Patents by Inventor Katsuhiro Furuta
Katsuhiro Furuta 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: 11325461Abstract: A vehicle includes: a radiator that cools cooling water; a grille shutter that is provided on a vehicle front side of the radiator and opens or closes a grille provided in a vehicle; a first flow path in which the cooling water passes through the radiator; a second flow path in which the cooling water does not pass through the radiator; a thermostat that switches a path between the first flow path and the second flow path; and a failure determiner that performs failure determination of the thermostat based on an actual temperature of the cooling water and an estimated temperature of the cooling water, the estimated temperature being calculated based on a temperature change of the cooling water caused by an open or close state of the grille shutter.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Hideo Matsunaga
-
Patent number: 10927795Abstract: A controller has a leak determiner determining the presence or absence of an evaporative gas leak in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressing device, based on a first pressure which is the pressure of a canister when a first predetermined period has elapsed in a state where a first opening/closing section and a second opening/closing section are closed, a third opening/closing section is opened, a fourth opening/closing section is closed, and a pressure generating section is operated; and a second pressure which is the pressure within the canister when, after a lapse of the first predetermined period, a second predetermined period has elapsed in a state where the third opening/closing section is closed.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHInventors: Hideo Matsunaga, Kyosuke Uematsu, Katsuhiro Furuta
-
Publication number: 20200191097Abstract: A controller has a leak determiner determining the presence or absence of an evaporative gas leak in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressing device, based on a first pressure which is the pressure of a canister when a first predetermined period has elapsed in a state where a first opening/closing section and a second opening/closing section are closed, a third opening/closing section is opened, a fourth opening/closing section is closed, and a pressure generating section is operated; and a second pressure which is the pressure within the canister when, after a lapse of the first predetermined period, a second predetermined period has elapsed in a state where the third opening/closing section is closed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2018Publication date: June 18, 2020Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideo MATSUNAGA, Kyosuke UEMATSU, Katsuhiro FURUTA
-
Patent number: 10612484Abstract: Control apparatus for an engine includes a failure determination unit which determines whether there is a failure in an operating engine, and an A/F (air-fuel ratio) feedback control unit which performs feedback control to bring actual A/F in the engine to a target set in advance. The failure determination unit includes a failure determination section, a failure code storing section, a similar operating condition recording section, and a return-to-normal control section. The A/F feedback control unit includes an A/F target setting section, and the target set is stored in the similar operating condition recording section as a factor defining the operating condition of the engine. The return-to-normal control section eliminates the failure code if the failure determination section does not determine that there is a failure when the engine is operating in an operating condition similar to that recorded in the similar operating condition recording section.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2018Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoshi Maeda, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta
-
Publication number: 20190389302Abstract: A vehicle includes: a radiator that cools cooling water; a grille shutter that is provided on a vehicle front side of the radiator and opens or closes a grille provided in a vehicle; a first flow path in which the cooling water passes through the radiator; a second flow path in which the cooling water does not pass through the radiator; a thermostat that switches a path between the first flow path and the second flow path; and a failure determiner that performs failure determination of the thermostat based on an actual temperature of the cooling water and an estimated temperature of the cooling water, the estimated temperature being calculated based on a temperature change of the cooling water caused by an open or close state of the grille shutter.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2019Publication date: December 26, 2019Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro FURUTA, Hideo MATSUNAGA
-
Patent number: 10233872Abstract: After an engine is started, pump monitoring is performed as follows: a canister is opened to the atmosphere; a negative pressure pump is activated; and abnormality of the negative pressure pump is evaluated on the basis of canister pressure Pc detected with a pressure sensor in an evaporative leakage check module, and after the pump monitoring is completed, a switching valve is closed so that the negative pressure pump communicates with the canister for purge any fuel evaporative gas into an intake passage of the engine, and whether or not leakage has occurred in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressor is evaluated based on the canister pressure Pc.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2018Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kyosuke Uematsu, Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta
-
Patent number: 10190469Abstract: A deterioration determination unit determines whether a catalyst in an exhaust passage of an engine is deteriorated; a first determination unit determines whether there is an air-fuel ratio variation among cylinders of the engine on the basis of distortion in waveform of the air-fuel ratio on the upstream side of the catalyst; and a second determination unit determines whether there is an air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders on the basis that the air-fuel ratio on the downstream side of the catalyst remains on the lean side. A determination mode switching unit makes the first determination unit execute a determination process concurrently with determination by the deterioration determination unit, and it is determined by the determination process that there is an air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders, makes the second determination unit execute a determination process in priority to determination of deterioration of the catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2015Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Kazumichi Takahashi, Yuji Sato, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga
