during the period through which the induction process is performed, taking account of the degree of deterioration of the hydrogen production catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji HAGIWARA, Toru KIDOKORO, Yasushi IWAZAKI, Hirotaka SAITOH, Yuji MIYOSHI
  • Publication number: 20160237875
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnosis device for an exhaust gas purification apparatus which performs inducement processing when the internal combustion engine is operated at a lean air fuel ratio, measures, by means of air fuel ratio sensors, the air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and the air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the SCR catalyst during a period while the inducement processing is performed, and diagnoses deterioration of the SCR catalyst based on a difference between the measured values of these sensors, wherein an amount of hydrogen produced by each of a three-way catalyst and an NSR catalyst is estimated based on the deterioration degree thereof, and an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine is feedback-controlled so that the air fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into one of the three-way catalyst and the NSR catalyst in which the hydrogen production amount thus estimated is larger than that in the other becomes a target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji HAGIWARA, Hirotaka SAITOH, Yasushi IWAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20160186628
    Abstract: Deterioration of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst can be diagnosed with sufficient accuracy, by making use of a sensor for measuring an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into an exhaust gas purification apparatus, which is equipped with the SCR catalyst, and a sensor for measuring an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the exhaust gas purification apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka SAITOH, Koji HAGIWARA, Takahiko FUJIWARA, Toru KIDOKORO, Yasushi IWAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20160186638
    Abstract: In an deterioration diagnosis device for the exhaust gas purification apparatus in which in a period of time in which inducement processing is carried out which is to induce a water-gas-shift-reaction in a catalyst disposed at the upstream side of the SCR catalyst, by changing an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine from a lean air fuel ratio into a predetermined rich air fuel ratio, an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the SCR catalyst and an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing out from the SCR catalyst are measured by the air fuel ratio sensors, respectively, so that deterioration of the SCR catalyst is diagnosed based on a difference between the measured values of these sensors, wherein an end time of the execution of the inducement processing is adjusted in such a manner that an amount of hydrogen oxidized in the SCR catalyst during the period of the execution of the inducement processing becomes constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji HAGIWARA, Hirotaka SAITOH, Toru KIDOKORO, Yasushi IWAZAKI, Takahiko FUJIWARA
  • Patent number: 9261052
    Abstract: In the engine including an MPL-EGR system having an HPL-EGR mechanism 6 and an LPL-EGR mechanism 7, a pressure difference between upstream side pressure and downstream side pressure of a low pressure EGR cooler 73 provided in the LPL-EGR mechanism 7 is detected by a pressure difference sensor 89. When an actual pressure difference value detected is higher than a reference pressure difference value in a state where no blocking occurs in the LPL-EGR mechanism 7, and the deviation amount therebetween reaches a predetermined amount, it is determined that the blocking occurs in the inside of the low pressure EGR cooler 73. In contrast, when the actual pressure difference value detected is lower than the reference pressure difference value, and the deviation amount therebetween reaches a predetermined amount, it is determined that the blocking occurs in the inside of the pipe members 74 and 75 except the low pressure EGR cooler 73.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saitoh, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Toru Kidokoro
  • Publication number: 20130139795
    Abstract: In the engine including an MPL-EGR system having an HPL-EGR mechanism 6 and an LPL-EGR mechanism 7, a pressure difference between upstream side pressure and downstream side pressure of a low pressure EGR cooler 73 provided in the LPL-EGR mechanism 7 is detected by a pressure difference sensor 89. When an actual pressure difference value detected is higher than a reference pressure difference value in a state where no blocking occurs in the LPL-EGR mechanism 7, and the deviation amount therebetween reaches a predetermined amount, it is determined that the blocking occurs in the inside of the low pressure EGR cooler 73. In contrast, when the actual pressure difference value detected is lower than the reference pressure difference value, and the deviation amount therebetween reaches a predetermined amount, it is determined that the blocking occurs in the inside of the pipe members 74 and 75 except the low pressure EGR cooler 73.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hirotaka Saitoh, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Toru Kidokoro