-
Publication number: 20180274470Abstract: Control apparatus for an engine includes a failure determination unit which determines whether there is a failure in an operating engine, and an A/F (air-fuel ratio) feedback control unit which performs feedback control to bring actual A/F in the engine to a target set in advance. The failure determination unit includes a failure determination section, a failure code storing section, a similar operating condition recording section, and a return-to-normal control section. The A/F feedback control unit includes an A/F target setting section, and the target set is stored in the similar operating condition recording section as a factor defining the operating condition of the engine. The return-to-normal control section eliminates the failure code if the failure determination section does not determine that there is a failure when the engine is operating in an operating condition similar to that recorded in the similar operating condition recording section.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Satoshi MAEDA, Junya KITADA, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Katsuhiro FURUTA
-
Publication number: 20180274491Abstract: After an engine is started, pump monitoring is performed as follows: a canister is opened to the atmosphere; a negative pressure pump is activated; and abnormality of the negative pressure pump is evaluated on the basis of canister pressure Pc detected with a pressure sensor in an evaporative leakage check module, and after the pump monitoring is completed, a switching valve is closed so that the negative pressure pump communicates with the canister for purge any fuel evaporative gas into an intake passage of the engine, and whether or not leakage has occurred in a fuel evaporative gas emission suppressor is evaluated based on the canister pressure Pc.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2018Publication date: September 27, 2018Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kyosuke UEMATSU, Hideo MATSUNAGA, Katsuhiro FURUTA
-
Patent number: 9850855Abstract: When a leak test for a purge pipe and a vapor pipe as targets is executed, a sealing valve that is being closed is opened while an open state of a bypass valve is kept prior to the execution of the leak test, fuel evaporative gas in a fuel tank is caused to flow out to a canister side to reduce a tank internal pressure Ptan to a valve opening guarantee determination value P0, and after the bypass valve is closed subsequently, the leak test is started.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2015Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta, Kyosuke Uematsu
-
Patent number: 9574525Abstract: A purge solenoid valve is opened to introduce an atmospheric pressure into a fuel tank, the purge solenoid valve is closed to operate a negative pressure pump, and set an internal pressure of the tank to a reference pressure Pb. Then, a changeover valve is closed, and the purge solenoid valve is opened to cause a canister to communicate with an intake passage. Further, the changeover valve is opened, and the purge solenoid valve is closed. Then, a first tank internal pressure Po is detected and subtracted from the reference pressure Pb. If a calculated first pressure deviation ?Po is larger than a first threshold ?P1, it is determined that there is no open sticking in a sealing valve.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2013Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideo Matsunaga, Katsuhiro Furuta, Hisakazu Ikedaya, Hitoshi Kamura
-
Patent number: 9448194Abstract: An apparatus for determining a failure in a thermostat for controlling the flow of a coolant into a radiator in response to an actual water temperature of the coolant for an engine in a vehicle includes: a water temperature detector that detects the actual water temperature; a water temperature estimator that calculates an estimated water temperature of the coolant; and a failure determining unit that compares the actual water temperature detected by the water temperature detector with the estimated water temperature calculated by the water temperature estimator under cold start of the engine and determines whether the thermostat is valve-open failure. In an engine nonoperating mode including at least automatic stop of the engine, the water temperature estimator applies a behavior of the actual water temperature to an estimated water temperature calculated immediately before automatic stop of the engine to calculate an estimated water temperature in the engine nonoperating mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2013Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Kenji Saito, Hitoshi Kamura
-
Publication number: 20160177817Abstract: During normal engine operation, a temporary determination mode is executed in which whether or not there is an air-fuel ratio variation among cylinders is determined on the basis of distortion in output waveform of an LAF sensor, concurrently with determination of deterioration of a three-way catalyst, under a control condition of normal learning sensitivity of the learned value of a stoichiometry correction factor. If it is determined in the temporary determination mode that there is an air-fuel ratio variation, the determination mode is switched to a main determination mode and the learning sensitivity of the learned value of the stoichiometry correction factor is set to the sensitive side to determine whether or not there is an air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders with higher reliability on the basis of the learned value of the stoichiometry correction factor (=the value of an enrichment process counter C2) which increases rapidly due to the air-fuel ratio variation among the cylinders.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2015Publication date: June 23, 2016Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Kazumichi Takahashi, Yuji Sato, Junya Kitada, Hideo Matsunaga
-
Publication number: 20160177883Abstract: When a leak test for a purge pipe and a vapor pipe as targets is executed, a sealing valve that is being closed is opened while an open state of a bypass valve is kept prior to the execution of the leak test, fuel evaporative gas in a fuel tank is caused to flow out to a canister side to reduce a tank internal pressure Ptan to a valve opening guarantee determination value P0, and after the bypass valve is closed subsequently, the leak test is started.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2015Publication date: June 23, 2016Applicant: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Hideo MATSUNAGA, Katsuhiro FURUTA, Kyosuke UEMATSU
-
Patent number: 9046059Abstract: An electric vehicle includes engine in which the amount of fuel supply is controlled by a throttle, a generator that produces electricity using the power of the engine, a motor outputs power to a drive shaft, an EGR system that supplies gas, exhausted from the engine, to a manifold of the engine, a clutch that switches between the transmission and the non-transmission of power from the engine to the drive shaft, a sensor that measures the change of a pressure of the manifold before and after the EGR system supplies the gas to the manifold, and ECU that performs fault detection of the EGR system using the sensor when conditions, where a series mode is selected, the degree of opening of the throttle is constant, are satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2012Date of Patent: June 2, 2015Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Katsuhiro Furuta, Hideo Matsunaga, Hitoshi Kamura, Kenji Saito
-
Publication number: 20140174573Abstract: A purge solenoid valve is opened to introduce an atmospheric pressure into a fuel tank, the purge solenoid valve is closed to operate a negative pressure pump, and set an internal pressure of the tank to a reference pressure Pb. Then, a changeover valve is closed, and the purge solenoid valve is opened to cause a canister to communicate with an intake passage. Further, the changeover valve is opened, and the purge solenoid valve is closed. Then, a first tank internal pressure Po is detected and subtracted from the reference pressure Pb. If a calculated first pressure deviation ?Po is larger than a first threshold ?P1, it is determined that there is no open sticking in a sealing valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2013Publication date: June 26, 2014Applicant: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hideo MATSUNAGA, Katsuhiro FURUTA, Hisakazu IKEDAYA, Hitoshi KAMURA
-
Publication number: 20140023107Abstract: An apparatus is provided for determining a failure in a thermostat that controls the flow of a coolant into a radiator in response to an actual water temperature of the coolant for an engine in a vehicle. The apparatus includes a detector that detects the actual water temperature; an estimator that calculates an estimated water temperature of the coolant; and a failure determining unit that compares the actual water temperature detected with the estimated water temperature calculated by the water temperature estimator under cold start of the engine and determines whether the thermostat is valve-open failure. In an engine nonoperating mode including at least automatic stop of the engine, the water temperature estimator applies a behavior of the actual water temperature to an estimated water temperature calculated immediately before automatic stop of the engine to calculate an estimated water temperature in the engine nonoperating mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2013Publication date: January 23, 2014Inventors: Katsuhiro FURUTA, Kenji SAITO, Hitoshi KAMURA
-
Publication number: 20130085653Abstract: An electric vehicle includes engine in which the amount of fuel supply is controlled by a throttle, a generator that produces electricity using the power of the engine, a motor outputs power to a drive shaft, an EGR system that supplies gas, exhausted from the engine, to a manifold of the engine, a clutch that switches between the transmission and the non-transmission of power from the engine to the drive shaft, a sensor that measures the change of a pressure of the manifold before and after the EGR system supplies the gas to the manifold, and ECU that performs fault detection of the EGR system using the sensor when conditions, where a series mode is selected, the degree of opening of the throttle is constant, are satisfied.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2012Publication date: April 4, 2013Inventors: Katsuhiro FURUTA, Kideo MATSUNAGA, Hitoshi KAMURA, Kenji SAITO
-
Patent number: 7854113Abstract: In a fuel cut period, an adsorbed CO quantity calculation section calculates the amount CATco of CO adsorbed on a catalyst, and an exhaust O2 quantity calculation section calculates the amount GASo2 of O2 in exhaust gases. CO oxidation reaction heat ?Hr produced when the calculated amount CATco of adsorbed CO reacts with the calculated amount GASo2 of O2 in the exhaust gases is calculated by a ?Hr calculation section, and used in estimation of the temperature of the catalyst.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2007Date of Patent: December 21, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koji Kawakita, Katsunori Ueda, Toshiyuki Miyata, Katsuhiro Furuta
-
Patent number: 7729846Abstract: A control device for an engine includes an air-fuel ratio detector detecting an air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas of the engine. A feedback controller performs a feedback control of an amount of a fuel injection of mixed fuel including alcohol so that the air-fuel ratio detected by the air-fuel ratio detector is come close to a target air-fuel ratio, the mixed fuel supplied from a fuel feeder. A concentration estimator estimates a concentration of the alcohol in the mixed fuel based on the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas and a correction amount for the amount of the fuel injection controlled by the feedback control. A malfunction determiner determines that the fuel feeder has a malfunction when the correction amount is greater than or equal to a value for a period which is longer than a first period in a second period. The second period is from a first time point when the feedback controller starts to perform the feedback control.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2009Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junya Kitada, Shigetoshi Hirano, Koji Kawakita, Hitoshi Kamura, Katsuhiro Furuta